Russian Maslenitsa 2018

The Cleveland Russian Cultural Garden hosted its 4th annual Maslenitsa celebration at the Rockefeller Greenhouse.

Maslenitsa has its origins in both pagan and Christian traditions. In Slavic mythology, Maslenitsa is a celebration of the imminent end of the winter. It has been compared to Mardi Gras or Carnival.
The event was also a fund-raiser put on by the Russian Cultural Garden committee.

The Russian Cultural Gardens is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization dedicated to promoting the Russian Heritage and Russian cultural influence in America. The Russian Cultural Garden has a prominent goal of building the Russian Cultural Garden as a part of the Cultural Gardens of Cleveland in the Rockefeller Park. 

The event was full of music, games, shopping, auction and Russian food and drink.

Photos and videos of Maslenitsa 

Babushka Contest Entrant

Babushka Contest at 2017 Maslenitsa

The Russian Cultural Garden in Cleveland hosted their annual Maslenitsa celebration at the Rockefeller Greenhouse.  Ladies showed off their best babushkas in the annual Babushka Contest.

Maslenitsa in Cleveland

Babushka contest at Cleveland Russian Maslenitsa

The Russian Cultural Garden, part of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens, hosted their 2nd annual Maslenitsa celebration.  The 2016 event was at the Rockefeller Greenhouse indoors because of the weather.  This is some of the ladies in the babushka contest.


 Russians in Cleveland

A Winter Fashon Show - for babushkas!

At the first annual Maslenitsa event in the Russian Cultural Garden in Cleveland Ohio there was a babushka (scarf) fashion contest. About 8 ladies (and 1 man!) modeled their scarves and then a winner was selected by 3 judges.


Never heard the word Maslenitsa? Think of Mardi Gras, Carnival, Carnaval, Karneval . . . that's Maslenitsa by any other name. It's the party day before Lent begins in Russia.