Suzanne Massie, a well-known author on Russian history and culture, writes
the following about Maslenitsa in her book
Land
of
Firebird
Two months of every year were spent preparing for and celebrating [Easter]
and the coming of spring. The celebration began in the snow, with a pagan and
earthy carnival celebrating life, and was followed by a long fast; it
culminated in the beginning of spring and the new explosion of re-creation
and happiness which are at the core of the Christian belief.
First there were the eight days of stuffing, feasting and carnival called Maslenitsa, or 'Butter Week.' During every day before the
long weeks of Lent when all butter was prohibited, Russians consumed huge
quantities of blini, little pancakes smothered in butter,
at every meal. All restaurants and taverns served blini,
always cooked a few at a time and brought piping hot to the table...
In the villages a straw Prince Carnival was seated before a bountiful table
on a sled and drawn through the streets. 'Stay, stay!' cried the crowds.
'Stay with us forever!' But, at the end of his ride, he was enthroned on a
bonfire and ceremoniously burned.
The burning of Prince Carnival is one of the last events of the eight-day
celebration. Only a few hours usually remain until the village church bells
chime
six p.m.
, and all
the festivities immediately stop and the villagers return to their homes to
prepare for the Great Fast before Easter. This celebration of Maslenitsa and the following Great Fast is an intriguing
but not uncommon juxtaposition of pagan and Christian beliefs in Russian
culture and folklore.
Scenes from Maslenitsa are a popular theme in
lacquer art, both for artists and collectors. The lively celebration can be
brought to wonderful life in the realm of Russian lacquer miniature, with
bright and captivating compositions.
|
