Ventspils Seaside Open Air Museum kindly invites residents and visitors of Ventspils to attend celebrations of the traditional Russian holiday Maslennitsa taking place on Sunday, February 26, from 12.00 noon to 4.00 pm.

Similarly to the Latvian holiday called Meteņi (the English equivalent for it is Shrovetide), Maslennitsa is the first holiday of the year when people are saying goodbye to winter despite the still cold weather. According to Christian tradition, most characteristic activities of the holiday include partying and eating until you burst to get ready for the Great Lent (seven weeks before Easter) when meat, fish, dairy products, eggs and unspiritual activities are forbidden.

Let's come together to have some fun! Later each of us will have plenty of time to fast and suffer in our own little corners of the world. Maslennitsa celebrations at Ventspils Seaside Open Air Museum have rather deep-rooted traditions and the Association of National Culture Organizations of Ventspils annually provides new reasons for joy.

Sunday celebrations will begin with a two-hour-long Funny Show (balagan), after which a straw effigy of Lady Maslennitsa will be put to the flames of a bonfire. The traditional straw doll burning ceremony will be followed by a concert show Musical Pancake, Men's Games, Ventspils Chastushki Contest, Folk Dance Marathon, and puppet show Moroz Ivanovich. Other activities include horse riding, strongman show, even more musical Russian entertainment game Wall to Wall, etc.

The following amateur art groups are going to participate in Maslennitsa celebrations: Ventspils folk groups Mriya, Zhuravinka, Zdravitsa, Slavyane and Laipa, children's ensemble of kindergarten "Zvaigznīte", Yelena Smirnova's Aerobics Club, Sports Club Atlants, Drama Studio Mēs of Ventspils Creativity House, and Russian ethnographic ensemble Yarilo from Liepaja.

Tickets: adults LVL 1.00; pupils, students and seniors LVL 0.40; family ticket LVL 1.50