On the Motives of Fairy Tale „Eglė žalčių karalienė“

„If you are Dzūkas or not, we are inviting you to visit us in Pasieniai Feast, in Lazdijai. Here we will be fishing in the Galadusis lake, dancing, playing, having fun and flatering our guests. If you don‘t believe that here we‘ll have a wedding party, come to visit us on June 1-2nd in Lazdijai“.

With such words the organisers were inviting guests to the traditional international festival „Pasienio fiesta“ in 2007. It coincided together with Lazdijai town 410th birthday. It surpassed earlier festivals not only by Lazdijai district municipality mayor Artūras Margelis and his deputy Benius Rūtelionis generous awards but also by a huge number of spectators and musicians.

Unfortunately, the Galadusis lake was not so generous for the fishermen as it was last year…

The first day of the festival by the Galadusis lake was opened with the theatrical performance „Eglės žalčių karalienė“ based on the motives of Lithuanian folk fairy tale. The group arrived from the Republics of Poland and Belarussia. They came not only by vehicles, but also on the horses. All the audience was greeted by the member of Seimas Jurgis Razma, the Minister of Agriculture, Professor Kazimiera Prunskienė, The chief of Punsk region Vytautas Liškauskas, also by the mayors of various Lithuanian municipalities, the directors of administration and other respectable guests. The music played till a huge bonfire, which lighted both banks of the Galadusis lake – Polish and Lithuanian, faded. While everybody was having fun, fishermen were preparing boats and spinnings for early fishing next day.

Next day the festival, leaving fishermen to catch fish, moved to Lazdijai. There started events in various places, which were devoted to 410th birthday of the town. In Lazdijai square of Independence took place basketball match 3×3, in public library there was a photo exhibition„Vaizdais prabilusi praeitis“ and in Lazdijai regional museum it was possible to visit the exhibition „Mes Jūsų nepamiršime“. Later in the evening started a solemn concert in the town park. In the concert participated military brass band, singers, musicians and dancers of international children and youth folk dance festival „Atidarykime šokių skrynelę“ from Alytus, Birštonas, Lentvaris, Panevėžys, Šakiai and Lazdijai town as well as guests from the neighbouring countries: dance collective „Krištaliki“ from Gardin region Beriozovka city, the Republic of Belarrusia, city cultural centre song and dance ensemble from Seinai, the Republic of Poland and Punsk Lithuanian cultural house choreographic ensemble „Jotva“.

After the dance festival everybody was entertained by Pivašiūnai folk music band from Alytus region, group „Rondo“ and singer Donata. The festival was closed by spectacular fireworks.