And this year in St. Nikole, the commemoration of the Russian holiday Maslenitsa will be held with an appropriate event, which is organized by the International Slavic University “Gavrilo Romanovich Derzhavin” from St. Nikole. Maslenitsa represents the traditional sending off of winter and welcoming of spring and is one of the most cheerful Russian holidays. A striking custom from the Russian tradition for the celebration of Maslenitsa is the burning of a straw doll, which symbolizes the old year. This year, the International Slavic University is organizing the Maslenitsa event for the 13th time. On Saturday, March 13, 2021, the Russian film “Streltsov” will be shown in the 3D cinema Kinoverzum in St. Nikole, two books will be promoted in the premises of the International Slavic University, a small handicraft bazaar has been announced, and in the yard of the University traditionally again an old straw doll will be burned.
The event is organized by MSU, the Institute of Culture and Art at MSU, the Embassy of the Russian Federation, the Union of Associations for Macedonian-Russian Friendship, the International Center for Slavic Education and the Association of Students at MSU.
The publications that will be promoted are “20 years of the association of Russian compatriots Chaika” and “Sveti-Nikole – главное поселение Ovchepolskoi kotloviny”, the first book about the city of Sveti Nikole in Russian. The author of the book is Nikola Ristevski, MSc, whose 12th edition has been translated into Russian by Kostadin Golakov. After publishing 11 books in the past four years, with this edition, Ristevski begins a new cycle of publications, in which Sveti Nikole and Ovche Pole will be presented in Russian and English.
Maslenitsa or Russian Prochka represents the celebration of new life, the awakening of nature, the arrival of the sun’s warmth. There are traditionally Russian pancakes on the table that represent the sun, and from that day on in the Orthodox world fasting begins as an announcement for the great Christian holiday of Easter.
The event will be held according to the appropriate protection protocols, and attendance will be limited. Maslenitsa 2021 begins at 12 noon on Saturday, March 13 at the International Slavic University in Saint Nicholas. Due to the emergency situation and limited attendance, a video recording of the event is expected for the interested audience.
