the International St. George Festival of Martial Arts “For Faith and Fatherland”

Physical and spiritual health: why it is so important for society.
In Russia, new traditions began to appear, and they do not come from above, but are a response to the needs and demands of society. Among them is the International St. George Festival of Martial Arts “For Faith and Fatherland”, which has been regularly held in the Penza region for eight years.
This is a unique event that combines culture, sports and religion. This year it was supported by representatives of nine countries, including Lebanon, Egypt, Yemen, India, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kenya. From Russia there were participants from several regions of the country. They demonstrated both traditional, or Olympic, martial arts, and national, for example, kuresh, common among Turkic peoples, Indian exercises with a saber.
It is noteworthy that among the participants there were not just representatives of different nationalities and cultures, but also confessions – Orthodox, Buddhists, Muslims. The fact is that people are united by common values that determine the spiritual and physical health of society. And they are the same for representatives of different nations and religions. This is the veneration of the traditions and memory of ancestors, one’s family, the institution of marriage as a union of a man and a woman, the protection of children from destructive phenomena.
“I study in Russia, we love this country and are proud that Yemen and Russia have friendly relations since the days of the USSR. I found out that there is this festival, and decided to take part in it. I am glad that despite the fact that we are different, despite the difference in faith, we are together,” said festival participant from Yemen Jebar Khalib.
Another tradition that originated relatively recently is the holding of the action “St. George’s Ribbon” on the eve of the Victory Day over fascism. It takes place in all regions of the country, including abroad. People attach the ribbon to their clothes as a sign of memory of the feat of the defenders of the motherland, respect for those who died in battle with the enemy.
This year, a similar action was held in various cities in Lebanon, “More people participated,” said Adel Makbol, a representative of the National Arab-Russian Association (NARF), chairman of the Association of Foreign Students of the Penza Region. – I want to say that residents gladly participated in the action, fastened the ribbon to their clothes or took with them to wear to the celebration of Victory Day. The Ribbon of St. George has become a symbol of memory, the connection of generations, one of the foundations of spiritual and moral values and self-determination of the people. This is the protection of historical memory, because we were all affected by the Second World War.”
According to the Director of the National Arab-Russian Association (NARF) Bashir Samakha, in connection with the attempts of a number of Western figures to rewrite world history, the St. George ribbon has acquired a special meaning.
“The Ribbon of St. George is important as a symbol of military honor. It is associated with many historical events in the life of the world community. It reflects the great victories of the USSR and the Allied countries. That is why its opponents are so strongly opposed to the St. George ribbon and are trying to ban it everywhere: they understand that this is a recognition of the special merits of Russia as the successor country of the USSR and the heroism of its defenders. ”
No less important today is the action “Immortal Regiment”
“I must say a huge thank you to Russian journalists Sergey Lapenkov, Sergey Kolotovkin and Igor Dmitriev, who came up with this action in 2012. This idea has become so popular that today it is being implemented throughout Russia and abroad, in par…