Slavic Pancake Festival: Maslenitsa Celebrations in Moscow

Take a look at the celebrations of Maslenitsa, which is believed to be the oldest surviving Slavic holiday, in Moscow in Sputnik's photo gallery.

Maslenitsa is a traditional Eastern Slavic religious and folk holiday, celebrated during the last week before Great Lent, preceding Orthodox Easter. Some traditional Maslenitsa activities involve eating pancakes, fist fighting, snowball fighting, sleigh rides and burning a scarecrow of "Lady Maslenitsa" that represents winter.

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Participants of the Moscow Maslenitsa Week festival.

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Baking pancakes at the Moscow Maslenitsa festival.

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Maslenitsa celebration decorations by the monument in the center of Moscow.

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Participants of the Moscow Maslenitsa Week festival.

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Eating Maslenitsa pancakes on Red Square in Moscow.

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A participant of the Moscow Maslenitsa Week festival.

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Tourists at a pancake serving station on the Red Square in Moscow.

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Participants of the Moscow Maslenitsa Week festival.