From the height of our civilized century, it may seem that the life of Belarusians in the old days was incredibly boring and devoid of any colors. No serials, computer battles, virtual network. What was the entertainment for people in their free time from work? And that's what it was - ethnographers and local historians assure. The everyday life of our ancestors was filled with vivid impressions by representatives of the parallel world - almost 500 characters are kept in Belarusian mythology: brownies and similar individuals that “inhabited” houses, forests, fields, rivers. An outlandish people can still serve culture and business today, if it is brought back from oblivion.
We will list the gods of Greek Olympus with our eyes closed. We know for certain who Pokémon are. Hobbits are adored not only by kids, but also by adults. A fabulous product taken from the past or invented in the present is going with a bang. But what do we know about the characters of the Belarusian folklore? Petr Tsalko, head of the branch of the Fyodor Shklyarov Vetka Museum of Old Believers and Belarusian Traditions, is sure:
Eunice took care of the preservation and drying of the sheaves
- There is a moment that Belarusians can be proud of. For example, Greek mythology is studied only from historical documents and literary works. But with Belarusians in whatever hut you go, you will hear: "I saw it myself or my mother said." When we go on ethnographic expeditions, we hear dozens of such stories: "The brownie's little paws are soft, like a tow, laughter is like a bell …" But publications, records are one thing. It would be nice to show the richest cultural layer of folklore to both its residents and tourists. Some time ago, there was an idea of creating a museum of Belarusian mythology in Lelchitsy. It is in Polissya that there are especially many such stories.
It is difficult to say yet whether a museum of the otherworldly reality will appear in the Gomel region. But the idea is already acquiring tangible features in the form of an open project LIPA. CLUB, which was started three years ago by young people of different professions, united around the restoration of the Obukhovichi estate in the village of Velikaya Lipa near Nesvizh. It was the enthusiasts who took up the popularization of the Belarusian mythology. The curator of the project Pavel Orlov, a programmer of the Minsk IT-company, talks about an accidental intersection with a parallel world:
- Studying the history of the estate, we unexpectedly discovered the originality of native folklore. The heroes described in the legends are not abstract and not distracted from life. They are nearby. And so we decided to recreate these images and settle them in Velikaya Lipa. In the meantime, the estate is being reconstructed, the collection of mythological heroes, growing day by day, is being shown in the cities of Belarus.
Such an exhibition is now working in the Gomel palace of the Rumyantsevs and Paskevichs. Its basis is the volumetric figures of folklore characters, made by sculptor Anton Shipitsa based on illustrations by the famous graphic artist Valery Slauk. Yellow eyes gleam from all sides of the showroom. The museum workers chuckle: how did the palace ghosts meet them? Let's think hospitable. Some of the "guests" are very charming.
Promotional video:
Housewife - keeper of the hearth
Here is a stocky shaggy eunik with a bunch of spikelets in its paw. According to legend, a bustling business executive who took care of the safety and drying of the sheaves. Usually he could be found near the stove. The soot will stir in the corner, entwined with cobwebs, the eyes will sparkle - it means that the eunic has appeared in person.
In the field, the peasants were also helped by a living - a gray-haired grandfather of a decisive disposition. If he saw mismanagement, he could punish with poor harvest.
Revered in the villages and chevzhik. He looks like a dry lean pensioner with a beard. He was in charge of the rivers and lakes. But he quickly came to the aid of those who were in distress on the water, extending his pole.
Another hero from the past, grandfather, also caused quite a stir at the exhibition. According to legend, he helped to get rich. The poor old man will meet - soon the coins in his pocket will ring. The rich will be on his way - will help to deal with problems. He also kept the treasures under control in secluded places. He could hint with a flickering red light where to dig. True, it was important to observe the rule here: to throw the hat on the indicated place, otherwise the treasures will not be seen - they will go deep underground.
How many creatures - so many legends. Housewife and housewife are the keepers of the hearth. Shatans and wicked ones - misleading good people. Zyuzya and Moroz are the owners of the winter season. That would be to buy at least one miniature hero to revive your own apartment space! Pavel Orlov understands me well:
- We have already made mini-samples of our characters that could be sold. And with this we also want to show that the Belarusian mythology is also a real Klondike for commercial projects. Clothes, souvenirs, tourist routes, computer games and books - all of this can acquire recognizable features of the heroes of Belarusian myths and legends. Bringing millions of dollars to our economy is the same as in other countries where this direction has already been developed. I think all this is a matter of the near future.
Violetta DRALYUK