In Photos: Ethnic Kryashens Celebrate Pitrau Folk Festival in Tatarstan

11 months ago 598

This year’s Pitrau festival came and went in the republic of Tatarstan. Celebrated by the Kryashens, an Orthodox Christian ethnic sub-group of the Volga Tatars, the holiday has a deep folk and religious meaning.

While Pitrau is largely to observe the Day of Saints Peter and Paul, the festival also has pre-Christian roots. The day doubles as a celebration of Kryashen agriculture, marking the coming of autumn and the beginning of the harvest period. For young people, who face weeks of labor in the fields, the day is a final chance to blow off steam before the work begins. Older generations take the opportunity to catch up and renew ties.

Here’s a snapshot of the Pitrau festivities:

A man wearing a costume takes part in celebrations of the Pitrau feast in the village of Zyuri, Mamadysh District. Zyuri has become the epicenter of a Kryashen folk revival in Tatarstan.

Yegor Aleyev / TASS

Onlookers watch as a man leaps into the water during the Pitrau feast. For young people, the day is a chance to let loose.

Yegor Aleyev / TASS

Women wearing folk costumes take part in celebrations of the Pitrau feast.

Yegor Aleyev / TASS

A woman wearing a folk costume dances surrounded by smoke during the feast.

Yegor Aleyev / TASS

A man wearing a costume takes part in celebrations of the Pitrau feast.

Yegor Aleyev / TASS

Women in folk dress dance in a circle amid the festivities. According to popular belief, the success of the harvest depends on the quality of the dancing.

Tatar-Inform / tatar-inform.ru