Russian Old Believer Folklore and Festival of the Honey Savior

The north-east corner of Kazakhstan boasts stunning mountains, verdant valleys, and the majestic Bukhtarma river.  The team’s home base will be in the village of Sennoe (pop. 315) where volunteers will live in a local home and enjoy meals prepared by a local hostess.  The population in Sennoe largely consists of Russian Old Believers, descendants of religious refugees who fled here from Russia in Tsarist times.  The team will collect oral histories, record stories, songs, and rituals – and make a short  trip to document the August celebration known as Honey Savior —  an occasion for blessing and celebrating the locally produced honey.