Kustodiev. Maslenitsa. 1919.

Great maslenitsa would be celebrated in Suzdal

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In the last days of the winter traditional Russian town of Suzdal, which is among the cities of  The Golden Ring of Russia, will become the center of traditional Slavic ritual celebrations, Maslenitsa. The city authorities have promised to surprise the tourists not only with the breadth of Maslenitsa festivities but also with the original old fun. 

Maslenitsa is a sunny, bright, mischievous, riotous act symbolizing parting with the harsh winter, the arrival of spring and warmth, renewal and blossoming of the nature. Pancake celebration that originated in the murky paganism, with the advent of Christianity reborn into a generous last day before a fast with abundant tables and noisy, sunny festivities before a long and rigorous Lent. 

According to an omen, a man who will meet the Maslenitsa boringly and poorly is risking to be unlucky for the whole year. Therefore, all seven days of the week holiday Maslenitsa are to be spent with the unrestrained fun, carefree gluttony, immoderate libation, merry booths and sledding, gambling, fisticuffs and all sorts of other fun and joy, noisily seeing off the pesky frosty winter. 

In the generous days of the maslenitsa it is accepted to bake traditional fiery and rosy pancakes and serve them with red caviar, salted red chum salmon, tender and melting in your mouth salmon, pearl pieces of aromatic herring, or simply, with an airy sour cream, fragrant honey, fresh home-made cheese or melted butter. Also in those days it is common to visit guests, or to have guests. 

The traditional Russian town of Suzdal in Vladimir region this year will be one of the centers of Maslenitsa festivities in Russia. The authorities prepared a rich program of the celebration of the spring’s meeting with the traditional fragrant, scorching, rosy pancakes, skating, performances of folklore groups and many others. 

One of the main components of the Maslenitsa revelry will be an ancient Russian amusement, goose fights. The stars of the original shows will be geese of a special fighting breed that are raised in the Nizhegorodskaya oblast. However, the nervous may not leave the hall as the goose fights is a bloodless, harmless and funny show due to the amusing awkwardness and peaceful nature of the geese. 

The goose fights will take place in Suzdal on the last day of Maslenitsa, 28 February, called the «Zolovkiny gathering».

Date: 12/02/2009