A talisman against lightning with a reserve for a generous harvest: REPORT about an authentic rite in the Vetka district

"Faith is almighty. If you believe, everything comes true. So we wish you good HEALTH, true strong love," the participants in the authentic rite "Vajenne i pahavanne straly" in the agro-town of Stolbun, Vetka district, unanimously affirm and wish. Local residents have been preserving the tradition of their ancestors for decades. BelTA correspondents also touched the agrarian and folklore magic.

The bright Orthodox holiday of the Ascension of Christ, which this year fell on June 2, is a significant event for the residents of the agro-town. it is celebrated on the 40th day after Easter, it is associated with hopes for a good harvest, good health and averting adversity.

About 800 people live in Stolbun, who preserve the authentic ritual. The neighboring villages had similar traditions, but the Stolbunians had their own peculiarities.

Closer to noon, cars and minibuses, as well as a regular bus, drive up to the local house of culture. Guests are always welcome in Stolbun. In the pre-Covid period, connoisseurs of authenticity from different countries came here. Today everyone is invited to get acquainted with the ceremony and feel the atmosphere. Students from Gomel and the capital are greeted with slight excitement - they are the main interviewers today.

Irina Sergeevna is looking forward to the holiday with her grandson Dima. The woman has studied the tradition well, knows about the meaning and meaning of the rite, which originated and is carefully preserved in her husband's homeland. For the boy, this is a kind of initiation into the tradition: he is at the festival for the first time, but he felt the flavor from the first minutes. An embroidered shirt, a straw hat - they helped to dress up at the local cultural center. But with the cherished desire, which can be made on this very day, the boy decided a long time ago. True, she keeps it a secret even from her grandmother, so that it comes true for sure.

The final preparations for the holiday are being made by Natalya Evgenievna, a primary school teacher at a local school. "This rite has existed with us since ancient times. There was a time when it was considered pagan. But we are very glad that it has survived to this day. Our ancestors believed that it helps to prevent a lightning strike. It is usually said that the Lord went to the Ascension Day to heaven, pulled the bait by the ear. Everyone is waiting for a good harvest. We try to keep these traditions alive, we attract our children as well. I got acquainted with this rite in early childhood, because both my grandmothers and my mother always participated in this holiday. More on the Internet you can find photos from the 1980s. Many people are gone. They are gone, but the memory of them lives on. We can say that I absorbed this ritual with my mother's MILK. And the ritual lives on, and we are proud of it, "the woman emphasizes. Her granddaughter Zhenya, at the age of 8, is not the first time participating in the action. He knows the songs of Stolban by heart, but before the start of the holiday he repeats them with his grandmother. Desire for coins will definitely make a wish, right in the field.

Svetlana Ivanovna Parashchenko - for many years the permanent DIRECTOR of the rural house of culture, in it - her soul. He says that even during the pandemic, the rite was not interrupted. Then the strongest came out, everyone who could, but the traditions did not change. We attract children, schoolchildren, students - everyone enjoys it," she smiles.

Costumes are a separate concern of Svetlana Ivanovna. Collected herself, altered something. Some shirts, aprons, embroidered shirts, skirts were taken out and brought from the chests of their great-grandmothers by the locals. There is even a shirt that is over 100 years old.

Svetlana Parashchenko herself learned about the ceremony in 1975. She graduated from college and came to Stolbun to work by distribution. “Still quite a girl, a young specialist, she didn’t know much, and all the people supported, told about everything. Then the village was large, for two thousand people - we managed to talk with old-timers, collect first-hand information. And in 1982, the rite gained new strength ", adding color to the sound of traditional songs. Then she assembled the Stolbunskie Vecherki team, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year. Our repertoire consists of ritual songs. Carols, arrows, stubble, wedding, spring - only those that sang and sing in Stolbuna. We don’t have others that can be heard on TV. Only live voices sound," says Svetlana Parashchenko. Laconically complements her national costume with an accessory for a modern attribute - a smartphone. This is handmade by Neglub masters.

The porch is lively and cheerful. The girls admire the outfits with national colors: blouses with ornaments, aprons with embroidery, beads. Girlfriends circle and dance with ribbons. 9-year-old Dasha and Dominika are filming preparations for the ceremony and themselves in a new image on a smartphone. Dominika is local, she knows everything about the ceremony from her grandmother Nina. She participated several times. She hid the coins, she will bury them in the ground. Daria is at the festival for the first time, but she already knows that all actions are aimed at a generous harvest and protection from adversity.

The main action begins a double round dance on the main street. The smallest took a ring inside, adults - around them. Then groups are sent from both sides to the main intersection of the agro-town. They sing together:

"Jana did not love her husband,

I took herbs and bought them

Svaigo husband atravila,

I saved it from the garden,

Yalinoy Absadzila.

