Russian Festival Maslenitsa in London

Trafalgar Square will be transformed into a bustling bazaar offering traditional Russian foods, handicrafts and souvenirs and original art from contemporary Russian artists. At the same time performances from some of Russia’s most acclaimed dance, theatre, folk, pop and jazz artists will entertain the audience from the Festival’s main stage. All this will be linked live with the Red Square in Moscow via video link.

Highlights include:

Folk State Academic Pyatnizky Choir, laureate of the “National Treasure Award” which this year celebrates its 100th year.

Russian Pop-group Balagan Limited

Pop-star Valery Syutkin

Legendary Rock band Chaif

Unique prize-winning vocal ensemble A’Capella ExpreSSS

Siberian folk music and dance ensemble Ülger – one of Russian’s most famous groups and experts in the art of throat singing.



Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London said: “In 2012 London will welcome the world for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and throughout the year fantastic events like the Maslenitsa festival will vividly illustrate why London is the most exciting international city on earth.”

The Maslenitsa celebration is a centuries-old Russian tradition that bids farewell to the bitter winter months and welcomes the beginning of the spring. It also marks the last feast before Lent in the Russian Orthodox calendar, when rich foodstuffs must be used up before the Lenten fast; just like Shrove Tuesday in the UK, the traditional Maslenitsa meal is a Pancake but served with a Russian twist: instead of the usual lemon and sugar, Maslenitsa pancakes, or Blinis, are traditionally served with Caviar and Vodka.

The 2012 Maslenitsa Festival will build successes of previous years. In 2011 Maslenitsa Festival was held for the first time in Trafalgar Square and over 90,000 attended. London boasts one of the largest Russian populations anywhere in the world outside of Russia, with over 160,000 Russians living in the Capital, and the city is the second most popular destination for flights from Moscow after St Petersburg.

London’s Maslenitsa Festival has been created in cooperation with the Mayor of London, the Greater London Authority and The Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, and is supported by Moscow City Government.