Multiculturalism of the Vilnius region at the Rudaminos Festival

A snapshot of a performance of a Folk Group “Alije” during the 1st Festival of Ethno-culture, Photohtaph: wilnoteka.lt

On Saturday, September 13, it is worth to go on a trip to Rudaminos, to the 2nd Festival of Ethno-culture “The Vilnius Region – a borderline of cultures over the centuries.” It will be a colorful, diverse, multicultural, and multilingual event – this is what the Vilnius region is.

The first edition of the festival of ethno-culture was held in 2013. It was a two-day event, with a conference at the Museum of of Władysław Syrokomla in the Bareikiškės region and with a concert and a fair of folk artists in Medininkai. “Last year we had greater funding from the Ministry of Culture of Lithuania, we had in the programme a conference called “Cultural heritage in the Vilnius region: History and Present” and a concert at the castle in Medininkai. This year, the Ministry of Culture granted fewer resources, thus our financial resources are smaller, but the programme will be equally rich and interesting,” in an interview with “Wilnoteka” said Wioleta Cereszka, the director of the Multifunctional Cultural Centre in Rudaminos. This resort is the organiser of the festival.

“The aim of the festival is to combine all nationalities living in the Vilnius region. We want to show the diversity of traditions and cultures not only through performances of folk groups, but also through the work of folk artists and national cuisine,” said Wioleta Cereszka.

On the stage, in front of the Cultural Center in Rudaminos, there will perform: a Lithuanian Group of Folk Song and Folk Dance “Šviesa”, two Polish groups: The Artistic Group of Song and Dance “Wilia” and the Children and Youth Dance Group “Sto Uśmiechów”, a Russian Folk Group “Arinuszka”, a Tatar Folk Group “Alije”, the Belarusian Folksy Group “Suzorje”, a Jewish Group of Folk Song and Dance “Fajerlech”, an Armenian Folksy Group “Hayrenik”. The star of the evening will be the Lithuanian artist Stano, who, especially for this occasion, is preparing a surprise.

At the stands of folk artists you will be able to purchase crafts, taste the delicious dishes of Jewish, Armenian, Tatar cuisine … There will be a stand of the Medininkai Hunters Club. The organisers also thought about the youngest audience: in the programme, there are attractions for children. The fair will be open from 2 PM, while the opening ceremony of the 2nd Festival of Ethno-culture “The Vilnius region – a borderline of cultures over the centuries” will be held at 3 PM.

Based on: vrsa.lt, inf.wł.