Carnival Moscow

There is no shortage of Russian holidays, and there are few occasions that Russians will not seize upon as reason to celebrate. Last Sunday, we marked the end of Maslenitsa, a week-long binge of buttery treats and carnival events before the start of Russian Orthodox Lent. While we skipped some of the traditional Maslenitsa entertainments, such as fist-fighting and sleigh riding, we did manage to indulge in plenty of bliny, Russian crepe-like pancakes filled with lemon, butter, jam, caviar, mushrooms, and much more. And on Sunday, we went out to Kolomenskoe park, the former country estate of the Romanov tsars, for what was billed as an “early twentieth-century style Russian Maslenitsa carnival.” We are not sure if fat-suit sumo wrestling was part of the Russian Imperial repertoire, but the day did offer more than its share of fair games, rides, dancers, and lots of people on stilts. At the end of the day, a straw effigy symbolizing winter was brought in on a sleigh and burned before cheering crowds. Along with announcements of presidents-elect and pancakes shaped like the sun, we hope that this ritual will have a warming effect on the still-chilly Russian capital. To get a better sense of the spirit of the holiday, check out this link to Moscow's Maslenitsa headquarters.

If Maslenitsa is the most Russian of holidays, St. Patrick’s Day is perhaps the least, but is still celebrated with great—if somewhat misplaced--enthusiasm. As it turns out, the parade route for Moscow’s rapidly growing St. Patrick’s Day event runs right next to our house, so we had an intimate view of the madness. As a holiday with no history nor tradition in Russia, its significance is still subject to interpretation. Of course there were Irish flags and lots of green, but also a Russian marching band, Russian fairy tale characters, and, perhaps best of all, a Russian group of American Civil War re-enactors. There was also a large contingent of what one imagined to be Russian fantasy gamers in “Celtic costume,” as well as people who had simply come to wave Russian flags. A coven of Russian Wiccans, a patriotic celebration, a children’s holiday, or simply an excuse to drink beer on the street with friends? For now, Moscow’s St. Patrick’s Day is all things to all people.

Pictures of both events are now up on our Flickr page.

Erik