"Tsarskoselsky Carnival"
previous | contents | next
History of the Development and Tradition of the Tsarskoe Selo Carnival
Town status was conferred upon Tsarskoe Selo June 24, 1710 and this is the date marked by the Carnival, truly the greatest celebration in the town of Pushkin. The Tsarskoe Selo Carnival is still very young, and has only been held since 1995. Prior to 1996 Pushkin's celebration had many carnival elements. But it was only held officially under the name "Tsarskoe Selo Carnival" for the first time in June 1996. The carnival is traditionally closed by the "City of Muses" arts festival. In 1996 the carnival was headed by the most beautiful and enigmatic of them, Cleo, the muse of history. The carnival was dedicated to the town's historical past. The master of ceremonies was General Zakharzhevsky (a real personage, the most famous town governor of the 19th century). Famous inhabitants of Tsarskoe Selo also came to life: emperors and empresses Peter I, Catherine I and Catherine II, Alexander I, Nicholas I, the poet Pushkin and his beautiful wife, Nathalie; poetess Anna Akhmatova, favorites, ladies in waiting, guardsmen, merchants, gypsies. There were also average citizens out of the last century, all played by carnival participants. In 1997 Tsarskoe Selo was lead by the Head Harlequin. He decapitated the town's mayor, Yury Nikiforov, put noses on all of the foreign delegates (literally, he put rubber foam carnival noses on them) and directed the carnival parade from the back of a donkey. The harlequin entertained the entire town with his antics.
Over three years the Tsarskoe Selo Carnival has developed its own festive ceremony. Every year it is kicked off by the arrival of the carnival train from Saint Petersburg. The train brings honored guests, circus groups, actors, musicians and animals. The excited townsfolk greet the train merrily in the square at the train station. Here the first theatrical performance is acted out. Following a ceremonial meeting, the large carnival parade begins to wind through the town. In 1996 the parade was headed up by the largest guests, the elephants. After them came carnival bands, actors, townspeople in costume, and then the rest of the citizens joined in.
Here you can drink a cup of tea from a real silver samovar to music of an old gramophone and long-forgotten record albums. You can watch tight-rope walkers from Turkmenistan and try turkmen fried rice prepared before your eyes in large pots. You can see how children decorate the stone barrier near the town museum and artists conduct open air performances. In the evening there is dancing for young people. Cafes are open until morning, and the music never stops.
The magical illumination on the backdrop of a starry sky, the enchanting sounds in the silence of the park, the beautiful architecture of the palace all make this presentation the most memorable sight at the carnival. Precisely at midnight a fireworks display explodes over the park and the official part of the carnival program is concluded. 
|
The town of Tsarskoe Selo is Saint Petersburg's largest suburb (population 100,000) and the favored residence of the Russian emperors. It's name means literally "Royal Village." The town grew up around the world famous Catherine's Palace, the "Russian Versailles" which, at the beginning of the 18th century Tsar Peter I presented to his wife Catherine. The Russian tsars have done much to enhance the town, and today it is referred to as a museum-town, a landmark-town, and many of its structures have been recorded in the UNESCO international list.
The town's inhabitants revealed their fantastic imagination and, following the example of European carnivals, adhered to the slogan "The crazier the better" when making their costumes. A fountain and a rosebush, a flying saucer, rainbow, Wild Thirst, a crinoline Pepsi, Inflation and Love were all seen strolling through the town.
The parade moves musically through the streets, through the historical downtown area to the square in front of Gostiny Dvor. Here two large stages are the sites of various theatrical presentations, competitions and games throughout the day. The main events are the selection of the best carnival costume and carnival cake. The festivities break down into many large and small events. The town is filled with street musicians and itinerant theaters, circus and clown troupes, attractions and exhibits, photographers with tantamaresques, carnival hairdressers, makeup artists, a wealth of carnival accessories: masks, stick-on noses and ears, fools caps, etc.
After having fun downtown, the crowd goes to the Tsarskoe Selo park, near Catherine's Palace to relax. There at 11 p.m. the nighttime presentation at Zerkalnye Ponds (the theater stage is set up right on the water) begins. All kinds of royal personages appear before the eyes of the viewers and act out the glorious pages of Tsarskoe Selo's history in ballet.