Photo credit: obzor.lt
The 14th International Folklore Festival Pokrovskie Kolokola (Pokrovsky Bells) started on November 6 in Vilnius with the support of the Russkiy Mir Foundation. The cultural forum received its name after the Orthodox holiday of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary; it gathers guardians of the faith, without which traditional folk culture cannot exist and develop.
For almost a decade and a half, every year viewers have been given the opportunity to get acquainted with the traditional culture of different countries. Another goal of the festival is to strengthen cultural ties. During its existence, creative groups from different Russian regions and many other countries performed on the stage in Vilnius.
This year the festival will delight its audience with teams from 13 countries - Belarus, Georgia, Spain, Italy, France, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Russia, Estonia, Serbia, Ukraine.
The culture of Russia will be represented by three creative universities - Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, St. Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory, Petrozavodsk State Glazunov Conservatory, as well as teams from Moscow, Belgorod and Novosibirsk regions.
Pokrovskie Kolokola is the only festival in the Baltic States that annually orders composers to create works in the World music style. Another premiere took place this year at the opening of the festival. The Lithuanian chamber orchestra, the Arinushka ensemble and other musicians performed the new work of Laimis Vilkončius - Skvortsova Obednya.
In addition to concerts, visitors will find a fair of craftsmen’s products and master classes. A special program has been prepared for children and youth. There will be a round table devoted to folklore in the modern world. The festival is timed to coincide with My family is My Background conference, folk dance evenings, concerts in other cities and much more.
The partners of the festival are, in addition to the Russkiy Mir Foundation, the authorities of Lithuania, Vilnius and Moscow, the local governments of the cities of Šalčininkai and Visaginas, the Vilnius-Lithuanian Diocese and public and cultural organizations of the Baltic Republic.
Russkiy Mir
