Spring in Kyiv will end with the first World of Traditions Festival

The initiators of the World of Traditions Festival from the Whole World international organization believe it only a small part of their road home. They believe that one should start his/her quest for the lost harmony from him/herself, namely, from the traditions, which have preserved the formula of ideal relations with the world around us. Hence, the World of Traditions suggests, try to read this formula during the last spring weekend in the form of music and dance, the age-old traditions of different nations. The format chosen for this tour into the days of lore is quite ordinary: a festival, and the place is very romantic: an island near Kyiv. To get to the festival, one has to leave an application at www.wholeworld.kiev.ua. For guests, entrance to the festival is paid. The organizers expect that there will be many wishing to attend, so they warn in advance that smoking and imbibing strong drink is prohibited (incorrigible smokers will be allowed to devote themselves to their favorite bad habit near campfires or in a cafe). Drinking and smoking are not a part of the tradition, the organizers believe.

In what way will the festival’s participants comprehend the wisdom of humanity? During the three days performers and guests, who are supposed to gradually and insensibly also become participants, will be involved in an exciting show. The first day will demonstrate European culture as an embodiment of ratio. Irish music, passionate flamenco, archaic Ukrainian songs, and the old Slavic heritage. Day two will feature Asia, the territory of spirit. Here we will see the search for lost divinity and the revelation of the spiritual in human nature. The third day will be devoted to Africa: flesh, warmth, passion, and life. Festival director Dmytro Krasnoukhov found in Ukraine (mainly Kyiv) musicians who will assist with this. Not all of them are professionals. During the year of the existence of the Chinese tearoom at the Whole World Center they all have appeared there before audiences. Among them are Nigerian Akim, dancer and drums improvisator; Andrzej from the R-Jazz ensemble; Maksym Stepanov playing traditional Eastern instruments; the Rune ensemble of Irish music; the Celestial River group playing a mixture of Indian music and jazz; Kostiantyn Chechenia; and the Lviv-based BurdoN group.

A professional Turkish dancer is also preparing a program for the festival along with the Duende flamenco studio. There will also be various streams in Indian dance, Andes music, Brazilian capoeira, and Sufi dance. In addition, the visitors will get an opportunity to learn how to wear an Indian sari, study the basics of Ayurveda, Chinese tea ceremony, or Indian cuisine. And this list is far from complete. New participants are registered every day. Dmytro informs us that in, say, St. Petersburg, where Whole World also operates, many such festivals take place annually. But the Ukrainian one is special in that it will be conducted at a campsite, giving the participants a chance to connect directly with nature. Let us hope that the weather, which in this time of the year is usually rainy, will surprise us.

Meanwhile, the organizers are preparing for the festival. Dmytro KRASNOUKHOV answered The Day’s questions.

“Dmytro, how would you explain people’s growing interest in their roots?”

“The world doesn’t see any future for itself, it doesn’t know what direction to move in. Scientific and technical progress becomes obsolete. People go back to nature — it’s no accident that in many countries living out of town is believed normal. This desire to return to the natural beginnings and live in harmony with the world have conditioned the increasing interest in traditions.”

“Why do you think Ukrainians are so interested in foreign culture?”

“There is a traveler living inside every person. Everybody wants to learn something new, and in our case we have a trip inside another people’s culture. Man is a complex creature possessing internal experience and deep potential. As a rule, these senses sleep within, waiting to be awakened. Contact with another nation’s culture usually occurs accidentally, but a person always recognizes at once something that it close to him. We invited a dancer to the festival who performs an Indian odissi dance. She is an ordinary Crimean girl who first saw this dance when she was 15, bought a videocassette with it, and mastered it in three days. For the next ten years she kept dancing it and teaching it to others. When asked what dance means to her, she answers, “It’s my life.”

“Doesn’t all this mean that our native culture is less close to us? Why do we ‘study from others’ but ‘reject our own’?”

“This is a logical question. Our culture has very deep roots, and we study it as far as possible. There will be dulcimer and bandura solo performers at the festival (the Drevo [Tree] group will present its interpretations of early Slavic music). Besides, I would like to invite an expert to speak about the sources of Ukrainian culture.

“I think it’s important to study what’s going on in the world and around us to understand the meaning of our own culture and feel that we are also unique.”

“Let’s imagine that a poll is conducted among Ukraine’s citizens to find out what culture they want to belong to. What do you think the answers would be?”

“It’s hard to give an unambiguous answer to this question. India’s spirit is very close to me. Many of my friends feel closer to the Celtic spirit, to early Ireland — they even look like Celts. For some Africa or Italy is closer.”

“How long could they bear living in those cultures before they wanted to come back to Ukraine?”

“I can speak only for myself. I feel good enough here. Our people are special. I was in Italy where I spoke to both Italians and Ukrainians living there. During that trip I understood that happiness is subjective; it is always inside you no matter where you live. Our land is very important; it is significant for the whole world. It seems to me that Ukraine will show itself in the future.”

“In part, with festivals like yours?”

“Yes. But I think it will be something different. Maybe owing to this festival everybody will develop in him/herself love and tolerance toward other nations, which is quite relevant against the background of the current situation.”