On March 14, Tashkent hosted a Maslenitsa festival, sponsored by the Russian Center of Science and Culture. Everybody who wished was able to taste brown pancakes and say goodbye to the winter.
In fact, merry-makers turned out to be a great deal: the saltimbancos welcoming the guests were even rallying “If you do not take your seat, it will fall to your neighbor, and no mistake”. But even the lack of seats was not able to confuse anybody, indeed, very festive and care-free atmosphere was reigning in the Center.
Indeed, on your way to the Maslenitsa Festival, you could already hear the greeting sounds of merry songs and folk tunes. Maslenitsa, is known to be a merry and bright festival and it should be celebrated in a big way, so that you can spend the coming year well and light-heartedly. The students of the Center did not begrudge: a pleasant surprise, i.e., the tables, served with traditional Russian cuisine, which are traditionally offered during a Maslenitsa festival week welcomed the guests in the Center’s yard. There were various foods in plenty: next to the copper samovars, you could find brown flapjacks, honey gingerbreads, fanciful small white loaves and cracknels, as well as tasty pies, served on plates. The center of each table was served with plates with pancakes; yellow and round, they symbolized the bright spring, coming to power.
All the tables took part in a contest and the best one or rather “the most savoury table” was to be chosen by general poll. To cast votes was anything but simple, though eventually, the majority of likings were given to Table No.3. The Center students who arranged the festive tables were saluted with cheers.
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The pancake gustation changed by histrionics. The playground, with its center decorated with a home-made doll symbolizing Maslenitsa, was filled with young girls and guys, dressed in folk costumes. They performed a folk dance. They were followed by the “Expromt” (Impromptu) choreographic studio to execute "Winter" dance and staged a sketch “Spring Welcoming”, “Maslenitsa”.
"Pevunji” (Songsters) ensemble enriched the Festival with its cheerful songs, while little artists from “Poteshki” (Nursery Rhymes), RCSC staff, who had their first appearance, pleased the Festival guests with its dance "Wobbly Dolls".
The "Pancakes at Mother-in-Law’s” sketch, where the Center’s students cracked an effectual joke about family relations between a mother-in-law and her son-in-law, enjoyed special popularity among the guests.
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The Festival’s sponsors went and arranged the games normally held during Maslenitsa such as: tug-of war, a battle with balloons, signing couplets. The most popular amusement "Cockfight" attracted most of the participants, who hopping had to make their rivals to step on both feet.
The Festival was finalized with a traditional burning the dummy of Maslenitsa, which marked the end of the winter and personified a new stage in life.
Everything negative was burnt, and it means that we should tune to the best!
