Kalmykia: April flowering of steppe tulips and other joys - Cheaptrip - Carpe Diem - Carpe Viam - LiveJournal. Travel to Kalmykia: festival of blooming tulips! Armor near the souvenir shops

The decision to visit Kalmykia during the tulip blooming period was made a long time ago. However, it was only this year that the Party’s decision was implemented. We took the issue seriously: we found the website of the tulip festival, a month in advance we began to monitor the weather and make plans for when the tulips would bloom, we searched the Internet for any mention of the first tulips that appeared to people... In the end, our efforts were crowned with success! We found a message that the tulips had “gone.”
The tulip festival itself is held at different times every year, tied to the flowering period. This time we found each other: the opening of the festival was held from April 18 to 20. And our team was just able to carve out this particular weekend for a trip to the Kalmyk steppe. Moreover, the weather was favorable: sunny, almost calm, warm. What doubts can there be? This time we will definitely meet tulips!
The plan was born a week before departure. Drive to Elista through Priyutnoye and, before reaching Elista, stop for the night in the Manych area. The disadvantage of this idea became apparent 2 days before departure - tulips, it turns out, bloom a little northwest of the place where we decided to start our trip.
The decision to change direction came naturally. We move to Proletarsk, and from there along the entire Manych (Proletarsky Reservoir) we go to the place where the tulips are blooming. At the same time, we will travel the entire north of the reservoir, leaving no “white holes” in our journey.
No sooner said than done! Those leaving were divided into 3 parts. The first is a reconnaissance group that could leave from lunch on Friday. Their task was to get to the place of the first overnight stay and prepare the camp. The second part is “workaholics” who cannot leave before “after work”. They must drive up to the prepared camp, reunite with the “scouts” and taste all the delights of meeting with co-expeditioners 450 km from home and work. The third group are “latecomers” who were unable to leave on Friday as decent travelers. The task of this group is to catch up with the first two as quickly as possible, who break camp on Saturday morning and move along Manych and stare at the tulips.
Omitting the details of the asphalt haul, let's go straight to Saturday of the “region lunch”, when the “catching up” (this is my crew) tried to reunite with the main group. The phone and walkie-talkie did their job - we met on a picturesque shore, where we settled in for lunch. Before this, literally a few kilometers away, we came across the first field of tulips.

Our path lay to the tulip festival. As we moved along the reservoir we thought of seeing more fields with tulips. There weren't that many of them (fields). The tulips were growing in clusters. They will choose some slope for themselves and settle there, without moving to the other slope or the other side of the road at all.
And so, we arrived at the festival! Visitors' tents are scattered around huge territory, the tents of the festival organizers and participants are located more compactly. There is also a stage with mixed Kalmyk and Kuban groups performing, archery, camel riding, some local souvenirs and crafts... And the same faces are all around! Although later it turned out that we (Europeans) also look the same to them.

Children were given camel rides:

It was possible to shoot with a bow, quite beautifully made:

After walking around the festival area, we decided to move towards Elista and look for a place to spend the night. Having driven quite a bit from the festival, Misha Novice With some sixth sense I sensed a place to spend the night and went there. From the road where we stood, there was no sign of a convenient parking spot. But he stubbornly went there. Yaroslav and I decided to go to another place and see what was there. Vadim-VTs remained between us as a link for communication via walkie-talkie.
Finding a place to spend the night in the steppe is a special quest. In principle, the area is all the same. At first glance, it seems that all places will be the same. However, in reality it turned out not to be so. The steppe is different. A small hill or hollow radically changes the area both in terms of vegetation and microclimate.
In our direction there was a small alley of trees (very rare in the steppe) occupied by crows! Lots of nests in the trees and lots of crows around. This must have been an elite area for birds - they could build nests in the trees! Moreover, little birds did not fly there - the area was tightly “held” by local boys-crows. This is not a suitable place to spend the night. Misha says that he has a great place and won’t go anywhere from here. Let's go to him.
The other part of our column, consisting of 3 cars, decided to go to the nearest locality to refuel and buy food. Their closest point was right in Elista! From that moment on we “lost” them...
Arriving at Misha’s, we found a quite decent place, a flat area blocked from the road by a small hill, almost complete absence of wind and a beautiful view of the lake.
There was no doubt – we’ll spend the night here! With coordinated movements we set up a tent, tables, something is already being cut and prepared for food, we set up tents... An hour later we were already sitting at the table and slurping camp soup! Great!!!
The traditional evening gatherings for our team were fun. Misha was awarded the honorary title of “pointing finger” and “deputy pilot for finding places to spend the night.” The steppe brought us the pleasant smell of wormwood with some kind of sweetish taste, the night poured billions of stars into the sky! Moreover, the location of the constellations was unusual for us - they were somewhat shifted relative to Krasnodar. But the difference is only 300 kilometers in a straight line.

