On Saturday the 5th of May, 2018, the 8th Annual Children’s Cossack Games were held at Holy Ascension Russian Orthodox Church of Sacramento under the direction of Stanislav Holokov a Semirechniy Cossack, Ataman of the Cossacks’ National Union and Dean of the Western American Cossack Cadet School in honor of the “Don” Icon of the Mother of God.

The games’ program included “wrestling on the belt,” arm wrestling, and demonstrations of the Cossack saber. Participants included cadets from the only Cossack cadet school in North America, the children’s Cossack choir “Sivka-Burka” (under the direction of Snezhana Wilson), and youth from Holy Ascension Church and other parishes in the Sacramento area.