Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Luncheon of the Boating Party (1881)

Dear Friends!

We have missed meeting each other in person, and therefore we are pleased to announce our traditional outdoors picnic on Saturday, 26 June where we are looking forward to seeing you all!

Every year we celebrate an astronomical Midsummer night and cultural event called the White Nights. And, of course, what picnic occurs without songs accompanied by the guitar? There are many talented and musically gifted people in our wide community, and we all love to sing.

This time we decided to add more creativity, so please support our invitation and join our vintage-style themed picnic with Victorian era dresses, lace umbrellas, straw hats and willow picnic baskets. We will hold a competition for the best picnic dress. It will be fun!

Please come and share with us the good mood and warmth of the White Nights.

“And Dusk directly (as if plotting
To keep the golden skies alight)
Hands on the torch to Dawn, allotting
A brief half-hour to cheated Night.” (A.S. Pushkin, “The Bronze Horseman,” translated by John Dewey, 1996-97. The text of the translation is reproduced here by kind permission of Edinburgh University Press).

WHEN: Saturday, 26 June, 19:00 (BST)

WHERE:  Midsummer Common – on the field opp. Fort St. George Pub, Cambridge CB5 8DR

LANGUAGE: English and Russian

REGISTRATION: Please REGISTER before Friday, 25 June by filling in this form.

We plan to position ourselves on the Midsummer Common field, not far from the Fort St. George Pub. Please bring rugs and foldable chairs for comfort! Guitars, of course, are paramount, and you may also wish to bring drinks and snacks. Please remember to take your umbrellas and raincoats in case it rains.

We are looking forward to seeing you!