March 3-9, 2008 the traditional Russian celebrations of Wide Maslenitsa (Pancake Week/Cheesefare Week before Great Lent) will take place at Vasilyevsky spusk/Red Square – at the very historic heart of Russian capital Moscow.

According to a longstanding popular Russian tradition, each day of pancake week has its own name and meaning with certain rituals and activities to be observed for each. On the First day of Wide Maslenitsa, the Russians celebrated the greeting of the coming folk «Lady Maslenitsa». The day is thus called «Greeting».

March 3 will see a solemn opening ceremony of Wide Maslenitsa at Vasilyevsky spusk/Red square. The tradition has it that the full-swing celebrations come on Thursday of pancake week. It was dubbed «Wide’n’wild Thursday» for its popular fist-fights, games, tournaments and other festivities. So, March 6 is bound to be the most interesting day of the week. That day, the guests will see something more, than on the other days – besides theatrical performances, folk and circus bands, music and dancing, all the guests will see the Maslenitsa Record fixed – the cooks will bake pancakes live and will compose a real map of the World, made of bliny.
The Filimonkovsky orphanage «Solnyushko»’ children (all 60 of them) will greet everyone present at the stage of the record with the largest Maslenitsa painted.
The reach celebrations program is also planned for March 8 (that day is the officially observed holiday in Russia): theatrical performances, dancing teams, show-groups, the Gypsies and the criers.

The wild festivities come to an end with the Sunday of Forgiveness (Cheesefare Sunday). Traditionally, the Russians on the eve of Great Lent were confessing their sins, asking forgiveness - to begin fasting with a clean slate on Clean Monday.

Sunday (March 9) is the last day of Wide Maslenitsa festivities – massive masquerade show and carnival-parade with anyone welcome to participate. The parade will start off at Triumphalnaya sq. and go up to Vasilyevsky spusk/Red square, where the participants will be shown a final concert program followed by fireworks in the evening.

Some 350.000 guests are expected to come to Wide Maslenitsa in 2008 – moscovites, as well as guests from other Russian cities and abroad.

For more information visit www.maslenitsa.com