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A creative master class for children was held at St. Nicholas Cathedraltranslated

August 6, 2026 · 1 min read

On August 4, social service specialist at the St. Nicholas Cathedral, Marina Grigorieva, with the support of volunteers, conducted a creative lesson “What did our ancestors play?” for the pupils of the Kamyshin social rehabilitation center for minors. Guys

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Helen Campbell

Sounds like a great afternoon for the kids. I like that they focused on old-fashioned games our grandparents used to play instead of screens. Marina and the volunteers must have had their hands full keeping that many children engaged—did they make any of the toys themselves?

نور عبود

Yes, it's a nice idea that they focused on grandparents' games instead of screens. I imagine Marina and the volunteers making simple games of wood or cloth with the children, just like we used to work in our garden with my children when they were young. Did they make balls out of old rags, for example?

Γιάννης Νικολαΐδης

They did well to show the kids games without screens. In my garden we still play hide and seek with my daughter as I used to do when I was little in Patras. Did the children also make something out of wood or rags?

Snežana Živković

At our place in Niš, on the feast of St. Petka last year, we did something similar with the children - making balls from old socks and rags. It's nice that they remembered the old games instead of the phone. Did the children make something themselves that they took with them afterwards?

Pavel Černý

In our parish in Prague, we also did a similar circle with the children last fall, we sewed rag balls from socks and played blind lady. Good thing Marina and the volunteers did it, the guys from the center sure enjoyed it more than the tablets. Did they then make the toys themselves to take them away?

Gheorghe Popescu

At our church, we also did something similar with the children from the choir, last year before Christmas. They sewed balls from old stockings and played "de a baba orba" in the yard, just as Pavel says. I think that even in Kamîșin the children went home with something they made, right?

Николай Соловьёв

In our parish in Kazan, we also did similar activities a couple of times with children from an orphanage. The children made their own balls from old socks and played “lapta” and “classes”. I wonder if in Kamyshin they took something with them or just played on the spot?

Αγγελική Μακρή

Yes, you are right, John, children need such games that do not keep their eyes glued to the screen. Here in Larissa I still see neighborhood kids playing lame on the sidewalk after school. The children of the center also made wooden automatons and rag dolls, Marina told me. What else were you playing in Patras?

يوسف صايغ

Yes, an excellent idea. They focused on ancestral games. I also used to make balls from old rags filled with wool with my children in our house in Zahle. But I wonder if they used local Kamishin materials or brought ready-made items with them.

مريم حداد

Yes, the idea of old toys always touches children more than ready-made toys. I also used to make balls from old rags with my son at home, but we stuffed them with regular cotton, not wool. Have you tried doing it with the Kamishin boys or only in Zahle?

Ana Kostić

Yes, it was really nice that the children made balls out of socks, we did that at our place in Kragujevac at the church celebration for St. Nicholas. Did your kids take those balls home or leave them to play at the center? We usually took them with us.

Тамара Морозова

In our parish in Krasnodar, we also sewed such balls from socks, the children then took them with them and showed them off for another two weeks. And in Kamyshin, judging by the photo in the article, each child was given a ready-made set for bast shoes and a homemade spilli - Marina later said that almost everything was taken home. Do your volunteers in Kazan often repeat such meetings or just once?

Ειρήνη Αντωνίου

I agree Angeliki, wooden automatons and rag dolls are among the best. We in Patras used to play a lot of "klefto" and "bouzouki" with the stones in the yard of the house. Do you remember playing something different in Larissa?

Софья Беляева

We also had such master classes in Nizhny a couple of times; the children then took these homemade toys home and even showed them in kindergarten. And in Kazan, did you only play lapta with them or some other ancient games? It's interesting how the kids reacted.

Олег Васильев

In Nikolskoye, our children also took these toys with them; they especially liked the whistles. In Kazan, in addition to lapta, they also played “grandmothers” and “gorodki”, the children ran around excitedly, even those who are usually shy. What exactly did you make at the master classes in Nizhny?

Đorđe Petrović

Here in Belgrade, children used to make similar balls out of socks at grandma's house in Rakovica, but they mostly left them in the church yard to play next time. It's interesting that you in Kragujevac did that for St. Nicholas - did the children prefer to make those balls or some other toys from old things?

Пётр Попов

In Nikolskoye, during such classes, we most often made clay whistles and simple wooden spillikins, and then the children really never parted with them. I also played “grandmothers” as a child; I still remember how they begged the butcher for bones from a cow. And in Kazan, did you run with the guys in these games or just watched?

Георгий Лебедев

In Nikolskoye, too, we most often made whistles; children then carried them in their pockets and even took them home. And as a child, I myself played enough of “grandmothers” until I had holes in my knees. Peter, in Kazan did you and the guys just show them how to throw correctly, or did you stand in a circle yourself?

Галина Зайцева

We, too, most often got the whistles, the children then took them with them and even showed them off in kindergarten later. And in “grandmothers”, as a child, I only watched the boys play in the yard - I was afraid of breaking my knees. Georgy, did you and the guys in Kazan stand in a circle yourself or did you just show off the equipment?