 Source of image: www.nbrb.by
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| Kupalle
Kupalle is one of the most significant traditional Belarusian festivals devoted to the summer solstice. People used to celebrate it on the shortest summer night – June 23/24. Nowadays this day is observed by Belarusian Catholics, whereas Orthodox Belarusians celebrate Kupalle on July 6/7. When eastern Slavs adopted Christianity, the holy day of John the Baptist birthday merged with the pagan festival Kupalle.
Kupalle was celebrated in the following strict succession: commencement of the festival, Kupalle’s bonfire, searching a fern-flower and completion of the festival. The festival commenced with gathering herbs and flowers for ceremonial coronets, which were considered to be an effective magic and protective means symbolizing chastity and virginity and were used for fortune-telling. A place for Kupalle’s bonfire was normally chosen on a hilltop near the village, in the forest, on the bank of a river or lake or at the crossroads. A burning wheel (the symbol of the sun) was raised on a high pole at the time of lighting the bonfire. Boys and girls were singing and dancing in a ring and jumping over the fire all night long. Nearby, a ceremonial supper was cooked: fried eggs, verashtchaka (pancakes with sausages), kulaga (a kind of porridge) and vareniky. People belived that Kupalle’s bonfire had a magic power. According to a popular belief, a fern-flower blossoms on the Kupalle night and the one who is lucky to find it will be wealthy and happy and will master the language of animals, birds, trees and plants.
At down, all festival participants were enjoying the rise of the sun, which, as people believed, was “playing”, i.e. emitting circles which expanded, sparkled and merged again. It is impossible to imagine the Kupalle festival without swimming or rolling over stark naked in the morning dew to gain strength and beauty for the year to come.
Kupalle…A wonderful fairy tale…As any fairy tale, it could not be endless. When the bonfire went out and the playing sun rose, brightened, revived and introduced to the great mystery of existence people were getting back to their chores and hard peasant work.
T.I. Kukharonak
Ph.D. (History)
Text from the official flyer “Kupalle” of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus
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| Date : 15.07.2004 |
| Metal : Ag 925 |
| Diameter, mm : 38.61 |
| Weight, g : 31.10 |
| Mintage, St. : 3000 |
Minted by :
CJSC "Lithuanian Mint", Vilnius, Lithuania |
Design :
S.Zaskevich |
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Ebay-Statistic
(Prices in Euro):
| Year |
Count |
Ave
rage |
Min. |
Max. |
| 2006 |
1 |
162,33 |
162,33 |
162,33 |
| 2007 |
4 |
171,62 |
149,68 |
194,00 |
| 2008 |
2 |
168,18 |
80,14 |
256,22 |
| 2009 |
0 |
0,00 |
0,00 |
0,00 |
| 2010 |
0 |
0,00 |
0,00 |
0,00 |
| 2011 |
0 |
0,00 |
0,00 |
0,00 |
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