Andrew Jordan

Photographer

Traditional folk holiday Maslenitsa in the south of Russia.

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Location: Krasnodar, Russia

Nationality: russian

Biography: Photographer from Russia Andrew Jordan, born 28.08.1976, lives in the Krasnodar region near the Black Sea coast. After 20 years of working as an office lawyer, Andrew decided to leave the office and take up creative photography, which he had long... MORE

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Russia, Krasnodar region, a sma...ned at the end of the holiday).

Russia, Krasnodar region, a small resort town of Goryachiy Klyuch, located on the road to the Black Sea. At noon, on the square in front of the restaurant, where citizens and tourists come according to an ad in social networks, a festive performance begins. A folklore ensemble with a repertoire of Cossack songs is preparing to perform. A straw effigy has been installed – a symbol of the Winter being driven away (spoiler - the effigy will be burned at the end of the holiday).

Right among the audience, witho...k accordion and wooden rattles.

Right among the audience, without barriers and barriers, the participants of the famous folklore ensemble "Krinitsa", who came to perform from the regional center – the city of Krasnodar, perform their repertoire of folk songs, mainly Cossack. The performers are stately and vociferous women of retirement age, for whom participation in the ensemble is entertainment, creativity, and the possibility of additional earnings for retirement. The accompaniment is a folk accordion and wooden rattles.

Traditional Pancake treat, the ...usto before the Christian Lent.

Traditional Pancake treat, the symbol and meaning of the holiday, is Russian pancakes on wheat flour, as a symbol of the spring Sun. Toasted, golden, hot, very fragrant and large, they are baked in a cast-iron frying pan, smeared with butter and served on the table with a variety of baked goods and sauces - sour cream, meat or fish filling, red or black caviar, sweet jams and honey. Of course, everyone chooses something separate to their taste. Maslenitsa is a belly feast! This is an opportunity to eat with gusto before the Christian Lent.

On this holiday, the degree of ...ke and it becomes even funnier.

On this holiday, the degree of folk fun is heated up in rude and very funny contests, for example, such as eating pancakes in a race with a rival. It is clear that the contestants look ridiculous and the audience cheers them loudly with jokes so that they choke and it becomes even funnier.

Folklore ensemble "Kri...acks), and a very dance rhythm.

Folklore ensemble "Krinitsa" from Krasnodar performs a repertoire of Cossack songs. It seems that they sing professionally, loudly and energetically, with a soul, although in reality a pre-recorded soundtrack of their song repertoire is playing loudly from the speakers and they can only dance to the beat and pretend to perform. But everyone is happy, these are exactly the songs that are needed at this folk festival – they have a groovy chorus imitating a simple Ukrainian language (the language of the Kuban Cossacks), and a very dance rhythm.

When the mood is great from the...se they never go out to dance).

When the mood is great from the spring sun, I ate hearty pancakes and looked at the funny contests, my feet themselves go dancing to the center of the festive square. And it doesn't matter which song, the main thing is to be loud! The main dance moves - spinning and stomping - are within the power of women of any age (and are completely inaccessible to men, because they never go out to dance).

According to the Russian prover...greedy hands and hungry mouths.

According to the Russian proverb – "even vinegar is sweet for free!". And if I offer the onlookers who came to the holiday to treat themselves to traditional pancakes for free, then there is no end from greedy hands and hungry mouths.

Maslenitsa, in its traditional ...ho give it lightness and grace.

Maslenitsa, in its traditional nature, is a women's holiday and a woman plays a major role in all the rituals here Therefore, it is not surprising that even a forceful and energetic team tug-of-war competition is held with the participation of women who give it lightness and grace.

A colorful show is necessary at...uge multicolored fabric panels.

A colorful show is necessary at any mass performance. The following women's team competition is enjoying great success - you need to race with a team of rivals to braid a braid of huge multicolored fabric panels.

The pagan meaning of the Maslen...into a big bag with their feet?

