Russian nationals handed out St. George’s ribbons during festival in Hrodna

At the festival of Slavonic martial arts Hrodna dwellers were offered an opportunity to feel the breath of the “Russian world”.

At the foot of the Mound of Glory people encircled organizers who had been fixing some sound problems before the show. There were even more people who were standing around the tables of arts and crafts market and of collectors from the club “Skarabej”. Those who could not be in the first row, climbed tanks at the foot of the mound to see everything, “Nasha Niva” writes.

It was already the 15th Festival of Slavonic martial arts in Hrodna. As said by its organiser, the leader of “Nyoman Cossacks” Uladzimir Adamau (Vladimir Adamov), the festival had gathered about 30 clubs from Russia and Belarus. A few years ago even Ukrainians, , in vyshyvankas and sharovary, came here…

When participants and organisers were announced, the sound equipment broke again, and a scandalous organisation “Young Russia” (Rumol) was announced almost in whisper. Notably, Sergei Lushch, Rumol’s leader, arrived to the festival for the first time, though it was known for a long time he supports the initiative of Adamau.

Rumol members work with lightning rapidity: right after the announcement about a dozen of girls start handing out black and orange ribbons. People take them willingly, attach to their arms, bags, insert in hair. Only Turkmenian students who had just arrived, the military who were present at the scene, and officials with red and green ribbon and an apple flower on their chests were not given such Colorados’ ribbons.

During performances of Orthodox military and patriotic clubs, participants of one of them broke silicate blocks by their heads. There were words “Slavs” on the blocks. Their instructor, a former paratrooper, is observing their trainees. Stunt techniques of self-defence are demonstrated there: with a knife, pistol, rubber club… Everything is accompanied by blasts of pyrotechnical devices.

Against this background, knights of White Pegasus, St. Patricks’ group and other clubs were something out of place. The knights demonstrated a series of contests, while girls from these clubs were amuzing children by dummy arms.

The climax of the festival was a show of a Cossacks’ club Yermak from Babrujsk. It was a reconstruction of a battle between partisans and the Nazi, during which Soviet patriots were to recapture a prisoner. It was unusual that the tallest “German” with a plastic machine gun had a cap from a police uniform dating back to 1990ies.

It was amazing that there were just… 2 policemen, standing aside, per several hundreds of guests and participants. It is quite an exceptional thing for Belarus.