The annual Tulip Festival, one of the brightest spring events in the region, officially started today in the Republic of Kalmykia.
For the next month, Kalmykia will attract tourists from across southern Russia and beyond with a rich program featuring songs, dances, contests, and special events in the steppe, centered around admiration for the protected red-book tulip.
Ethnographic exhibitions will introduce guests to the culture and traditions of the Kalmyk people, while the gastronomic festival MahanFest will showcase a variety of traditional meat dishes.
The first tourists have begun arriving in Elista, the capital of Kalmykia, as the Tulip Festival gets underway.
Guests from various regions of Russia are traveling to the steppe capital to participate in the month-long celebration of spring and local heritage.