The pagan meaning of the Maslenitsa holiday is to identify the strongest, most energetic and viable men in order to enable unmarried girls to choose a worthy partner for procreation. Accordingly, the tasks in men's competitions are the most unusual and physically difficult, but with an element of fun and buffoonery. And what could be funnier than respectable adult men jumping a distance at speed, climbing into a big bag with their feet?

If to overcome the competitive ..., absolute wildness, but funny.

If to overcome the competitive distance for a man, the task is chosen to climb into a bag and jump, then for a woman, according to the same crooked logic, it is to jump with a broom between her legs, imitating the flight of a witch. Well, what can I say, absolute wildness, but funny.

Maslenitsa is a truly national ... which happens very rarely now.

Maslenitsa is a truly national holiday, unrelated to any ideology or historical events, it is a celebration of the spring revival of nature, it is joyful and unifying. It is here, at a popular mass outdoor celebration, that you physically feel real human fun, a celebration of life in reality and off-line, which happens very rarely now.

Professional dancers from the f... colorful and energetic dances.

Professional dancers from the folklore ensemble "Krinitsa" from Krasnodar light up and amuse the audience with their colorful and energetic dances.

The burning of a straw effigy s...g has already disappeared ...).

The burning of a straw effigy symbolizing Winter is a sacrifice to the ancient Slavic gods, it is a purification by fire from filth, from the fierce cold and darkness, it (if we draw an analogy of Maslenitsa with the European carnival), it looks like another ancient European fun - burning a witch on the sacred bonfire of the Inquisition. The ashes from the effigy of Winter burned at the end of the holiday are scattered in the wind over the field, in commemoration of fertility and the future harvest (in fact, I have never seen this done, this meaning has already disappeared ...).

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Thumbnail of Russia, Krasnodar region, a smal_rned at the end of the holiday).

Thumbnail of Right among the audience, withou_lk accordion and wooden rattles.

Thumbnail of Traditional Pancake treat, the s_gusto before the Christian Lent.

Thumbnail of On this holiday, the degree of f_oke and it becomes even funnier.

Thumbnail of Folklore ensemble "Krin_sacks), and a very dance rhythm.

Thumbnail of When the mood is great from the _use they never go out to dance).

Thumbnail of According to the Russian proverb_ greedy hands and hungry mouths.

Thumbnail of Maslenitsa, in its traditional n_who give it lightness and grace.

Thumbnail of A colorful show is necessary at _huge multicolored fabric panels.

Thumbnail of The pagan meaning of the Masleni_ into a big bag with their feet?

Thumbnail of If to overcome the competitive d_y, absolute wildness, but funny.

Thumbnail of Maslenitsa is a truly national h_, which happens very rarely now.

Thumbnail of Professional dancers from the fo_r colorful and energetic dances.

Thumbnail of The burning of a straw effigy sy_ng has already disappeared ...).

Public Story

Traditional folk holiday Maslenitsa in the south of Russia.

Updated Dec 2021

Location Krasnodar

Topics Arts & Entertainment, Celebrations, Community, Culture, Culture stories, Documentary, History, Journalism, Joy, Photography, Photojournalism, Street, Travel

Pancake day (Maslenitsa).
Traditional Russian folk fun, an analogue of the European carnival, originating in the pagan past of ancient Russia. The main meaning is the expulsion of the gloomy cold Winter and the meeting of the sacred Spring, bringing light, warmth and the awakening of nature.
Now it is a street festival held on the first Sunday of March every year and accompanied by songs of folklore groups, dancing, eating pancakes, folk competitions and contests in which a splash of energy, violence and rollicking is welcomed. The finale of the holiday is the enchanting burning of a huge straw effigy.
In the south of Russia, where I live, there is no cold snowy winter that "needs to be driven out" and never has been, because in two winter months (January and February) snow falls for only 2-3 days, and daytime temperatures in February can reach +20 degrees Celsius.
In addition, the pagan Eastern Slavs, whose culture includes the Maslenitsa holiday, have never lived and do not live here. But, to tell the truth, most people don't care about any culture and traditions, modern people just go to Maslenitsa as another free street entertainment.