In Montreal  Sabantuy  took place

21.06. 2018

On a sunny afternoon of June 17, in one of the largest parks in Montreal, “Angrignon” there were  three hundred Tatars more than the other  days, because all who come to Sabantuy, become Tatars, albeit for several hours! And  as the native Canadians have come, so representatives of the numerous nationalities of the former Soviet Union: on the map of  Sabantuy lacked a place to designate all the cities that guests celebrated, and this was a real holiday of peace and friendship.

Organized by the Center for Tatar Culture  Miras with the support of the Russian World of Montreal and the Sambo-Montreal School, Sabantuy gathered all those who would like to celebrate the Day of Russia. Consul General of the Russian Federation in Montreal, Yuri Vardanovich Bedjanian, who has long dreamed of taking part in Sabantuy and visiting Kazan, congratulated the guests on both holidays, wished us all happiness, peace and friendship.

Montreal Sabantuy-2018 brought so many happy surprises that they would be enough for several articles and reports. Let’s start the story with guests from afar.

As in the past year, our native Tatarstan has pleased us by  artists who, with their art and beauty, reminded us of our rich traditions and inspired our children to sing and dance their distant homeland. Thank you, Kazan, for Lilia Khayrullina and Ayrat Imashev! As in the past year, guests from Kazan were greeted with both smiles and dances to their music, and tears of emotion. Kazan guests were almost snapped up for souvenirs, it’s good that they limited themselves to hugs and shared photos.

Airat Imashev has already adorned our Sabantuy – 2017, paired with Aigul Barieva, and we were very touched by his return. His velvet voice and charisma warmed  souls and lit up  faces with smiles.

Lilia Khairullina first visited Montreal, but we are already looking forward to her return! We are waiting with impatience, when we can again hear her nightingale voice and enjoy her beauty and grace.

A big pleasant surprise for us was the arrival of the representative delegation of the TERRAN BERLEK community from Toronto: Mirslu Arslanova, Sarvaap Khamzin, Farida and Ildar Samerkhanov. Our native Tatars and Bashkirs decided on a short journey of a thousand kilometers a day to celebrate with us the bright Sabantuy holiday. Their unforgettable presence, assistance in organizing the place of celebration, gorgeous costumes, spiritual gifts and kind smiles will remain with us not only in the photo, but also in our hearts.

Our guests from Ottawa would have pleased us by having reached our festive Maidan that day, but they also presented concert items that adorned our stage and shocked all spectators. Young Jamil Salikhova fascinated us with professionalism and grace in the Bashkir dance with plates (Khan Kyzy). And what followed, surprised even the composers of the concert program Miras: Ruslan Suleymanov came on stage with his own kurai and forced the guests to dance under the Bashkir melodies, and then performed two compositions in an improvised duet with our guest from Toronto Sarva apa, who played up to him on the kubyz! That’s how two Bashkirs from the neighboring villages met at the Montreal Sabantuy and showed us all that the soul of the people and its art know no bounds!

The cultural center Miras included in  program  its performances . Schoolgirls Adel Usmanova and Eric Ellingsen sang “Umyrzaya”, “Kubelem” and “Bas Kizym, Apipya”, and our guests from Kazan joined them on the final couplets. Now the girls have something to equal in their performances. A touching duet of the mom-daughter of the head of the Miras Center, Zilya Migraliyeva and Kamil Usmanova, presented the audience with a song from the repertoire of Guzal Urazova “Bal Zamesh”. And the premiere of the dance with rockers, set by Alsa Ulmasheva, performed by Zily Mirgalieva, Svetlana Dogadkina and the Usmanovs  sisters, became a revelation for many spectators – movements, costumes and grace in handling the yoke made an unforgettable picture.

Not left without much attention and all the beloved folk Tatar song  «Eh, almagachlarym»  performed by the duet Svetlana Dogadkina and Landysh Mingazova, picked up by velvet baritone Ayrat Imashev. And our young stars Kamil Usmanov and Alisa Chadri fervently danced while Lilia Khayrullina and Ayrat Imashev performed all the famous folk songs of Kariya-Zakaria without leaving anyone indifferent.

Center Miras is infinitely grateful to the creative collectives of Montreal for participation in the concert: the choreographic ensemble «Russian patterns», the Academy of Oriental Dance «Nadin», the vocal and dance groups of the children’s center «Dream». Their talent and beauty colored our holiday in the most joyful colors!

One of the most impressive surprises for the guests was the demonstrative battle of the club “Black Wolf” – the soldiers in real, 30 kilogram medieval knight armor showed four types of duels in which the club usually takes part.

 

Titled knights regularly win international competitions for the historical reconstruction of the medieval battle, and one of the girls, Claude Germain, is a two-time world champion in her discipline. Kloe studies Russian and Tatar languages, she is simply fascinated by the culture of the steppe Türks and dreams to visit Tatarstan. An active member of the Miras Center, Kloe takes part in charity buffets of the Tatar cuisine, in graphic design of the holidays, as well as in the creation of children’s coloring books on the themes of Tatar myths and cultural images.

Center Miras was also happy to hear from the stage new poems by our dear Rashida Tagirova. Our native Tatarstan and Bashkortostan continue to share their talents and enthusiasm with the whole world!

Sabantuy is also a sporting event. The Sambo-Montreal School pleased the guests by  demonstration performances, and then Igor Lokshin and his players demonstrated the Tatar wrestling kuresh and organized numerous competitions, traditional for Sabantuy: running in bags, running with spoons, running with yokes, breaking pots and tug-of-war.

Center Miras would like to separately thank  head of the group “All events for Canada” Nelyu Voytsikhiv, who made an invaluable contribution to the preparation and advertising of our holiday, and professionally organized a festive lottery.

The organization “Russian World of Montreal” in the person of Viktoria Khristova, Elena Petrova, Vadim Batenkov, Kirill Dolgikh and Sergey Basmaach became a reliable partner of the Miras Center in conducting Sabantuy, thank you, friends, for your help in preparing the holiday, for arranging the buffet and for delicious treats !!

Our dear friends and sponsors – boundless gratitude, without you it would be much more difficult for us to hold such a large-scale event: Mars Yusipov, Moasim Chadri.

All the  week weather reports promised a thunderstorm and torrential rain on our festive Sunday, but the Montreal weather decided not to deprive us of the holiday and spilled rain only by the morning of Monday. Thanks Montreal and the weather for the bright Sabantuy!

Congratulations to all again, we celebrated not only the Day of Russia and Sabantuy, but also our culture, friendship and peace, our compatriots report.