Early Medieval

The weather added such nuances in organization and atmosphere of the festival, which were totally unespected.
From 2012 to 2015, at «Times & Epochs» we used to show the history a bit embellished: hot luxury Rome, measured Muscovy, majestic beginning of the XX century. And this year, in one day of incessant rain, everything plunged in gray tones, trails and glades of the museum-reserve turned into streams and swamps. Fresh scenery and luxurious costumes became dirty, barefooted Slavs splashed through puddles and mud and children of reenactors frisked in the rain. One could think a new season of «The Vikings» was filmed here, this time 100% historically correct. So, real Middle Ages came to Kolomenskoye.

Oh, how often in the days before the festival we thought that the semi-annual labor of the whole team will be washed away by the rain into the Moscow River. On the Saturday morning the mood of Nastya Ovcharenko, the general content coordinator, was extremely dull: according to all forecasts, no ray of light was expected. She went for the festival to watch as her brainchild was bending under the blows of the elements, and the program was heading to hell. He returned and wept. Not grief but happiness was the reason.

Shipbuilders braided ropes, Byzantines wrote frescoes, on the Thing there was a lawsuit, under merchants’ sheads there were crowds, artisans worked tirelessly, Balts even celebrated a wedding. Locations were surrounded by persistent audience. Through the drumming of drops striked into walkie-talkies hoarse voices of «Varangian Borg» coordinators Victor Filozov and Cyril Menshikov, summoning people to tournaments, competitions, contests …

The entire battle program was implemented. Massive battles on Saturday and Sunday have become the biggest in Russian reenactment of the Viking Age. By the way, in the pouring rain took place the battle for Listven, where the sons of Prince Vladimir fought a thousand years ago. This event was a prototype of the «Thousand swords battle».
Before the battle on Sunday there was a horse stuntmen show. Drawing, long break — very cool tricks like in the movies, but without takes. However, riders from reenactors surpassed them having played two rounds of «kok-boru» game — it was «concentrated passion, pain and sports rage» as said Dmitry Savchenko, coordinator of the equestrian program.
Battle of the Rus and the Vikings on Sunday ended with a stunning genuine fraternization of warriors through the entire depth of the line. And to top it off, in front of hundreds of warriors and thousands of spectators a brutal Viking made a marriage proposal to the woman he loves. This romantic and touching scene — is also one of the most amazing incidents in six years of festivals.

For Darya Isayeva, the chief for registration of participants, «Times & Epochs» turned into a thousand hugs festival, so much warmth and sympathy she got in dank early medieval streets. There were many hugs in general: a lot of participants haven’t met for years. This festival was attended by people who have left the reenactment 7-8 years ago, and those who have just arrived in the Viking Age. Bad weather united everybody — participants with the audience and with each other. Going through hardships became our general victory over the circumstances. The feeling of this victory clouded the festival, so the atmosphere was extraordinary friendly.

In the end of «Times & Epochs» there was a grand feast, skilfully managed by Lida Gubareva, the coordinator of program for participants. Especially exciting performance was made by our Bulgarian comrade, an MMA fighter: the half-naked hulk in a bearskin performed a belly dance.
You’ll learn more in the following parts of the report. The second will be here on June,17: detailed statistics, who and where has won, which were the rewards, how many people there were at the festival.

Festival «Times & Epochs. Thousand swords battle» occupied an area of ​​14 hectares, it’s 3.6 times bigger than the previous one. It required 2.5 hours to get around the festival. There were 1791 registered participants and 2542 people in general took part in the festival, including 145 foreigners from Sweden, Norway, Poland, USA, France, Israel, Serbia, Bulgaria, Germany, Great Britain, Slovenia, Estonia, Belarus, Moldova, Lithuania, Ukraine.

There were 189 clubs, associations, shops, 52 craft and retail outlets. Every day about 500 warriors participated in the massive battles. Despite the scale of the battle, warriors were very correct and there were no serious injuries. Alas, in Sunday’s «Squads stife» Arvid, our comrade from Sweden, got a blow in his face and lost several teeth. Dentistry in Sweden is very expensive. Who wants to help Arvid with money, write to Darya Isayeva: dasha@ratobor.com

In the team competition, held since 2014, participated 8 squads: «Dead goose» (leader — Stanislav Krasotsky), «Combat Brotherhood» (Alexander Shabalin), «Black pike» (Sergey Tereshkov), «The miserables» (Alexander Nesterov), «Volga falcon» (Alexey Romanov), «Varangian squad» (Victor Filozov), «Gita Garoldovna’s squad» (Alexander Pankratov), «Moscow» (Victor Kralin).

Squads competed in 9 nominations: Presentation of squads, Holmgang, Game of tavleys, Belt wrestling, Hunting the sea dragon, Thunder of bowstrings, Storm of the Borg, Competition of banners, Squads strife. The winner was the «Black pike» squad (Moscow and Sweden). The leader received a carved signal horn, and his men — drinking horns with coining.

This nomination is the analogue of the «Squads challenge», but for women. Participants:
«Pretty girls» (headed by Alfia Temir-Bulatova), «Freya’s cats» (Lydia Gubareva), «Dowry with a secret» (Elena Zadova), «Olga’s camp» (Yulia Kolpakova), «Cloudberries» (Julia Zaitseva). Alas, the «Durum mulieres» team from Normandy couldn’t take part. In the first part of the competition female «squads» made presentations and boasted of their clothes at the Thing. In the second they received the embassy of the Byzantine nobles, gratified them with dainties, dancing and music. The demanding ambassadors decided that the winner is «Dowry with a secret». This team got a chest with rich fabrics — homespun linen, wool and silk.

Fencing tournament is the most prestigious nomination, and the winner was Alexey Agapov from the «Svyatogor» (Penza). He got a helmet of Gnezdovo type with a gold-plated rim and frame. Moreover, Alexey won «Rings of glory» competition and received a silver grivna. Club «Svyatogor» has a triumph in battle contest, because its representative Marat Abdurakhmanov won the javelin tournament and received a grivna. And these excellent warriors lived at the very peaceful location — «Slavic settlement»!

The most skillful, qualified and impressive woman, according to the Byzantine Embassy, ​​was the incomparable Lidia Gubareva from «Austrvegr», she got a silver grivna. To these qualities we can add an organizer talent and fortitude.

«Free choice» tournament won Pavel Odinokov from «Radogost» (Fryazino). The prize — a broadaxe and a Carolingian sword. The contest of spearmen won Vyacheslav Shumsky from «Legend» (Samara). «Wolves fight» won Evgeny Efremov («Rarog», Kursk) and got a wolf skin. The equestrian competitions won Yuri Bogunov («Ratobor», Moscow), known to fans as one of the best knights of the «St. George’s tournament». He got a reconstruction of a horse bridle.

The team of experts decided, that the most authentic, clean and tidy camp belonged to «Austrvegr». The leaders of russian early medieval reenactment got a Frisian jug.

The best couple of the festival became the «tandem», as they call themselves, of sailors — Andrew Haranov and Valery Rodin from the «Varezh» (Murom). They demonstrated an amazing integrity and made a great contribution to the festival. The trip to Iceland is waiting for them.