What was Belarus like hundreds of years ago? What makes its culture unique and original? What traditions of Belarusians are known all over the world and what surprises our country for connoisseurs of authentic heritage?
Over the course of its centuries, the Belarusian people have created a unique one. Traditional folk rituals and rituals, unique folklore, national costume - all this rich heritage is carefully preserved in our country. And of course, guests are invited to meet him.
Today in Belarus there are many places where you can touch ancient Belarusian culture and, at least for a few hours, be transported from the 21st century to hoary history. Among them:
ethnographic and local history museums
ethnographic complexes (villages) open air
agricultural estates in a rural area with national Belarusian flavor
centers of folk art, traditional culture and life
folklore houses
home crafts
Guests museums and complexes see ancient household items and works of decorative and applied art, hear authentic Belarusian songs and get acquainted with ancient dances, try national cuisine.
Those who wish will have the opportunity to plunge into life of the ancient Belarusian outback. Here they offer walks to the apiary, haymaking, and forest; culinary master classes in bread baking, basket weaving or broom knitting; , archery, and much more.
Folk rituals and holidays in Belarus
Belarus has preserved amazing folk rituals and holidays, which are still celebrated today in villages and cities. Among the most famous: 
Kolyada
St. George's Day
"Zazhynki" (beginning of the harvest) and "Dazhynki" (harvest festival)
On these holidays, in different parts of the country, folk celebrations, festivals.
You can truly plunge into the history and life of Belarusians by seeing unique folk rituals, which have been preserved only in one area:
children's carol ritual "Chickens"(Klichevsky district)
ancient rite "Yurauski Karagod"(“Yuryevsky round dance”) (Pogost village, Zhitkovichi district)
ancient spring rite "Arrow"(village Bezdezh, Drogichinsky district)
One of the most significant holidays of modern Belarus has become festival-fair of village workers "Dazhynki", which takes place every autumn in every region of the country. It combines the modern tradition of honoring the best workers with folk rituals of the end of the harvest and harvest.
On this bright festival folklore groups and folk dance ensembles gather, master craftsmen who conduct master classes and present exclusive products to guests.
Belarusian crafts
Soul of the Belarusian people is also embodied in his artistic crafts, the skillful craftsmanship of artisans, which was passed on from generation to generation.
In our country the following are still flourishing today: 
blacksmith craft
pottery and ceramics
weaving and embroidery
straw and wicker weaving
carpentry and cooperage
wood and birch bark carving
vytinanka
The products of masters are kept in museums as historical value and great samples arts and crafts Belarus.
Many creations of Belarusian masters have become a real treasure, a symbol of our country. These are the famous towels from the villages of Neglyubka and Semezhevo, aprons from the village of Bezdezh, linen amulets, a straw spider...
For example, Neglyubskie towels, made by weavers on wooden crosses, are known all over the world. At international exhibitions in New York, Montreal, Tokyo, Paris, and Brussels they were awarded gold medals. These towels decorate one of the Belarusian offices in the UN building, and Metropolitan Museum of Art I bought them for my collection.
In 2012, in the village of Neglyubka (Vetkovsky district) it was held for the first time holiday of the Belarusian towel, which has become an annual event.
The pride of Belarusian culture – National Costume with a characteristic white and red coloring, symbolic embroidery and, of course, special wearing traditions. In Belarus there are more than 30 varieties folk costumes that existed in different regions of the country.
In a Belarusian village Bezdezh(Drogichinsky district) is located the only one in the world, where a unique collection of costume items is collected that have become a real brand of this area.
Today, in almost every region of Belarus there are Houses of crafts, where they study the techniques and technologies of old masters of decorative and applied arts, hold exhibitions and master classes, and make souvenirs.
"Cities" And craftsmen's farmsteads open at all festivals and street celebrations held in Belarus. The City of Masters won particular love and popularity among guests at the International Arts Festival .
There are also specialized craft exhibitions and fairs:
exhibition-fair of folk crafts "Mlyn" (Minsk)
exhibition-fair of national crafts “Komarovo – circle of days” (Komarovo village, Myadel district)
international plein air on ceramics "Art-Zhyzhal"
festival of artisans and folk craftsmen "Kazyuki" (Grodno)
holidays of Belarusian flax
Festivals of traditional culture and cuisine
At different times of the year in the regions Belarus are interesting and in many ways unique traditional culture festivals, which every year are gaining more and more interest from numerous guests and participants.
If you are already quite tired of sea beaches, hot sun, long flights to other countries, then we recommend turning your attention to interesting ethnographic places. In recent years, this type of tourism has only been gaining momentum in our country, but it is becoming more and more popular. So, where to go in Russia on an ethnographic tour?
Ethnotourism– a direction that allows you to thoroughly get acquainted with the life and traditions of different peoples. During the tour, you will live in a completely different cultural environment, get acquainted with the traditional dishes of the nations being studied, their ancient holidays, see folk costumes, listen to songs and admire dances.
You need to choose a place for an ethnographic tour in Russia based on your cultural needs, location, and financial capabilities. If finances do not allow you to travel far from your place of residence, do not be upset, because there are interesting ethnographic objects in any region of Russia; fortunately, it is large and multinational. But with great financial resources, you can go get acquainted with the peoples of other countries and continents. Trips with ethnographic tours will be incredibly interesting for school-age children, expanding their horizons and making them familiar with geography. Since our topic today is: where to go on an ethnographic tour in Russia? - we will talk about several currently popular ethnographic directions and the ethnographic objects of our country located there.
Perm region- an excellent destination for ethnographic tours, there are many educational places associated with the original peoples who have lived on these lands for centuries.
