“My Multinational Leningrad Region”

On July 9, 2024, in the village of Koshkino, Vsevolozhsky District, an open regional studies lesson titled “My Multinational Leningrad Region” was conducted for children aged 14 to 17 from all 18 districts of the Leningrad Region attending the “Kruhosvetka” summer camp. The camp focused on children in difficult life situations. The lesson was organized by the Leningrad Region House of Friendship in collaboration with representatives of ethnocultural public organizations in the region.

The children were introduced to the culture and traditions of various peoples living in the Leningrad Region and actively participated in traditional games from Russian and Mari cultures, as well as from the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the Leningrad Region, such as the Izhorians and Votes, and the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Far East, such as the Khanty and Chukchi.

The leaders of the five game stations were cultural representatives: Tatiana Guseva and Natalia Ivanova from the Union of Russian Communities, Ksenia Kulichkina and Olga Tynen from the regional branch of the Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Far East in St. Petersburg, Evdokiya Solovyova from the regional Mari National-Cultural Autonomy “Shiy Korno,” and Andrey Turov and Lev Baburin from the Center for Indigenous Peoples.

The children played intellectual games from the Khanty people, such as “Shöl” (Wooden Sticks), and solved puzzles like “Vet lov tyn yukh” (A Stick Worth Five Horses) and “Ushmaren vuksar” (Clever Fox). They also enjoyed Russian folk games like “Dudar” and “Bubentsy,” as well as active national games from the Mari people and indigenous small-numbered peoples like the Izhorians and Votes. The most active participants received memorable souvenirs.

The master classes and exhibitions also sparked great interest, featuring dolls in national costumes of the peoples of the Leningrad Region, items from the interactive museum of Mari culture at the regional House of Friendship, and a collection of jewelry from the peoples of the North, including beaded jewelry, leather items, and objects made from walrus tusk. Every participant eagerly tried their hand at playing the Korean national musical instrument, a gong, from the interactive museum of Korean culture at the regional House of Friendship.