Hundreds of pancakes, street theater, and folk crafts: Welcome to Moscow’s Maslenitsa Festival ...

This spring, Moscow will host its third citywide farewell-to-winter celebration, the “Moscow Maslenitsa Festival.” From March 1 to 10, the Russian capital will welcome spring with joyful singing and dancing, inventive street entertainment, spectacular theatrical shows, and the fragrant scent of fluffy pancakes. During this time of year, restaurants across Moscow pull out all the stops to entice visitors with their signature dishes, and this year they will offer over 170 varieties of traditional Russian Maslenitsa “sun pancakes.” The festively decorated square will host a variety of free workshops, tours, and exhibitions. The Maslenitsa festivities are part of the city’s street-level “Moscow Seasons” series.

Maslenitsa is a traditional East Slavic festival used to bid farewell to winter and welcome the long-awaited spring. The dates of Maslenitsa typically depend on the date of Easter and last for a week. For centuries, during Maslenitsa, people have organized lively parades, gone sledding, watched street performances, decorated their homes, prepared Maslenitsa pancakes, and visited family and friends.

As always, this year’s “Moscow Maslenitsa” is a festival dedicated to spring, sunshine, and joy. Over the past few years, it has become hugely popular among both Muscovites and visitors, even being dubbed the “Carnival of Rio in Russia.” Traditionally, the star of the festival is the Russian pancake, with an endless array of types and flavors to suit every taste. At the event venues, you can enjoy classic pancake flavors such as sour cream, caviar, and honey, as well as try many innovative options: multicolored pancakes, Parmesan cheese pancakes, Asian-style pancakes, and more. Last year, the most popular pancake flavors at the carnival were “mustard shrimp,” “hamburger,” “teriyaki,” “beetroot,” “apple caramel,” chocolate, and raspberry.

At the Maslenitsa event, you can not only eat pancakes but also learn how to make delicious ones. The festival grounds will feature cooking schools where you can discover how pancakes are made in different regions of Russia and beyond, prepare them using ancient or modern recipes, and cook other dishes as well. Last year, experienced chefs guided visitors in making apple pancakes, Guryev pancakes, Samara pancakes, potato fritters, pumpkin cinnamon fritters, and Ryazan pies, among other treats. The variety of food on offer was truly dazzling.

In addition to cooking workshops, the festival program also offers creative craft classes. Here, both adults and children can learn to make various traditional folk handicrafts while discovering more interesting facts about Russian culture. Don’t miss the Maslenitsa doll-making activity, where you can explore the unique Russian craft of creating traditional festival dolls (for example, artisans will guide you in making a Maslenitsa Kharmanka doll). In previous festivals, visitors could not only watch leatherworkers, coppersmiths, potters, blacksmiths, and jewelry makers at work, but also try their hand at these crafts and get an up-close look at various creative arts.

Throughout the week of Maslenitsa, there is no shortage of unique entertainment, but the highlights are undoubtedly the street theater performances. Watching shows has always been an essential part of festival celebrations, and this spring, in keeping with a centuries-old tradition, Moscow offers visitors a wide range of exciting street performances. Fun interactive shows, folk dances, colorful costume parades, and performances by folk music ensembles and popular Moscow bands are sure to dazzle and delight.

Spring arrives with the “Moscow Maslenitsa,” but the cold hasn’t completely left the streets of the capital. Therefore, taking part in outdoor sports and recreational activities is a great way to have fun and warm up. Shake off the “hibernation” and head to the festive venue filled with the cheerful spirit of spring to join in tug-of-war, archery, and fun combat games — you’re guaranteed an unforgettable and joyful experience in the Russian capital.

In 2018, a total of 4.75 million visitors attended the “Moscow Maslenitsa.” Guests purchased and tasted over 250,000 pancakes and participated in more than 3,000 different entertainment activities.

“Moscow Seasons” is a series of large-scale citywide street events held in the Russian capital throughout the changing seasons.

Winter’s “Christmas Journey,” spring’s “Moscow Maslenitsa,” “Easter Gift,” and “Moscow Spring Acapella,” summer’s “History and Times” and “Fruit and Flower Jam,” and autumn’s “City Day” and “Golden Autumn” are all part of these street festivals. The Moscow Seasons team organizes a variety of concerts, theatrical performances, tours, exhibitions, workshops, and food experiences during each themed festival.

For more information about the “Moscow Seasons” project, please visit the official website: https://moscowseasons.com/ru/