Khmelnitskoe
Khmelnitskoe
In Khmelnitskoye, a group of widows gathered to sing and chat. We joined them for a birthday celebration that featured food, drink and plenty of singing. Both formal and informal groups tend to be multiethnic. In the case of services provided by a village official, multiculturalism is a government mandate. But informal groups are also inclusive. The one in Khmelnitskoye is predominantly Ukrainian, but also has two Russian members and a Kazakh. The songs they sing are also predominantly Ukrainian, though all members know and perform Russian and Kazakh songs as well.
