The IX St. Petersburg Festival of Culture of the Peoples of the Caucasus was held in the northern capital of Russia, where for the first time the representatives of the World Abaza Congress participated.

Said Bargandzhia

The dance group of the regional branch of the WAC in St. Petersburg and a member of the Congress, singer Diana Shashura participated in the IX St. Petersburg Festival of Culture of the Peoples of the Caucasus. WAC representatives participated in this annual event for the first time.

The gala concert consisted of theatrical, choreographic, vocal, instrumental events and miniatures, demonstrating the ethnocultural traditions of the peoples of the Caucasus. In addition to the Abkhaz, Azerbaijanis, Armenians, Dagestanis, Ingushs, Karachays, Ossetians, Circassians and Chechens presented their work.

Commenting on the event and participation in it, Diana Shashura noted that the festival was held at a high level, and she presented at it with great pleasure.

“I am very pleased that we presented our Republic at the festival with a song and a wonderful dance, I think that we have reached a new level,” said the Abkhaz singer.

She said that the festival was held in the format of excursions to different cities and countries which the audience “discovered”. All the acts were diverse and saturated. During the break between the sessions, master classes in various types of arts worked, and everything ended with the traditional “circle” (a popular element of Caucasian dances, when the dancer “slides” around the circle - ed.) and endless lezginka.

“We all were taken home at that moment,” Shashura shared.

The head of the regional branch of the WAC in St. Petersburg Temur Rekvava noted that the Festival has already become a traditional holiday, which enjoys the well-deserved love of St. Petersburgers and guests of the northern capital, and therefore representatives of the WAC participated in it without hesitation.

“Our guys gladly accepted the invitation, because this is another place where we can share our culture, its beauty. We practiced for about a month, choreographed a dance, which everyone liked very much,” Rekvava said.

This year the program of the IX St. Petersburg Festival of Culture of the Peoples of the Caucasus was very diverse. In addition to the concert, it included exhibitions of everyday objects and folk art of the Caucasian peoples, national costume, paintings by Armenian artists, master classes on henna drawing, making dolls and tapestries, and national dances.

The annual St. Petersburg Festival of the Culture of the Peoples of the Caucasus has been held since 2010. During this time, it has gained great popularity among representatives of the peoples of the Caucasus living in the northern capital of the Russian Federation. The festival is organized by the St. Petersburg House of Nationalities with the support of the Committee on Interethnic Relations and Implementation of Migration Policy in St. Petersburg.