Director of the Institute of International Relations of Altai State University Ivan Nazarov took part in the “Kocho-kan” festival
Last Sunday, October 8, 2023, the traditional autumn festival of the Kumandy people “Kocho-kan” was held in Biysk. The event took place on the site of the Kumandin ethnocenter with the support of the administration of the city of Biysk. It was attended by Kumandin residents from the city of Biysk, Solton and Krasnogorsk districts of Altai Krai, heads of municipal authorities, representatives of public organizations and creative groups.
The holiday began with the performance of traditional Kumandin rituals practiced during the “Kocho-kan” ritual: feeding the spirits, blessing Kocho-kan and saying good wishes.
As part of the grand opening of the event, congratulations and parting words were heard from Deputy Head of the Department of Subsoil Use and Natural Resources of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Ugra Alexander Komissarov, Deputy Head of Biysk for social issues Elena Maksimova, Head of the Soltonsky district of Altai Krai Larisa Kharlamova, as well as Chairman of the Altai regional public organization “Association of Kumandins of Altai” Vitaly Teberekov and Head of the public organization of Kumandins of the Krasnogorsk region “Toreen Cher” Aisha Amirova.
Director of the Institute of History and International Relations of AltSU, Chairman of the Council of the Branch of the Russian Historical Society in Altai Krai Ivan Nazarov presented the Kumandin ethnocenter with a selection of books on history and ethnology and congratulated them on the holiday:
“I am very pleased to be here today at this wonderful celebration for many reasons. I am glad to see my friends – the Kumandins, whose traditions I have been studying for more than 25 years. I will emphasize the importance of preserving the historical and cultural heritage of the small peoples of Russia – part of the general ethnocultural heritage of the country. This topic has been identified by the Russian Historical Society as a priority area of activity for the coming years. The Institute of History and International Relations trains specialists for the ethnocultural sphere from among Kumandy youth. I am confident that joint consistent steps in this direction will contribute to the preservation and development of the traditions of the ancient people of Altai.”
The event continued in the format of a concert by Kumandin folklore and choreographic groups, the “Gifts of Autumn” and Kumandin costume competitions, archery competitions, creative master classes on children’s drawings and cooking traditional dishes were held.
A seminar was held for Kumandin social activists with the participation of representatives of the heads of municipal authorities and the scientific community on the issues of preserving the Kumandin language and the development of traditional forms of economic detail of the indigenous small people of the North, Siberia and the Far East – the Kumandins.