By Iosif Pavlovsky
The Kazyuki-2012 folk crafts festival saw blacksmiths working in the open air, creating forged roses from red-hot metal, all of which sold out quickly. Around 150 other craftsmen joined them in the centre of Grodno for the unique holiday, being held for the 11th time. It unites the cultures of three neighbouring nations — Belarus, Poland and Lithuania — and is dedicated to St. Casimir: the patron of young people and folk craftsmen. He was born 554 years ago in Krakow and died in Grodno, with his remains buried in Vilnius.
Visitors to the Grodno Kazyuki festival were able to buy articles made from straw, wood and leather, in addition to pictures, embroidery, ceramics, sewn toys and costume jewellery. Meanwhile, amateur teams from the Grodno Region gave performances, singing songs in Belarusian, Polish and Lithuanian.
