I'd
like to continue my previous post telling you about the old and
re-create Russian traditions of welcoming Spring.
Shrovetide,
like any Carnival is inconceivable without abundant feasts,
festivals, games but still performances are the main component of the
carnival.
The old picture on the box cover
Celebration of Shrovetide in Yaroslavl, 2012
In
the villages people made the symbolizing winter Straw scarecrow, they
established it on a snow hill and were sledging with songs. Guys
arranged fights and a capture of a Snow Town.
Celebration of Shrovetide in Yaroslavl, 2012
'The capture of a Snow Town' by Vasily Surikov, 1891
The
driving in a sleigh was an integral part of a holiday. The guys who
were going to get married, bought a sledge and drove in a
sleigh-and-three horses, called 'Troika'. They put the best harness
on horses.
'Shrovetide' by Boris Kustodiev, 1919
'Shrovetide' by Fetisov, 1990
According
to the Christian tradition, people asked for forgiveness and kissed
three times as a sign of reconciliation at the last day of Shrovetide
week, in "Forgiveness Sunday". All Shrovetide traditions
are intended to banish winter and to wake nature. Their symbol was a Straw Scarecrow dressed in women's clothes. People had fun and
then, with a good conscience, burned Scarecrow and said goodbye
to carnival until the next year.
The old picture on the box cover
Celebration of Shrovetide in Yaroslavl, 2012
Did
anyone of you, my friends-bloggers, drive in a sleigh?
Would
you like to drive in 'Troika' in sunny spring day?
I
will show you my burning Scarecrow in part 3, to be continued.
Such a lovely post, Nadezda. It's nice to know about your traditions. Those pictures are great, especially that cat one... ;O) Have a sunny Thursday!
ReplyDeleteSatu, yes, I love this photo with a cat.. Thank you!
DeleteGreat pictures / nice description of your carnival. We benches "heske" of the Midsummer .... I would like a ride in the carriage. Wish you a good day :) Hugs Hanne Bente
ReplyDeleteI'd like to drive in sleigh too, the last time I drove was in my childhood. I had a fun! Thank you, Hanne Bente!
DeleteDear Nadezda,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post.
I like the traditions and it is good to see that they are being kept.
I liked the cat photograph too. It is good to see the animals taking part in the festivities!
I have not ridden in a troika but I would like to.
I am looking forward to part three of your post.
Bye for now
Kirk
PS
Are enjoying sun where you are?
Kirk, 'Troika' is a very Russian invention for fast riding. As you can see one of the horses is harnessed to the sleigh, it is the main one.The other two horses are running in different directions: one jumps to the left and another to the right.Both lateral horses help to the main one. I do not know why people harnessed thus horses.
DeleteWe have nice sunny and cold weather now, thank you!
Informative and beautiful at the same time.
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful to have such traditions that are held onto.
Thank you, Barb!
DeleteHave a nice sunday!
Loved your post, I found it so interesing ans the pictures are really lovely to look at. I love the "kissed three times as a sign of reconciliation at the last day of Shrovetide week", how brilliant.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this
Green fingers, the tradition was to kiss on both cheeks three times, right cheek, left and right cheek again.
DeleteMany people like to kiss three times!Thank you!
interesting and fun!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sharon!
DeleteThank you for an excellent description of a wonderful festival. I would love to have some of those blini right now!
ReplyDeleteJason, I love 'blini' as well, and cook them very often. Love to eat pancakes with sour cream. Thank you!
DeleteA wonderful tour through a carnival celebration that seems joyful and full of the promise of spring. I love to read about these different kinds of customs. Those young women dressed in their colorful skirts is a great picture and it looks just like the old box cover!
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Laurrie! I also noticed a similarity to the old picture costumes and the costumes of singing women!
DeleteI think designers studied a lot of traditional attire and recreated it for performance. Thank you!
I am loving these posts about your Shrovetide traditions! Orthodox shrovetide and Easter are later than western/ Roman chruch. Beautiful pictures! Are the box tops on lacquer boxes? Lovely samovar!
ReplyDeletePeter,the box covers were traditionally painted and then covered with lacquer to persist painting longer. You're right the Orthodox shrovetide is on March, 11-17 and Easter is on May,5 this year. Thank you1
DeleteHi Nadezda
ReplyDeleteI really like the pictures of the parade and the national costumes. But the photos of the crepes and pancakes just make me hungry :)
Astrid, ha,ha! I love to watch the traditional costumes and listen to old songs! Thank you1
DeleteDear Nadezda,i realy enjoyed your post!Beautiful pictures!Very nice to learn the manners and customs of your country!Our Orthodox Easter is in May this year!Hope you have a lovely weekend!
ReplyDeleteDimi..
I'm glad you liked the photos and traditions I've written about. Have a nice Sunday evening!
DeleteThank you for telling us more about Shrovetide traditions. The pictures new and old are very beautiful. The cat with the ;ancake, haha. I should love to drive in a "Troika" especially on a sunny day. These horses are wonderful. My grandparents had a sleigh and horses, so many, many years ago I had a drive, I shall never forget. It is an old tradition in The Netherlands. Nowadays the winners of speedskating in our country have a drive around the ice-rink in a sleigh with horses.
ReplyDeleteJanneke, it's wonderful that you have such a tradition of riding in a harnessed sleigh.
DeleteI, too, many years ago, was riding in a sleigh with a horse, it is of course very different from driving a car!
Thank you1
Darling Nadezda!
ReplyDeleteI am delighted with your beautiful post.
I love the traditions, customs ...
I have to say that I love your music, dancing and wonderful costumes.
There are few countries in the world with such a rich and beautiful tradition.
I will come here and enjoy your post.
I send greetings.
