The folk festival “Savior of the Honey Feast Day” was held in the Kirillo-Belozersky museum-reserve last Saturday. Over 2000 people attended it. They came from different cities and towns of the Vologda region and other Russian regions, including the capital.
The Fair of Honey that took place near the monastery walls became the key event of the day. Beekeepers of the Kirillov, the Vologda and the Mezhdurechensky districts presented their goods there. Along with honey of various kinds, people could buy honeycombs, propolis and even dead bees. “The bee is the only insect that can be useful even after its death. A special medicine – tincture of dead bees – can be made using them”, explained bee-keeper Elena Zavyalova. She knows what she is telling about – Elena and her husband Alexander have over 100 bee-families at two apiaries. Alexander can be named a hereditary bee-keeper as his father and grandfather kept bees as well. Elena has been keeping bees together with her husband for more than 20 years. However, the experience of other participants of the fair is also great.
A concert program was organized on the main scene of the museum at the same time. The Song Theatre “Russian Button Accordion” and soloists of the Governor Orchestra of Folk Instruments (Cherepovets) performed for the guests who also had a chance to see the performance of the Cossack Ensemble “Silver Horseshoe”. Its artistic director is Svetlana Zavarina, Honoured Worker of Culture of the RF. Residents and guests of Kirillov who regularly attend local events know this ensemble and their songs very well. Many visitors managed to buy honey, to listen to the songs, to go to the galleries of the walls and to see museum exhibitions during the festival. A lot of people participated in the master-class in pottery delivered by People’s Artist of Russia Marina Vasilieva in the open air.