Rasci, my oil, is high,

Lie down, my dear, far away."

On the other hand, such a song is heard: "Oh, lyuli viburnum, my lyuli yagada." When they meet, they continue together: "Idze was afraid and I was happy..."

Hand in hand, local residents and guests of the holiday march in ranks to the rye field. Step by step, the folk ceremony progresses through the entire village. They are joined along the way by children and adults. It is impossible not to sing along even to the guests. The lines of the songs are repeated in a refrain, so you can learn them right on the spot:

"Pa streets, pa wide

A seven-year-old dzeўka ran away.

For her little lad:

"Pasta dzeuka-seven-year-old,

I will guess three riddles.

And what is a race without a root?

And what's a bastard without a habit?

And what's a frying pan without a frying pan?"

"The stone will dissolve without a root,

Vada bezhyts without habit,

Zara garyts without frying pan."

Stolobuntsy come out from the yards to greet the participants of the holiday. The old-timers believed that the rite was an effective protection against thunderstorms, fires, a reserve for well-being and a generous harvest. "These are special songs, they must be understood and felt," adds Svetlana Parashchenko.

The sign part of the ceremony takes place in the field. The very "pahavanne straly" is also accompanied by chants and dancing.

Even those who came with a stick are dragged into the circle. They say folk magic cycle heals.

“May God give plenty of bread to everyone, everyone, everyone for health and joy. If the accordion would play, she would go dancing herself. But before, they took harmonicas with them, walked and had fun until the very night,” the participant of the holiday charges with positive Nina Ryabikova.

Nina Safonovna, in her 80s, remains optimistic and cheerful. I came to the holiday from Gomel. She says she couldn't miss the day. Recently she took her older sister to the city from Stolbuny, she is caring for her. And at her insistence, she also arrived in her native village.

"Is it true that the harvest will be good after the ceremony and strength will arrive?" - we ask Nina Safonovna. “Honest to God. It’s also our great-grandmothers who sang, and then our mothers, and then older sisters. And we will still save our tradition. And little children have fun. , - the grandmother makes the sign of the cross.

Rye above the knee. The boys and girls scattered across the rye expanse. Distributed across the field and the senior participants of the holiday.

There was a short pause: everyone is burying beads, coins, pins in the ground, making a wish.

There is a belief that making a cherished wish is worth secluded. Then it will turn out to concentrate thoughts on it, and everything will definitely come true.

Natalya Boyko and Valentina Sergeeva continue the traditions of their parents in every sense.

“Everyone is dressed in such elegant clothes, it’s just that the soul rejoices. Such warm memories of this tradition from childhood. We are true stolbunts, bearers of our rite. , in which all ritual songs are performed. When there were more people in the village and everyone gathered from all over, then really, as it should be, song lamentation was heard, lamentations - this is “pahawanne of the Straly.” And the song rushed to heaven, "says Valentina Sergeeva.

"On this day, the soul sings, and the weather favors us. At all times it was believed that on this day it was possible to ask for health for those who are unwell. And now we wish our children not to get sick, so that they prolong our traditions. Even if far they will be somewhere, but always come back," says Natalya Boyko.

With girlish enthusiasm and bursting laughter, women proceed to the most active part of the ceremony. "And where is it softer to fall?" one of them laughs. And they take turns rocking each other in the field, saying: "The most beautiful husband, bearish health, true strong love."

They dubbed the tradition and the newcomer of the holiday, Anna from Gomel. "I'll come next year, I'll tell you if all the wishes came true." “So don’t come alone, so that there are already three of us: with her husband and with the baby,” the women support the conversation.

Everyone returns from the field with bouquets of spikelets. This year, the most attentive or, as they said in the granary, the lucky ones became their owners. Due to weather conditions, rye is just gaining strength.

By the way, knowledgeable people assure, from today the active growth of grain begins, the ear is poured.

However, on the rural road there were ready to share mini-sheaves. "We keep spikelets in a place of honor in the house. Someone hides them behind icons. Spikelets dry out and decorate the house for a long time. We were told that they are the best amulet of the whole economy from lightning. And bread is our wealth. It has always been like this, it will remain so," Valentina shares her knowledge.

This tradition is the final one in the spring ritual cycle. Charged with songs and positive, everyone goes to the village club. Here guests will get acquainted with hospitable traditions.

By the way, last year there was a premiere of the film "Arrow" about the stolbun rite. Recently he was seen in the Crimea, Uzbekistan, etc.

They really hope in the agro-town that the tradition so carefully preserved by them will still be recognized as an intangible historical and cultural value. "I would like to believe that thanks to the children who are happy to participate in the ceremony, our tradition will live for another 20 years," concludes Svetlana Ivanovna.

BelTA,

photo by Sergey KHOLODILIN.