ABSTRACT
The folklife of German Russians includes the painting of Easter pysanky (patterns drawn on eggs with wax), the baking of baska (eggs and bread), spinning and weaving traditions, the use of ornate iron crosses as gravemarkers, and rich traditions in spinning and weaving. There are annual gatherings where these traditional expressions of folklife are presented and demonstrated, such as the annual convention of the Germans from Russia Heritage Society, which meets in various locations around the Great Plains, and the Festival of Germans from Russia in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. North Dakota State University has a Germans from Russia Heritage Collection and sponsors folklife exhibits (e.g., iron gravemarkers), homeland tours to Russia, and the Germans for Russia Symposium. It documents and offers guides to many reunions of GermanRussian families throughout the Great Plains.
