Teachers and students of KBSU visited the festival of folk crafts «Altyn kol»

July 16, 2022 teachers of the Social and Humanitarian Institute of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after H.M. Berbekov Zareta Soblirova, Anzhela Zhurtova, Zairat Kumakhova and students of the Higher School of International Education of the university visited the IV International Festival of folk crafts and arts and crafts of the Balkars and Karachais «Altyn k’ol» (Golden Hands), which was held in the Cherek municipal district CBD at the Blue Lake site.

Organized by the One Hundred Steps to Kaisyn Foundation for the Preservation of Cultural Historical Monuments, whose name is associated with the name of the Balkar poet and prose writer, journalist, war correspondent, poet of the KBASSR Kaisyn Kuliev, the festival is timed to coincide with the Year of Cultural Heritage of the Peoples of Russia. The guests were introduced to the unique works of Balkarian folk art by students and teachers of the faculties of design and decorative and applied arts of the Karachay-Cherkess State University. W.D. Aliyev (Karachaevsk), the North Caucasian State Academy (Cherkessk), craftsmen from the Republic of Dagestan (Khasavyurt district, Aksai village) and other participants of the holiday.

Kabardino-Balkaria was represented by the regional center of folk crafts and crafts of the Elbrus municipal district and folk masters of arts and crafts of the Cherek municipal district. The concert program with the participation of folk ensembles of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, as well as the student folk dance ensemble «Snow Peaks» of the NKSA (Cherkessk) was very popular with the audience. Sharing her impressions of her stay at the festival «Altyn k’ol», Associate Professor of the Department of Ethnology, History of the Peoples of the KBR and Journalism of the KBSU Anzhela Zhurtova noted: This year, the festival of folk crafts and arts and crafts, according to the participants, has become the most massive, since it was dedicated to the Year cultural heritage of the peoples of the Russian Federation and was timed to coincide with the solemn date — the 105th anniversary of the birth of Kaisyn Kuliev.

The students and I are glad that we were able to see the exhibition, listen to national music, and witness master classes in making everyday items using traditional techniques. Our students are interested in the traditional culture of Kabardians and Balkars, often attend cultural events, and go out into nature. At the festival, they most of all remember the weapons art of the Balkars and Karachays, they were impressed by the technique of processing daggers.