What surprised the "Volaty Pridzvinnia" festival in the Vitebsk region?

The agrotown of Kirovo in Vitebsk district hosted the street art festival "Volaty Prydsvinnya". The warmth and positive spirit of the holiday are the same, but the format is regional for the first time.

By tradition, the festival is dedicated to Fyodor Makhnov, a 285-centimeter native of these places and a circus star. The Belarusian giant became famous all over the world. From early morning, at numerous thematic sites, everything was done with Makhnov's scale and flavor. From a decorative cake and stilt walkers in the recognizable image of a hero to "tasty" folk courtyards.

"Don't pass by!" – they call from the Shapycheno courtyard. On the table is the usual breakfast of the giant Makhnov. Our Fyodor Andreevich was modest in his eating, shares Irina Postoyalkina, head of the day care department for the elderly in the agrotown of Shapycheno, Vitebsk District Territorial Center for Social Services:

– Twenty eggs, bread, 200 grams of butter, six cups of tea – that was his standard morning meal. And this is not fantasy, but a real fact. To recreate a Makhnov-style breakfast, we prepared thoroughly. Even the bread in our improvised street cafe was baked to order and according to a special recipe. A solid loaf weighs about 2.5 kilograms!

The focus is on unusual giant art objects: from stylized hats and boots of the giant, multi-colored pencils as tall as a child, to a giant frying pan with the same fried eggs. All this is also a tribute to the main guest of honor. Local resident Alexander Tyapkov is photographing his son Arseniy against the backdrop of a fake mega-omelet:

– With this, you'll definitely be full (laughs). The scale of the current "Volaty Prydsvinnya" is also pleasing. I am sure that such magnificent holidays are very much needed in rural areas! We are at the festival as a whole family: me, my wife Victoria, sons Arseniy and Ivan, and daughter Katya. The latter is even involved at one of the sites.

13-year-old Artyom Plisunov picks up boots, almost like those of a Belarusian Gulliver. The student of Kirov Secondary School is surprised:

– What a size! I've heard a lot about Fyodor Makhnov, it was interesting. Today I am participating in the festival not as a spectator, but helping at a themed site.

Teacher Natalia Shumovich came to the celebration with her ceramics:

– I represent the Olgovskaya nursery-garden-basic school. Especially for this wonderful festival, we have made large and small new items – for contrast and comparison. For example, ceramic bast shoes and thimbles.

Participants of the Honored Amateur Collective of the Republic of Belarus, the exemplary circus studio "Arena," came to "Volaty Prydsvinnya" from Orsha. This year, for the first time during the festival, a competition of street circus performances is being held. Elena Zhavnenko, the head of "Arena," is pleased with the reception:

– It is the most hospitable! Our guys are performing out of competition, but we will definitely show ourselves at the Gala Concert, and we will also delight the audience with a show program.

There is also a special guest among the festival participants. This is local historian of Prydsvinye, Margarita Dmitrievna Yushkevich. It was she who, more than forty years ago, became fascinated by the story of Fyodor Makhnov, gathered information about him bit by bit, and published the unique book "The Legend of the Giant from the Village of Kostyuki." By doing so, she essentially "rediscovered" the Belarusian giant for his descendants.