Over time, these pancakes became the festival’s signature food. Known as a blini, or dense and yeasty buckwheat pancake, these buttery treats can be crowned with a variety of sweet or savory toppings ...

People play a traditional game during Maslenitsa celebrations in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Feb. 22, 2026. Various events were held in St. Petersburg on Sunday to celebrate the traditional festival ...

Residents of Berestovitsa District immersed themselves in an atmosphere of fun and folk traditions at the Maslenitsa annual district festival.

People prepare pancakes during Maslenitsa celebrations in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Feb. 22, 2026. Maslenitsa is a traditional holiday to celebrate the beginning of spring. (Photo by Roman/Xinhua) ...

What is Maslenitsa without pancakes? Belovezhskaya Pushcha cooks use a signature ingredient to prepare them. The forest air makes the pancakes fluffier and tastier. The treats are served with various ...

Today is the final day of a weeklong Russian festival that celebrates folk traditions, heroic eating and the distant promise of spring. It's called Maslenitsa, or pancake week, and it's the last ...

Maslenitsa is a traditional Russian holiday celebrated ahead of Lent, when people cook and eat a lot of pancakes, sing and dance. It originated centuries ago as a pagan ritual that was later absorbed ...

People in traditional costumes take part in the Maslenitsa festival celebrations in Minsk, Belarus, March 13, 2021. Maslenitsa is a religious holiday to celebrate the beginning of spring.(Photo: ...