UNDP/GEF
Conservation of Biodiversity on Kamchatka's 4 Protected Areas

Calendar of Kamchatka Cultural Events and Festivals

Kamchatka 2007

New Year's Day, Russia's biggest holiday	1 January	Traditional
Russian Orthodox Christmas	7 January	Traditional
"Old" New Year - celebrating New Year's from the old calendar	14 January	Traditional
Ski Russia – annual all Russian ski marathon	6 February
Defenders of the People Day celebrated also as Men's Day	23 February	Traditional
"Maslenitsa" - end of winter and the beginning of Russian Orthodox Lent	February	Traditional
"Sagaalgan" - celebration of the "White Moon" by people of Buryatia featuring traditional songs, contests of Buratia including archery, and festive foods	28 February	Burayt-Kalmyk Peoples' Association
Reindeer Herders' Day   Start of the Beringia Sled Dog Race from Esso to Palana	3 March Esso airport Esso	17th annual
International Women's Day	8 March	Traditional
Ski Kamchatka ski race       Children's Dog Sled Race & Ski Jouring Bird Festival	24 March Lesnaya Ski Center Anavgai   31 March-1 April in Anavgai
Avachinsky Ski Marathon	15 April
Earth Day Celebration - Itelmen and Kamchatka style - folkdancing, folklore, celebration of the Earth	22 April Sosnovka village area, Itelmen Camp	Pimchak Itelmen Association
Spring and Labour Holiday	1-2 May	Traditional
Victory Day in Russia – parade, honoring 2nd WW veterans, celebration	9 May throughout Kamchatka	Traditional
"Slavyanskiy Venok" (Slavonic Wreath) - gala concert, traditional folklore arts, and crafts, round table meeting with artists to celebrate Slavonic Literature and Culture Days	May Gala-concert at the Army Culture Center, PK	Dept.of Culture and other groups
First Fish Holiday	First weekend in June	Throughout Kamchatka
Day of Independence in Russia	June 12	Traditional
Even New Year Celebration in Anavgai and Esso, Bystrinsky Region       18th annual folklore festival "Nurgenek"	June 19-21 Anavgai village, Bystrinsky District June 21 Anavgai, Menedek Culture Center	Even people
"Kazachiy Spas" (Cossack's Savior) celebrating 150 th anniversary defense of Petropavlovsk in the Crimean War – religious procession, concert, military arts' show	2 nd half of June Lenin Square PK	Northeast Association of Cossacks
Youth Day - concert and dance on Lenin Square in PK	June 2 3 PK
Youth Day - celebration in Yelizovo	June 2 4 Yelizovo, Central Park	Yelizovo Dept.of Culture and other groups
"Sabantui" - Tatar-Bashkir Folk Festival – concert, horse race, wrestling, traditional foods, etc.	July 1 20 th km road between PK and Yelizovo	Tatar-Bashkir Association, Kamchatka Region
International Aboriginal People's Day celebrations in Sosnovka and Anavgai	9 August
Al-Ha-La-La-Lai Itel'men Native harvest festival in Sosnovka (Yelizovo District) and Kovran village (Sobolevsky District)	August
Yelizovo District Harvest Festival	1-2 September Yelizovo, at Square near Central Bus Station	Local administration
Village concert tour by "Nurgenek" ensemble	October Kamchatka villages
"Nurgenek" Even ensemble concert	October Petropavlovsk
Day of Consent and Reconciliation in Russia, former Day of the Great October Socialist Revolution	7 November	Traditional
Kho-Lo-Lo Koryak seal festival	December
New Year's Eve	31 December	Traditional