No educational course at our Center would be complete without introduction to Russian cultural and historical heritage and Russian national traditions.

Students of our Center are offered assistance in booking tickets to various Moscow theatres and concert venues. We arrange a variety of sightseeing tours around Moscow and Moscow area, as well as excursions to famous Moscow museums and trips to other Russian cities and historical places.

The excursions usually take place out of study hours and during weekends. Students are duly informed about all cultural programmes.

The cost of excursions and other extra-curriculum activities is not included in the tuition fee.

Maslyanitsa (Pancake week) in Suzdal

Maslyanitsa was strictly a pagan holiday, a salute to the coming spring and saying goodbye to the passing winter. Maslyanitsa is the week preceding Lent. It is a week of joy, fun and pleasure. On the whole, Pancake week may be segmented into three parts, i. e. meeting of Maslyanitsa on Monday, broad Maslyanitsa, or the peak of the festive occasion, on Thursday, and the last day, the end of the festival on Sunday morning. the food to be consumed is “blini”, raised dough pancakes, their shape resembles the sun. Pancakes are being cooked during the whole week.

According to the old Suzdal traditions the celebration of Maslyanitsa will take place on the Kamenka riverside. It is one of the most ancient parts of the town. On this place archeologists found frying pans belonged to the times of paganism. Ancient Slavs used them for making pancakes.

At the manor the “Cherry orchard” pancakes served with caviar, mushrooms and sturgeon are offered for those who want to taste traditional Russian food. Here one can also find traditional entertainment: sleighs, snow castles, games and competitions.

Maslyanitsa is always associated with sleigh rides. In the Vladimir province there was a tradition to put a dressed up man into a sleigh, he represented Maslyanitsa. He sat on a wheel holding a bottle of wine and kalachi (traditional Russian bread) in his hands. He was accompanied by singers and musicians.

In many places a snow city was built, the young people divided into two groups, and a snow fight ensued that always ended in the fall of the snow city. The winners got presents, wine and sweets. At the end of the festival the stuffed effigy of Maslyanitsa was burned.

Maslyanitsa is the last holiday celebrated in winter. It includes Russian and foreign, pagan and orthodox traditions. For instance burning a man of straw and playing games relate to pagan traditions.

Traditionally on Maslyanitsa a lot of people visit Suzdal. In its streets and squares one can see various performances as fist fighting or duels of fighting geese. If you are planning to come to Suzdal on Maslyanitsa we would advice you to visit the Market Square with its handicraftsmen and shows. You will enjoy sleigh rides, pancakes and “medovukha” (traditional Russian drink made of honey). A big man of straw will be burned at the end of the festival.

By suzdal.org

Vladimir

Modern Vladimir is a part of the Golden ring of the ancient Russian cities and a significant tourist center. Its three chief monuments, inscribed by UNESCO on the World Heritage List, are the following:
• the magnificent five-domed Assumption Cathedral was designed as a sepulchre of grand princes and dedicated to the holy icon Theotokos of Vladimir, which had been brought to the city by Andrew the Pious. The cathedral was constructed in 1158–1160, expanded in 1185–1189, and painted by the great Andrei Rublev and Daniil Chyorny in 1408. In 1810, they added a lofty bell-tower in Neoclassical style.
• The warrior-like cathedral of St. Demetrius was built in 1194–1197 as a private chapel of Vsevolod the Big Nest in the courtyard of his palace and was consecrated to his holy patron, St. Demetrius. For all its formal unity, the cathedral represents a truly international project of Russian and Byzantine masters, Friedrich Barbarossa’s masons, and carvers sent by Queen Tamar of Georgia.
• The Golden Gate, originally a tower over the city’s main gate, was built in 1158–1164. The gate acquired its present form after having been grossly reconstructed in the late 18th century, to prevent the dilapidated structure from tumbling down.

Other remarkable monuments of pre-Mongol Russian architecture are scattered in the vicinity.

By Wikipedia