Krasny Yar received guests and participants of the eighth festival “Hunter’s Day”

In the village of Krasny Yar, Primorsky Krai, from 7 to 9 March, the traditional holiday “Va:kchai Ni” (“Hunter’s Day”) took place. The cultural and sports event is held by the public organization “Club of Hunters and Fishermen of Indigenous Minorities of the Primorsky Territory” with the support of the government of the Primorsky Territory, the Bikin National Park and the Amur Tiger Center. 

Every year interest in the holiday grows, not only representatives of indigenous small peoples, but also everyone who likes to have fun and usefully spend the winter, compete in strength and agility, learn more about the culture of the Udegeans.&nbp> This year, the organizers of the event formed a rich program - a shamanic ceremony of the opening of the holiday, treating guests with traditional cuisine, including hunting soup "Ule Silani", meat for which was extracted in the seaside taiga shortly before the festival, the songs of the choir of Bikin mothers, the dances of the children's ensemble "Kesihi", the fair of souvenirs of folk craft. Anyone could test themselves in a variety of disciplines. Chess lovers from small to great competed in the II stage of the Primorsky Krai Cup in chess "Red Yar-2024", dedicated to the memory of Vasily Bataneevich Sulyandzig, competitions were held for fans of active sports in the team ski race and stilt race, archery and air rifle, spear throwing, tug of war, weight sport and axe throwing at a distance. The last exotic discipline was first introduced into the festival program three years ago, but has already gained popularity. And the results of the athletes are very impressive: this year the “sports projectile” flew 70 meters! In addition, this year’s program included amateur volleyball competitions, which were held in the gym of the Krasny Yar secondary school, which was reconstructed in the summer of 2023 with the help of the Amur Tiger Center and received modern coverage.

The Va:kchai Ni Festival is held by the Hunters and Fishermen Club of the Indigenous Minorities of Primorye, the Bikin National Park with the support of the Government of the Primorsky Territory and the Amur Tiger Center as part of the project “Point of Attraction – Red Yar”. With traditions to the future, this is the eighth time and every year more and more spectators and athletes gather. This year it was visited by several hundred people from Vladivostok, Luchegorsk, Svetlogorje, Spassk-Dalnego, Bolshoi Stone, the village of Kavalerovo, the village of Upper Pereval, Yasenevy, Soboliny. The material and photos were prepared and provided by the Amur Tiger Center.