Architectural and ethnographic complex "Khokhlovka". In the Perm region there is a unique architectural and ethnographic complex “Khokhlovka” - a small wooden town located on a high cape above the Kama River. This is the very first “open-air” museum of wooden architecture of the Urals, which began its work in 1980. The Khokhlovka museum ensemble is located just forty-three kilometers from Perm. Today, there are twenty-three unique monuments of wooden architecture from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. These are the best examples of traditional architecture of the numerous peoples of the Kama region. And here tourists can enjoy the rare beauty of local landscapes: calm river surface, wooded hills, rocks along the bay, spruce forest, mixed with birch groves and thickets of juniper, rowan, bird cherry, viburnum. In winter, it is also very beautiful here: the icy river expanses of the Kama, the domes of churches glistening in the sun. In “Khokhlovka”, ethnotourists can expect traditional mass celebrations in honor of the holidays of the folk calendar: “Farewell to Maslenitsa”, “Trinity festivities”, “Apple and Honey Savior”, interesting folklore holidays, military-historical or art festivals. All thirty-five hectares of this town are divided into cultural and ethnographic zones of the Perm region: 1. Northern Kama region; 2. Southern Kama region; 3. Komi-Permyak sector. In one sector you will see the furnishings of a residential hut of the peoples of the Perm region and an exhibition of objects of folk painting, and in the other, examples of peasant estates of the nineteenth - twentieth centuries, in the third, a large wooden church, transported to the territory of the museum from a distant village. There is a bell tower building, a hunting hut, a mill with barns for storing grain, and even a salt factory. The main season for tourist visits: from late May to early October. But this place of ethnographic tourism in Russia awaits visitors at any time of the year.
Krasnodar region- a place where, during your ethnographic tour, you can learn more about the life of the Kuban Cossacks, and also get acquainted with the culture of the largest Armenian diaspora living in Kuban. Kuban is a multinational region where there are more than one hundred and twenty nationalities, each of which has a unique cultural component.
Ethnographic park "Dobrodeya" in Anapa. There is a hotel at this ethnographic complex, so you can stay right there to slowly get acquainted with the culture and traditions of the Kuban Cossacks. By the way, the hotel has a children's playground and an authentic tavern specializing in preparing Kuban cuisine. The park reproduces the atmosphere of a nineteenth-century Cossack village. The ethnographic museum exhibition “Cossack Compound” introduces park guests to the fascinating history, way of life, customs, songs, and cuisine of the Kuban Cossacks. There is a “Cossack Museum” and its own folklore ensemble. On the Cossack farm, everything looks the same as it did in the old days: wattle fence, a white mud hut with a large stove, traditional decoration: images on an embroidered towel in the red corner. In the backyard there is a garden, a vegetable garden and a poultry house. This is the life of the Kuban Cossacks. If you walk along the old Cossack road, which is located next to the park in the forest, you will find a well - a spring, where the Cossacks used to get water. This spring is under state protection. Once at the “Cossack Fair” exposition, ethnotourists can get acquainted with Cossack folk crafts, see how blacksmiths, potters, furriers worked in ancient times, and purchase the products they like. The Dobrodeya theme park stands fifteen kilometers from the city of Anapa, in the middle of a picturesque forest stretching along the spurs of the Greater Caucasus Range. Another ethnographic excursion destination of the Dobrodeya park is called the “Kingdom of Berendey”, and it is designed for young visitors. This is the “Fairytale Forest”, where traditional heroes of Russian folk tales live: Nightingale the Robber, Kikimora, Leshy, Tsar Berendey, Scientist Cat at the Oak, Swan Princess and others. Young visitors to the park will be treated to an exciting theatrical performance.
Armenian center "Arin-Berd" in Gai Kodzor in Kuban. By visiting this cultural center of Kuban, you will learn a lot about the rich Armenian culture. Arin-Berd, operating in Gai Kodzor, is visited not only by residents of Kuban or Russians, but also by foreign tourists. This is the most interesting ethnographic place in Russia, introducing guests to the culture of the largest Armenian diaspora living in the Krasnodar Territory. Translated “Arin-Berd” means “Fortress of the Aryans”. Passing the gates of this ancient fortress, you find yourself in the kingdom of Armenian culture and history. The first stop is a waterfall, the water from which is considered holy by the Caucasian peoples. The second stop is a gallery with seven wall paintings, which depict decisive events in the history of Armenia. You will learn about interesting facts related to this. At the end of the gallery, you will get acquainted with the national Armenian dance with candles, performed by young girls, and the fire in their hands symbolizes the connection of generations, the continuity of history. Then, guests who come on an ethnographic tour to the Arin-Berd center will get acquainted with the amazing national Armenian cuisine, be treated to wonderful wine, see national dances and listen to drinking songs. After the Armenian feast, you will visit the Armenian market, look at the work of potters, tinsmiths and other craftsmen, buy the products you like, and again plunge into dancing, songs, fun, and treats.
Chukotka. The harsh region of permafrost, a place of extreme climate, the edge of the earth - Chukotka - hides incredibly beautiful landscapes and the rich ethnographic culture of the peoples inhabiting it.
Natural-ethnographic park "Beringia". The main place of ethnographic tourism in Russian Chukotka is the easternmost village of our country - “Uelen”, where the natural-ethnic park “Beringia” is located, visitors of which have a unique opportunity to become more familiar with the life of the northern peoples of the Eskimos and Chukchi. Here you will visit a bone-carving workshop and see the masterpieces that these people make from available materials - walrus bone and whalebone. The natural and ethnographic park "Beringia" was created in 1990 to preserve the unique Bering Sea hunting culture of the indigenous population of Chukotka - the Chukchi and Eskimos, as well as to protect the biological diversity of the territory. The park has more than three million hectares of territory. During your ethnographic tour to Chukotka, you will find yourself in a completely different cultural environment, learn what the true life and traditions of the peoples of the North are like, visit routes specially designed for tourists in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, on dog and reindeer sleds, and see objects located in the park Eskimo culture: “Whale Alley”, “Ekven” and “Kivak”. Driving along the coast, you will come across hundreds of settlements of local peoples dating back to different eras, which are built from whale bones. What's most interesting is that when scientists did radiocarbon dating of some of them, they turned out to be more than two and a half thousand years old. The languages of the Eskimos and Chukchi peoples, their religious, hunting, and everyday traditions, folklore, and knowledge passed on from father to son over thousands of years are incredibly interesting. To this day, the Eskimos and coastal Chukchi have preserved elements of their ancient hunting trade: a leather boat, a rotating harpoon, a homemade float that they make by inflating the skin of a seal, and a traditional team of sled dogs. For lovers of event tourism, we can recommend going to traditional holidays, where you will witness dog sled races, Chukchi kayak regattas, attend concerts of folklore groups, buy authentic souvenirs, including figurines carved from bone.
In total, seven thousand nationalities live in the world, and one hundred and fifty of them are in our country, so the question is - where to go on an ethnographic tour in Russia? - our compatriots don’t even have it.
Ethnographic tours are a promising new direction in modern cultural and educational tourism. Ethnographic tours are based on historical and folk monuments of a particular region, but also include folklore holidays, folk cuisine, folk crafts, ancient customs and much more.
