Festival of Northern ethnic minorities of Russia

150 performers of folk dances and songs, actors of folk theatres, collectors of folklore from many taiga villages and towns in the Khabarovsk region (Russia's Far East) participated in the opening of the Northern ethnic minorities festival in Khabarovsk - the administrative centre of the region.

The program of the festival includes: a play "Aisima khosikta" /Golden star/ by the Nanaisky folk theatre, a concert "Tambourine of Friendship", a competitive performance of the folklore and choreographic groups. An exhibition of the masters of the decorative-applied arts was also set up at the festival.

"The festival will last for two days. Its organisers are the Khabarovsk region administration and association of the northern small ethnic groups, leading specialist of the Khabarovsk region administration press-service Sergei Zimin said. The main aim of the festival is the preservation and development of the northern ethnic minorities' culture."