Maslenitsa...time to eat

pancakes

Contents :

Day 1 03Day 2 04Day 3 05Day 4 06Day 5 07Day 6 08Day 7 09Celebration in Moscow 10Celebration in Moscow Parks 11

Bonus:Pancake recipes 14Pancake test 15Cafes and Restaurants 16

Special Edition2014

This year from the 24th of February till the 2nd of March Russia is celebrating Maslenitsa.

In two words, to welcome fine and hot spring you have to eat a maximum of pancakes and be in a good mood! And at the end of the week you might have to burn something like a big handmade doll=)

On Maslenitsa people are usually having a lot of fun, as this traditional holiday is accompanied by different rituals– all con-secrated to the family and to saying ‘goodbye’ to winter.

For Maslenitsa people are visiting their family and friends, sing, drink ’Medovukha’, eat pancakes, wear beautiful closes, play snow wars, construct castles from snow and burn the doll – spirit of winter.

Every day of the Pancake week has a signification and a special ritual

Happy Maslenitsa week!

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Day 1 - Welcome day

This day the daughter-in-law goes to her parents for all day, and at evening her husband joins celebration.

At this day people construct snow hills and castles and start to make pancakes.

This day born from “old things” from home a big doll, the doll-finished people put it on a picket and make a visit of the village showing the doll to other.

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Day 2 - The Flirty day

This is the day of the presentation of marriageable girls.

At morning young men are invited to ride sledges from snow hills and eat pancakes. As a part of welcoming ritual, people are saying to others:

“We have snow hills and pancakes are done, – Welcome to our home!”

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Day 3 - The Gourmand

This day the married man comes to his mother-in-law. On Wednesday, the mother-in-law makes pancakes for him. Besides her son-in-law, she invites her friends.

Find our cafe and resto recomendations on Bonus pages (#16)

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Day 4 - The Promenade

This day starts the “Big Maslenitsa”, people stop doing house work and start celebrating. People are riding horses, doing fistfights, different competitions, jumps over the fire andRussian feast. The main point is to conquest a snow castle.

The symbolism of the Promenade-day is to splash all of the negative energy, stocked in wintertime, to start a clean spring.

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Day 5 - Mother-in-law evening

This day the mother-in-law visit her son-in-law, her daughter makes pancakes. The mother-in-law comes with her family and friends.

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Day 6 - Sister-in-law gathering

Young married girl invites her sister-in-law. If she is married, the girl invites her married family members, if she’s not, the girl invites her unmarried friends. The girl should make apresent to her sister-in-law.

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Day 7 - Goodbye day

For the last day, people apologize to all their friends and family and go to the ’Bania‘. They burn all the rests of food, washeverything and at the end of the day burn the doll-symbol of winter spirit and bring ashes from the doll in the fields.

By burning the doll people are saying goodbye’ to winter.

Times change, but Maslenitsa is always being celebrated. Maybe sometimes it’s not about getting every single rule and ritual, but every time it is fun and provides good mood.

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Maslenitsa celebration in Moscow

Till the 2nd of March everyone has a possibility to try Russian pancakes.

Main places of the national celebration will be in the heart of Moscow, on the pedestrian zones, as Kuznetskiy Most St.,Tverskaya Square, Stoleshnikov Lane, Rojdestvenka St., Bolshaya Dmitrovka St., Kamergerskiy Lane and in Kolomen-skoe Park.

At Kuznetskiy Most St. Will take place artisanal master-classes and mascaraed, on the square near the GUM – theatricalentertainment programme, on Kamergerskiy Lane –delicious food, master classes about decorating « pryaniks » and a pancake relay-race, on the Tverskaya Square – games and maslenitsa ceremonies.

On the 26th of February (at 5 PM) at Kuznetskiy Most St.– will be held a new record, cooks-pancake-makers will cook and 500kg pancake-tart, made from 4 000 pancakes and with a diameter of 1,5 meters.

On the 28th of February (at 6 PM) – will be the Big Maslenitsa Parade. Artists in carnival costumes will walk from TSUM to the Tverskaya Square

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Maslenitsa celebration in Parks

Kolomenskoe Park

1st of March. Start Midday – Folk concert

3 PM - fisticuffs, conquering of the snow castle, Maslenitsa doll burning and firework. During the day, will be open fiveentertainment spaces, with five wheels of farewells to which will be possible to tie the ribbon and make a wish. Wheel will be burn, and your wish will be granted! Ribbons will bedistributed for the victory in the trials.Also master classes on folk gifts and baking pancakes, familyattractions and hockey with brooms, throwing of valenki-boots, throwing of hats, carousels and traditional tea from samovars with pancakes.

