Top Russian Events that Held in February – Russia, one of the largest countries in the world stretches on two continents, namely Asia and Europe with an area of more than 17 million km2. In 1991, Russia was formed from the division of the Soviet Union and became the largest country with the largest population of all the divided countries. The beauty of nature and the diverse cultures that are owned by Russia must you feel and know. Every month there are always festivals that take place in various regions of Russia. Every season that happens in Russia also has its own impression. So, Russia is a country that is always right for you to visit at any time.
If you are someone who is busy and has difficulty matching the schedule with your family, then you can only get time off in February, you need not be confused. Russia can still be a country for the right vacation. Including in February, various festivals will be held in Russia. These festivals are the Maslenitsa Festival and the Gold Mask Festival.
1. Maslenitsa Festival
The Maslenitsa Festival or in Russian is Мaсленица being one of the religious holidays in Russia. This festival is held by East Slavic people. It turned out that the Maslenitsa Festival had existed since ancient times, precisely the second century AD. According to archaeological evidence, the Maslenitsa Festival has become the oldest and most enduring festival today. Then in the mythology of the Slavs, the Maslenitsa Festival can be called the sun festival. The Maslenitsa Festival is a festival that lasts for one week, exactly 7 weeks before Easter. The Maslenitsa festival is usually called the Russian pancakes week.
During the Maslenitsa Festival, all Orthodox Christians in Russia will be prohibited from eating meat. Also this week, these people were allowed to eat eggs, milk, cheese, and various products made from these three ingredients for the last time until Easter arrived. Therefore, at the Maslenitsa Festival, the week will be called “Sunday cheese fare” or “Sunday crepe”.
At this festival there will be several religious traditions such as idol worship which are carried out as a sign that the winter is over and spring has come. This tradition is a religious tradition for Christian religion.
Activities at the Maslenitsa Festival will vary every day. These activities included making Maslenitsa dolls made of straw and old clothes. The making of the doll was intended to welcome “Lady Maslenitsa”. There are also cooking and eating pancakes, sledding and seesaw games, singing together, doing boxing fights, visiting in-laws’ houses, exchanging gifts, and having parties to drink tea or vodka. After all the activities have been carried out, then on the last day or the seventh day, Maslenitsa dolls that have been made before will be burned. At the time of burning, everyone would jump over the campfire where the Maslenitsa doll was burned.
The Maslenitsa Festival is also the last event before parties, music, dances, and other things that are not in line with religious activities will be banned. After the Maslenitsa Festival ends, there are only prayers done. On the last day of the Maslenitsa Festival, all people will apologize and give each other gifts. The day is also called “Forgiveness Sunday” or “Прощёное Воскресенье”.
The many and varied activities carried out at the Maslenitsa Festival make this festival a place for you to learn about Russian tradition and culture. The following is a summary of activities during the Maslenitsa Festival:
DAY 1 – Welcome to Maslenitsa
DAY 2 – Be Young Again and Play
DAY 3 – Pamper Your Tooth
DAY 4 – Enjoy Ria Thursday
DAY 5 – Maid Day
DAY 6 – Dash Through the Snow
DAY 7 – Say Hello to Spring
2. Gold Mask Festival
The Golden Mask Festival or in Russian Золотая Маска is a festival with theater performances and National Theater Awards events. The origin of golden mask festival in Russia has been held since 1994 by the Theater Union of Russia. This festival becomes the origin of golden mask festival in Russia. The awards program was held for all genres such as drama, opera, ballet, musical, and puppet theater. The Gold Mask Festival is the most spectacular spring festival in Russia. The festival held in Moscow City, cities in Russia that has lots of festivals, has received support from many parties such as the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, RF Theater Union, the Moscow Government, sponsors and other cooperation partners.
Not only as a form of appreciation, the origin of golden mask festival in Russia aims as an illustration of the world of theater in Russia. In addition, the Gold Mask Festival is also intended to maintain the culture of contemporary Russian theater. This festival has always attracted the attention of many people both local residents and foreign tourists. Every year the audience of the Golden Mask Festival can reach tens thousand and covered by hundreds of media ranging from print media, television, and others. Besides being able to watch it directly, you can watch the Golden Mask Festival through channels in Central Russia, one of which is the RTR-Planet.
Some of the performances that you will witness from the Golden Mask Festival are Russian Case, a work dedicated to international guests of this festival, PRO-theater Performing Arts Market, publishing project, Mariinsky tour, Alexandrinsk and Maly Drama Theater. Then since 2009, this festival has become one of the main non-competition events broadcast on Maska Plus satellite. And 2019 becomes the 25th year of the Gold Mask Festival held in Moscow, cities in Russia that has lots of festivals.
The Maslenitsa Festival and the Golden Mask Festival become Top Russian Events that Held in February. In addition to the two festivals, of course there are other events that you can witness. However, if you visit Russia in February, you must visit both festivals.