The next day was dedicated to Elista. We set out there at almost eleven. By lunchtime we were at a gas station in Elista.
Elista turned out to be a completely understandable and logical city for driving. The central street, there are signs everywhere... And all the sights of interest to us were located right on the central street, which, according to tradition, bore the name of Lenin. And what’s interesting is that Lenin’s rights are not infringed there. Stands in the central square in front of the administration, the main street- named after him, a large school - also named after Lenin...

So, let's go to the Temple of the Golden Buddha. On the way we stopped at central square, took a photo on the chessboard (the pieces had been removed - apparently it was not the season to play chess).

Vova Barmaley managed to meet women here too...

Misha Novice traditionally hung on the phone, and Vova, after he was told that it was not a woman, but a man, became somewhat upset. I was also concerned about something. Apparently he was hungry:

The temple impressed us greatly. Large, beautiful, entry without shoes, women are required to wear skirts. You are not allowed to take photographs in the temple, so no photos (someone managed to take the only spy photo).

We found monks drawing a mandala with colored sand. They painted with copper funnel tubes: sand was poured into the wide entrance, and poured from the narrow entrance onto the mandala. And they don’t just pour it, but create vibration by moving the second tube over the first one, which contains sand and has a ribbed surface. This is quite a long task. Upon completion, the mandala is destroyed. This symbolizes that everything in the world is fleeting and you shouldn’t pay much attention to the outer shell. The essence of things is in the internal content. In general, this is a whole ritual. Moreover, it was possible to photograph the monks:

We walked around the perimeter of the temple, spun the drums and drove towards the house. But without trying the local cuisine (Misha highly recommended khinkal), we, of course, could not leave. We stopped at a local restaurant, Altyn Gerl, which I noticed while moving towards the temple. We saw local names on the menu - just what we needed! Let's eat here!

We ordered dishes with strange names, which after tasting were given Russian names: Khursn Makhn (naval-style pasta, only with lamb), Makhan Sheltehn (boiled pieces of lamb with fried potatoes. But there were no potatoes - they put pieces of rolled out dough, like in a bisch- barmak), Berg (these are generally lamb dumplings), Dzhomba (Kalmyk tea with spices, salt and milk) and Bortsg (donuts in their purest form! Just not sprinkled with powdered sugar). The latter were taken as bread, but turned out to be sweet. Therefore, they were eaten with tea while we waited for the main courses.

We've been waiting a long time! It was stated that it would take 40 minutes to prepare. And we are so hungry that we have nowhere to sleep! Those who were particularly impatient ordered salads to at least somehow intercept, and Yaroslav and his family generally acted wisely - they ordered manti and Caesar salad and ate it 20 minutes after ordering! What is it: experience or just luck? Instead of the promised 40 minutes, we waited a little over an hour. They probably went to the pasture to get the lamb -))) During this time, they drank tea, ate donuts, salads... And of course, they had fun and gasped in anticipation of the food every time the service room door opened. But every time it was in vain: sometimes they brought napkins, sometimes they brought food, then someone ordered some water... But when the main dishes were finally brought out, we were devastated! They were huge!!! It seems that the menu said 200-250 grams, but in fact it turned out to be full plates! And such a dish costs 220-250 rubles!!! We ate to our hearts' content, some didn't even finish... I crammed everything into myself that seemed to never fit inside me. The goal was to be well-fed for the 6-hour return trip. So that without stopping -)))
Barmaley began hugging our waiters and almost adopted them! The older one understood the topic and left in time, but the younger one stayed. He got it all. Vova hugged him so much that he became even smaller in size, but his eyes became quite European-looking! Either from the pressure of the hug, or from surprise... Vova promised to return more than once, took a business card, promised to recommend the restaurant to all his friends and acquaintances... The waiter's eyes widened more and more... Apparently he imagined friends like Vova, arriving in a large crowd , hugging him and taking pictures with him... In general, they liked us!
We did not film the squeezing process itself - we did not have time to take out the cameras. But here is the result:

Satisfied and well-fed, they poured out into the restaurant courtyard, settled into their cars and headed home. There was nothing remarkable on this part of our journey. Except that the border of Stavropol and Krasnodar region: how they entered Europe. The wheels stopped slapping on the asphalt patches, the interior became quieter, the car stopped chattering... Beauty!!!
Like in the children's song:
On the road with the clouds, on the road with the clouds
I love it when we go back!

Thanks to all the trip participants for a great trip! It seems that we have succeeded again!

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Every year in the Priyutnensky district in Kalmykia a traditional Tulip Festival is held, which has practically become a national event. Thousands of tourists flock to the Kalmyk steppes to see these bright flowers.

