Kamyshin watermelon festival is an annual spectacular event held in the city of Kamyshin of the Volgograd Region on the city's birthday (late August - early September) and dedicated to watermelon .
| Kamyshin watermelon festival | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Theme | holiday is dedicated to watermelon |
| Dates | 2007 - 2009 , 2011 - 2018 |
| The beginning of | |
| Location | |
| City of | Kamyshin , Volgograd region |
| A country | Russia |
For the first time, the Kamyshin watermelon festival was held in 2007, in 2010 it was canceled due to the tragic consequences of natural fires in the Volgograd region. Held on the last weekend of August. The XIIth Kamyshin Watermelon Festival is scheduled for August 24-25, 2019.
In 2014, the Kamyshin watermelon festival was held for the seventh time. Alla Mikheeva, the host of the Sharp Report section from the Evening Urgant program, became a guest of this event; on September 12, 2014 the program [1] went on the air.
In 2018, the honorary guests of the Festival were the film crew and artists of the program of the First Channel “Play, accordion”. Two issues were aired on the city of Kamyshin and the ongoing Festival.
Content
Motto, organization and participants
The motto of the Kamyshin watermelon festival changes every year, determining the theme of the main festival action - Watermelon Parade. This is a theatrical procession in which the city enterprises, educational institutions, TOSs and all comers and guests of the city take part. The festival program also includes: an exhibition and sale of watermelons, a theatrical meeting of Peter the Great, an exhibition and sale of souvenirs and works of decorative and applied art on a “watermelon” theme, and much more. For example, in 2014: "Watermelon flowering is a summer mood." In 2011, the event was held under the motto "Volga - mother, Watermelon - father". All topics are available over the years on the festival’s official website [1] Also, various contests are planned for reeds and city guests: “Watermelon fashion show”, “Mom, dad, I am a watermelon family”, “Competition of arts and crafts,” “Flying slices” , "Watermelon mochilovo", "Watermelon glutton" and others.
A lot of tourists regularly take part in the Kamyshin watermelon festival. According to various estimates, from 20 to 30 thousand people attend the Festival. Guests come from Volgograd, Saratov, Moscow, Astrakhan, Krasnodar, Dagestan, as well as countries near and far abroad (Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Germany, France, Holland). The guest of honor of the festival was the head of the administration of the Volgograd region Anatoly Grigoryevich Brovko with his family. The governor of the Volgograd region, honored guests from other cities, the son of the famous native of Kamyshin A.P. Maresyev Viktor Alekseevich regularly visits the watermelon holiday.
In the carnival procession - Watermelon parade - 4 thousand people pass. More than 20 enterprises exhibit their ceremonial columns; more than 60 tons of watermelons were brought to the square for the festival.
The record holder of the Festival is a watermelon weighing 21.7 kg, which received the first prize in 2014.
Watermelon parade
Car decoration
Military-patriotic club "Gardarika"
Performance of drummers
King Watermelon Striped welcomes subjects
Historical background
In 1722, the city was visited by Emperor Peter I. In the emperor’s travel log it is written:
“In the morning, at dawn, we arrived at Kamyshinki, where they fired from the city from 15, they received a response from 3 cannons, where His Majesty deigned to inspect the city, and then after about two hours, we went on the road ...”
According to a legend that exists in these parts, Peter I tried a local watermelon and, exclaiming: “The fruit is excellent!” He ordered a full-size copy to be cast. Researcher Leopoldov A. F. in the “Historical Essays” of 1848 wrote the following:
“In 1722, the local cities near the Volga were delighted with a visit to Peter the Great during his march along the Volga to the Persian campaign. The king rode in the summer, in early June. Peter the Great was in Kamyshin, where, by the way, having learned that the best watermelons would be born in his vicinity, he ordered a watermelon to be put on a spitz on a town house. So says the legend. "
“Read it:“ having learned about the best watermelons ”, but not tasting it,” says Leonid Smelov, the head of the Kamyshin Star Historical Research Club [2] . “As a true historian, Leopoldov makes reference to tradition. Kamyshans also refer to tradition, but only believe in it with difficulty. Why - any local will answer. The text says: “at the beginning of June” ... The king’s campaign journal states: on the 15th. We translate the date to the new calendar - we get the end of June. A bitter fact: this month, watermelons in the Kamyshin district have not yet sung! Another thing is that the Kamyshinsky district was created by nature itself to grow watermelons. ”
The last words of the local historian confirm the records of scientists and researchers of the Lower Volga. In 1769, academician Ivan Lepyokhin described the town as follows:
"The inhabitants ate from sowing melons and watermelons ... did not practice any other sowing."
Researcher Leopoldov A. F. in the “Statistical Description of the Saratov Province” (St. Petersburg, 1839) reports:
“The main occupation of the inhabitants of the Kamyshin district is agriculture, because the soil is greasy and abounds with life-giving forces. There are many watermelons sown, which are of excellent kindness. "
See also
- Syzran Tomato
- Cucumber festival