MOSCOW, June 5. /TASS/. The Shangafest international gastronomic festival of Finno-Ugric peoples will run in the Komi Republic's Syktyvkar between June 13 and June 15, deputy head of the region's government Sergey Yemelyanov told a news conference at TASS.

"Very soon, we will begin this season with a traditional annual event in Syktyvkar, the Komi Region's capital. The Shangafest International Gastronomic Festival will be held on June 13-15. Shanga is Komi's national dish. 13 gastronomic teams from the Komi, Mari El, Udmurtia, Kirov, Murmansk Regions, from the Nenets Autonomous Region and other participants will present their local cuisine and all modern gastronomic trends," he said.

The official told the news conference about the Lud traditional folk festival in the Izhemsky District, noting this is the only holiday that has preserved traditions and culture of the Komi people. "The holiday is a complex variety of magic folk costumes, rituals, songs, dances," he said.

While speaking about traditional holidays, he pointed to the Ust-Tsilemskaya Gorka festival, due on July 11 and 12. This is the only ceremonial holiday of Slavic peoples' representatives - it has preserved the original authenticity of round dancing and singing traditions. Costumes for the celebration have been passed down from generation to generation for several centuries, he added.

Summer tourism in the Arkhangelsk Region

The Arkhangelsk Region's Minister of Culture Oksana Svetlova mentioned a large-scale program of summer tourist events in the region. On June 19 - 29, Arkhangelsk will host a multi-format international festival - White June.

In late June, the city will welcome a street theater festival. On July 4 through to July 7, the region expects the Kenozero Consonance folk festival. "What is special about this festival - the cultural heritage sites that have been preserved. This beauty will be the background of a folk festival, where DJ and folklore act together," she said.

Spitsbergen Tour

Representative of the Corporation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, Maria Badmatsyrenova, told TASS about a newly launched direct flight from Murmansk to Spitsbergen. "The expedition program includes a three-day sailing from the port of Murmansk to the port of Barentsburg and a five-day sightseeing tour to the Russian villages of Barentsburg, Piramida, Grumant and Kolsbey, to the Norwegian village of Longyearbyen, as well as trips to Isfjord's scenic locations. The next trip to Spitsbergen is scheduled for June 13, its term is 12 days," she said.

Earlier, Minister for Development of the Far East and Arctic Alexey Chekunkov said about plans to launch regular flights from Russia to the Spitsbergen archipelago in 2025. According to the Arktikugol Trust, the company and the Marine Practice Company will organize two tours to Spitsbergen in June directly from Murmansk.