Golden field in Gimje spread with Russian music and dancing

Around 2 p.m. on Sunday, Russian music and dancing added an exotic color layer to the golden breadbasket of Korea, Gimje in North Jeolla Province. As part of the Gimje Jipyeongseon Festival, the largest agricultural event in the country, an event titled “Russian Day” was held to introduce the culture of Russia, the nearest piece of the European Continent to Korea. Around 350 Russian residents in Korea including students and artists presented their music and dance performances and engaged in Korean traditional agricultural experiences such as a ride on an ox cart.

Russian traditional music and dancing were performed by around 30 students of the school affiliated to the Russian Embassy to Korea and the Busan Russian International School. A special guest named “Non-flow,” a Vladivostok-merited ensemble, showcased one of Russia’s traditional choreographies, the cosack, which was well received by the audiences.

Korea-residing Russian artists came on stage to play Russian ballet music and folk songs. Russian wooden dolls, artifacts and traditional clothes were displayed in some booths lined up near the performing hall while visitors tried Russian crockets (piroshki) and pancakes (blini) for free in others. Vlada Maloreka, 15, who is attending at the Russian International School, had a lot of fun with kite-flying and grasshopper-catching. She said that she had never known that Korea has a field of such a large scale.

The Gimje Jipyeongseon Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary, which has grown famous as a traditional agricultural festival held at the 1,700-year-old Byeokgolje Reservoir Site, the oldest irrigation facility, and across the widest field in Korea. It has been selected as the most excellent festival by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism for eight consecutive years, and as the major festival in five consecutive years. This year, it has been designated as a festival that has a value of being nurtured as a global event.


Kwang-Oh Kim kokim@donga.com