Jousting for glory: Competitors do battle in medieval fighting competition

A participant spars with a competitor during the European Grand-prix in Historical Medieval Fighting - part of the 2017 Great Bolgar Medieval Festival.

The gathering takes place every August in Tatarstan, Russia. Its programme features a wide range of events and competitions.

These include a historical fair, interactive sites, a fencing tournament, mass battles, fire shows, concerts and contests for spectators.

The modern Bolgar is a settlement of considerable size surrounded by a rampart and a moat which is more than five kilometres in length.