The time has come for us to meet again!
First time we organized such event last year. It was the first time ever when the reenactors (only leaders of the movement or professionals) came not to a festival, and not to talk about history, but to discuss crucial problems and matters. To ask colleagues about their experience and best solutions, hopes and plans and to talk about the future of the reenactment itself, in Russia and in the world.
Our partners Hands on History from Norway came too and presented two of their projects: Viking Way and Go Viking Hiking. Norwegian mountains and wild nature, survival, cooking and cultural heritage sites dating back to the ice age, and even authentic gear and clothes included.
We managed to discuss a wide range of issues. For example, the new Times and Epochs format – The Gathering - when a festival turned from a small-scaled park event into a grand city festival of history, presenting different epochs all around Moscow, and lasted two weeks instead of two days. We also tried to find solution to a burning issue of firearms models, their use in reenactment and legal regulation. Moreover, we presented our serious experimental project in Crimea – Loco Cimbali, a 15th century Genoese settlement, now one of the living history park ‘Fedukhiny Heights’ sites. People used to grow wine there, work in orchards and vegetable gardens, make candles and produce everything they needed for living. That’s our idea, to reenact a real life of the epoch where it really was: now there is a two-storeyed mansion (it is ready!), a few fruit trees already planted and a candle workshop running.
This idea proved to be so interesting and substantial that our Norwegian partners decided to organize the next meeting. It will be an event of a different scale, for movement leaders, historians and producers, historical festivals organizers from Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States will come to take part in it. However the concept remained the same from the first meeting in Moscow: a huge reenactment movement needs to discuss its inner organization, problems and wishes, cases and prospects, helping each other with advice and best practices.
It is a place where people interested in history can talk without any formalities or obligations, and there’s no other analogue yet (meetings at festivals and other events usually are devoted to other issues).
Thus we are glad to announce a second edition of the Reconference. It will take place from the 2nd to the 4th of November 2018 in the National Museum in Copenhagen.
Ratobortsy will certainly take part in this event they started together with their friends. Meet the Russian delegation:
Aleksey Ovcharenko (Development and prosperity – New thinking), Ksenya Khatsko (Authenticity, anachronisms and aesthetics discussion) and Dmitry Savchenko, creator and organizator of the St. George’s Tournament (with his own ‘Knight’s Tale’). And Andrey Boykov will make splendid photos we all adore.
Main hall
Welcome by Ingrid Galadriel Aune Nilsen, Hands on History (Norway) and Rane Willerslev, Director of the National Museum of Denmark
Main hall
To take part in the event, to listen to the discussions and to know about everything in details not waiting for the reports you don’t need to buy a ticket to Denmark! The organizers want to provide a livestream from the conference, however it’s possible only with additional financing if there are enough people. You can donate here.
It will be useful and interesting. Join in!