We will tell you about several new developments in regional ethnographic tours.
"Caucasian House" - a new ethnographic program telling how the peoples of Karachay-Cherkessia lived centuries ago. It is a 10-day tour with a visit to the Arkhyz settlement - the ancient capital of Alanya, a museum city with temples of the 10th-12th centuries; excursions to the Karachay village of Khasaut, the village of Dombay; tasting of Caucasian wines and Caucasian national cuisine.
"Journey to the Land of Spirits" - excursion ethnographic tours in Altai. All tours are individual, multi-variant, but as a mandatory element they include a demonstration of shamanic rituals. In addition, excursionists are invited to visit ancient temples, visit an Altai storyteller, spend an evening by the fire with a story about the starry Altai sky and get acquainted with ancient rituals.
"Sayan Ring" - ethnographic festival of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Tuva. Included program "Siberian Rites" involves a visit to the ancient village of Shushenskoye, lunch in a Siberian tavern, evening gatherings, participation in ancient rituals, mandatory tea drinking in a Siberian hut, accommodation in ancient Siberian villages, inspection of archaeological monuments, a visit to the geographical center of Asia, a Buddhist monastery, getting to know the way of life of a Tuvan family.
"Journey along the Amur" – a tour offering acquaintance with the original culture of the ancient branch of the Tungus-Manchu tribes, participation in ancient rituals, tasting of national cuisine, including the famous Amur fish soup, and riding on Ulchi boats.
"Shamanic tours" offers the Baikal region. One of the most popular tours "The Way of the Shaman" , lasts 7 days. During it, tourists visit the shaman ulus, examine the legendary Shaman Stone, take a short trip through the mysterious caves with an inspection of rock paintings, undergo a purification ceremony and much more.
Krasnodar region offers ethnographic tour "Kuban Cossack" . This is an extensive excursion program with folklore dinners and concerts, with a visit to the Lermontov Museum and the Wine Museum with tasting of Kuban wines. During the tour, excursion participants visit excavations of a settlement from the time of the Bosporan Kingdom, and ancient Turkish fountains. It is possible to include a trip to the Black or Azov Sea and Taman wine tasting in the program. There is also a small ethnographic tour "Cossack Don" with a trip to one of the villages, a visit to the Cossack kuren and a visit to the concert of the Cossack choir with an obligatory lunch of Kuban folk dishes.
"Ethnographic village" , which is under construction in Elabuga near Kazan, already offers tourists its numerous ethnographic tourism services. On the basis of the complex, a Tatar village and a Russian courtyard were built, as well as a Maidan (square) for sabantuy and a clearing for evening gatherings. Tasting dishes of Tatar and Russian cuisine are offered on the territory of the village. The tourist complex has car rentals, a horse base is being created, and a souvenir shop and boat station are already open. Antique carriages are waiting for their clients.
Ethnocultural tourism promotes closer ties and interaction between representatives of the small peoples of Russia, as well as the development of their cultural and economic potential.
Ethnographic tour program
Ethnographic tour program should be compiled taking into account the interests of tourists who are interested in folklore, interested in the history and national characteristics of the region. The technology for organizing such tours involves a comprehensive thematic selection of excursions and leisure activities that highlight the national characteristics of the richness of the region. It is advisable to equip buses audio cinemain the summer with recordings of national music for playing during long journeys, which prepares tourists to perceive the theme, and the guide can comment on the musical accompaniment.
It would be useful to visit those places where tourists can buy handicrafts as souvenirs, therefore, when organizing tours, it is necessary to leave tourists free time for rest, walking and shopping.
When developing animation programs, it is necessary to include visits to folklore festivals and concerts of Russian folk groups. The personal participation of tourists in dances, round dances, games, etc. is attractive. It is also good to offer photo and video shooting services.
Unfortunately, the use of ethnographic objects as animation is often associated with a number of problems. Some of them, due to their uniqueness, deserve the attention of tourists, but are not in good enough condition for inspection or have poor transport accessibility. However, single ethnographic objects, i.e. scattered on the territory of various territorial units remote from each other and therefore not included in the excursion, can be an excellent animation object, provided that the animation program is well-designed.
Objects of ethnographic heritage must be presented intelligently and creatively. Scientific and technological progress has done its job: the products of one country are practically no different from similar products of another. Uniformity is unacceptable in culture. A region that wants to become a popular ethnographic tourist destination must have unique cultural complexes with exciting animation programs and offer them to the tourist market. 
Holiday as an animation event
A holiday is an event with the active, creative participation of the local population and tourists, dedicated to outstanding events, traditional dates, and anniversaries.
When promoting Russian culture in tourism, one should pay special attention to the nature of the creation of national holidays, i.e., understand the essence of the nature of folk holidays and rituals.
The reflection of national culture in animation programs influences human behavior and experiences. Russian folk culture has developed a multi-level system of psychotherapeutic influence on a person. Therefore, animation programs built on the basis of Russian folklore and its traditions carry a double recreational function - through the aesthetic and moral perception of reality, the psyche is restored and bioenergy is strengthened.
The Russian folk calendar, which is a fusion of terms of labor and a certain type of experience, the Russian annual circle is one of the highest achievements of culture, its harmoniously wise, human mental structure, a kind of psychological masterpiece. It not only harmonizes and states the passage of time, but also gives it a sacred-symbolic meaning and high psychological content.
The folk calendar contains a series of behaviors and experiences prescribed to a person, which works as a psychotherapeutic system. One more conclusion can be drawn about Russian holidays: the Russian calendar year contains the formula of laughter therapy - for about two months a year a person is supposed to laugh. There were ceremonies and rituals that gave rise to positive emotions, and light laughter was prescribed for a person by tradition. Thus, man experienced his unity with nature, and this system introduced him into the natural world as the environment of his spiritual habitat - man entered into a strong, healthy system of relationships with the world, with himself. There were many holidays that organized people's relationships with each other.
Currently, animation programs in event tourism play a huge role in promoting cultural development, where the main goal is to unite restored national traditions and the inherited historical potential that the tourism sector has (historical and museum complexes, temples, cities, villages and much more). The interest of tourists in certain dates, motivation and playing out these interests in a “live” (animated) form with the personal participation of tourists make such a tour unforgettable.
Ethnographic (folklore) tourism can be stationary and event-based. For example, tours with an animation program that take place all year round (the city of Myshki, animation tours in estates, etc.), i.e. permanently, as well as one-time, in honor of certain events (holidays, festivals, carnivals, competitions, etc.) in specific period of time.
