Festival of historical reconstruction "Helga"

Festival of historical reconstruction "Helga" - a complete immersion in the history of Ancient Russia. The organization of the festival is built on the principle of "living history", where every object, action, event is available for study by a modern person. Since 2010, the festival has been held annually in July for 3 days in the Pskov region, the churchyard of Vybuty (15 km from Pskov) at a historical site associated with the birth and adolescence of the First Ruler of Russia, the Grand Russian Duchess Olga.

Initially, the theme of the festival was Russia of the 9th-11th centuries, but since 2017, the time frame of the reconstructed period has been expanded and reenactors of both the early and late Middle Ages are invited to the festival.

The geography of the festival has also expanded. Not only clubs and groups from Pskov, but also from Tver, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Veliky Novgorod began to participate in the festival.

During the festival, its guests immerse themselves in the life of our ancestors, come into contact with the reflection of a bygone era, the festival participants immerse themselves in the era they are studying, and gain extensive practical and theoretical experience. One of the brightest pages of the festival are pair duels and, of course, collective combat clashes, in which many warriors armed with historical weapons simultaneously participate. This is the most colorful page of the festival.

Along with the military component, everyday history and ethnography, crafts, cuisine, costumes, rituals and customs are highlighted as a special block within the festival, which is always interesting for tourists. The town-planning aspect, fortifications is also curious. Viewers are presented with a reconstructed military camp of the “Viking Age”, similar to those that can be seen only in Scandinavia, a late medieval campground and Taverns.

During the work of the folklore platform, performances of creative ethnographic and folklore groups with songs, dances, interactive programs for festival guests are held. Separately, an interactive zone is organized for the young guests of the festival with a children's entertainment program (traditional Russian folk games and fun). The essence of the Helga festival is the transformation of this event into a historical and pedagogical platform, which will be interesting not only for children, but also for representatives of all ages, since the concept of the festival is based on the principle of direct involvement of the viewer in what is happening, contact with participants in historical reconstruction.