Tours: Folk Customs, Russia

Maslenitsa

Russia is the country of extremely spectacular folk traditions. The Russians, in general, are special. Have you heard about the phenomenon of mysterious Russian soul? Even such a seemingly boring job as housekeeping was turned by Russian peasants into a festive activity: songs accompanied their trips to the field work, and back home. Women gathered in a big circle, while sewing or embroidering, sang, told stories, jokes, and giggled. And during holidays or weddings villages were full of unbridled joy. On Easter, Christmas Day, Pancake Day (Maslenitsa) the holiday celebrations were held with the observance of all folk customs. On Maslenitsa they baked blini (thin pancakes), on Easter they painted eggs, on Ivan Kupala day they gathered herbs... To receive the unforgettable experience plunging into the bright kaleidoscope of Russian folk traditions is indeed possible during our tours. Virtually in every Russian city we will attend ethnographic museums, the exhibitions, which will tell and show you what clothes men and women used to wear, what household items existed. But the most interesting and informative things will be seen in ethnographic centers and villages, where one can feel the real flavor of the Russian province, become a participant in ancient rituals: weddings, christening, fortune telling, celebrations... Those villages vividly display the lifestyle of old Russian villages. You can also enjoy traditional meals and try to chop wood, grind grains, stoke the Russian oven, and fetch water from a well. Such programs are interesting, original and are very much appreciated by tourists.