Songs, ruddy loafers and Polesian hospitality: what surprises the farmsteads on the regional "Dazhynki" in Kalinkovichi

Today, October 10, Kalinkovichi became the epicenter of universal joy, pride for their native land and the main holiday of grain growers of the Gomel region. The city rings with harmony, shimmers with gold ears and beckons with the aromas of fresh pastries and homemade delicacies. The correspondent of sb.by strolled through the festive streets and from the first minutes plunged into this incredible atmosphere with her own eyes to see the scale of Polish hospitality and convey the energy of universal celebration.

The street of generosity and records The holiday captures from the first steps. The central streets of Kalinkovichi turned into one big, noisy and incredibly bread fair. The air is saturated with the haze of the field kitchen, the aroma of squarks, baked meat and apple pies. Each district of the Gomel region has developed its own thematic courtyard here, trying to invest in the design of the whole soul, color and the main reasons for pride.

Near each farmstead there is a real folk performance: they sing chaptushki under the bayan, meet with majestic songs, circle in dances and immediately offer to taste traditional treats.

“Oh, how beautiful!”, “Just look at what elegant girls!”, “And how many gifts of nature there are!” – enthusiastic exclamations in a dense crowd of guests can be heard at every step.

- Our Polesie hospitality knows no borders! – smiles Tamara Skidan, director of the Kalinkovichi Bread Plant branch of Gomelkhlebprom. - We've been preparing for weeks. Can you imagine how many caravans were baked for this large-scale celebration! But here, in the very center, our main festive loaf is ruddy, rich. Today we honor those who grew this bread in sweat and tireless labor.

The secular reception of the Vishnevetsky princes, the harmony at the height and the living soul of the tradition The real furor made the site of the Braginsky district. Here they decided to move away from the usual style and transferred guests ... to a secular reception in the country residence of the Vishnevetsky princes. Ladies in ballroom dresses, gallant gentlemen, musicians and artists - the aristocracy celebrates the end of the harvest at a table with gifts of Bragin land and river fish.

- We wanted to make an innovation and combine the deep history of the Bragin region with the festival of bakers, says Nadezhda Meleshko, director of the Bragin Children’s School of Arts. After all, “Dazhynki” is made by people, and people live on the land that preserves the memory of centuries. On our site there are teachers of the school of arts, employees of the museum and the House of Culture.

The main tourist highlight of the Braginsky courtyard is the famous “stone of love”, which lies in the local park since time immemorial.

- It is associated with the legend of the princes Vishnevetsky, False Dmitry I and Marina Mnishek, shares Nadezhda Ivanovna. Tradition says that it was at this stone that the impostor confessed to her feelings. Marina replied that she would become not just the wife of a fugitive, but only a queen. Love gave him so much strength that he ascended the throne, and she became the first crowned woman. Today we have our own “False Dmitry” and “Marina” on the courtyard, and the belief is still alive: if you sit on the Bragin stone of love, then the family will surely have happiness and harmony. Each corner has its own concept and highlight. The site of the Dobrush region immediately attracts the eyes of hundreds of passers-by: an interactive installation “Dobrushsky mlyn” was built here. Symbolic millstones spin, recalling the richness of the land, the famous porcelain, the Hero of Labor paper factory and the generous baking of the local bakery. And the culmination of the action is at a height in the most literal sense of the word: right on a high pillar on the harmony, the musician gushes enthusiastically, trampling his foot with a diamond.

The virtuoso on the pole is a remarkable personality: this is Andrei Davydov, chairman of the Borshchev Village Council of the Dobrush district, and in the past - a teacher of Belarusian language and literature with 11 years of experience.

- Setting up yak treba, wesse yak may bull! – descending for a minute to the guests, with a sincere smile shares Andrei. - The pagoda is a joy, you smihayuzza. They are holy to the people. Gata magchimacs skinuts stozenna stres, household bedbugs, unloaders. The soul of the Chalavek Patrabue Gataga, the yak of the Haze Patrabuetz general sample. Gata scale is nativist! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Zazhynki, Dazhynki - Gata is our koran, our holy!

Andrey Davydov Vetkov patterns, hens-advanced and generous tables of the Master of the Vetkovo district deployed a real creative laboratory, presenting all the facets of their original craft - from the famous Negliube towels to the finest weaving. Hospitable hostess generously involved guests in interactive. I couldn’t resist either: Vetkov masters, according to all the ancient canons, tied me a traditional Belarusian headdress – a dressing. The process turned out to be a filigree art, requiring skill, and the result allowed you to literally feel the depth of centuries-old Polesie customs with your skin.

Nearby, on the courtyard of the Gomel district, his spiritual action unfolded. The head of the people's amateur association "Gaspadynya" Lyudmila Kryshtaleva with warmth and humor thanks the bakers for the generous steak:

- Thanks to the farmers who have harvested a rich crop for our chickens! The birds are fed, and the eggs are selected.

By the way, feathered housewives of the farmstead did not lose time in vain: while waiting for the official delegation, live chickens right on the Kalinkovych land have already managed to lay the first fresh eggs - to the general delight of children and adults.

Among the fuss of the holiday, we meet the Mozyrian Alexander Leonov , who confesses that he tries to visit the regional "Dazhynki" every year:

- I have roots in the country, so the land attracts! We ourselves live in the countryside in the summer, keep a garden, so I understand and appreciate rural work. And you know, every time the holiday gets better and better. The scale of the development of local enterprises and the exhibition of equipment is simply impressive - tremendous progress is visible. You need to know what your area is like! Today is the day when rural labor is seen in all its grandeur. “Dazhynki” is truly a national holiday. The mood is excellent, there are such edgy motifs around that the legs themselves are asked to dance, and I will not restrain myself for sure! Minsk view: from BelExpo to Polesie guests Among the guests of the holiday are many couples. A local resident, an employee of the Kalinkovichi CRB Tatiana Rubtsova came to the holiday with her children - Sofia and Matvey:

- The mood is great, we didn’t expect everything to be organized at such a high level! For us, it is a great pride that it is Kalinkovichi who are hosting regional Dazhynki this year. Nice to be hometown. We took children with us specifically so that they could see with their own eyes how rich our land is, touch the folk culture and traditions.

These feelings are shared by the indigenous Kalinkovichans Nikolai and Tatiana Kozlov:

- We went out last night for a walk around the city and saw how things were going. The roads were renovated, the facades were refreshed, the city was fine. This morning I went out to enjoy this fun. We are incredibly proud of our employees. Look at how beautiful they are – men and women with honorary ribbons! They deserve this holiday with every drop of their sweat. The earth is full of hard work, and in the heat of summer, to sow, grow, and preserve. Most importantly, you feel proud of your area. We've collected over a million tons! It's a tremendous job. We are blessed to have bread on our tables!

There are many guests from other parts of the country. Minchanin Ivan Kochetkov admits that he came to Kalinkovichi specifically to look at the atmosphere of folk traditions, because he had never been to the Dazhynki:

Of course, I have never seen such a scale. The scale is impressive - the venue resembles a huge interactive exhibition like BelExpo, only in the fresh air and with an open people's soul. I am truly amazed and delighted at how many talents live in the Gomel region! At such moments, you feel great pride for all of Belarus. Already managed to buy local Polesie sweets, delicacies and souvenirs to please the capital's friends.

The mood is excellent, the sea musicians, even the weather was merciful - the sun came out!

The music over the Kalinkovichi does not stop: the farmsteads continue to make noise, ring songs and generously treat each passer-by. The updated Kalinkovichi Museum of Local Lore was opened during Dazhynak-2026