Fires Blaze Across Russia for Maslenitsa
Russia's pre-Lent festival known as Maslenitsa came to a scorching end Saturday with the burning of traditional bonfires across the country.
Here's a look at the revelry in the Nikola-Lenivets art park in Kaluga region.
Here's a look at the revelry in the Nikola-Lenivets art park in Kaluga region.
This year's celebrations in the park had a "burning bridges" theme.
Sophia Sandurskaya / Moskva News Agency
The festival has its roots in a combination of Christianity and paganism.
Sophia Sandurskaya / Moskva News Agency
In earlier times, old things were thrown into the bonfires to represent renewal and the casting out of sadness and sin.
Sophia Sandurskaya / Moskva News Agency
The madness of Maslenitsa is a last blast before the austerity of lent ...
Sophia Sandurskaya / Moskva News Agency
... but it also means spring is on the way at last!
Denis Voronin / Moskva News Agency
