The night of June 21 to 22, 2015 in Saint Petersburg, Russia, is the most romantic white night of the summer – “The Scarlet Sails”. Millions of spectators gather at the English Embankment and the Admiralty Embankment where a boat with scarlet sails is sailing along. The Scarlet Sails show is celebrating the end of school year 2015. It includes spectacular fireworks, numerous music concerts, and a massive water show.
Watch: Scarlet Sails – 2015
Starting from 1961 in connection with the symbolism of the popular 1922 children’s book “Scarlet Sails” by Alexander Grin, is continued till now. “Scarlet Sails” or sometimes it is translated by Olga Godim as “Crimson Sails” is presented and dedicated to Nina Nikolayevna Grin by the Author, November 23, 1022, Petrograd, the fantasy book is about the romantic love, dreams and hopes which came true.
So, the Scarlet Sails became a mascot for the celebration of the graduation from the High School. Our grandson Gleb Kostin with his friends is among them. Many young faces of eighteens are getting together to say the last “farewell” to their childhood.
As it is in a Celtic poem:
“May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields…”
Roger McGuinn,formerly of the Byrds “The Irish Blessing”
For the first time of the “Scarlet Sails” show for graduates of 2015 the talented St. Petersburg artist Anton Gryzlov has composed the opening ceremonial music (arrangement of the overture “Children of Captain Grant” by Dunaevsky) to be performed in June, 2015. The whole crowd of wanderers are hanging around visiting the different venues of the festival, enjoying themselves in full.”:Where are our eighteen years gone?” How different time it was! “O Tempore! O Morals!” Everything is changed nowadays…
In Calgary, Canada, I also was present at Lisa’s graduation from the Bow Valley College (Lisa’s Janko’s oldest son Gary’s fiancee).
Being a tiny part of the big crowd in the Jack Singer’s Hall, it was a pleasure to feel joy, accomplishment, and challenge in life.
It was funny to watch how they were throwing up their hats with tassels in the air (this is a tradition of BVC graduates of all generations) and catching them upside down.
Everybody took pictures of these memorable moments, and so we did.
One African gentleman watched us having good time. When I dressed myself in Lisa’s white gown and hat, he approached to us and asked me bluntly:
“Lady, did you graduate too?”
“Oh, yes,indeed.” responded I promptly.
I saw his eyebrows rising up in amazement. I winked to Lisa and Gary. The African young man looked at them in search of the right answer. The both in chorus confirmed: “Oh, yes. She did graduate today”. We invited him to join us for the photo which we represent here.
“O! Tempore! O Morals!” sighed I for the second time. “How nice to be young again among the young crowd, joking and understanding each other”, I thought to myself.
Concluding my post, I’d like to say to Gleb and his friends from St. Petersburg, and Lisa and her friends: “May the tailwinds catch your sails along your life journey! Be happy and always endeavor that which is right and seek the truth in all things!”