"Synthesis of folk traditions and modern culture": lecture by Sofya Ernst at the Exposition
On May 14, as part of the All-Russian Wedding Festival,
actress and producer Sofya Ernst delivered a lecture entitled "Synthesis of
Folk Traditions and Modern Culture". She shared the history of the creation of
the "Getting Married" project, aired on Channel One. The event was organized
with the support of the Istok project, dedicated to the development and
popularization of Russian folk culture among young people.
The "Getting Married" project is a series of documentary
films, which show the process of preparation for the main family celebration.
Each series is dedicated to the organization of a wedding in the traditions and
rituals of a particular region of Russia. The project avoids direct copying, it
manages to create an unforgettable event for newlyweds, reproducing the
cultural code.
"As part of the project, we come to a region, learn about
its traditions and rituals, collect all the information and rethink it in order
to make a modern wedding inspired by traditional rituals," Sofya Ernst told the
Exposition guests.
She added that the project team is doing serious work in the
regions, studying their culture, contacting local local history museums and
collaborating with regional designers.
"Each region has its own crafts, for example, lace is
different everywhere — there are a huge number of its varieties in Russia. We
collect all the treasures preserved in the regions bit by bit and try to build
them into our wedding. And our ethnographers collect information on the wedding
rituals of our ancestors," said Sofya Ernst.
The "Getting Married" project is dedicated to wedding
traditions in all parts of Russia.
"We traveled to Dagestan, and Chuvashia, and Udmurtia. It is
very nice to see that there, somewhere far, far away, traditional clothes have
been preserved. Grandmothers in these places say: "Yes, this is our custom, we
pass it on from generation to generation". There is such a tendency that the
further we go away from the city, from civilization, the higher the chance to
meet a living tradition. This is a kind of research of where and how tradition
lives now. At the same time, traditional costume does not mean archaic — on the
contrary, it is very organic," she emphasized.
The All-Russian Wedding Festival started at the RUSSIA EXPO
on May 12 and is being held in Russia for the first time. Until May 19, couples
from all federal districts of the country will get married at the Exposition,
and thematic days dedicated to the stages of the wedding rite and various
customs will be held. Each of them will be connected with the traditions of
Russia's regions and peoples.
