Summer is in full swing: the kids are enjoying their vacation to the fullest, and the adults have had a chance to catch their breath – gardening tasks are gradually winding down. It’s the perfect time to look back at some of the interesting things that have happened in the kin’s settlement Lesnaya Polyana recently.
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Several families have joined forces to take up beekeeping together. They prepared the site, set up the hives, and now all the hives are already home to bee colonies. On weekends, the cooperative members get together and tend to the apiary.
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There was also a community work day dedicated to planting saplings, and, of course, saplings were planted on the kin’s domains. The residents planted a hedge along the northern border. It stretches for 200 meters and consists of two rows. The first row features ornamental trees and shrubs that bloom beautifully in the spring, while the second row consists of large trees: mountain ash, linden, and larch. This fall, the residents of the Lesnaya Polyana settlement plan to add pine and spruce trees to create a complete green barrier.
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Over the years, the kin’s settlement Lesnaya Polyana has hosted numerous clubs for children and teenagers, including chess, model-making, theater, music, guitar, and sewing traditional Russian clothing. Today, however, the children have the opportunity to also join a folk ensemble, play tennis and pursue visual arts, play the gusli, piano, and balalaika, as well as sculpt and fire clay crafts.
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“We play tennis with the kids once a week. We practice different strokes, drives, and slices. For the second year in a row, the kids have been learning more advanced techniques, such as the slice and topspin. In addition to tennis, we study instrumental music: we play the gusli, balalaika, and flute, and learn folk tunes. Folk music is very simple and easy to understand, so it resonates well with the children,” says Alexander Trubnikov, a tennis coach who also leads classes in gusli, balalaika, and flute.
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Another significant event for the Lesnaya Polyana settlement in recent days was the Ivan Kupala festival – the summer solstice, which took place from June 19 to 21. Participants enjoyed traditional Kupala rituals and games, live performances of ancient songs recorded from true keepers of the tradition, the atmosphere of a large, close-knit family, and shared meals.
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“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the festival. It lasted only three days, but they were filled with encounters and conversations with people you see just a couple of times a year – yet who feel much closer than those you see every day. I love how city and local children interact so easily and look forward to this gathering all year long. Thank you for the festive atmosphere and the sense of natural life with its songs and dances, the scent of the campfire, pine needles, and the river, and for the memories that will keep us warm this winter,” shares festival participant Angelina.
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Events like these strengthen the sense of community and create a warm atmosphere in the kin’s settlements.
Source: https://vk.ru/lepolyana
