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“Amazing Khortitsa”, or Merry Adventures on the Island!

October 28, 2011, 13:45 5513 Author: Julia Akhtman, photo Vladimir Krasnogolovy and Julia Akhtman, translated by Yulia Alekseyenko www.deti.zp.ua Visiting museums, taekwondo and rock climbing workshops, orienteering practice, as well as communication at the fire attracted the children from Liubomovka and Zaporozhye large families to spend their weekend on the legendary Khortitsa Island

On September, 24 and 25 thirteen children from large families of the Liubimovka and Mikhailovsky districts, as well as nineteen children from Zaporozhye came to the island to enliven their weekend and to take part in a cultural and educational programme.

On their first day on the island the children went to the Zaporizhian Cossack Museum and the Historic and Cultural Zaporizhian Sich centre. Examining the Cossacks buildings attentively and listening to a gifted guide the children learnt many interesting and informative things about the traditions, morals and manners of the brave warriors, as well as about the details and peculiarities of the everyday life of the population of that time.

In the evening Dmitriy Buriak came to see the young tourists and to give them a special drum workshop. The expensive exotic instruments were brought from different countries of the world. That’s why the children had a unique opportunity not only to look at the drums that differ both in shape and sound, but to play these wonderful instruments. And thanks to Vladimir Krasnogolovy merry and funny songs were sang for children who repeated the refrains with a great pleasure.

The next morning started with the arrival of Nikolai Tischenko – a teacher and the Taekwondo Black Belt Master and his disciples – Konstantin, Aliona and Pavel. The children were shown the demonstrations and the basic self-defense techniques.

Yegor Papyshev, Albert Pavlov, Anton Bondarenko and John Charlieux

Anton Bondarenko gave full of competitive spirit children outdoor survival skills and orienteering workshops

Meanwhile a guest from California – John Charlieux - arrived at Khortitsa, and the guys from the “Motor-Sich” JSC tourist “Motor” Club prepared the route and equipment for rock climbing. Supported by the reliable safety equipment of Ukrainian rock climbers and the advice of a cheerful adventurous John the children easily climbed the cliffs and practised their English at the same time.

All the participants of the two-day expeditions were given honourable mention certificates

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The Staff of “The Happy Child” Charitable Fund express their gratitude to:

The General Director of the Khortitsia National Reserve Maksim Ostapenko,

The educational and informative department manager Dudarenko Sergey Valeriyevich,

The Khortitsia National Reserve guide Logachev Dmitriy Valeriyevich,

Our assistants Natalia and Valeriy.

We are also sincerely grateful to the “Motor-Sich” JSC tourist “Motor” Club head Viktor Skrypnikov for organizing a rock climbing workshop, a climbing instructor Yegor Papyshev and all those who helped the children to climb the Khortitsa cliffs.

We are grateful to you for your help, sympathy and fascinating excursions.

We wish you success and good excursionists!

Happy Child foundation - effective help to the most needy children of the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, since 2004

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