Maslenitsa is an ancient Slavic folk holiday, celebrated during the last week before Great Lent, that is, the eighth week before Eastern Orthodox Easter. Maslenitsa corresponds to the Western Christian Carnival. Please note, the Orthodox date of Easter can differ from the Western Christian date.

The holiday still keeps the inheritance from the pagan culture. It is a farewell to winter, a joyful waiting of the warmth and spring. As the centuries passed, there appeared the new church holidays, but maslenitsa is still alive. It is met and said farewell as joyfully as many centuries ago.

From ancient times people considered spring to be the beginning of a new life and admired the Sun which gives life and power to all living creatures. At first people cooked fresh cakes, but when yeast dough appeared people began to cook pancakes. Ancient people considered a pancake to be the symbol of the Sun, as it is yellow, round and hot. They believed that they ate the warmth and power of the Sun together with a pancake.

Each day of maslenitsa has its own meaning and name. Monday may be the welcoming of “Lady Maslenitsa”. The community builds the Maslenitsa effigy out of straw, decorated with pieces of rags, and fixed to a pole. It is paraded around and the first pancakes may be made and offered to the poor. On Tuesday, young men might search for a fiancée to marry after lent. On Wednesday sons-in-law may visit their mother-in-law who has prepared pancakes and invited other guests for a party. Thursday may be devoted to outdoor activities. People may take off work and spend the day sledding, ice skating, snowball fights and with sleigh rides. On Friday sons-in-law may invite their mothers-in-law for dinner. Saturday may be a gathering of a young wife with her sisters-in-law to work on a good relationship. The last day of the week is called "Forgiveness Sunday". Relatives and friends ask each other for forgiveness and might offer them small presents. As the culmination of the celebration people gather to a self-made winter scarecrow to burn it in a bonfire. For Orthodox Christians it is the last day on which dairy products are allowed until Easter. Sunday is the highlight of Maslenitsa week, it's widely celebrated with a round-dance, songs, games. 

In Siberia there is also a Maslenitsa tradition to build a big snow town. Young men and boys participate in the game, the aim is to capture the town, to destroy it. Participants were divided into two teams - the besiegers and besieged. The town is protected on foot, attacked - by horse. Besieged men use twigs, brooms, throw snow by shovels into besiegers. Horses should be get afraid by blank shots from a gun. The first who broke through the gate is the winner. After the game, the winner is "washed" in the snow. The game is shown on the painting of Vasily Surikov The Capture of Snow Town.