Foreign students from Colombia, Cuba, China and India celebrated Maslenitsa in a big way on the town-island of Sviyazhsk and got acquainted with the East Slavic traditions of the holiday and the history of the region in which they are studying.

According to tradition, Maslenitsa is widely celebrated in Russia every year and Maslenitsa festivities are held with folk dances, songs, competitions and a costume procession. Maslenitsa is an integral part of Russian culture and the most vibrant and joyful event that millions of people look forward to. Maslenitsa is a celebration of farewell to winter and welcoming of spring, which lasts a week and is accompanied by festivities, fun, sleigh rides and the burning of an Maslenitsa effigy. Russian blini (pancakes) are a traditional holiday dish and at the same time the main attribute of Maslenitsa.

Foreign students took an active part in games, sleigh rides, tasting blini from the Guild of Chefs of the Republic of Tatarstan and other traditional Russian dishes.

As part of their visit to the island, students were given excursions in English and Chinese to the main historical attractions and a glassblowing workshop. Craftswoman from the only glassblowing workshop in the Republic of Tatarstan spoke about the emergence and development of this craft, as well as what glass is made from and how to obtain glass of different colors. The most interesting part of the workshop was the process of glass blowing and its transformation into various shapes by the master.

The end of the Maslenitsa celebration was the traditional burning of a straw effigy, which is also called Maslenitsa. Students saw the burning of a huge effigy on Rozhdestvenskaya Square, accompanied by a spectacular fire show performed by professionals.

Photo source: https://vk.com/maslenitsa_sviyazhsk2024, photographer Bogdanov A.