Antique fabrics and timonya dance-off: Kursk wedding ceremony was noisy and merry at the RUSSIA EXPO
An old-style wedding ceremony in the folk traditions of the Kursk province of the XIX century was shown to guests on the Day of Kursk Region at the RUSSIA EXPO.
The young family of Oleg and Maria Lazarevs not only come from Kursk, but also work at the same enterprise.
"Now we are the Lazarev family. We dreamed and planned to get married in some original way. Our director of the enterprise suggested that we should perform our wedding in such an unusual way. To tell you the truth, we rehearsed and worried for a long time. We did it. We made this big step and we are very happy about it", — shared the newly married Oleg Lazarev.
Wedding guests saw the rituals of dowry preparation, the arrival of matchmakers in the bride's house, the buyout of the future wife. The young, kneeling on an embroidered rushnik towel, received a blessing from their parents. An interesting feature of the ancient tradition of Kursk wedding is that the bride apologizes to her parents during the blessing ceremony, just as they do to her.
The Registry Office presented the newlyweds Oleg and Maria not only their first family document, but also a statuette of Russia's most musical bird, the Kursk nightingale, and from their parents they got a lit candle as a symbol of an undying hearth.
"We are moved to tears, but these are tears of joy. I want to congratulate you, you really did great. For the guests I want to say that everything you have seen now is real: for example, the costumes are made of 19th century fabrics. The wedding ceremony, although in a shortened format, was also recreated according to historical documents. Both Oleg and Maria, who sealed the marriage document with their signatures, performed the wedding for real. Moreover, the wedding is a jubilee wedding, the thirtieth wedding performed at the RUSSIA EXPO. This is your first joint anniversary", — said Roman Starovoit, Governor of the Kursk region, congratulating the newlyweds.
Deputy Director General of the ANO «Directorate of the Exhibition of Achievements "Russia"» Anastasia Zvyagina rose to the stage with gifts and congratulatory words. "Married people become similar over the course of time, and you already resemble each other, this bodes well for you. Thank you for showing us such a unique rite - your wedding was very musical and very beautiful. You have initiated us into these old Russian traditions. The Year of the Family announced by the President will be opened here at the Exposition from January 19 to 23 with a Forum to which I invite you", — she said.
In the finale, the newlyweds tied their hands with a rushnik to "unite" them for life. And according to the old Kursk tradition, all the participants of the ceremony together with the guests of the exposition sang a merry round dance-off "timonya" together with the Larets folklore ensemble.
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