Event-animated tourism programs are a new type of program tourism products. Standing at the intersection of excursion-educational and entertainment-entertainment programs serving tourists, event-animation tours successfully combine all the best qualities. This is not only a standard excursion display, but also the involvement of the tourist in the action, which, in turn, is based on the historical fact of celebrating a particular date.
Event-animation tours are a special type of program tourism. Their planning has a number of specific features, differences from the creation of a standard tourism product, and therefore is subject to special development. The peculiarity of the development of this type of tourism product requires knowledge of folklore, culture, traditions, customs, celebrations of special dates, superstitions, legends associated with them, i.e., everything without which the event program ceases to be such, as well as animation techniques and technology that put The goal is to include tourists in active activities in the process of consuming services, integrating psychological and psychophysical aspects when creating the most comfortable event-animated tour. 
The revival of the spiritual culture of the people in modern conditions is becoming very relevant. This is due to the need to restore the original ethical and aesthetic norms, the methods of artistic and moral education of a person, so characteristic of artistic folk culture, its holidays, rituals, games, etc.
The solution to these problems involves the revival of such an integral part of spiritual culture as folk holidays and rituals. Their role in human recreation and the restoration of his physical and spiritual strength is unusually great: they have enormous impact and carry an emotional charge that contributes to the moral and physical recovery of a person.
In addition, folk rituals and holidays are closely related to history and mythology; they reflect man’s accumulated ideas about life, space, the environment, as well as the achievements of folk pedagogy and folk art.
Tourism organizations are obliged to make every effort to attract potential tourists not only by the presence of architectural monuments, but also by interesting entertainment programs. Russia has a huge potential for historical holidays and folk traditions. Taking these customs as a basis, it is possible to develop excellent educational, event-animated programs that will certainly gradually increase interest in Russian traditions not only among our tourists, but also among tourists who come to us from other countries.
Russian spirituality needs the careful and loving attitude of its contemporaries. Provincial culture, with its direct focus on people, proximity to everyday needs and demands, can be actively involved in the processes of tourism activities.
The cultural and historical potential, which forms the basis of recreational resources, is an important element of the country’s tourist attractiveness. Cultural and historical resources include objects of excursion display (monuments and memorable places, natural and industrial objects, museum expositions), as well as ethnographic monuments of material and intangible culture, reflecting the national specifics of the life of peoples (customs, traditions, holidays, national cuisine, clothing and etc.).
In the fall of 2004, Belarus acceded to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, thereby our state confirmed its responsibility for the preservation of the intangible cultural heritage.
The culture of Belarus was formed under the influence of various historical, cultural and geopolitical factors, which in turn was reflected in the great diversity and richness of folk crafts, crafts, traditions and is the resource basis for the development of folklore and ethnographic tourism in the republic.
The territory of the Polesie-Turov cultural and tourist zone bordered on the Ukrainian and Russian ethnocultural areas, which affected many features of the traditional culture of this part of Belarus.
An innovative direction in the development of the Belarusian ecotourism market is the organization of event programs that can specifically attract target segments of consumers and at the same time ensure mass popularization of the ideas and principles of ecotourism. It should be noted that in modern conditions, event marketing is one of the most important tools for promoting regional tourism products.
The characteristic features of event tourism are:
– irregularity, discreteness in time and space (events are organized at a certain time in specific destinations). The organization of many ecotourism event programs is determined by the seasonality of natural processes (seasonal opportunities to observe bird migrations, tours for photography enthusiasts, etc.);
– a relatively short period of event activities (the time of environmental festivals, thematic field camps, seasonal ecotours and other programs is limited by specific dates);
– purposefully planned nature of the programs (the content of event programs is developed in advance by the organizers and brought to the attention of potential participants in advance);
– increased motivation to visit destinations, the attractiveness of which increases significantly during the period of events;
– the uniqueness of the event, which gives unique value to event tours.
Gaining satisfaction from the feeling of belonging to a unique event, tour participants are usually willing to incur increased costs for accommodation, food, souvenirs and other goods and services, an equal amount of which can be purchased at a much lower price before or after the event.
Examples of event-based forms of ecotourism include:
– ecological tours introducing seasonal or rare natural phenomena: showing seasonal migrations of birds, plants during the flowering period, photo hunting of animals taking into account the seasonality of their behavior (spring mating season of birds, autumn rutting season of ungulates, etc.);
– forums, festivals, symposia on environmental topics (annual Republican Environmental Forum, Forum of Public Environmental Organizations of Belarus);
– festivals of rural tourism, ethnocultural and culinary traditions;
– regional environmental holidays dedicated to natural heritage such as the Wader Festival (Turov, Zhitkovichi district);
– excursion, environmental and other thematic events within the framework of the dates of the international and national eco-calendar. For example, autumn bird watching days have been held in Belarus since 1999 under the auspices of the public organization “Akhova bird batskaushchyny”, the number of participants in the event is constantly increasing: 2007 - about 600 people, 2011 - over 5 thousand;
– competitions, tournaments in the field of natural history knowledge (Belarus Open Championship in Sports Ornithology);
– participation in seasonal volunteer projects, environmental and natural history camps.
Folklore and ethnographic tourism is one of the types of educational tourism, which involves visiting objects and centers of the material and spiritual culture of peoples. The dynamism of its development is due to the search for national identity, the preservation of national culture, which is increasingly influenced by mass standards during the period of globalization of social development.
Folklore and ethnographic tourism is based on the people’s interest in their history and ethnic culture: ancient way of life, folk traditions and rituals, culture, i.e. to everything that distinguishes one ethnic group from another. The resource base for folklore and ethnographic tourism is folklore, rituals, customs and traditions, folk holidays and festivals, crafts and trades. An important element of tourist attractiveness is the festivals, holidays and other events held in the republic, which constitute the resource base of event tourism and enrich the stay programs of foreign guests in Belarus.
An assessment of the folklore and ethnographic potential of the territory, the study of its specifics and structure in the context of ethnographic regions shows objective opportunities for the development of this type of tourism. The Belarusian people have preserved traditional folklore, rituals, holidays, customs and crafts, thereby creating a modern resource and infrastructure base for the development of folklore and ethnographic tourism in the Polesie-Turov zone.
