everyone will find something to their liking

IN honor of the main celebration of Orthodox Christians – the Resurrection of Christ – Department of Culture of the City of Moscow, Moscow Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Moscow Directorate of Mass Events (GAUK MDMM) carry out for Muscovites and guests of the capital, the annual Easter Gift festival.

The organizers are preparing such interesting events that it is never boring at the numerous venues of the Easter festival. Since ancient times, the townspeople have been waiting and loving the festive Easter festivities. After a strict fast, you can eat, sing songs and dance round dances, swing on a swing-carousel, buy gifts for yourself and your relatives. The centers of celebrations, as a rule, were the main squares of cities or the area near temples. “God grant that Easter traditions permeate the entire life of our society. They carry the good news of the victory of life over death, of the triumph of peace and justice,” explained the abbot of the Vysoko-Petrovsky stauropegial monastery Evfimiy (Moiseev), Bishop Lukhovitsky.

The grand opening of the Easter Gift Festival – 2023 took place on April 16 near the walls of one of the most beautiful old buildings in Moscow – the Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery. A large festive Easter festivities unfolded here, including a competition for painting life-size models of Easter eggs, a bell ringing concert, a master class in bell ringing, reconstructions and master classes in folk crafts, tours of the monastery, an interactive program for spectators. Popular artists and folklore folk music groups performed on the main stage, among them the famous Bishops’ Choir of the Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery. The uniqueness of the concert programs at the temples lies in the combination of the ancient traditions of celebrating Easter, spiritual chants, folk music with modern musical trends and audience preferences, the press service of the Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media reports.

There are many entertainments, just eyes run wide. Where to go, what to see? We get acquainted with the Muscovite family: mom, dad and three schoolchildren. The head of the family said that every year they go to all kinds of Moscow festivals with pleasure, but the Easter Gift is special. Here, children join the faith, learn the history of the country, see the real beauty, listen to good music. We decide to start the holiday program with a climb to the bell tower – such joy is not possible every day. From here, stunning views of the city open up and you can see the famous Vysoko-Petrovsky bells. Unfortunately, it will not work to call them, because the belfry here has long been electronic, but this does not bother us, because bells and bells ring with might and main below – ring at your pleasure. Everyone can try themselves as a bell ringer. Our new friends said that they also came to the Easter festival a few years ago, and their son tried to ring the bells and did not expect that he would get such pleasure. After that, the boy wanted to join the music and now happily goes to classes in Sunday school.

Not without regret, we left the cheerful chime and hurried to the main event of the festival – the competition for painting huge Easter eggs. This year, when developing a project for painting a growth model of an Easter egg, the participants were offered the theme of heroism in the broadest sense: from the images of Russian heroes from epics and fairy tales to modern heroes. Traditionally, children’s teams of institutions of additional education and art schools of the Department of Culture of the City of Moscow take part in the Easter egg painting competition, which will paint 20 Easter egg models during the event. “We believe that it is the heroes that are characteristic of children’s creativity, everyone read about them in epics, this is familiar to them, specifically their theme. We love the festival itself. If there is a prize, we will be very happy, but it is rather a pleasant bonus,” said Anna Sultanova, artistic director of the cultural center of the South-West Administrative District. On unusual canvases, students of art schools apply holiday symbols, faces of saints and motifs familiar from childhood. Also, everyone took part in the painting of thematic Easter art objects and master classes in creative and applied art.

Artists of all ages create, fantasize. And we took a turn to the masters of folk crafts. I want everything at once: to forge a coin or a horseshoe with a real blacksmith, to make coinage, to sew a toy – all useful and exciting master classes cannot be listed.

After creating beauty with their own hands, the adults went on a tour around the territory of the monastery and got acquainted with its seven-century history, and the children enthusiastically went through historical quests on the territory of the monastery.

It should be noted that the Easter Gift festival has been held in Moscow since 2014. It is the most anticipated and loved by both Muscovites and numerous tourists. But, of course, the main tradition of the Easter Gift festival is charity. His main goal is to help those who need support. The Easter Gift Charitable Festival will unite 25 venues in the center and districts of the city. Here, lessons of kindness, inclusive and creative workshops, lectures, exhibitions, theatrical performances and concerts await guests.

Easter celebrations are not only fun, but also delicious. The “Easter gift” did not do without traditional fairs, which present all kinds of delicacies, Easter cakes of all varieties, Easter cottage cheese. You can buy souvenirs, textiles, handicrafts, paintings, dishes, dolls, toys and much more, and all goods are domestic, solid.

The Easter Festival will last two weeks and end on April 29th.

Mikhail Kovalyov.

Author’s photo