Discover Volkovo: Folklore, Material Culture and Remembrance

• The «Gornitsa» club at the village library devoted its meetings to Russian folklore and folk festivals.
• An exhibition featured objects owned by village residents.
• A memorial stele lists the names of 331 soldiers who fell in the Second World War.
• A historically valuable church fence with wrought-iron railings has survived; the church building has been destroyed.

The «Gornitsa» interest club at Volkovo village library devoted its meetings to reviving, developing and preserving Russian folklore and Russian folk festivals. This historical cultural theme thus focuses on both inherited traditions and festive customs.

The exhibition «Musej i pamjat…» featured objects of material culture that belonged to village residents: a spinning wheel, an iron, bast shoes and a gramophone. The selection brings together a range of tangible objects, setting it apart from the club’s focus on folklore and festivals. Together, the two themes offer a glimpse of culture—through traditions in one case, and through objects owned by the village population in the other.

A memorial stele in Volkovo commemorates soldiers who fell in the Second World War. It lists 331 names. The list of names makes the act of remembrance tangible, connecting the memory of the war with the people commemorated by the memorial.

Another historical feature is the church fence with its wrought-iron railings. It has been preserved as historically valuable, while the church building itself has been destroyed. The surviving architectural trace and the loss of the building thus stand side by side; the fence and the church should be clearly distinguished.

The Toratau UNESCO Global Geopark is located in the wider travel destination of the Republic of Bashkortostan. It includes geological outcrops near Usolka and Dalny Tulkas, as well as caves, waterfalls, gorges, mountain rivers and rugged rock outcrops. The geopark also preserves the ruins of ancient settlements and fortresses, and showcases local cultural heritage, cuisine and crafts.

The Bashkiriya National Park is also among the regional themes of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Founded in 1986, it was the first and only national park in Bashkortostan and was created to protect the unique natural resources of the Southern Urals. Alongside the geopark’s geology, the focus also includes the protection of a natural area.

The Bashkiriya National Park is home to 231 bird species, 148 of which breed there, and its waters contain 32 fish species; these population figures may change as surveys are updated. A comparison with Volkovo reveals two different focuses: the local connections revolve around folklore, material culture and remembrance, while the examples from the Republic of Bashkortostan encompass landscapes, natural resources and regional culture.

What were the «Gornitsa» club meetings about?

The club met at Volkovo village library. Its meetings were devoted to reviving, developing and preserving Russian folklore and Russian folk festivals.

What objects were featured in the «Musej i pamjat…» exhibition?

Objects of material culture owned by village residents included a spinning wheel, an iron, bast shoes and a gramophone.

What has been preserved at the church site?

A historically valuable church fence with wrought-iron railings has been preserved. The church building itself has been destroyed.

How many names are listed on the memorial stele?

The stele commemorating soldiers who fell in the Second World War lists 331 names.

For the wider travel overview: Blagoveshchenskiy rayon.