The ensemble Suprjadki aim to enlighten. For 29 years they have been giving talks and concerts as well as musical performances based on the Estonian and Russian folk calendars and family traditions, the staging of which has involved professional directors and producers.
The ensemble have taken part in many national and international folklore festivals as well as workshops, seminars and conferences in Estonia and abroad (Russia, Lithuania, Georgia, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Finland, Poland, Spain and Greece).
Suprjadki is a member of both Estonian and Russian folklore associations. In 2004 the Estonian National Folklore Council (CIOFF Estonia) awarded the ensemble the highest category for their authentic presentation of folklore. They have also received numerous prizes for their preservation of traditional culture. Estonian directors Arvo Iho (2004) and Gennadi & Jelena Meleshko (2010) have made documentaries about the ensemble.
Suprjadki have recorded six albums.
Material collected during an expedition undertaken by the collective’s leader Marina Kuvaitseva has formed the basis for a number of books (‘Zastolitsa: The Food of the Old Believers’, ‘Belaja lestovka’ and ‘Folk Games Throughout the Year’) and two song books featuring the spiritual verses and favourite songs of Estonian Old Believers and the favourites of the Old Believers from Kallaste.
