Maslenitsa was celebrated at the Family Center “Kazan”

The culmination of the holiday was the burning of the scarecrow.

(KZN.RU, March 9, Ksenia Shvetsova). Today, Maslenitsa was celebrated in Kazan on the territory of the ice town near the Family Center “Kazan”. Despite the blizzard and sleet, bright festivities unfolded there at 11 am. Residents and guests of the Tatarstan’s capital, who came to bid farewell to the winter, actively participated in games, contests, played snowballs. Concert and theatrical performances entertained the crowd on the stage.

“The weather has rebelled today, but we still came to the holiday. I want to show my son how the scarecrow is burned”, said Maria, a resident of Kazan, who came with her son to the holiday. “It’s a bit freezing, but we will wait. It is a good thing that we have an opportunity to go warm up”. The guests of the ice town didn’t have to be bored waiting for the main festive event today. The citizens rode a sleigh pulled by horses, took part in various competitions, sang, and danced.

Merry songs sounded fr om the stage. The performers did not let the audience to freeze, conducting active dance exercises for them. A concert program with the participation of Russian, Chuvash, Mari, and other folk ensembles and bands began with a performance of the folk-ethnographic ensemble “Kolyada”.

Fairground tents opened on both sides of the ice town wh ere citizens chose various souvenirs, toys, and other crafts.

Children had special fun at the holiday. In the last cold days, they happily enjoyed the fun of the passing winter: snowballs, snowmen-making, and ice slides. “My friends and I came to ice slides. We didn’t even know that there would be a holiday here”, said school student Rustam dashing to the ascent to the highest hill of the ice town.

While children have gathered in a circle jumping over felt boots, a theatrical performance unfolded on the stage. The fairy-tale character Emelya, who came to the feast on his favorite stove, met with Winter and Spring, who came out to greet the residents and guests of the city, and then the artists sang a cheerful song for the crowd.

“Winter came to say goodbye to us, not just on stage, but in nature. But we still feel the coming of spring”, said Irina Aleksandrovskaya, the member of the Public Chamber of the RT, the deputy chairperson of the Council of the Assembly of Peoples of the RT, the deputy chairperson of the Russian National Cultural Association of the RT. “On behalf of the Russian National Cultural Association of Kazan and our entire republic, we congratulate you on a wonderful Maslenitsa!”

Azat Abzalov, the head of the Department of Culture of the Kazan Executive Committee, congratulated the guests of the holiday. He reminded that holidays awaited the citizens not just today, but throughout the whole Maslenitsa Week. “Maslenitsa is coming along Kazan in long strides. Today, a wonderful holiday is held at the Chasha, and tomorrow we are waiting for you at Lebyazhie Lake”, he said. “We invite you to all celebrations, festivities! I wish you happiness, health, and great smiles!”

Maslenitsa opens a whole series of national holidays in the capital of Tatarstan, said Nikolay Vladimirov, the head of the Executive Committee of the Council of the Assembly of Peoples of the RT. “Maslenitsa is the first one, and the holidays will end in the middle of July. We will celebrate almost 20 holidays of different nations of our republic. Follow the news and celebrate with us!” said N. Vladimirov.

The highlight of the holiday was the burning of a scarecrow. Danil Mustafin, the head of the Directorate for the Implementation of the National Policy of the Department of the President of the RT, Irek Sharipov, the director of the House of Friendship of the Peoples of the RT, a deputy of the State Council of the RT, and others also attended the event.

Photo report

Maslenitsa was celebrated at the Family Center “Kazan”, 03/09/2019