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Ләйлә Хәкимова
Ләйлә Хәкимова

4th “Selgele Kapka” folklore festival held in Archa

The 4th open folklore festival “Selgele Kapka” took place in the village of Tashkichu, Archa municipal district.

The festival is aimed at preserving traditional Tatar culture, introducing the local population to folklore heritage, rich oral traditions, and spiritual legacy of the Tatar people. It also strives to revive and promote ancient customs, folk songs and dances, and to pass them on to future generations while encouraging the exchange of creative experience among participating groups.

“The number of participants grows each year. It is heartening to see so many groups preserving and passing on our cultural heritage to future generations,” said Ilfar Ayupov, Head of the District’s Department of Culture. “Participants competed in categories such as ‘Folk Song’, ‘Folk Dance’, ‘Instrumental Performance’, and ‘Folklore-Ethnographic Scene’. We are especially grateful to the groups who traveled long distances to join us. This year we welcomed ensembles from Archa, Norlat, Mamadysh, Yashal Uzen, Atnya, Orenburg, Verkhny Uslon, Kama Tamagy, Baltasi, Layesh, Alekseevsk, Vyatka Polyana, Balik Bistase, Teleche, Sarman, Kazan, Biektau, Apas, and Kukmor.”

According to the organizers, a special feature of this year’s festival was the Towel Parade.

“As the name suggests, the towel (selge) is at the heart of our festival. It represents the purity of our people, serves as a treasured family heirloom fluttering on poles at national celebrations, and reflects many elements of our traditions. In the past, towel embroidery was a daily part of life for our ancestors, and girls were taught this craft from a young age. Sadly, this tradition is fading today. Through the festival, we wanted to highlight the role and significance of towels. Each group paraded holding towels embroidered in styles unique to their region. Our festival also serves as a bridge of friendship, with Mari, Udmurt, Russian, and Tatar participants sharing one stage,” said Marat Kotdusov, Director of the Archa District House of Culture.

The “Maxalla – Creative Space” project is also being implemented in Archa. A creative workshop titled “TatARCHA Patterns” operates at the Tashkichu village cultural center, offering masterclasses where young people learn to create various crafts using traditional embroidery techniques. Festival attendees had the opportunity to become familiar with the project.

Source: Tatar-Inform
Author: Layla Khakimova

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