If we had to answer the question “What is the Khortitsa Treasures Quest Game?” with one word, that word would be an ADVENTURE.
For adventure is the thing which both children and adults often lack in their lives
Our adventure started at the point where all the quest game participants were to get together – at the tourist beach of the legendary Cossack Island of Khortitsa. Initially the participants got acquainted with each other and assembled their tents to the accompaniment of the rain. But then the nature had some pity, the clouds went away and the sun went out shining brightly like it was giving a green light to our event.
Episode 1 Introduction
The participants of the first Khortitsa Treasures Quest Game were boys and girls from the Matveyevka Orphanage, Pologi, Zaporozhye, Chernigovka district as well as a pilgrim from the Kharkov region. In total there were 20 participants. First they all split into the teams of 5. Each team selected its own name: Sadness Disaster, Silence, Darksiders, and The Dnepr Rapids.
As this quest game took place in the land of Cossacks, many tasks the participants had to perform were related to this topic. That is why every team appointed its own ataman and treasurer. The treasurer was responsible for the safety of the team treasures which the participants had to find or earn with their knowledge, skills and abilities. For every task fulfilled the teams got a reward – golden coins. On the back side of each coin there was an image of the founder of the first Cossack Sich, the Duke Dmitriy Bayda Vishnevetsky.
The first coin was given to the Sadness Disaster team which gave the correct answer to the question: “What was the name of the island where the first Sich, the fortress which was founded by Vishnevetsky in 1552, was located?” And do all of you know the answer?
Episode 2. Zaporozhye Sich Fortress
Many of you know this place. Some of you have been there. And others know it from the Vladimir Bortko’s movie called Taras Bulba which was filmed here. To visit this place the children had to walk more than three kilometers through the woods enjoying the smells and odors of Khortitsa wildflower. Then there was a tour to the Sich. But to feel the spirit of Cossacks, you have to not only see the architectural constructions, weapons, and household items of Cossacks, but the best way is to talk to them. You can find them at the ground located a bit further than the Sich. The Cossacks invited our quest game participants to attend their performance. They not only told about the Cossack culture and weapons, they also demonstrated it all in action, which was the best part. I won’t waste your time making you read it, you’d better see it with your own eyes:
We recommend you to visit this amazing performance which won’t leave anybody indifferent.
After the performance was over, the children were allowed to saddle up the Cossacks' battle horses for free. And more than that. Before the performance started, our participants were earning their golden coins responding to the questions of a real Cossack about the Cossack past. Coming back to their tents, the children felt they were the real jurs.
If you read this and do not know who jurs are, you won’t feel comfortable in our next quest game camp. However, you still have some time to get prepared.
Episode 3. The Way of the Brave
The next test was only for the bravest of our players. They were to climb the granite cliffs of the Island of Khortitsa. And not just climb but be the first to do it. The teams passed this test with dignity. And, what is really amazing, they all climbed up to the highest point.
Episode 4. Night Quest Game from Guy Fawkes
After midnight, when some of the children were seeing their dreams and others were still awake, our camp had a special guest – Guy Fawkes, who declared vendetta against laziness and boredom. You’ll be really surprised, but all the four teams participated in this quest game episode at full strength. No one stayed in tents sleeping. The task was to find check points. All the participants were to hold their hands and each of the teams had only one lantern. The winner was the team which had the strongest team spirit and coordination.
Episode 5. Speed and Compromise
In this quest the children climbed a steep ladder, searched for a spring, got water from it and carefully, not to spill it, went to the finish point. The difficult part was that there was a line waiting at the spring and the spring itself was just a thread of water. Some of the teams could not negotiate with other people to get some water without waiting but others managed to complete the task really fast. For children it was a small test as in their future life they will have to look for compromises when interacting with other people and negotiating.
Episode 6 Final Point
The final accord of our two-day event was the canoe river trip along the Old River of Dnepr to the Island of Bayda we have mentioned before organized by the ADVENTURE CLUB. It was very interesting to make our way through the river, learn to paddle and have a different view of the islands of Khortitsa and Bayda. The children had a chance to feel they were the real captains even for a little while.
Summary
Besides, all our quest game participants could enjoy bathing and swimming in an inflatable boat along the river coast, playing various games, socializing, having fun and fooling around.
This trip would not be possible without the help of our open-hearted friends.
We would like to say thank you to:
Oleg Mikhailov – for organizing the tent camp
Nastia Matchina – for the delicious meals on our “table”
Dmitry Koshelevsky and Aleksandr from the ADVENTUR CLUB – for our canoe trips
Instructor Dmitry representing the Ot Vinta Club – for the rock-climbing master class
Vyacheslav Novikov – for helping to transport our equipment
Yuri Kapishinsky and his Cossacks from the Island of Khortitsa
Maxim Ostapenko, Director of the National Khortitsa Reserve
Timur Varkentin – for helping to organize and judge the quest games
Alexey Skakun, Vitalina Yakovleva, Viktoria Gumenyuk, Anton Repetsky
And Yulia Sergeyevna – the teacher of the Matveyevka Orphanage who accompanied children in this trip.
You know, before we had cases when the accompanying orphanage instructors or parents of children were not helping to organize our events but vice versa, were “putting a spoke in our wheel” with their constant restrictions and prejudices.
We think that all the participants were happy with the trip as it turned out that for many of the children it was their first canoe trip, their first horse ride, their first conversation with the real Cossacks, their first rock climbing experience.
And finally we would like to say: WELCOME to the amazing Island of Khortitsa that we love so much.
The next time we will be searching for the treasures of Khortitsa on 8-9 June (Saturday and Sunday).
Registration of participants and volunteers: http://vk.com/id79289100 or info@klubok.org
If you have any questions, please call +38 099 458 79 81
Cost: UAH 95 (approximately 12 US dollars). The cost includes partial payment for participation of the children from orphanage in the quest game. Thus, when you take part in this event, you do good.
Age of participants: 10-15 years old
What you should have with you: a sleeping bag (blanket), a small backpack, a plate, a spoon, a cup, a towel, and a flashlight.
Our event Vkontakte
You wonder who won the first Khortitsa Treasures Quest Game? It was the team of Darksiders.
