Themed interactivity and festivities. How do Belarusians and Russians celebrate Maslenitsa?

Maslenitsa in Moscow has always been celebrated on a special scale, and over the years the traditions remain unchanged. This year, the central venue of the festival unfolded on Tverskaya Boulevard. It offers interactive programs, workshops, lectures and lottery, as well as bowling, petanque or tag games, a fair of goods from Russian manufacturers and unusual pancakes. In addition, over 50 types of pancakes can be enjoyed on Revolution Square.

On Saturday and Sunday, concerts, theatrical shows, dances, round dances, relay races and many other entertainments are organized in manors, parks and museum reserves like Kolomenskoye and Tsaritsyno. The full list of venues is available on the website of the Winter in Moscow project.

The holiday will not be complete without classic amusements: an ice slide, huge frying pans, bast shoes and a Maslenitsa pillar. Visitors will compete in valenok throwing, bag running, tug of war and kettlebell lifting, sledding and horseback riding. Master classes and performances by folklore groups are planned.

According to tradition, another art object will be burned in the Nikola-Lenivets Art Park in the Kaluga region. In previous years, the Babylonian Tower, Baikonur, Cooling Tower, Firebird, Pyramid and Bastille were burned down. This time, the fire will consume the art object heart. Tickets for the event are sold out, but the performance can be viewed online from home.

Maslenitsa is one of the key events in the calendar of the National Agency for Tourism of the Republic of Belarus, which is updated annually. In each of the six regions, pancakes are baked in almost every district and guests are welcome. 

Due to the influx of tourists, popular sites prolong the holiday. For example, in the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve, theatrical performances began on February 14 and will last until March 8. Belarusian national cuisine, observing wild animals in the natural environment, and tasting pancakes according to local recipes with herbal tea are especially relevant in this snowy winter. On the same days, it is crowded in the Dukorsky Maentak ethnocultural complex, 40 km from Minsk, which attracts guests with themed guided tours with animation for all ages and delicious treats.

Nevertheless, the main festivities in Belarus will take place on the weekend of February 21 and 22. The main thing is to choose the right one, because each region has its own Carnival. So, in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park on February 21, the holiday will be combined with the farewell of the Snow Maiden and her family from the estate of the Belarusian Santa Claus. In the medieval history park “Grand Duchy of Sula” they will teach you how to sing theme songs, make a mini-stuffed Marena and “birds”-harbingers of spring, and at the same time they will treat you to a giant pancake.

Maslenitsa will be widely celebrated in the Belarusian capital on February 21 and 22. The main venue is at the Sports Palace, but festivities will unfold in every district. Not only fairs and attractions await guests: for example, a fire show awaits in the Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences, plus a sauna and an outdoor font.