Lyudmila Kelchina, traditional songs performer celebrated her 75th birthday on 30 September, 2022

Lyudmila Kelchina, traditional songs performer, a native speaker of the Khanty  language who lives in the village of Vsyakhovo, Shuryshkarsky area celebrated her 75th birthday on 30 September, 2022.

Lyudmila is a teacher, a songwriter, a connoisseur of folklore, one of the true keepers of traditional songs and dances of the Khanty people.

From 1994 to 2016, Lyudmila was the head of the Khanty folklore group As Khoram ne (a beautiful girl from the Ob river). In 1986 the group was created with the help of her husband Roman Kelchin.

Lyudmila carefully selected the repertoire for the group which included lyrical and ritual songs, songs based on the lyrics of famous authors (M. Vagatova, A. Sengepov, M. Lapina, S. Kondygina, R. Rugina, P. Saltykov, I. Istomin, etc.),  successfully used other genres of traditional art – rituals, fairy tales, games, riddles, etc.

Currently, Lyudmila Ilyinichna continues to actively cooperate and is a consultant to creative folklore groups in Yamal.

In 2012. Lyudmila Ilyinichna became the winner of the award in the field of folklore activities of indigenous peoples of the North in the nomination Folk Storyteller of Yamal.