Nizhny Novgorod Maslenitsa at the RUSSIA EXPO

Quizzes with the distribution of delicious gifts and souvenirs, masterclasses for the whole family and amazing music sets from DJ Relax based on folk music with freestyle on the violin and lively folk songs from the folk ensemble "Pryalitsa". The day dedicated to the traditions of celebrating Maslenitsa in the Nizhny Novgorod region was held un the space of the Department Store at the RUSSIA EXPO.

Elena Mityagina, a Nizhny Novgorod travel blogger and tour guide, told the exposition guests about the traditions of Maslenitsa festivities in the Nizhny Novgorod region: about unusual pancake fillings, traditional rides, the rituals of choosing a bride for Maslenitsa, the history of the holiday itself and various beliefs.

Photo: Alexey Naritsin

“Maslenitsa is a very ancient and vibrant pagan holiday that survived both the formation of Christianity and the period of Soviet atheism. Almost every village in the Nizhny Novgorod region had its own traditions of celebrating Maslenitsa. In the village of Sar-Maidan, children ran through the streets with burning brooms. In the village of Bogoyavleniye, Semenovsky district, they burned old clothes, the clothes of sick people, and sometimes even the bed of a sick person — people believed that the ritual would bring recovery,” said the blogger.

Photo: Alexey Naritsin

At masterclasses organized by artisans of the region, visitors made traditional dolls with their own hands — amulets in dresses with Khokhloma patterns, painted unique shoppers in ancient Russian technique — stamping on fabric — and made a bracelet with a bead painted in traditional Khokhloma patterns.

And thanks to the Nizhny Novgorod Maslenitsa Post, everyone was able to sign a branded postcard and send it to friends and relatives throughout Russia.

Photo: Alexey Naritsin