Crowds flock to Moscow hobby fest
Published 26 August, 2008, 08:42
Ranging from the gentle pleasures of origami, or the extreme challenges of rock climbing, there were plenty of pastimes on offer at the Hobby Festival in Moscow. Hundreds of people flocked to Krasnaya Presnya park to celebrate their interests with fellow enthusiasts.
Origami was a big draw for both children and adults. This meditative and refined hobby originates from 6th century Japan. Samurai warriors used to make paper sculptures as gifts and good luck tokens.
Nowadays, origami-lovers say it helps them to calm down and develops intellect. Indeed, when you only have a mere sheet of paper to work with, you need a good deal of imagination to produce an animal or a modern technical device.
Students Taras and Vika prefer a more recently invented hobby – they play astrojax. A combination of yo-yo and juggling, it first appeared in the late 80s, and the number of followers has been growing steadily ever since.
The festival has become a real celebration of spare time, which brings together people of different jobs and ages. After all, whether someone is a student or a professor, an engineer or a doctor, they all need a hobby.
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