Russian winter carnival at its finest
Russian winter carnival at its finest
This weekend marked the close of Maslenitsa in Russia – a folk holiday that bids farewell to winter. Alongside piles of blini and good cheer comes the ritual tradition: the burning of a towering effigy, a gesture intended to banish the cold and beckon the spring.
At Nikola-Lenivets, a village and a picturesque art park in the Kaluga Region, artists annually construct a vast wooden installation only to torch it before a gathered crowd. The spectacle carries a distinctive grandeur: part pagan pageant, part open-air gallery, part Russian Burning Man.
This year's theme turns to the legend of Danko, the hero created by Russian/Soviet writer Maxim Gorky. In the tale, he tears his heart from his chest, turning its inner glow into a living flame to guide his people through a dark forest.
Take a glimpse at how the festival unfolded and see the heart of the celebration burn bright.
Source: Telegram "RusEmbUK"