Maslenitsa is the brightest, funniest and most entertaining of Russians holidays. Its history goes back to pre-Christian Russia: the main ritual of Maslenitsa is the burning of the straw figure of the Winter - an echo of pagan rituals.
Although Christianity, which came to replace paganism, rejected all the old cults, this holiday could not be erased from people's memory – so much it has been favored by simple folk. Today, Maslenitsa is a symbol of Russian folk festivals with a millennial history. No country in the world does celebrate something like this!
For foreign visitors, who arrive in Russia it is a lucky chance to participate the celebration of Maslenitsa, the Pancake Day. After all, it means to touch the real Russian exotica, to get on the live pages of Russian history, to witness the original traditions of the largest state in the world. Today Russia celebrates Maslenitsa the old way – huge folk festivals full of fun and games.