SHILLONG: Youths thronged the Metropolis Urban Winter Festival on the second day on Friday.
The winter festival, which was one of the favoured events in Guwahati (Assam), has come to Shillong and is witnessing adoration by local youths. Several international stalls can also be spotted at the venue.
One of the stalls is being set up by Russian ladies – Tatiana Popova, Svetlana Zakarova-painter, Evgeniya Amartseva-singer, Yana Bpysh –top stylist, creative make-up artiste, displaying materials which form part of their culture and tradition.
Hailing from Omsk, Siberia, Russia, the women interacted, sang and took pictures with the youths and answered queries about their culture. Popova showed a material called Kosnik, a handcrafted cloth attached with small bells for decorating hair braids and said, “It makes women happy.”
Showing the traditional musical instruments – Trishotka, Rubel and Flazhok, she told The Shillong Times, “People keep this in every corner of the house and use the noise to ward off evil spirits and to protect the house from future harm. The evil spirits are afraid of the noise.”
Pointing to the Motanka dolls, each with different meanings, Popova said, “One of them have four hands which helps to choose the right way, put in the car, house it will help you in all your ways. The doll with two hands is for men who want to choose the right women.”
The ladies also brought along Petrushka, a street puppet. It is the second time they participated in Metropolis and they took part once was in Guwahati in 2015.
“We have a cultural centre where kids come and learn about the making of such traditional materials. Our grandmothers and mothers also teach us. We ensure that the tradition is preserved and carried on for the future generations,” Popova said.
“It is the first time in Shillong and people ask us a lot of questions. We will have a performance in the evening ….. a Russian folk songs,” she said.
Acrylic painting on Gamocha
Closer home, Biswajyoti Pathak from Barpeta, Assam uses Acrylic painting on Assam Gamocha.
His stall also attracted visitors depicting Assam tourism showing Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal, Priyanka Chopra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one-horned rhino, Kamakhya temple and others, Ranjan Engti, founder of Metropolis was also depicted in Gamocha.
Asked if he sells, he said, “At Metropolis, it is only for display. Back in the HUB Studio, if people want to buy it then we sell. The price depends on the type of painting, it usually starts from Rs 2000 and the maximum is Rs 10,000.”
He started HUB Studio in 2012, and studied in Art College, Guwahati. Armed with his passion for writing, he took upon the mantle of teaching young people, calling them “my students.”
Stating that art is his passion not a means of employment, Engti said he is employed in medical college as an artiste, adding “Painting is done during my leisure time.”He has participated in Metropolis since 2013, Guwahati. With his acrylic painting being displayed, Engti said there was a good response in Assam. “It is also my first time in Shillong. People here have creative minds and love art.”