On May 1, 2015, the city of Turov hosted the annual festival of waders, already the sixth in a row. This is the only festival dedicated to shorebirds not only in Belarus, but also in Europe. This is also evidenced by the world's only monument to waders, located in the center of the city of Turov.
Residents of the city, undoubtedly, also fell in love and got used to the wonderful festival. Therefore, every time, special attention is paid to the points of traditional creative master classes on the Red Square of the city: felting birds from wool, modeling waders from dough, flickers in the form of waders, face painting, children's and sports playgrounds, as well as much more.
It is also noteworthy that in 2015, a fascinating presentation of environmental projects of the European Union was organized: the projects “Energy Efficiency in Schools”, “Small Rivers - Big Problems” of the Integration Foundation, “Building the Capacity of Environmental Oil and Gas Optimizations of the Republic of Belarus for Participation in the Development and implementation of the waste management policy" of the organization "Eco-Partnership", the project "Increasing the level of management of waste of electrical and electronic equipment at the local level in the Republic of Belarus" of the Center for Environmental Solutions.
At the same time, an excursion was held for those interested along the Turov meadow under the guidance of ornithologists. Turov meadow is an area important for its inhabitants, for their migration stops and nesting. Due to the specific ecological conditions, more than 50 species of waders, gulls and other species of waterbirds nest in this area, many of which have national and pan-European protection status. This became the basis for giving the Turov Meadow the status of an area of international importance for birds. To preserve bird species in Turovsky Meadow, a biological reserve of local importance was also created in 2008. It is here that the largest stable settlement in Belarus is located, listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus - the Morodunka Sandpiper, in whose honor the only monument in the world was erected in Turov in 2009. And in March 2014, in Turovsky Meadow, ornithologists set an absolute record for counted birds: experts counted 200 thousand birds in one square kilometer. This is the maximum value for the entire observation period in Belarus, starting in 1994. And this year, 80 thousand turukhtans were registered. And this is just in one day!
On September 17, 2012, the first Festival of ethnocultural traditions “Call of Polesie” opened in the agricultural town of Lyaskovichi, Petrikovsky district, Gomel region (Figure 17).
The festival was launched by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky. In his opinion, the festival of ethnocultural traditions “Call of Polesie” is not only evidence of great respect for the traditional culture of Belarusians, but also a confirmation of our desire to preserve the heritage of Polesie in all its pristine and multifaceted nature, emphasized Sergei Sidorsky.
Everything that was presented to the numerous spectators and guests of the festival by the creativity of professional and amateur artists, folk craftsmen is another special and inimitable, unique and memorable page of this grandiose event. What a rare opportunity everyone had to see the performances of the National Academic Choir of the Republic of Belarus named after Tsitovich, the State Ensemble “Pesnyary”, the folk ensemble of folk music “Radunitsa”, etc. Everyone received no less pleasure from the refined skills of amateur artists.
The festival program includes concert performances by creative groups, a fair of Polesie crafts, competitions of regional farmsteads and national cuisine, exhibitions and presentations of the most interesting socio-cultural projects, presentation of films and video materials that reflect the nature, life and culture of Pripyat Polesie, a youth disco in Pripyat.
Figure 17 – Emblem of the festival “Call of Polesie”
For the participants and guests of the holiday, there was a ride on motor ships, motor and rowing boats, horses harnessed to carriages, canoe racing, fishing, and a Belarusian safari. In the evening, those who wished had the opportunity to ride on a barge and take part in a three-hour dance and entertainment program.
The largest festival of folk humor in Belarus (Figure 18) takes place every few years in the villages of Bolshie and Malye Avtyuki, Kalinkovichi district. For almost two decades, the title of the wittiest Belarusians has been confidently held by residents of two Polesie villages, Bolshaya and Malyye Avtyuk. Books are written about them, their oral works are collected in collections, and every few years they organize, perhaps, the largest feast in the country.
The last festival, held in 2012, the seventh in a row, became international. Ukrainians and Russians performed on the big stage together with Belarusian comedians.
Figure 18 – emblem of the folk humor festival 2012
The official drink of the festival is Ragatuha. They drink it exclusively “for a good joke.” They say that at the first festival back in 1995, a whole milk tanker was prepared for it. Instead of the planned two days, the holiday lasted a week. Also in 2012, the country's first museum of folk humor was opened in Avtyuki.
The All-Belarusian Humor Festival has been held in Avtyuki since 1995 and during this time has put the name of the village near Kalinkovichi on a par with such recognized centers of humor as Gabrovo, Odessa, Sorochintsy.
Belarusian Polesie is distinguished by a rich ethnographic heritage and is the most attractive historical and cultural zone of the republic for domestic and foreign tourists.
Unique and exotic objects of excursion display on the territory of Belarusian Polesie are villages that have preserved the archaic way of life, traditional wooden outbuildings and residential buildings with regional decorative elements. In the villages, residential buildings with roofs covered with reeds and thatch have been preserved; some houses have earthen floors. Such places arouse considerable interest among domestic and foreign tourists and are perceived as a kind of open-air ethnographic museums. It should be taken into account that the local population in each of the similar villages is several dozen people, among whom elderly people predominate. It is obvious that in the near future these settlements may become non-residential and disappear from the face of the earth if measures are not taken to museumify them and actively include them in excursion programs.
Traditional folk holidays and rituals are of great interest to tourists: “Kalyady”, “Kupalle”, “Gukanne Viasny”, “Dazhynki”, “Shchodryki”, “Vadzhenne Kushty”, etc. Also, for example, there are 34 amateur groups in the Zhitkovichi region folk music, song, dance, including 17 groups that have the high title of “folk amateur group”. In addition to the recognized leader - the folk ensemble "Yarok" of the Turov House of Culture, the most famous are: folklore groups "Mizhrechcha" (village Pogost), "Strechanne" (village Grabovka), "Dubravitsa" (village Rychov), "Stsvizhanka" (village . Semuradtsy), “Abibok” (village Zapesochye), folk song ensemble “Zhytnitsa” (Zhitkovichi).
The popularization of folk cultural traditions and the development of educational tourism is facilitated by village holidays and ethnographic festivals such as “Spyawai, May Palesse” - Zhitkovichi district.
An assessment of the folklore and ethnographic potential of the regions of the Polesie-Turov cultural and tourist zone indicates that the resources of the material and spiritual culture of the Belarusian people represent an objective basis for the development of domestic and outbound tourism and allow the development of thematic tourist routes to the main cultural centers of the region.
