In the Fairytale of
“Golden Setuan”
The
very first impression of attending “Setuan-99”
In
September 1999 I had a happy chance to visit one of the most beautiful
nooks of our planet.
At the end of Eurasia, at its eastern edge, on the
coast of the Tatary Gulf, there are located two small towns: Vanino and
Sovetskaya Haven. Between the two towns there is a summer camp, where
the Regional Festival of Bard’Song “ Golden Setuan” was held from the
17th to the 19th of September. ( Setuan” is the name of the haven
located nearby). I had the privilege of participating in the Festival
both as a guest and as one of the singing judges. The pleasant feelings
that I have experienced at the Festival go beyond any comparison with
those I had at other festivals that I happened to take part in before.
The friendly atmosphere reigning there
may have been, in part, due to comparatively small number of the
participants (only about 40 competitors) . It was free of any spirit of
competition. The air hanging around the summer camp was filled with
love, brotherhood and friendship. It was the love for the Bard Song
that united everyone, irrespective of the difference in age and social
position. The guys used to talk and sing their songs all nights long,
seeing the nights faiding into days, and watching the sun rising from
the sea horizon. They wanted to sing their songs created during the
previous year. By the way, I was surprised by quite a few of very
interesting songs and bards. I have already included some of the songs
into my repertoir. The programme of the Festival was so big, that there
was no time left for the participants to communicate with each other
during the day. Only nights remained for them to talk, to sing, to
listen to each other. I had the feeling the guys had not slept at all,
that they were singing and talking round the clock. ( It is remarkable
that none was drinking any alcoholic drinks!) It was not unusual that a
singer would come out to be judged, singing his songs in a hoarse voice
because he had sung all night long before.
When I was leaving for the Festival, I did not
know a single person there. Four days later a crowd of true (!) friends
were seeing me off on the platform. I had never thought that I would be
able to fall in love with so many people at a time. These are wonderful
people, and they live in a magnificent place!
I would give a piece of advice for the
bards lacking inspiration: do go to the “Golden Setuan”! While on board
the plane taking me back to St.Pete, I was composing new songs inspired
by the nature, by the people, by the spirit of the Festival.
Borkovskiy Fedor.
September, the 26th
Photoalbum “Setuan -99”
On the coast of the Gulf of Tatary .
 These
are the magnificent sights there!
 During
the Festival.
 My new
friends- musicians.
 The duet
spontaneously born at the Festival.
 Before
the last concert there was a picnic with the people of the “Signal” who
contacted me via e-mail and arranged my trip to the Festival.
 Farewell to the Sea.
 My
friends from Sovietskaya Haven - Ira Sournina and Yegorienko Yuriy
Mikchailovich, the Head Physician of the region. They took me on a
sight-seeing tour round the Sovhaven region. ( When thinking of
Sovetskaya Haven, it is with great gratitude that I remember the mayor
of the town and the region Grigoriev Yuryi Leonidovich and Sasha
Lukinchuck, a wonderful musician, who gave me a cordial reception)
 By the
lighthouse at the Gulf of Tartary .
 The last
minutes before my departure from Kchabarovsk. All the long way from the
Kchabarovsk airport to Vanino and back from Vanino to the Kchabarovsk
airport was I accompanied by my new friends.
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