Maslenitsa in Russia

The good old tradition to bake and eat piles of pancakes in the very beginning of the long-awaited spring is still extremely popular in Russia. However, at Maslenitsa people get not only pancakes, but also amusement.

Published on 10.03.2011

ARKHANGELSK: The center for the Maslenitsa celebrations in Arkhangelsk is the open-air museum of wooden architecture Malye Karely, where people on Sunday gathered in the hundreds.

The program of the event included classical entertainment, contests and games, however with some restrictions. For example, no seizure of snow fortresses was allowed this year because of safety reasons – experiences from past years shows that hot Russian guys easily can get too enthusiastic and quarrelsome sometimes.

Beautiful sunny weather and clear smell of spring mixed with the mouth-watering flavor of pancakes in the air ensured good mood and optimism for everybody, making people sense that winter is finally moving towards an end.

See slideshow from the Russian Maslenitsa

MURMANSK: The Holiday was also widely celebrated in Murmansk city. The festive amusements and contests were performed in many public spots during the whole Maslenitsa week.

Even local cafes and restaurants adopted their menues to the traditional folk holiday, organizing special "pancake week" offer to their visitors.

See the slide-show from Murmansk celebrations

by Anastasia Sazhenova and Maria Goman