Thus, folklore and ethnographic tourism can be considered as one of the areas of cultural tourism based on a person’s interest in the ancient way of life, folk traditions, rituals and culture, both of one’s own and other peoples and ethnic groups.
A new form of travel and recreation is proposed by local communities based on tourism (Community Based Tourism), which are located in the Bostanlyk district of the Tashkent region, for those who come here in the spring-summer season to admire the mountain landscape, swim in Lake Charvak, and wander around slopes of the Chimgan or Kulosya mountains, pick medicinal herbs or fish in the Ugam River. What exactly? Cuisine of the plains and mountains. We heard about this at a meeting of journalists with Viktor Tsoi, the national coordinator of the EuropeAid International Project for the Conservation of Biodiversity of the Western Tien Shan, held in mid-May in Tashkent at the premises of the Rabat Malik Travelers Association. “Gastronomic tourism is something that has not yet been in demand by visitors to this region of Uzbekistan,” said V. Tsoi. - Many have heard that the cuisine of the mountaineers is excellent, but not every visitor to the beautiful places of Chimgan or, say, the village of Brichmulla, has tasted what it really is. Usually tourists, especially those who arrived in an unorganized manner, prepare food themselves, using fires or “cauldrons” (cauldrons on bricks) specially prepared by local residents. But few people thought that biodiversity has provided such a set of products that have long been used as food by the local population. And that this could become a new direction of eco-tourism - gastronomy and cuisine of local residents. It turned out that a number of travel companies and SVT groups have developed a tourism product called “Gastronomy and folklore of the Ugam-Chatkal Natural Park” (the fact is that a number of villages are located in the zone of this specially protected area), and now offer it to residents of Tashkent, as well as foreigners who consider themselves gourmets and do not refuse to explore “exotic” food. Previously, experts had a negative attitude towards picnics, calling them “Kazan-tourism” (or, analogously, pilaf-tourism, vodka-tourism), but then they realized that it was impossible to eradicate it, and it was not necessary. It is simply necessary to streamline this direction, offering people the best world of cuisine, instead of the usual barbecue and ketchup with beer. “I would like to note that this is not only the food that we prepare for tourists, using the natural gifts of our region, but also the traditions of their preparation, reception, as well as folklore and crafts that demonstrate our connection with the outside world,” emphasized the head of the SVT village of Brichmulla Rakhimov's risks. By the way, she recently received a notification from the President of the International Gastronomy Association Slow Food Carlo Petri that she has been accepted into membership of this organization, and her recipes for mountain Tajik cuisine will be included in multi-volume editions of the Ark of Taste encyclopedia. From the end of May, the tourist season begins in the Bostanlyk region: boarding houses, summer health camps, holiday homes, tourist centers and hotels open. An intensive flow of private cars and public transport will begin along the new high-speed highway from the capital of the republic, bypassing the cities of Chirchik and Gazalkent, to the territory of Khumsan, Charvak, Chimgan and Kulosya, carrying tourists to places of recreation and entertainment. The final preparations are being completed for those facilities that will serve all visitors within three to four months - cable cars, cafes, rental offices. Roads and bridges that were damaged by recent landslides caused by heavy spring rains are also being repaired. Nature has blossomed. The sun is getting hotter. And for tourists, local residents are preparing new services - accommodation in cozy guest houses, excursions to the Giza plateau, to the Neanderthal cave, to old settlements that are several hundred years old. And among the surprises are cuisine and folklore. Residents of three villages - Chimgan, Brichmulla and Chimgan and employees of the Tashkent company "Elena-tour" invited several Tashkent journalists to try out a new tourism product. And, you know, we didn’t refuse. Especially because they were preparing for the holiday - International Biodiversity Day (May 22), which promised us many interesting meetings and spectacles. "GOLDEN BRICHMULLA" The journey began on May 20, 2005 at exactly seven o'clock in the morning. The travel agency's car gathered us all, still sleepy, but anticipating amazing adventures, in the city center - near the Hamid Olimdzhan metro station. There were four of us, and we sat in a Nexia car. Soon the wind was whistling in our ears, the rays were hitting our eyes, and the car was rushing us towards the mountains, the peaks of which could be distinguished on such a sunny morning. I looked at the snow-white peaks, barely covered by rare clouds, and thought how beautiful it was there. My comrades also wanted to get there quickly. We left the capital quite quickly. Nobody stopped us along the way, although there were fears that after the Andijan uprising (May 13-14), a state of emergency was introduced in the Tashkent region, and access for vacationers to tourist resources was limited. Yes, we encountered local police checkpoints along the way, but the machine gunners did not pay attention to us (only at the entrance to the village of Brichmulla, when we were crossing the bridge, a policeman checked our documents, wrote down the information in his notebook, and allowed us to move on). The new highway seemed very convenient to us. The speed went beyond one hundred and fifty kilometers per hour, and there was no shaking. It’s not for nothing that huge funds were poured here from the state budget (in some places the highway had artificial lighting). True, approaching the “barrel” (that’s the name of the crossroads of roads flowing around Lake Charvak), we slowed down and began to carefully climb the mountains. The road here was also not bad, only the huge stones standing along the edges aroused suspicion: it was clear that they had rolled here by the will of nature. “As if such a cobblestone wouldn’t fall on our heads,” we involuntarily thought. But that didn't stop us. Only in one section did we have to move off the road onto a dirt road, as a landslide demolished part of the road and covered someone’s house (I hope there were no casualties). Bulldozer drivers and dump trucks were already working there, clearing the path. The weather was great. In the sun, the surface of Charvak shone like a polished bucket. Soon we arrived at the village of Brichmulla. And they were waiting for us. As soon as the car stopped at the school, the sounds of a national melody were heard. We were greeted with bread and salt, as well as a cup of kaymak (sour cream). Children dressed in national costumes looked at us cheerfully and invited us to the holiday in Tajik, Uzbek, and Russian. The school was filled with people, it seemed that the entire village and neighbors had come here to boot. Well, it was exactly two thousand. Among the guests are elders, elders, respected people (heads of local authorities). Risks Rakhimova announced the beginning of the holiday. Let me tell you, it was very interesting. The first part consisted of theatrical skits about how one should not treat nature in a predatory manner. Schoolchildren in costumes performed the role with such passion and feeling that any professional actor would envy