On the day of the Dormition of the Mother of God, the settlement of Atmanov Ugol in Sosnovsky district of Tambov Oblast traditionally holds exhibition fistfights called kulachki.
According to the established rules, the fistfight should be honest and bring no real harm, there is no stomping a downed opponent and no blindsiding.
The kulachki always starts with fights between young boys, then continues with teenagers and concludes with adults. The fight aims to make the opponent team of fighters leave the kulachki ground in the direction of their part of the settlement. After all the fights have taken place, everyone sits down for a peace-making meal.
The festivities traditionally started with a morning prayer, a liturgy, a rite of blessing the water and a procession of the Cross.
The non-religious part included greeting guests, holding feasts, open-air celebrations and fistfights.
A special doll called “Atmanov fighter” was made for the village boys. It consisted of crossed pine branches and a rag head sewn to them with threads. The doll stands out for its fists — knots hanging on long yarns that can be freely moved and thrown from side to side. The dolls were used to play a game: the winners were those who managed to knock a hat off the opponent doll’s head using the knot fists.
On the Feast of the Dormition, some special dishes were made for kulachki participants, for example, a rooster cabbage soup, a soup made of haslet, flour and spices, and blini which were not only eaten but also pressed to bruises and bumps to heal.