Culture
The Krasnodar Region has been rightfully recognized as one of the largest cultural centres of Russia. The priceless historical and cultural heritage became a foundation for the development of a bright and indigenous region. Museums of the territory feature unique collections of exhibit items from the historical treasury that took part in Russian and international exhibition projects. Annually state and municipal museums of the territory are visited by about 2 million people.
Museums
Krasnodar State Historical and Archaeological Museum-Reserve named after E.D. Felitsyn
https://felicina.ru/Krasnodar, Gimnazicheskaya st, 67
History Museum
Theatres
Krasnodar Academic Drama Theatre named after Maxim Gorky
http://www.dram-teatr.ru/Krasnodar, Teatralnaya Square, 2
Premiere, the Krasnodar Creative Association named after Leonard Gatov
http://www.to-premiera.com/Krasnodar, Krasnaya Street, 44
Traditions and Customs
Kuban Cossack Choir
The most precious cultural objects of the Krasnodar Region include the State Academic Kuban Cossack Choir – the oldest and the biggest national Cossack ensemble in Russia. It’s the only professional folk team in the country with the uninterrupted successive history that dates back to the early 19th century. Brilliancy, singularity, spirits and the utmost excellence of the Kuban Cossack Choir has won the hearts of spectators in many countries of the world. In a way, the Kuban Cossack Choir is a historical landmark that has depicted military and cultural reclamation of Kuban, the history of classical secular and spiritual culture of Yekaterinodar, tragic events of the Civil War, and the 1930s, the history of the Soviet Grand Style Aesthetics in the form of culture and arts. The choir introduces both the history of certain individuals and the routine of singing and musical culture of Kuban, and historical heroic events and the incredible drama of the Cossacks that are inseparable from Russian history. In 2011, the Kuban Cossack Choir celebrated its 200th anniversary.
Ceremony of Mounting of the Kuban Cossack Army Honor Guard in Krasnodar
A traditional ceremony called ‘Hour of Glory of the Kuban’ is notable for its singularity and colourfulness. It is performed by the Kuban Cossack Army Honor Guard in Krasnodar every Sunday on 12:00 and on holidays – since early spring till late autumn. Honour guard duties are an old tradition that was revived in 2006. The Cossack Guard starts moving from the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral; then the Cossacks wearing beautiful dress uniforms sewn from a pattern of the First and the Second Sotnias (‘Hundreds’) of His Imperial Majesty’s Convoy march through Krasnaya Street to go on the post of the landmark monument ‘Cossacks – Founders of the Land of Kuban’. The colourful event is participated by the Kuban Cossack Army Honor Guard, the cavalry group and the Kuban Wind Orchestra of the Premiere Creative Association.
Kuban Wines
Wine traditions of Kuban have gone a long way fr om the Ancient Greeks to the founders of modern Russian winemaking – agriculturist Fyodor Geyduk and Prince Lev Golitsyn. Nowadays the biggest part of the Russian grapes is gathered and cultivated in Kuban. The secret of high quality of Kuban wines is primarily the terroir, i.e. the natural environment where the grape-vine grows, wh ere wines are made and stored. Unique edaphoclimatic features of Kuban in combination with many years of traditions allow local winemakers to take leading positions in Russia and adequately compete with the best global counterparts. Nowadays the drinking culture and an ability to know a good wine are indicators of prestige and even status, just like speaking French was in the times of Pushkin. The Krasnodar territory has a lot to be proud of. Every bunch of grapes grown in Kuban embraces the abundance of sunlight, freshness of the wind, zest of two seas at once, tenderness of grateful lands, care of hardworking masters and the memory about the history of wine making in our land.