Back to the 15th century

Beautiful ladies and noblemen wait with a sinking heart for the beginning of the knight tournament. Noble knights lead under the bridle their horses. Sparkling armor, deadly spears, in the wind flutter multi-colored flags with the emblems of famous European houses ... What is this? The scenery for the historical film? By no means! This is the real arena where the Knights' Tournament of St. George is held.

Knights Tournament of St. George 2018, photo © yablor.ru

The fourth tournament was traditionally held in the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve, where the portal to the Middle Ages opened several times. The spectators and participants were able to become part of the most realistic restoration of knightly duels of the 15th century, in which knights and patrons fought for the title of the best in josting, melee, fights on two-handed weapons and battles of foot soldiers. Ladies equestrian competition was an especially spectacular and elegant part of the performance, which lasted for 3 days, from April 30 to May 2.

Ladies equestrian competition was an especially spectacular part of the performance, photo © turnir_st.georgia

Each year, the competition is enveloped by a gloomy medieval legend, in which the good always fights against evil. And this time was no exception. The wicked witch sent the knights to a distant kingdom, inhabited by monsters and cunning enemies, and to return to their world, brave warriors had to show all their skill and courage.

Josting is the deadly fun of kings, in which knights, rushing on horseback towards each other, try to knock out the enemy from the saddle with a whole wooden spear. This is not just entertainment, but a dangerous sport, but certainly spectacular and especially loved by the audience.

Josting is not just entertainment, but a dangerous sport, photo © turnir_st.georgia

In addition to josting, the participants showed themselves in melee - group battles on horseback, as well as in other, no less spectacular duels. More than a hundred knights from Russia, Belarus, Canada, Great Britain and even from the Netherlands took part in the competition. And the geography of the participants grows every year.

As the restorers note, the organizers make the knightly St. George's tournament more and more realistic, which gives it special charm and historical value. Even the audience is now showing an increasing interest not only to bright costumes, but also to the era itself, to the history and rules of the tournament.

Every year the tournament is more realistic, photo © turnir_st.georgia

On these three spring days, the guests of the Kolomenskoye museum-reserve were waiting not only for the spectacle on the arena, but also for many other surprises. The invented city St. George lived by all the rules of the Middle Ages. There was a historical fair of crafts, where you could buy the goods of local craftsmen and masters.

Nearby smoked smithy, in which the real masters of their business shared the secrets of forging Damascus steel. As always, the monastery was ready to receive visitors, where the monks taught to make books and medicine ... And even the authentic taverns, from where smell the delightful aroma of roasted boar and sausages of venison and elk. All this could not leave indifferent even the most skeptical of the medieval charm.

The invented city St. George lived by all the rules of the Middle Ages, photo © turnir_st.georgia

Perhaps the only ones who did not particularly appreciate what was happening around were horses. Before any self-respecting warrior had a powerful horse, a loyal companion and almost a friend. Today, to contain and specially train such a large pet for such a competition is not cheap.

Therefore bucephalans were given to the modern knights shortly before the competition, and all participants had very little time to find a common language with these clever but obstinate animals.

Only Dmitry Sventitsky from Belarus was on his own four-legged mate. However, even this harmonious tandem failed to show the best result, and in the overall standings, the tournament of Saint George - 2018 was won by Russian Andrey Kamin.

Andrey Kamin (left) and Dmitry Sventitsky (right), photo © turnir_st.georgia

Brilliant silver armor, proud posture and the look of the winner, on a horse in a white blanket - all the ladies around are in a half-unconscious state, and the defeated participants go to the tavern. The International Tournament of Saint George is over, ladies and gentlemen! See you in 2019!

Victoria Romanova, Russia, Moscow

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