Kazan Universiade shares Sabantuy with its Visitors

KAZAN – For those who were able to take a break from the sports field on July 13th, the traditional Tatar Festival ‘Sabantuy’ brought a welcome change. Sabantuy is a typical Tatar summer festival that dates back to the Volga Bulgarian epoch. At first Sabantuy was a festival of farmers in rural areas, but it later became a national holiday and now is widely celebrated in the cities as well. Sabantuy traces its origins to the pre-Islamic epoch, when it was celebrated before the sowing season.

The festival is very colourful, with plenty of traditional dances and folk singing. For the more active participant, all kinds of entertaining games are organised like tug of war, pillow fighting, and wood sawing. Of course the traditional Kurash or Tatar belt wrestling is a major crowd pleaser with even the President of the Republic Rustam Minnikhanov attending.

C. Pierre, Press Officer