One of the most noisy, colorful, funny, satisfying and beloved by the people of the holidays is called Maslenitsa. So it was from time immemorial until the revolution. The celebration of Maslenitsa is well, detailed and interestingly described in V. Kataev’s stunning memoirs “The Grass of Oblivion”, and it is beautifully, with great love shown in the film by N. Mikhalkov “The Siberian Barber”.
Through years of oblivion
During the years of Soviet rule, “remnants of the past” were forgotten. For most people, this holiday was associated only with pancakes, festivities, their rules, traditions were forgotten, and even the painting by V. I. Surikov “Taking the Snow Town” from the majority was not directly associated with Shrovetide. Of course, there were many people who remembered everything related to the culture of the people, otherwise the festivities in all their details would not have been reborn so quickly. Bakshevskaya Shrovetide is an example of this. In recent decades, the authorities have done a lot for decent winter farewells and spring meetings - in almost every city on the central square or in the main park, sanctioned festivities are held and pancakes are baked. But if the settlement is not entirely in the north, then it is rather difficult to provide skiing from the ice slides and taking a snowy town.
Initiator
In Russia, like in no other country, the initiative has been developed, and there have always been many volunteers who are ready and able to come up with and implement something new and interesting. The clearest example of this is the initial KVN. Only in our country, several talented people sitting in the Moscow kitchen can give birth and implement an idea that will be interesting to thousands.
“Bakshevskaya Shrovetide” is also from this series. From the very beginning it is necessary to name the main initiator, by whose surname this year-on-year becoming more and more massive holiday was named. Mikhail Gennadyevich Bakshevsky (02.16.1960 - 01.17.1998) built in 1986 the first snow fortress. He himself called the holiday Maslianitsa. He devoted all this remaining years of his life to this idea (in 1998 he died of an asthma attack).
Giving a holiday
Everything that this purely national holiday is connected with is interesting - who built and is building, how snow objects are being erected, who comes to the Bakshevskaya Maslenitsa holiday. The photo shows that all - invited and not invited - the road clogged by people goes beyond the horizon. The organizers of this unusual, sustained in the traditions of antiquity, actions are related to the IGOs VOOPiK. The abbreviation stands for Moscow City Branch of the All-Russian Society for the Protection of Monuments of History and Culture. The people-organizers of the holiday “Bakshevskaya Shrovetide” are the voluntary assistants of this organization, there are many of them, and the association takes on the scale of the movement. Initially, they arranged a winter holiday for themselves, but it turned out so interesting and genuine that it became a welcome bait for many.
All reach for the light
And now the action is also considered a fashionable "party", where it is desirable to light up. Strangers began to arrive, and, of course, there were some incidents. Maybe that’s why the organizers of the holiday keep a “snowy meadow”, intended for the celebration in secret. And still thousands get, so everything is great and real here. The capture of a 7-meter snow fortress follows all the rules.
“Bakshevskaya Shrovetide”, it’s also “Shrovetide of voluntary assistants to restorers”, has been held for 30 years, and the volunteer society itself has become widely known, thanks to it. It is clear that people who give their leisure time to the restoration of the monuments of Russian culture and antiquity are not only interesting in themselves, they are ascetics, "the salt of the earth."
Interesting people
Organizers - people are far from stupid, proactive and energetic. The whole large society of volunteer organizers is divided into certain groups - “Rozhdestvenka”, “Preobrazhenka”, “Belozertsy”, “Kadashi”, “Tsaritsino”. The names are associated with the restored objects. Each group has its own site of work and embodied ideas. So, “The Hut on Chicken Legs” is built by “Christmas”.
Among the attractions and installations there are ice slides, swings and carousels, built in accordance with the way it was in the old days. There is a pillar with a gift at the top, there is a snow ship. “Maslenitsa Bakshevskaya”, created according to the rules (people who are knowledgeable, talented and tastefully engaged in it), itself becomes a property. It will be a pity if this holiday in the form as it is does not become a tradition “for centuries”. But 30 years is also a deadline.
All his
Mikhail Bakshevsky built 14 fortresses and spent 13 holidays. He, they say, was a holiday man himself. Friends and associates, recognizing his merits, awarded Michael the title "Maslississimus Maslississimus the Bastard". This is the eminent organizer and the wonderful Bakshevskaya Shrovetide festival he created. The anniversary Bakshevskaya Shrovetide, of course, was the best and gathered a record number of people. Held it on February 22, 2015. In the reviews you can read that this holiday, although cheerful, but worthy, without rudeness and revelry. This is probably because the celebration has traditions, a certain environment of like-minded people has developed around Maslyanitsa, in addition, there are many strong guys (funny guard of Maslenitsa town) who for the most part know each other by sight and can prevent troubles.
