For five centuries now, the ancient Russian village of Ust-Tsilma has carefully preserved the culture of its ancestors. Clothing, crafts, language, songs, prayers, round dances – there is a shadow of the Middle Ages in everything.
Ust-Tsilma – is a real pearl of Old Believer culture, and the celebration «Ust-Tsilemskaya Hill» – is a living monument of folk traditions. The roots of the slides went back to the pagan cult of sun worship.
In former times, the start of mountain festivities occurred at the end of May, the time when in the north the meadows were cleared of snow, and the first grass appeared. Typically, the first slide was held on St. Nicholas Day (May 22) and festivities continued until Peter's Day. In fact, the slides were a gathering place for young people, an opportunity to take a closer look at each other and create a couple. The shows coincided with the spring fair; the Cherdyn fair was held in Ust-Tsilma, so the slides were a traveling holiday.
The main place at the festivities was given to young people, but older people also took part in it. They looked after the young and taught round dances and songs.
«Ust-Tsilemskaya slide» – is a living monument of folk traditions (Photo: Ust-Tsilemskaya slide)
Coaster celebrations ceased in the first half of the 20th century, and the tradition began to revive from 1970. Currently «Ust-Tsilemskaya slide» – is a republican holiday, which is held on July 12, Peter's Day in the village of Ust-Tsilma, Ust-Tsilemsky district, organizer – administration MR «Ust-Tsilemsky».
The name «Hump» – is very symbolic, this is the working pinnacle of the year, and also tied to the place –, the holiday was held on the main street of the village, on the high bank of the Pechora.
The mountain composition includes seven types of round dances:
1. «Pillars» – walking «twos», «threes» with crossing the rod, «pillar» with drawn-out songs: «I’ll go, I’ll go, and baby...», «Because of the forest, dark forest...».
2. «Circle» – movement in a circle with an expansion of diameter, « in the sun» and « against the sun» to songs: «I polled the cabbage, sentenced...», «It was along the river, along the Kazanka...».
3. «Wall on wall» – men's and women's ranks line up, which sometimes converge, sometimes diverge. They sing: «Girls didn’t walk in the garden...», «It was along the grass, along the ant...», «And we sowed millet, sowed...».
4. «On four sides» – round dance in the shape of a square, rearranging into a female semicircle and a male chain. «The Ivanovo monastery was becoming, the young cuttings were sharpened...».
The mountain composition includes seven types of round dances (Photo: Ust-Tsilemskaya Hill)
5. «Boyara» – typesetting round dance with playing the song «You, boyars, why did you come...».
6. «Debt» – ornamental round dance with a snake to the song «I’ll flow down the river...».
7. «Wattle» – spiral movement intertwined to the song «Here she walked, walked and she led...».
Overall, this is an amazing theatrical folk action, unique folk choreography. Round dance language slides – secret writing of ancestors who encrypted sacred knowledge in them.