How we call spring. Photographer Alfred Mikus about the mystery of the ancient rite "Gukanne viasny".

Address: Strochitsy, Belarus
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Belarusian photographer Alfred Mikus gives a lot of time and attention to the photos of his native country. There are a lot of landscape photos in the photographer's baggage, but he is interested in the subject of the person, in contact with traditions. Therefore, Alfred Mikus often takes pictures of the authentics, which's still in Belarus. Today, the focus is on the history and photographs of "Gukanne Viasny" in Strochitsy from the photographer.

 

"Gukanne Viasny" is a spring holiday, which is associated with the awakening of nature and the advent of spring. In Belarus, it is given special attention to the celebration - this tradition has been honored in our country for a long time, and rituals from ancient times have survived to this day. The ceremonial event "Gukanne Viasny" held in the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life in Strochitsy near Minsk. Of course, this was not the traditional "Gukanne", but an artistic reconstruction of the rite, based on ethnographic information. This year the museum showed how they call spring in Lelchytsy.

At first, everyone could make their own symbols of the spring birds from different materials. And then girls wove one large wreath of vinca - this is a feature of the rite. After that, the girls wove their little wreaths, decorated with the overwintered plants, put them on their heads. A large wreath was solemnly and gaily thrown on a lone pear tree, the same happened to the little ones. And we can't live without songs and round dances: everyone went out on a hillock in the general dance, lit a spring fire, danced around it and sang folk songs.

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