them. We were shown numbers of how hunters do not spare birds - chukars, eagles, how a careless son littered around his house, putting his parents in an awkward position, how a person does not know how to be friends with the sun, water, grass, earth, animals. This was wonderful, especially considering that the scenes were created by the children themselves (they also sewed the costumes with the help of their parents). But the most pleasing thing was the elementary school children, dressed in fruit and vegetable outfits, who played a fairy tale. The second part is folklore. Here we saw wonderful mountain Tajik songs and dances performed by school groups “Guncha” and “Sadbarg”. Simple white dresses and bright embroidery were in perfect harmony with the surrounding space and the spiritual aura that the girls created around themselves. And the movements are nothing short of charming. It was clear that the performers had shed more than one hour and more than one drop of sweat during rehearsals, preparing to show their clear and measured movements, steps and pirouettes to those who would come to the celebration. Teenagers from the group "Nilufar" demonstrated choral singing, and also caused a storm of applause. But the members of the folklore group "Novbahor" performed Tajik songs in a modern interpretation, dancing, they rhythmically knocked wooden spoons, which they squeezed with the fingers of one hand. Teachers and high school students from the group "Lola" showed that they are familiar with both Uzbek and Russian folklore. After that, we were taken to the school, where the local history museum was located. It had just begun to function and did not have a significant amount of exhibits, but what it already had aroused respect for the school director. She managed to find ancient scarves and clothes (black men's robes - chapans, light women's robes - yalak, burqa, belts), shoes (boots, called chukai), which were worn even before the revolution. A huge number of fabrics with patterns - suzani, handicrafts. Among the material assets are oil lamps, jugs, mortars, spoons, plates, tools and other household utensils of the century before last. All this was demonstrated in semi-darkness, which created a special impression for us. By the way, as Rakhimova said, her students promised to bring what they often find in the ruins of settlements and on the shore of the lake (Charvak is an artificial lake; in the 60s, builders, having built a dam, flooded many ancient villages). By the way, there are many “black archaeologists” here who find gold, copper and silver coins, as well as items made of metal and stone, but you understand that all this flows abroad. “And the last thing is gastronomy,” said Risky, opening the way for us to the next room. We entered the room and were stunned. The entire long table was filled with various dishes. It’s even difficult for me to describe their number and volume, but we immediately realized that we couldn’t overcome all this in a month, even if we moved our jaws intensively. Thank God, the elders were called to help, and we sat down to eat together. First, they served dairy dishes - kaymak, kurtova (this is a liquid soup made from crushed kurt - dry cottage cheese + greens). The aroma tickled the nostrils, and the tongue tasted salt, milk, and herbs. Then they brought seven types of flatbreads, made in completely different ways: with oil, with salted water, with meat, with onions, with fat, with herbs. These are thin baked "patyrs" and fried plates of "katlama", huge kilogram "cham-patyrs" with grass and others, the name of which I - alas! - I didn’t remember. But they promised to show us how bread products are prepared in the national house, which significantly enlivened our impressions. Next, came the first courses: cold soups of milk, corn and greens (I don’t remember the name). Before we had time to put this down, they served “shir-birich” - hot milk soup + rice + ghee. "Tunuk" - pancakes with spices - was served on the table. Porridge "Budina" - starch from the so-called mountain potatoes - the "olgi" plant (name in Tajik) - was also tasty, but the female half leaned on it. By the way, this plant is also used to make jelly “kaudak” (+ thyme, raikhon + sour milk) - we tried it too. According to residents, they are good for the stomach. But what is considered most useful for women is “atalla” - a liquid porridge that is served to them after childbirth, supposedly it restores strength and strengthens the body. The men, you understand, took a light sip, thinking, well, it’s delicious, after all, this is not food for the weaker sex, we should have had more of it... They brought it more of it. There was Brichmullin style pilaf, dried roots of the “ozhit” plant, jam from revel (“kislyachka”) called “rivozh”, and mulberry and grape fruits (they are boiled in their own juice, which releases fructose, no need to add sugar) - “ tires". Meanwhile, our digestive system was filling up with layers, and we did not feel the desire to stop this process. Before we had time to finish the above dishes, they brought “jahori-erma-butka” - a semi-liquid dish made from wheat + meat (it was simmered for more than 2-3 hours). My vision grew dim when they brought cabbage rolls made from wild onions “Kuk-piez” and from grape leaves with eggs, a dish called “kazan-kabob” - stewed goat meat, kebab of porcini mushrooms, dumplings with mint, Korean pilaf (add potatoes ), crushed dried apples, mulberries, sweet millet and many, many other things that my stomach, for example, did not fit into. I raised my hands and gave up. “That’s it, I can’t take it anymore,” I whispered, feeling that I needed to collapse somewhere to digest all this. They served tea made from various plants, and I refreshed my throat. They gave us a couple of hours to rest. And then we drove towards the Kulosya canyon. It was there that they showed a private guest house, where old women demonstrated the skill of making flatbreads as if in a theater. They kneaded the dough, cut it into pieces, gave it a shape, wet it with salt water and began to throw it into the “tandoor” - a clay oven, where logs were already burning. At the same time, various songs were sung to us. And among the greenery, the murmur of the river, on an ottoman (a bed-platform that can accommodate a large number of people), we were again treated to dishes - samsa (pie) made from the "yalpiz" grass, soups and porridge, mountain honey, almonds, bones. I don't understand how I managed to eat this. But I admit, my belly spread out, and I even had to refasten my belt several notches. Having given us the opportunity to relax in nature, we were taken to another place - to the mountains. The Nexia couldn’t get up there, so we moved to a UAZ and a Zhiguli, which were adapted for mountain racing. In five minutes we were already at one of the peaks, from where we could see the beauty of Lake Charvak, the surrounding mountains, greenery and rivers. The guest house was built in old traditions - from clay and wood. Everything inside is lined with carpets and suzani. A small table, “kurpacha” (like mattresses), pillows - and again treats - samsa made from dandelions and other herbs, sour cream, soups, sweets... That day we went to bed, feeling that our stomachs were in a state of shock. They had never tried such a variety of mountain cuisine. By the way, we were accommodated with Risky’s brother - the house was well-groomed and tidy, good living conditions for tourists. Just before my eyes closed, I heard a song the girls were singing. They sang in Russian, from the classics of the Nikitin bards. About “Golden Brichmulla”... “ALPAMYSH” IN CHIMGAN The next day we