Festivals in Kolomna are held very differently and usually gather a lot of spectators and participants. And which festival would you visit – a classical music festival or a film festival? Or maybe you have long dreamed of attending a festival of rare gastronomy? You can find information about these and other events in this article!

 Where is Kolomna?

Kolomna is a city in the Moscow region of Russia. It is a city ​​of regional significance; together with the abolished municipal district, from April 21, 2017, it is included in the municipal formation of the Kolomna City District. It is one of the oldest cities of the Moscow Region, a large industrial center and transport hub, a river port on the Oka. According to recent studies, it was founded in the 1140s – 1160s. The city has many architectural sights, among which you can highlight the partially preserved rare monument of ancient Russian defensive architecture – the Kolomna Kremlin.

The List of the Festivals in Kolomna

1. AMATEUR FILM FESTIVAL

Every year, the cultural center “House of Ozerov” invites film and video art lovers to participate in the Kolomenskoye open festival of amateur cinema called the Meeting Place. The festival is held for a week and open for public. Movie lovers who don’t submit their works can also come as viewers. During the screening, viewers can vote for the favorite work of the film festival participants. According to the results of voting, the winner in the nomination of “Audience Choice Award” will be determined. This festival is usually held in November.

2. FESTIVAL OF FLORISTS

In July, under the project “Summer in the Moscow Region” in the park named after V.A. Zaitseva, the festival of florists-designers and decorators of the Moscow region named “Flowers Is Art” is held. On this day, the park is turned into numerous photo locations, master classes, a makeup workshop that guests from all over the place can enjoy while on the holiday. A concert is held on the main stage. The most striking part of the festival is a fashion show with the participation of contestants of Miss Moscow Region. They wear dresses made of flowers arranged by the florists while also displaying beautiful hand bouquets. In this festival you can see so many kinds of flowers including the ones natively from Russia.

3. CHEESE FESTIVAL

In the same park where the Festival of Florists is held, another widely anticipated event is held in June. It is called the cheese festival. People are invited for two days, from 12:00 to 17:00, to participate in the program that includes exhibitions, tastings, culinary master classes, and cheese fair. Live concerts are held on the main stage, and game programs and master classes welcome not only adults but also children. The main highlight of the festival is the opportunity to visit “EcoDerevushka” in the village of Parfentievo. Excursions will start on Zhitnaya Square on the first day of the festival, every hour throughout the day. Pre-registration is required on festival days.

4. APPLE-BOOK FESTIVAL “ANTONOVA APPLES”

This is one of the biggest annual festivals in Kolomna. For a day, the city is turned into the biggest literary capital of the Moscow region. This is the kind of festival that could bring the people together regardless the age and other boundaries. The festival includes day program, from 11:00 to 18:00, where you can enjoy the Book Boat on the Moscow River, Heritage Salon that is a meet and greet with beloved authors, City Lunch that resembles a huge potluck, Reading in the Gardens, Theater Program, Farming Market, sightseeing by the Walker Lovers Community, and Kraft Parade. The evening program, held from 18:00 to 19:30, is also the closing of the event by classical music performances on stage.

5. INTERNATIONAL SHKIN-OPERA FESTIVAL; the Musical Rarity and Gastronomic Event

This festival is held as a part of the National Project “Culture” and a pilot project of the Government of the Moscow Region called “Summer in the Moscow Region” with the support of the administration of the Kolomna City District. The venue of the festival is the Bibikov Shkin estate near Kolomna. It is an annual festival with vintage shops, music and contemporary art. You can see live performances by actors, try local food and enjoy a musical fire show here.

The festival is dedicated to the Russian classical musical theater and its founders brothers Gavril and Vasily Bibikov. The Shkin-Opera is a meeting place for folk songs with exquisite melodies of Italian operas, the heights and power of sacred music with the grace and ease of secular. A striking event of the festival is its theatrical opening in the spirit of the medieval mystery and the Plaza Comedy del Arte Theater.

The comic opera The Barber of Seville and the romantic ballet Corsair, staged by the Voronezh State Opera and Ballet Theater, are shown on the main stage of the festival in a picturesque rural landscape. The festival also pays tribute to the military exploits of the owners of the estate. An exciting spectacle of the festival is the episode of the Battle of Borodino on the banks of the Severka River with the reconstruction of the heroism of the hero of Borodin Dmitry Bibikov.

There are actually many more festivals you can attend in Kolomna almost throughout the year. You can check the city’s official website for the complete information of the dates and venues of upcoming festivals and other events held in and around the city. The list above shows the biggest annual ones you can look forward to when visiting the Moscow region next time you have a plan to travel to Russia.