Lucia
Welcome Nadezda!
ReplyDeleteI came to watch.
Wonderful photos!!!
Lucia
Lucia, our countries have been neighbors for centuries and our cultures are very similar, as the languages. I love your songs too! Thank you very much!
DeleteLooks like a fun carnival, and just like the old paintings! Beautiful photo of the three grays pulling the sleigh!
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, three grays horses is a traditional 'Troika'. Thank you!
DeleteLovely post Nadezda! And my cat loves pancakes too, I can’t leave the kitchen when I am making them or he will jump up and try to eat them! Your old pictures are lovely and the picture of the women in traditional dresses brought memories back to me. When I was a teenager I used to have a shawl just like the woman to the far right in the picture. It was a big fashion statement in Norway in the late 70s and most teenage girls where I lived had them – far up north, close to the Russian border, although we had no contact with Russians back then, the border was heavily guarded. Not sure what happened to my shawl but I remember I used it for years. It looked exactly like that one, black background with red roses and long fringes :-)
ReplyDeleteHelene, I suppose that the bright clothes of the Russian and Norwegians in the north helped people survive the dark and cold season. It is not surprising that people who lived nearby had similar bright clothes. And those shawl is really beautiful, I think you were very popular in your town! Thank you!
DeleteIt's good that we preserve the traditions to continue and not lost. Old photos are beautiful, and the costumes very nice with lots of color
ReplyDeleteHave a good weekend.
A kiss from Béjar. Salamanca. Spain.
Laura, thank you for stopping by my blog! Espero ver te aqui a menudo!
DeleteHi Nadezda, wow such a great post. I would dearly love to ride in a horse and sleigh through the snow. Something I have only seen on tv, on christmas shows, they make it seem so romantic. Looking forward to your next post. Have a lovely week.
ReplyDeleteKaren, riding in a sleigh and horse is very smooth, sleigh slide on the snow, but a little shaking. Thank you!
DeleteHello there Nadezda girl !
ReplyDeleteThese are such beautiful art pictures of the holidays ! .. I love the costumes and the festivities .. and those pancakes look so tasty too! ... this is a wonderful holiday to celebrate while waiting for Spring to arrive.
Lovely traditions to follow .. the closest I came to a sleigh ride is when we were sliding down hills on our toboggans as kids .. and that was great fun : )
Joy
I was riding in a sleigh and horse in my childhood, too. We, kids, had a fun.I'm glad you liked the photos, thank you, Joy!
DeleteI just love some of the artwork that you have shown in this and the last post Nadezda. My favourite is 'Shrovetide' by Boris Kustodiev. The costumes, especially the skirts in the 2nd picture are fantastic too. Are the stripes made with ribbons?
ReplyDeleteJennifer, I love this artist too. Boris Kustodiev painted a lot of pictures of the Russian way of life showed the customs and costumes in Russia 19-20 centuries. I think the women's skirts were/ are made from different colorful fabrics, with a decor (embroidered and woven patterns), and the silk, gold and silver threads. This was traditional Russian costumes. Thank you!
DeleteWhat a wonderful celebration Nadezda! I can't believe how well your second photo matches the first painting. Such beautiful, colourful costumes. Does this celebration take place near where you live, or is it only in the big cities?
ReplyDeleteThis year Shrovetide week is 11-17th of March. We have different performances and games for adult and children in parks of St. Petersburg. The photos show this celebration in Yaroslavl city, last year. This is very old and nice city in the North part of river Volga. Thank you, Rosemary!
DeleteHello Nadezda,
ReplyDeleteYour photos are so beautiful. Gorgeous costumes, vibrant colours and amazing comparisons with the old pictures. It is very interesting to learn about the traditions of your country, of which I know very little.
Thank you for helping me to learn more.
I'm glad you liked to know more about old Russian traditions. Thank you, Betty!
DeleteHello Dear Nadezda!
ReplyDeletePhotos wonderful. I admire their beauty.
Please, accept award from me.
I send greetings.
Lucia
Congratulation on your award, Lucia, and thank you for nominate my blog!
DeleteWhat a beautiful feast. I love the women's clothes/costumes. It looks so cold. I hope Shrovetide week really does banish winter. I love the kitty cat looking at the pancakes--so cute.
ReplyDeleteI love your banner photos too. The bird eating out of your hand is so sweet. Spring is coming!
Grace, these tits are not afraid and eat some seeds out of my hand! Thank you!
DeleteWhat wonderful traditions! I love the colorful costumes. They sure make up for all of the winter white.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I am hungry for pancakes. LOL!
Sorry I have not been around but the Google Reader was messing ups so I got everyone's back postings all at once. I wondered where everyone was. LOL!
Have a lovely weekend.
It was a problem, Lona. I'm glad your blog is OK now! Thank you!
DeleteHi Nadezda, I had missed this post before. Good thing you added 'part 3' in your last post, that way I knew I had missed part 2 somehow. What a lovely post!!!! So colourful! Shrovetide really is a happy and joyful feast. Love the colourful outfits the ladies are wearing in your second picture, that is breattakingly beautiful! And those pancakes look gorgeous! Love the town in the white snow and the people enjoying all the activity that's going on.
ReplyDeleteBye,
Marian
Marian, we are waiting for spring and the feast Shrovetide gives the hope of soon spring arrival. Thank you!
DeleteThe costumes the women are wearing are beautiful! I'm not familiar with Shrovetide and do not observe Lent so this was really interesting to read. I would love to ride in a troika. :o) This looks like a wonderful way to bring an end to winter and welcome spring.
ReplyDeleteTammy,I'd love to drive in a Troika, too. The last time I drove was in my childhood, I remember we, kids, had fun!
DeleteThank you!