Russian Week in London – Festival Maslenitsa

From 8 to 14 March in London, in honour of Maslenitsa there will be an annual Russian week, though this year it will be held online. This is a great opportunity for everyone to get acquainted with folk crafts and Russian culture as well as to attend a festive online concert in honour of Maslenitsa. And, of course, there will be pancakes! Over its 13 year history, the festival organised by Ensemble Productions, has become one of the most important cultural and social events related to Russian culture, both for the London Russian-speaking community and for all the lovers of our culture in the UK. The Maslenitsa festival was first held in London in 2009, and since then its organisers have presented Russians as a positive and dynamic nation, worthily representing the great Russian cultural heritage.

January 26 – March 1: Drawing Competition “Russian Spring: Maslenitsa”

From January 26, the drawing competition for children from 5 to 16 years is accepting applications. The originality of the work must be confirmed by a parent or a trustee, there also must be a signature. Please send a scanned copy to maslenitsa.LDC@gmail.com by 5 pm on Monday, March 1. Three winners will be announced on March 9. The regulations of the competition can be found here.

March 8-14:  Zima Restaurant – Special Offer

Pancake week will start at Zima restaurant in London on March 8, during which you can order pancakes with a choice of 4 toppings: homemade jam, sour cream, salmon and caviar. You can order delivery here.

8 March at 17:00: Culinary Charitable Event

A charity culinary masterclass on making a honey cake will be held with celebrity chef Alexei Zimin. Also, the patron of the Gift of Life Foundation, Princess Catherine Galitzine, will talk with the guests about Russian and English cultures. The event is presented by ZIMA in support of the Gift of Life Foundation, which helps children with cancer. Tickets can be purchased here.

March 9 at 17:00: Pancakes and Oladushek (Fluffy Pancake) Masterclass

An expert in Russian and Eastern European cuisine and founder of the New East culinary empire, Karina Baldry, will talk about pancakes and the traditions of Maslenitsa cuisine and will hold a masterclass on making fluffy pancakes according to an old recipe from Slavic countries. Register here.

March 9 at 17:00: Maslenitsa celebration with children’s studio Smorodinka

Members of the Smorodinka group will sing folk songs, play guessing games using Russian folk instruments and also tell the guests about the traditions and rituals of the holiday. Free registration for the event is here.

March 9 at 18:00: Lecture “Russian Crafts – The Core of Russian Art”

The speaker will be the founder of the project “Culture without Borders” Lyudmila Larkina, who during the lecture will also introduce you to the works of artists from Zhostovo and Pereslavl-Zalessky. Register here.

10 March at 19:00: Happy Maslenitsa concert-lecture

The founders of the ethno-studio Folkberry and the folk group Partisan FM, Marysya Menshikova and Vladimir Abramchuk, will sing songs about Maslenitsa and tell about Russian traditions, symbols and celebration of the holiday from Tsarist times to the present day. To register follow the link.

11 March at 16:30: Russian Folk Crafts – Gzel – Online Masterclass for Children 

Registration information for the event will soon be published on the festival’s official website. Keep an eye for updates.

March 12 at 7:30 pm: Viewing “A Girl with a Hatbox” (1926)

There will also be a premiere of the score for the film by an up-and-coming composer Juliet Merchant. The silent classic film is available on the streaming platform Klassiki.

13 March at 17:00: Online Visit to the New Tretyakov Gallery with Overview of Current Exhibitions

The patron and collector Victoria Yanakova and the curator of the New Tretyakov Gallery will take you through the halls of the museum with an overview of current exhibitions. You can watch it for free here.

13 March at 19:30: Screening the film “Tsoy” (2020)

The film by Alexey Uchitel is presented in Russian with English subtitles by the Russian Film Week. The motion picture is available here.

March 14 at 18:00: Maslenitsa in Russian poetry

Poets from seven countries will read the works of Pushkin, Lermontov, Khlebnikov, Brodsky and other Russian classics. To register for the event follow the link.

14 March at 19:30: Forgiveness Sunday Maslenitsa Gala Concert

Performances by Pelageya, Varvara, Nadezhda Babkina and “Russian Song”, Nadezhda Kadysheva, Berezka Dance Ensemble, Igor Moiseyev Ballet, Buranovskiye Babushki, the group “KVATRO”, Moscow State Academic Dance Theatre «Gzhel» and many others. You can watch the free concert here.

For more information click on “buy ticket”.