Today, in one of the last warm days of autumn, the sixth festival of “good taste and good traditions” Retro Cruise was held in Kyiv. It has traditionally united amateurs of the first half’s of the 20th century European fashion and lifestyle. Den’s team also joined the festival, at which our newspaper in three languages, the novelties of our library, and the glossy supplement Route No. 1 were presented.
This time the event took place at a spot of unique beauty and location – the rose garden of the Mykola Hryshko National Botanical Garden. The festival has incorporated a number of mass cultural and entertainment events, the central of which being the bike ride involving lovers of classic and original bike designs that started at 12:00 from the Palace Square of the Mariinsky Park.
The organizers have really managed to recreate the atmosphere of the first half of the past century, harmoniously intertwining it with the elements of a modern holiday. For this purpose, the festival has opened two musical scenes: the major stage hosted a concert of the best jazz musicians of Ukraine, and beside it was a dance floor where everybody could dance and partake in master classes by renowned dance schools of Kyiv. The minor stage was the place of jazz improvisation and DJ sets. The jazz and rock-n-roll has created an unforgettable background of the 20th century for all those who strolled on the cozy rose garden alleys, tasted delicious street food, and browsed the vintage accessories, clothing and antiques at the street fairs.
However, this pleasant atmosphere of the Retro Cruise has been contributed significantly by the visitors themselves. The majority of those who came to admire the bright and easy atmosphere of the past donned at least one element of vintage clothing, joining the reconstructed era themselves. Tweed was the calling card of the festival. And since the Retro Cruise was primarily the holiday of style, it organized its own stylish competitions. The winners were chosen among the following categories: the best bike, the best dancing couple, the best male and female costumes, and also the best beard and mustache. The participants of those competitions were encouraged by prizes from the partners of the festival. However, regardless of the form and style of the dress, absolutely any visitor of the Retro Cruise was able to take pictures of themselves at the stylish interiors of photographic areas.
The little visitors of the stylish festival were not forgotten either. They enjoyed a fairy rose garden with coloring books, and playgrounds for playing retro sport – the classic English game of croquet and the ancient petanque.
OCTOBER 4, 2015. KYIV, MYKOLA HRYSHKO NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDEN / Photo by Ruslan KANIUKA, The Day
Den communicated directly with the participants of the Retro Cruise contests and asked about their impressions of the stylish event.
Kyivite Tetiana had decided not only to dress accordingly to the style of the 1960s, but also to take a ride on her own vintage bicycle, decorated with a basket of flowers. “I wanted to participate in the festival, because I enjoy cycling and in April this year I learned by chance that there was going to be a Retro Cruise,” says she. “I dreamed up my image overnight and decided to visit the festival. So, now I am visiting the event for the second time. I like it very much, as I go outdoors and see people that greet me with smiles – it’s the positive emotions one brings to themselves and to others. Besides, here I found a collective of like-minded people who know how to relax, how to create a holiday for themselves and enjoy it. I like the organization of the Retro Cruise – this is a good opportunity to listen to a good music, to look at good people and to show myself and my bike.”
Romanna and Anton, young couple, have also visited the Retro Cruise, not only partaking in the contest for the best costumes, but also answering the Den’s interview questions: “We are participating in the festival for the third time,” young people say. “This year we decided to take part as a couple, so we had prepared more thoroughly – we found nice clothes, bicycles, and diverse accessories. I want to note that the festival is becoming better every time: the participants’ costumes become more stylish and corresponding to the era, everything looks nice and cohesive. As for the fair, the music, the dancing, and the bicycle race – everything is organized very well.” Romanna and Anton are certain that they will come to the Retro Cruise next time: “I hope this will become a good habit in our family – to dive into the era of favorite movies, where everyone is dressed well and relaxing music plays. In our opinion, this is one of the most colorful festivals in Ukraine.”
Another couple with whom Den chanced to talk was perhaps one of the most colorful and noticeable at the festival – their images demonstrated extreme attention not only to the basic things, but to small parts and accessories as well. “We like the old times, we collect antiquities and we already have so many of these items at home that a separate exhibition can be made with them,” Mariana and Pavlo shared their reasons for participating in the Retro Cruise. “We liked the today’s festival: the organization is getting better, more people are visiting it, the area becomes larger – so much to visit for a day, to realize, and to understand. Paraphrasing Stanislavsky we would say: love retro style in you, not yourself in retro! The people like immersion in this era – it was seen on the bike ride; everyone was smiling and happy as it moved along the city. Today’s festival is an event for the like-minded people, so there are a lot of us who are well versed in the topic, many others are sympathizers, and some may not be willing to wear the outfits but nevertheless are interested to observe and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere.”
