Russian cadets attend the international kremlin ball

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MOSCOW — Moscow’s International Kremlin Cadet Ball is a picture of discipline, pomp and splendor. Girls in billowing dresses twirl across the dance floor, immaculately dressed young men line the hall in orderly rows, and teachers bark out orders, trying to get their students to keep time. Backstage, however, chaos reigns. As lipstick is applied and hair frantically braided, girls jostle for position in front of floor-length mirrors, trying to capture the perfect selfie. “Red lipstick is absolutely forbidden!” shouts a teacher, causing the room to go silent. “Cadet girls should be girly, not womanly!”

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For many at Tuesday’s ball, it’s a fairytale chance to experience the grandeur of Russia’s czarist traditions. With its string quartets, traditional dance routines and patriotic speeches, the event harks back to a bygone era. “I’m a bit scared, to be honest,” said 13-year-old Masha Pavlenkova, one of a family of six. “I don’t want to make a mistake.” More than 1,000 students, from both general and military schools, travelled to Moscow from 42 different regions for the ball, including the Sakha Republic in Russia’s Arctic North and the Crimea annexed from Ukraine in 2014. “The main thing is to do your best, to study well and to believe in yourself,” said 13-year-old Andrei Amurskov. Patriotic pride underpinned the evening. Lyudmila Vanina, one of the ball’s organizers, says the event offers children an opportunity to meet and talk with war veterans and heroes of the Soviet Union.

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