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Village Day

© Olya Ivanova

Statistics shows that Russian village life is dying, nevertheless every year a lot of villages all over the country celebrate Village Day – festival of ‘small homeland’ and local life.  It’s a mixture of traditional ceremonies, legacy Soviet rituals and modern trends.  
Village Day is one of rare occasions to feel life running through those sleepy and semi-abandoned places, and get glimpses of real Russia.

It’s time for dancing and drinking despite of difficult living conditions, poorness, lack of government support and mass migration to the cities.  In this day locals lay the table, prepare performances, invite musicians and dance all the night in House of culture.

Ivanova has photographed portraits of local people celebrating this fest in the small non-touristic place in Northern Russia, Vologda region.    

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