2013 SU Update: Universiade Villagers celebrate Maslenitsa

Universiade Village Mayor Farid Abdulganiev joined the students in their celebrations

KAZAN – The Maslenitsa (Butter Week) festivities were held at the Universiade Village on Saturday, March 5th. The Universiade Villagers enjoyed eating traditional Russian pancakes, took part in street games and burnt the effigy. Universiade Village Mayor Farid Abdulganiev joined the students in their celebrations.

Within the framework of the festive program, students of Kazan Federal University delivered a few traditional Tatar and Russian dance and music numbers. The Kaz Kanaty Dance Group performed a folk dance.

Residents of the Universiade Village engaged in such folk games as tug-of-war, sack and broom race, snowball fight. Despite the snowstorm that blew up that day, the atmosphere that was established on the festival site put students in spring mood and good spirits.

Exchange students from China attended the Maslenitsa festivities for the first time and were pleasantly surprised with the celebrations. Philology student of Kazan Federal University Ni Jianjin noted that there was a similar holiday in China that marked the coming of spring but the Russian Maslenitsa differed from it with its special atmosphere and large scale.

At the end of the festival the Universiade Villagers sent the winter off burning down a straw effigy symbolizing winter.

(Source: Media Department of Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate)