"ALTARGANA 2012" FESTIVAL TO TAKE PLACE IN RUSSIA

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia /MONTSAME/ The "Altargana 2012" International Festival of Buryats (Mongolian ethnic group) will take place in July 20-22 in the Russian Buryatia, said on Tuesday the www.infomongolia.com website. Co-organized by Mongolia's Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the Mongolia-Russia Foundation, the Mongolia-Buryatia Fund and other state organizations and NGOs, the upcoming event is expected to attract some 600 Buryats. A Mongolian group "Nuance" will perform at invitation from the Buryatia. The very first Altargana festival took place here in 1994 in Dadal soum of Khentii aimag. Since then, the festival has been enriched with various contents and events including the Buryat song and fairy tale contests, a beauty contest among Buryats and other tournaments and contests. The Altargana aims to restore and protect the folk art and traditional custom, the true reflection of history and culture of the Buryats around the world. The name "Altargana" originates from a plant name Altan Khargana, or Solidago in English that are commonly called Goldenrods. The Goldenrods grow in dry gravelly soil, less dependent on soil moisture grows no matter during droughts therefore considered to be quite durable plant, and even they do not lose its bright yellow color after being plucked off. Hence from the ancient times, Buryats symbolized the Goldenrods to be the flower of eternity. Thereafter the festival that celebrates history, tradition, cultural inheritance of the Buryat people was named after the eternal flower wishing it to have deep roots, flourish and live long for centuries like the Goldenrods. B.Khuder