One of the traditional Maslenitsa amusements, climbing the post with prizes has been preserved since ancient times. kvartal.ru The most popular holidays of the year in Ukraine come at the end of December and the beginning of January. But in ancient times, the Slavs had their major celebration in the end of February-beginning of March, during Maslenitsa, or the Pancake Week. This year it goes from Feb. 23 till March 1.

Maslenitsa is one of those holidays that has been popular among Slavs since pagan times. It was a rite of saying farewell to winter and embracing spring. One of the major elements of the celebration, the pancake, symbolized the sun – yellow, round and hot.

After Kyivan Rus was baptized, Maslenitsa was celebrated a week before Lent, which lasts for seven weeks and ends with Orthodox Easter (celebrated this year on April 19). During Lent, the Orthodox Christians are not allowed to eat meat, fish, eggs and milk. Alcohol is also forbidden. During Pancake Week you must already say no to meat, but can enjoy many other tasty things

Traditions of the celebration mainly focuse on indulging in food and drink, various amusements, and even reckless behavior. But at the same time, the holiday have, traditionally, been very family-oriented. Family members often gather at one table and plan the week of festivities. Then, on different days of the week, sons-in-law visit their mothers-in-law. Young women receive the wives of their brothers, and so on.

Thursday signifies the start of a massive celebration, which involved sleighing down ice hills, riding horses, attending fairs, taking part in various amusements and even fist fights, or noisy parties. The final day of the holiday is Forgiving Sunday, which is also considered the last day of winter. On this day it is customary to ask and give pardons.

Despite the fact that Maslenitsa is indeed the last chance to have fun for those true believers, who will spend the next seven weeks in humility and strict dieting, the holiday is popular with many Ukrainians. Enjoying pancakes with red caviar and washing them down with vodka in the open air are a temptation hard to resist.

The holiday is annually celebrated in several locations in Kyiv.

Probably the most spectacular celebration can be expected at Pirohovo open-air museum. The party will be on from Monday till Sunday, though the weekend will surely be the highlight.

Expocenter of Ukraine traditionally holds a Pancake Week exhibition. Apart from shopping, you can take part in various activities such as horse riding.

Sunday celebration will be held in Hydropark with games, contests and dances. Holosiyivskiy Park holds Maslenitsa annually for kids and grownups as well as a festive fair.

Apart from partying you can enjoy pancakes all week long – either at your own home or at Kyiv’s restaurants.

The sure choice would be Blinoff – a chain famous for its delicious and modestly priced Slavic foods, inlcuding Maslenitsa pancakes. The restaurant offers about 40 kinds of them with various flavors from Hr 12.

Crepe de Shin has a separate pancake menu. It features 12 kinds of pancakes from buckwheat flour from Hr 46: with egg and marinated salmon; three cheeses; white mushrooms; tomatoes and mozzarella and others, as well as traditional wheat flour crepes, including the classical “Suzette” crepes (Hr 45), and nine other kinds.

Draft restaurant's Maslnenitsa specials include a selection of pancakes (Hr 15 to Hr 25) with different fillings: mushrooms, cheese and ham, cream and strawberry, meat, egg and green onions, apples and cottage cheese. Polish eatery Opalkova Khata promises to treat its guests to pancakes with caviar, red salmon, mushrooms, spinach and cheese and dessert pancakes with nuts, apples, cottage cheese and poppy seeds.


Blinoff :

(12 Luhova (Karavan), 461-8662);

(20B Moskovskiy Prospect (Plazma), 390-1701);

(83D Melnikova, 537-2730);

Crepe de Shin (25 Hoholivska, 537-7070)

Draft (1/2 Khoryva, 463-7330)

Opalkova Khata (16 Petropavlivska, 466-8806)