On the 2nd of March

12 PM

Festive theatrical performance "Maslenitsa" on the open space near the fairgrounds. Pancake, musical program andMaslenitsa doll burning.

1 PM to 4 PM

Special entertainment program "Traditions centuries” about the tradition of celebrating ( near the main entrance of the wooden palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich)

29, Prospekt Andropova, m Kolomenskaya

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All-Russia Exhibition CentreOn the 1st of March have place a master-class on weaving charms, playing on clay whistles and other interesting things. You will be able to participate in competitions, enjoy a concert and eat a pancake made by the recipe of 1871 year.

On the 2nd of March near the fountain of Friendship will be burn a glamorous Maslenitsa doll.119, Prospekt Mira, m VDNKH

Gorky Park 1st and 2nd of March

4 PM to 10 PM

invites to holiday festivities with pancakes and entertainment. A musical Etnofestival with art performances from different countries.

9, Krymskiy Val St., m Oktyabrskaya

Art Park " Muzeon " 1st of March

1 PM to 5 PM

Folk festival , competitions and games, as well as fair withpancakes, cakes and goods from artisans.

2, Krymskiy val St., m Oktyabrskaya

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Park "Sokolniki" From the 24th of February to the 2nd of March

On the 1st of March will be held contests, games and pancakes degustation.

From 12 PM to 8 PM

On the Fountain Square will start the main celebration ofMaslenitsa: come to see a musical show , play ritual games and see the exhibition of the ancient city " Gorodets".

At 7:15 PM - burning of Maslenitsa doll and a competition of the best Maslenitsa doll

1, Sokolnicheskiy Val St., bldg. 1, m Sokolniki

Izmailovo Park

Sunday from Midday to 6 PM - traditional fun and games, competition for baking pancakes , show with real bears.

Allea Bolshogo Kruga, m Shosse Entuziastov

Hermitage Garden

Saturday from Midday to 8 PM. Find here interestingdecorations, Big Maslenitsa doll made by designers, master classes for children and adults. Long table where everyone will enjoy together tasty pancakes and from 1 PM to 3 PM free pancakes children! At 6 PM Bubamara Brass Band concert.

3, Karetniy Ryad St., m Mayakovskaya

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BONUSRussian pancakes recipe:

Ingredients:- 500 mL milk- 3 eggs- 280g (2 ¼ cups) flour- 1-2 tbsp sugar- 1 teaspoon salt- 3 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil- butter

1) Crack the eggs into a bowl. Add sugar (1 tbsp for savoury pancakes, 2 for sweet) and salt. Mix gently with a whisk until integrated.2) Add 200 mL milk and stir.3) Add flour and mix until batter is formed.4) Add remaining milk and stir until integrated.5) Add the oil and stir.6) Let the batter sit for 20 minutes.7)Heat up your skillet and add a bit of oil to it (my preferred method is to stir around oil between each pancake using half a potato stuck on a fork, cut face down). Pour the batter into the pan (max. 1 ladle) and quickly tilt the skillet from side to side, forming an even circle. When the sides of the pancake start to look dry and a bit golden, flip the pancake over with a thin spatula. Wait about the same length of time, or slightly less, flip the pancake onto a large plate and spread a pat of butter on top.

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Tell me what you eat – I will tell you who you are! Let’s try a Old slavic test, choose a flavour from theillustration and check the result below!

Answers :Caviar –You are an exceptionally pragmatic person;Salmon – You are an adventurous person and always looking for exciting things to do;Cream Cheese – You are very generous and open-minded;Butter – You are affectionate and self confident;Jam – You are a loyal person but a child deep inside;Meat – You are always the first one, you like to make decisions, and you are really authoritative;Mushrooms – Be careful, people can think that you are not very sincere and open; Honey – You are romantic but sometimes building your castles on the sand.

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1) “Blinnaya na Taganke”The most interesting place, only there, you will find the soviet taste of pancakes for more than 50 years with an authenticinterior design and cheap prices.

m Taganskaya, 8 Vorontsovskaya St.

2) “Teremok”It’s a big group, you can find it everywhere in Moscow. Cheap prices – simple service.

3) "Creperie de Paris"A Maslenitsa taste with French touch.

m Akademicheskaya, 12 Profsouznaya St.

4) "Mu-Mu"Another big chain restaurant specialised in Russian traditional cuisine. You will find them in many areas in Moscow, search a cow on the street=).

5) "TsiTsil" A Ginza Porject restaurant of Georgian cuisine, where you can try pancakes with black caviar.

2 Minskaya St., bldg. 1.

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Of course you will find pancakes in all places ofcelebrations, as parks. But, you can also go in a café or Restaurant. Our suggestions are:

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