Interregional folk holiday «Lood» (03/07)

The traditions of the Komi holidays are similar to Russian folk festivals, but at the same time, they are distinguished by their originality that preserves the mental code of the people, their ideas about the universe.

Before the start of the hay harvest, on the first weekend of July, Komi-Izhemtsy gather in the interfluve of the Izhma and Kurya rivers for folk festivities. The holiday takes place in the water meadows of the left bank of the Izhma River, the village of Izhma, Izhemsky district, the so-called «island» – is a closed place that stores special energy.

The choice of date is not accidental; according to popular belief, nature blooms at this time: every bush, every blade of grass is filled with healing power, remember the holiday of Ivan Kupala.

Loud was celebrated from the time of paganism until the early 20th century, and then there was a long sixty-year break until conscript shots were heard from every village in 1997, and festive processions headed to the meadow. Since 2004, Lud has been held regularly; now it is an interregional folk festival, for which the Department of Culture of the Administration of the MR «Izhemsky» is responsible.

During the beginning, they dance in a round dance «Gate»... (Photo: admizhma.ru)

Lud – holiday is unique, the only folk festival that has preserved the worldview of the Komi-Izhemians. Traditionally, the celebration takes place in several stages. During the beginning, a round dance is conducted «Gate», it is held until noon and in the evening in all villages. It can last for hours, and all villagers participate, regardless of age. During the round dance, folk songs are sung, and at the end of it, the girls bring earth and water from their villages to the choruses. This is a rite of giving under lamentations «Izva yag». The land is mixed, distributed into pots and bird cherry is planted in them to provide guests with gifts from their native land.

The main time of the holiday is – night, this indicates the ritual nature of the action. And a mandatory event – horse racing, which attracts up to a hundred participants. In the old days, it was with the horses that the celebration began, the meadows were trampled by a herd so that the girls would not trip over the hummock and stain the sundresses. The horses of the Izhemians – are sacred animals, symbolizing the sun. Girls drive «Bride chorus » is a demonstration of the ability to wear a beautiful national costume.

During the holiday, many events are held: tug of war, searching for an object in a haystack, traditional folk games.

Komi-Izhemtsy – is a special ethnographic group, unlike the southern Komi, they are reindeer herders. The uniqueness of the Izhemtsy is that they developed their own model of reindeer husbandry, combining the nomadic skills of the Nenets, the everyday culture of the Russians, while maintaining their own identity.

Mandatory event – horse racing, which attracts up to a hundred participants (Photo: admizhma.ru)

In 2009, «Lood» was one of the 11 wonders of the Komi Republic. In 2013, the holiday was included in the regional register of intangible cultural heritage sites. In 2015, its organizers became laureates of the professional award «Faces of the Mass» Theater and winners in the category «Best national holiday in the country».

This is one of the most popular holidays with 6,000 participants. It is attended not only by residents of surrounding villages, but also by representatives of the diasporas of the Izhem komi from the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions, the Yamalo-Nenets, Nenets and Khanty-Mansiysk districts.

1997