Time to enjoy Dazhynki celebrations

Grain growers deservedly enjoy special honour and respect. In autumn, when the harvesting campaign comes to an end, large-scale heartwarming festivities are traditionally held in honour of grain growers in every region across Belarus.

Dazhynki celebrations, Brest Region              Pavel Bogush

See the agricultural show 

There is no such thing as easy bread. However, the harder you work, the more enjoyable it is to relax afterwards. Wouldn’t you agree? Lavish celebrations at the end of the agricultural season continue the ancient Slavic tradition, which has been preserved through the efforts not of individual enthusiasts or private structures but of the whole country.
The vibrant atmosphere of Dazhynki is very similar to the fair depicted in the famous film Cossacks of the Kuban [a Soviet musical comedy of 1949 glorifying the life of the farmers in Kuban Region] with brisk trade, lively concerts and contests, honouring agricultural enterprises and leaders. The celebration starts with a large procession through the main streets — a bright carnival stretching for kilometres, featuring beautiful girls in national costumes, parades of agricultural machinery, pyramids of delicious fruits and vegetables of the new harvest. The show attracts thousands of viewers.

Regional holiday of village workers Dazhynki, Gantsevichi, Brest Region         Pavel Bogush

Win a goat or a piglet 

A favourite pastime at Dazhynki is participating in a win-win lottery. The prize pool includes not only clay cups and souvenirs made of flax but also substantial items like a live pig, a calf or a goat. These will definitely come in handy on the farm!
Fairs are also about trade. The handicraft business in Belarus is on the rise today, with young people actively mastering skills in weaving and embroidery, engaging in blacksmithing and straw weaving, creating furniture and carving wooden dishes. Visitors can attend masterclasses conducted by professionals who will teach the basics and inspire independent creativity.

Dazhynki in Mogilev Region, Shklov District                Andrei Sazonov 

Appreciate the field art 

In the twenty-first century, Belarusians seem to have invented a new form of creative expression, making ingenious sculptures and even extraordinary castles in the fields using straw bales. Inventive farmers transform animal feed into impressive creations, including bears and bison, tractors and steam locomotives, funny and whimsical figures of men, and recognisable buildings.
An informal championship has been established among the farms — a farm whose works are more popular with people as photo objects is a winner. Although with the onset of cold weather, all art objects are removed from fields to be fed to cattle, this artistic trend continues to gain popularity and acquires a greater scale across the country with each season.

Belarusian field art with straw bales as part of harvesting campaign Dazhynki    BELTA

Taste the fragrant loaf 

The main star at Dazhynki is the last sheaf of grain harvested from the field. Bread grains have long been considered a symbol of wealth and fertility. Special attention is also paid to the gorgeous fragrant loaf baked from the flour of the new harvest. The size of the loaf serves as a testament to the season’s success; in recent years, this pastry has been multi-tiered weighing tens, and in some cases even hundreds, of kilogrammes. Its golden crust is often adorned with elaborate fancy decorations, such as edible birds and flowers, fruits and iconic landmarks.
Creating such a piece of confectionery art requires exceptional skill in kneading the dough, ensuring it rises properly, and baking it thoroughly — there is no margin for error. On the bright side, all the guests at the celebration then admire the results of the work, and the most agile among them even manage to try it.

Dazhynki celebrations with a multi-tiered loaf, Cherven town, Minsk Region    BELTA

Master folk dances

Lyavonikha, Kryzhachok, Polka, Bazaar, Karapet, Vesyalukha… We advise you to learn these dances if you plan to attend Dazhynki. There is nothing more joyful than dancing to your heart’s content to the orchestra of rural musicians. You will hear the groovy sounds of the accordion, violin, dulcimer, tambourine, and pipe performed live.
By the way, the above dances are meant to be danced in pairs. National culture beautifully showcases the traditional values of the Belarusian people. The gestures of hugging, twirling, and supporting each other reflect our ancestors’ skills at romantic courtship.
The programme will also feature a big concert on the main stage, where amateur groups will perform non-stop in turn with professional ensembles. Special emphasis is placed on the folk repertoire as it resonates with the soul and reflects eternal values.

Festive procession during Dazhynki celebrations    belta

By Sofia Arsenyeva