were taken to Chimgan. This is a village located 40 kilometers from Brichmulla. The road was clean, in particular, the landslide had been cleared, and therefore we reached our destination without any problems. They were waiting for us there too. I would like to note that if Brichmulla is a Tajik village, then Chimgan is a Kazakh-Kyrgyz village. What is the difference? Well, not only in ethnicity (Tajiks are Persians, Kazakhs and Kyrgyz are Turks, a different language group), but also in their way of life: Tajiks are farmers, Kazakhs and Kyrgyz are nomads. Only here there is one specificity - mountain ethnic groups live in Chimgan, and in this they differ from the steppe ethnic groups who live on the territory of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. And therefore the culture here is somewhat different compared to its historical homeland. Be that as it may, a warm welcome awaited us. Girls dressed in national Kazakh costumes were invited to places of honor. And then the concert began. At first there was a school story on the topic of the harmful influence of humans on nature, and we noticed that we attracted not only high school students, but also children from first grade to the theatrical production. There were songs and dances from Kazakh-Kyrgyz folklore, we were invited to dance along with the participants (albeit to a modern Kazakh hit), which we did with great pleasure (we need to prepare a place for the next treat!). But most of all we liked the production of "Alpamysh". This is a folk epic about a hero who fought against injustice for the happiness of his family and friends. It is difficult to say which ethnic group Alpamysh specifically belongs to (there is some debate), but it was clear that he was a nomad. And so we enjoyed watching the entire performance of the actors from among the students and teachers. Oh my God, how well the costumes, paraphernalia were chosen (they even put up a yurt), and horses. As the village leader Bakhtiyar Rezhepov told us, it was difficult to find ancient clothes, because not all families kept them. We had to prepare our own swords and bows and arrows. But we got the greatest pleasure from the acting. The 11th grade student who played brother Alpamysh tried especially hard. According to legend, he was captured by nukers (servants) on the orders of the bai (feudal lord) and tortured for not insulting his parents. A sob was heard among the guests: the old women invited to the celebration were crying. And my colleagues sat with red eyes. We have to agree: the guy played with feeling and evoked certain emotions in us. But as always happens in fairy tales, a happy ending is guaranteed - and joy reigns on earth. We thanked the actors and expressed the hope that other tourists would find it just as interesting here. This is where the folklore ends. Although they promised to play the dombra and songs about the free Kazakh life in the evening (unfortunately, for various reasons this did not happen). We were accommodated in Bakhtiyar's cottage; the house, by the way, was located next to the main road, and it was convenient for those arriving by car. There was also a cafe here - on the second floor of another building, and a swimming pool, which turned out to be without water. The owner expressed a desire to fill it, but we asked not to do this, since it was still a little cold outside - only the day before yesterday there was a hailstorm here. Don't forget, Chimgan is a mountain village. As you understand, after folklore there is lunch. According to the travel program, it was called “Auyl dastarkhani”. And then we got a second wind, although our stomachs were still barely digesting the Brichmullin food. Kazakh dishes were served on the table. The first was “zhupka” - this is dough baked without butter + broth + fried onions + greens. We devoured it in one sitting. Then they brought “tarak-oshi” - millet, which is first boiled and then... fried, pounded and mixed with sour cream or milk. The “zhent” dish is dried cottage cheese, which is fried, then fried millet is added to it, ground in a mortar, butter is added, and rolled into balls. You understand, there were flatbreads, huge kurts, and kumiss. “Kazakh men should have three Ks,” said Bakhtiyar, who also became a member of Sloe Food. - This is “K” - “kyz” (girl), the second “K” is kumys (mare’s milk), the third “K” is “kazy” (horse meat). We don’t offer the first, but you can try the second and third. Indeed, mountain kumiss is very tasty, and it contains a certain amount of natural alcohol. Maybe it's because of the grasses the horses eat. And kazy is served together with a dish called “beshbarmak”. This is a broth with dough strips + meat + onions + herbs. Unlike the sedate "beshbarmak", fragrant herbs predominated in Chimgan. It is eaten with our hands, but we, not accustomed to such simplicity, preferred to use spoons and forks. I note that this is not easy: the dough kept slipping out of the spoon, and I had to pierce the plates with forks. To speed up the digestion process, we were offered a cooling drink “bosa” (like beer, with alcohol up to 9%), it is made from millet in warm water, leaven is given... fermentation occurs... You yourself understand that it becomes fun for a man in the steppe or in the mountains after this drink, it makes you want to sing songs and dance. After a hearty lunch, we rested a little on the slippers (like the above-mentioned “ottoman”) under a tree, some of us rode a horse, some walked around the neighborhood, taking photographs and talking with local residents. We slept well, I personally dreamed of Alpamysh’s wife... I don’t know why... “FRAGING FLOWERS OF KHUMSAN” Khumsan greeted us as warmly as the previous villages. I will add that this is an Uzbek village, and therefore slightly different traditions prevail here than in Chimgan and Brichmulla. Folklore was organized at school. The girls sang songs and dances, albeit to a tape recorder, but this did not take away the interest. French tourists also wandered here and, having heard the music, came here like bees to honey. They watched with interest the performance of schoolchildren entitled “The Kashgar Legend,” which was once written by the writer Sharaf Rashidov (who is also the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan), and were satisfied. After the concert, a gastronomic period began, which, you know, ended with an increase in weight by several kilograms. They offered "skirt" pancakes, "shurpa" soup (beef meat + potatoes + carrots + peas + broth with herbs), Chimgan-style pilaf (it also contains a lot of herbs), fresh vegetable salads, dairy products - cheese, butter and kurt. And many, many flowers on the tables. The Khumsan people themselves call their tourist product “Fragrant flowers of Khumsan”. The head of the SVT village, Farkhod Akramov, said that horses are ready for guests to hike around the surrounding area. After a hearty lunch, who wouldn’t want to shake it all up in the stomach to speed up the process there? And we rode for two hours. The horse I came across was good, kind, it did not kick, and therefore the adventures passed without any extraordinary incidents. We sunbathed a little near the Ugam River (the water there is - brrrrr! - cold, because it flows from glaciers), and at six o'clock in the evening we left for Tashkent. The folklore and gastronomic tour has ended, leaving us with pleasant memories and impressions. I had to go on a diet to regain my previous weight. And I am writing about this for you, dear readers, if you want to go to the Bostanlyk district, then know about it... Alisher TAKSANOV, Association of Travelers of Uzbekistan "Rabat Malik"