In April, the fields of Kalmykia are covered with wild tulips, which are like a living carpet self made of an unknown artist creep far beyond the horizon.

Tulip Festival in Kalmykia - 2019

The Tulip Festival in Kalmykia has long become a traditional holiday, which is usually held in the second half of April and takes place over two days on Saturday and Sunday.

When and where exactly will it take place? Tulip Festival 2019 You can find out more on the website of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic. The timing depends on climatic conditions, and is determined every year 1-2 weeks in advance. Contacts are provided at the bottom of the article.

The approximate date has become known holding the Tulip Festival in 2019 year in Kalmykia: April 20-21. Venue: Territory - Oktyabrsky rural municipality of the Priyutninsky district, about 100 km from Elista . The location and date of the festival are approximate. For more details, call the number below.

About the Festival

The Tulip Festival is one of the most amazingly beautiful events. Here you can see rare varieties of wild flowers listed in the Red Book, which became the ancestors of modern varieties of tulips.

Gradually the holiday is reaching an international level. Indeed, during the days of its holding, thousands of tourists in love with the beauty of the local steppe nature come to the republic.

Also here you can get acquainted with the culture of nomads and their life at the ethno-site called Kalmyk Khoton. Musical and dance creativity, folklore traditions, competitions, national sports, competitions - this is only a small part of what awaits guests.

You have a wonderful opportunity to visit an exhibition of decorative and applied arts and buy works of masters and artisans. Try national food and discover for yourself traditional cuisine Kalmykia is also available to all guests of the festive event.

But the most vivid impression of the trip for you will be the riot of colors and harmony of nature, which will merge into amazing pictures painted by nature itself, awakening in spring.

Video

Here is a short video about how this bright flower event takes place. Although, no video camera can convey the unique sensations of the light aroma of steppe grasses, barely swayed by the wind and carried far beyond the horizon. Welcome to the land of wild flowers and colorful flower fields! Have a good mood and a bright, warm spring!

On April 23-24, 2016, at the very peak of the flowering of wild tulips in the Kalmyk steppe, the now-already traditional Tulip Festival of Kalmykia.

The main goal of this year’s event is to attract public attention to the conservation of Gesner (Schrenk) tulips listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation - the wild ancestors of modern cultivated varieties. Therefore, the organizers of the Festival focus the attention of the guests of the event on the environmental component: on the preservation of unique steppe ecosystems - places of mass growth of wild tulips, respect for nature and education of environmental culture among the population.

Other objectives of the Festival include preserving and popularizing Kalmyk national culture, promoting folk crafts and national sports, attracting the interest of Russian and foreign tourists to the tourism potential of the region, and increasing the investment attractiveness of the republic.

The organizer of the Tulip Festival is the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Kalmykia. The main task of the Ministry in organizing this event is to promote the republic as a region favorable for the development of all types of tourism and, in particular, environmental tourism.

The festival is dedicated to an amazing natural phenomenon - the blooming of wild tulips in the Kalmyk steppes. Near the tulip fields there will be an ethnographic site - a Kalmyk khoton with camps of camels, sheep, and horses. For complete immersion in the atmosphere of nomadic civilization, guests of the Festival will be able to get acquainted with unique examples of Kalmyk musical and dance folklore, the art of throat singing, and Kalmyk traditional sports.

Guests of the Festival will be able to purchase souvenirs made by masters of decorative and applied arts of Kalmykia. Fans of exotic cuisine will appreciate Kalmyk dishes national cuisine: milk tea “jomba”, national flour dish “bortsoki”, boiled Kalmyk lamb “makhan”, Kalmyk analogue of dumplings “beriki”, entrails of a young lamb “dotur”, meat of lamb baked underground “kur”, dishes from Kalmyk “marble beef” ", barbecue and much more.

Today, the Tulip Festival can rightfully be considered an unofficial brand of the Republic of Kalmykia. Every year it attracts more and more guests not only from our country, but also from abroad, gradually reaching the international level. This year, this significant event of the region, based on the results of the competitive selection of the Federal Agency for Tourism of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, was awarded the status of “National Event of Russia-2016” among the 200 largest and interesting events all regions of Russia.

This year, the Tulip Festival will become the central event of the Tourism Week in Kalmykia, which also includes a number of major events, including the opening ceremony of the Bumbin Orn ethnohoton in the territory of the Druzhba park in Elista, the opening of the Aldyn Bulak tourist complex in Tselinny region of the Republic of Kalmykia, Round table “Ethnocultural diversity of the region as a factor in the development of tourism” with the participation of representatives of executive authorities in the field of tourism of the constituent entities of the Southern Federal District, performance of the combined orchestra of the republic “500 musicians of Kalmykia” on the territory of the Central khurul “Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni”, etc.

