Village Day / 2020

Village Day is an annual holiday that is celebrated in many villages of Russia. The holiday becomes a meeting place for residents of neighboring villages and towns. The Leningrad region is home to Veps, a small indigenous minority of Finno-Ugric people. Veps and their traditional culture often becomes a fascinating component of the Village Day celebration. Guests can learn more about the local culture, taste Veps cuisine, take part in folk games, roundelays and master classes in crafts. Vepsian culture is one of the ways to pay attention to the development of the village, preserving traditions and attracting tourists.

According to statistics today in Russia about 20 thousand villages are completely abandoned by people. More and more people, especially of the younger generation, are leaving villages and moving to cities. So the village is becoming a relic of the past. In the absence of state support local initiatives try to to slow down this process and create a new interest in russian rural life. The organization of folk Village Days is one of the ways of attracting people from neighboring villages and cities.