May 19 — Hansa Day

On May 19th, 2006, it was the first time Novgorod the Great had celebrated Hansa Day. The city hereby supported the decision of the Hanseatic cities to celebrate this day annually in May. Hansa Day thus fell on the eve of the Hanseatic Days of the New Times – grand traditional festivities held annually in June in one of the member cities. Novgorod the Great is the only Russian city honored to host this large-scale celebration. In 2009, the year of its 1150th anniversary, Novgorod the Great will receive guests from 15 European countries and host one of the central events in the cultural arenas of North-Western Russia and modern-day Europe.

In 2006, Novgorodians celebrated Hansa Day by holding a conference “Novgorod the Great and the Hanseatic League: through centuries”. The conference took place in the Institute of Humanities of Novgorod State University and became a pivotal event of the whole celebration. The history of the medieval Hanseatic League and development of the new Hanseatic movement were central themes discussed by university students and professors at the conference. Two reports evoked particularly great interest of the public. The first one was focused on the communication of Novgorod with the Hansa and presented by Nikolaeva Lyudmila Mikhailovna, an associate professor of the faculty of the German language. The second report revealed many facets of everyday life of the medieval trading alliance and the system of interaction inside it. The author — Kovalenko Gennady Mikhailovich, an associate professor of the faculty of Russian history and archaeology.

Cooperation between Novgorod the Great and other members of the new Hanseatic League is one of the priority directions of the city’s international relations with Europe. The major issues discussed at the meeting were: first, creation of a public youth coordinating team «Young Hansa – Novgorod the Great» supervised by the Committee of Culture and Youth Policy of the Administration of Novgorod the Great, and, second, opportunities for development of the youth Hanseatic movement. Currently, Young Hansa is the main assistant in the preparation for and carrying out of the 1150th anniversary of Novgorod the Great and the international forum “Hanseatic Days of the New Times”. Besides, Hansa Day-2006 gave occasion to the opening of the Information Center “Hanseatic quarter” in Novgorod. It is located in the Library Center “Reading city” (Chitai – gorod) and is responsible for information support of the Hanseatic Days-2009 inNovgorod the Great. Thus, Hansa Day-2006 became sort of a rehearsal of the forthcoming Forum and laid the foundation for cooperation between the Administration and the community in preparation for the Hanseatic Days and the city’s anniversary.

On May 19th, 2007 another Hansa Day was celebrated by Novgorod the Great and many other Hanseatic cities. Devoted to development of the youth Hanseatic movement this Hansa Day marked the end of the competition for the best presentation of a Hanseatic city, named “Hanseatic wave – 2007”. Presentations of 11 Hanseatic cities were submitted to the competition. These are Kiel (Germany), Hameln (Germany), Hamburg (Germany), Lübeck (Germany), Bremen (Germany), Münster (Germany), Kalmar (Sweden), King’s Lynn (England), Riga (Latvia), Smolensk (Russia) and Pskov (Russia). The presentations of the cities were accompanied by theatrical performances, songs, dances, artistic pictures and photographs.

As a result of the competition 6 teams of students and representatives of the city’s youth organizations selected three most hospitable Hanseatic cities from the perspective of merchants visiting them. The first winner was the presentation of Kalmar (Sweden), prepared by the students of the Faculty of Linguistics and Cross-Cultural Communications of the Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University. The second winner was Kiel (Germany) presented by the ensemble “Minstrel”. And, the third was Hamburg (Germany), presented by the students of the Faculty of Linguistics and Cross-Cultural Communications of the Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University. All the winners were awarded with money premiums, and all participants – with consolation prizes. Besides, the teams of merchants were evaluated too at the Bottom of the Hansa. They had to overcome additional trials: “Hanseatic outpost” (intellectual quiz), weapons’ shop (archery tournament) and learning of a medieval European dance at the station “Hanseatic khorovod”. As a result of this role play the first among merchants’ guilds was the team of the Novgorodian branch of the Russian association of navigators and scouts. The winners were awarded with a birch bark boat as one of the symbols of the forthcoming International Hanseatic Days in Novgorod the Great.

in 2008, Hansa Day was celebrated on May 17. The main organizer of the event was the coordinating group “Young Hansa – Novgorod the Great” holding it in the form of a public creative action in Sophia Square. There were hardboard facilities installed for display of emblems of the Hanseatic Days of the New Times in the Square. The emblems were drawn by teams of “young Hansians”. Meanwhile, a competition for the best colored chalk drawing of Hanseatic motifs. At the end of the event balloons were let up to the sky with symbolic invitations to the Hanseatic Days, wishes and positive slogans. The event was accompanied by medieval folk music.