The festival will be held with the support of the Deputy Head of Government of the Republic of Kalmykia and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Kalmykia!

17.30 Presentation of the concert program of the Priyutnensky district
Performances by famous artists of the Republic of Kalmykia

Lecture by the Kalmykia Tourism Development Fund (instruction) on caring for nature and fragile ecological balance (before leaving for the site)
Random testing
12.00 Ethnographic program “Meeting guests” - The best folklore and ethnographic ensembles of Kalmykia
Meeting the elite of the Republic of Kalmykia. Photoshoot.
Fashion show in national stylized costumes of the School of Beauty and Grace of the Republic of Kalmykia
Presentation of the concert program of the Gorodovikovsky district
Search and photo hunt for witches picking tulips
Presentation of the concert program of the Iki-Burul region
Switch to the sports field. Arm wrestling competition. Competitions in archery and lasso throwing.
17.00 Concert program of art masters of the Kalmyk State Philharmonic!
Presentation of the concert program of the Yashkul district of the Republic of Kalmykia
Concert program of Elista rock bands
Evening lecture on respect for nature and the role of tourism

Return to Elista or to the Turisticheskaya agricultural farm
Master class for Russian tourists
Visit to Buddhist monastery(by agreement)
Dinner at a restaurant with the elite of the Republic of Kalmykia: daily by arrangement.

Tulip Festival in Russia

Elista.Org
11.10.2019 The traditional competition was organized in order to increase the effectiveness of the moral and aesthetic education of penitentiary system employees and members of their families, and to improve the organization of cultural and leisure activities.
UFSIN
11.10.2019 From October 15 to 19, 2019 in Elista, at the Oirat Arena, the RFSO "Lokomotiv" Men's Boxing Championship will be held in memory of the honored coach of Russia and Tajikistan Tseren Sandzheevich Balzanov.
RIA Kalmykia
11.10.2019

Tourists who paid a lot of money for trips are outraged

When we bought a ticket to the tulip festival in the neighboring republic, the travel agency told us that in Kalmykia there is a whole department that “catches” tulips.

They monitor weather conditions, air and soil temperatures and say: tulips will be there and then. And at this place at this time a festival is held. I still thought: is it necessary? How great! What about ours?

When we approached the place of the holiday, observing the green steppe without a single red-yellow spot, the question was heard from everywhere: where are the tulips? Our guide remained awkwardly silent. The road from the highway to the festival site resembled a military one: in front and behind there was a continuous “smoke screen”. Buses and cars walked in a continuous convoy. Some came overnight and pitched tents - the festival lasts two days. More than 90% of the cars had Kalmyk license plates. However, there were quite a few from Stavropol and Astrakhan, Volgograd, Krasnodar, Rostov, Saratov, Voronezh, and occasionally even Orenburg, Moscow, Kaliningrad, Sverdlovsk and St. Petersburg numbers were seen. And not only personal cars - they came by bus. There was only not a single tulip. They say that a certain female deputy, speaking from the stage, apologized to the guests for their absence: they say that because of the cold weather they quickly faded. However, it doesn’t seem like there were many of them: after wandering around the steppe, we found faded tulips, but not in large quantities.

In general, we breathed in the wormwood air of the steppe, ate barbecue, listened to a concert, wandered around the fair, spent some money on souvenirs - it was not in vain that we came! By the way, among the souvenirs there were a lot of “tulip” themes. And people joked: well, at least look at these tulips. When we were leaving and met a Saratov bus, our people shouted: “From Saratov! Poor people! Go back!!!"

On the way back, several tourists made a scandal with the accompanying person, demanding that their money be returned to them, and they threatened that if they did not return it voluntarily, they would reimburse the cost of the trip and moral damage through the court.

I won't ask for money back. I love the road, the steppe, changing places and I think that my time and money were not wasted. But to be honest, was it worth going so far for this? After all, we have all this, only much closer and cheaper. And the steppe, and barbecues, and national exotica, and yurts, and souvenirs... Even our regional holidays, which I had a chance to attend, are no worse, and perhaps even brighter and more spectacular. Just look at the horse and camel racing and the demonstration performances of mounted Cossacks. By the way, at the Kalmyk festival I did not see either camels or horses. Maybe there was something more interesting this morning. But tourist buses“one day” they arrive for lunch!

Some say: they say, we also have tulips, why don’t we organize a similar festival? And I thought: maybe it’s not worth it? God forbid you mess up like that. If the whole department didn’t catch the capricious flower... But the fact that we can offer tourists something no worse, and maybe even better, than our neighbors is a fact. So competition for the best a tourist route, which was announced by the regional Ministry of Culture and Tourism, is very opportune. There is something to show us. But we probably need to advertise our capabilities better. The way the Kalmyks promoted their festival.