The Festival of Historical Reenactment “Kirillo-Belozersky Siege” was held in Kirillov over the last weekend. Residents and guests of the town could see how first the time slowly stopped and then was turned back. Several thousand people saw those events that had occurred in this region over four centuries ago for the fifth time.
“Old friends” – infantrymen, artillerymen and horsemen - gathered on the battlefield again. All of them certainly wanted to participate in the battle of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. A new scenario of the main fight was presented in 2015 and it was probably more exciting than ever before. Both well-known clubs and some new ones took part in it. Besides, new scenery was used during the reenactment. It gave even more spectacularity than bright costumes of the re-enactors. The sides in the battle shot almost without breaks and also used cold steel.
Spectators took every movement of the warriors with enthusiasm applauding and whistling. They occupied both ranges of the walls by the beginning of the festival. There were also no vacant places near the fences of the reenactment ground. Over 5000 people attended the event that lasted for two days. Most of them came to Kirillov from other cities and regions of Russia. In this context, the name of the festival “Kirillo-Belozersky Siege” proves its value for the second year running. Kirillov really looks like a town beleaguered by not only the re-enactors, but also by numerous guests during the festival.
However, this event is interesting not only because you can meet warriors of the epoch of the Time of Troubles. Various interactive grounds are open for visitors during the whole festival. This year wasn’t an exception. Both children and adults could find something to their liking: they joined in archery, underwent a course of basic military training. They were also interested in the medieval school where everybody could learn to write with goose-quill and ink and gain new knowledge. The fair was open along the monastery wall: a wide range of goods was sold there – from honey to hand-made bijouterie.
The folk group “LaVerden” from Tula was especially popular with the audience. It performed at the festival for the first time. In spite of the fact that the concert of medieval music started at 14:00 according to the program, enchanting melodies of the bagpipe, the lute, the violin and the drum could be also heard before the opening ceremony of the Festival of Historical Reenactment “Kirillo-Belozersky Siege”.
Equestrian tournaments were in the spotlight of the event. The main composition of participants of Old Russian contests was well-known to those people who had attended the festivals within the previous years. But this fact didn’t mean that they could cope with the tasks easily. The warriors had to work hard to deserve recognition, love and respect of the audience.
The Festival of Historical Reenactment “Kirillo-Belozersky Siege” came to an end. Now participants and spectators have one year to have a rest and to meet in the museum again.
