Pancake day, or Shrove Tuesday, is celebrated in UK on one day of the year as a prelude to Lent (Великий Пост). It is often on a different day, depending on when Easter is.
In Russia the celebrations last a whole week and the festival is known as Maslenitsa. Again, historically, it is for people to eat pancakes (блины) and be merry before the long Fast leading up to Holy Week.
The word Shrove comes from the old verb to shrive which means to forgive. Interestingly, today in Russia is День Прощания - forgiveness day. People ask forgiveness of each other.
The week-long festival culminates today and yesterday there were 'events' held throughout the city. The big park at Kholomenskoye is usually a good place to go but the weather is so horrible at the moment that I decided to go only as far as Gorkiy Park and to combine the event with the St Patrick's Day celebrations. It was interesting hearing Whiskey in a Jar being sung in Russian. By the time I got the video on my phone working they had finished singing it live and I caught a recording in English. Here is a glimpse of the audience. Not very large but I suspect people came and went throughout the afternoon and evening. Note the slushy conditions underfoot.
N.B. Irish Whiskey is spelt with an 'e' whereas Scottish Whisky isn't.
There were some stalls and marquees set up elsewhere in the park, selling pancakes, hot medovukha and hot glintwein (called glühwein in German or mulled wine in English).
On the way home, in order to get to the bus stop, there is a pedestrian underpass which serves two purposes. Firstly you can get safely from one side of the road to the other and, secondly, you can browse, and buy if you want to, a rich collection of art.
In Russia the celebrations last a whole week and the festival is known as Maslenitsa. Again, historically, it is for people to eat pancakes (блины) and be merry before the long Fast leading up to Holy Week.
The word Shrove comes from the old verb to shrive which means to forgive. Interestingly, today in Russia is День Прощания - forgiveness day. People ask forgiveness of each other.
The week-long festival culminates today and yesterday there were 'events' held throughout the city. The big park at Kholomenskoye is usually a good place to go but the weather is so horrible at the moment that I decided to go only as far as Gorkiy Park and to combine the event with the St Patrick's Day celebrations. It was interesting hearing Whiskey in a Jar being sung in Russian. By the time I got the video on my phone working they had finished singing it live and I caught a recording in English. Here is a glimpse of the audience. Not very large but I suspect people came and went throughout the afternoon and evening. Note the slushy conditions underfoot.
N.B. Irish Whiskey is spelt with an 'e' whereas Scottish Whisky isn't.
On the way home, in order to get to the bus stop, there is a pedestrian underpass which serves two purposes. Firstly you can get safely from one side of the road to the other and, secondly, you can browse, and buy if you want to, a rich collection of art.
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