On March 1 and 2, Irkutsk will celebrate Maslenitsa widely. Festivities will take place in all districts, and the biggest celebrations will be in the city center and at Yakobi Bay. Residents can expect concerts, theatrical shows, contests, pancakes, burning of Maslenitsa, and a festive fireworks display, and at Yakobi a Cossack Maslenitsa will be held for the first time with a snow town and games for the whole family. It will be no less interesting in Taltsy, where sled rides with huskies and malamutes, children's slides, and even a contest for the best restaurant are prepared.
On March 1 and 2, Maslenitsa festivities will take place in all districts of the city. The most large-scale celebrations will be held in the city center and at Yakobi Bay in the Sverdlovsky District.The main city celebration, “Irkutsk Maslenitsa,” will begin on March 2 at 1:00 p.m. in the square by the Trud Sports Palace. Residents can look forward to amusement rides, a theatrical performance, a concert featuring well-known creative groups from Irkutsk, a Maslenitsa round dance, exciting contests, delicious pancakes and porridge, lots of gifts, the burning of Maslenitsa, and a festive fireworks display in honor of the arrival of spring.
This year, a Cossack Maslenitsa will be held for the first time in Irkutsk at Yakobi Bay. It was organized by the Folk Drama Theater and the Committee for the Administration of the Sverdlovsky District. A snow town will be built at the bay, and games for both adults and children have been prepared. On the concert stage, performers from the Folk Drama Theater and creative groups from the Sverdlovsky District will appear. Special invitation tickets are being distributed to pensioners and veterans. In addition, postcards will be issued for the holiday, featuring paintings of Maslenitsa festivities by famous Russian artists.
Throughout the week, the House of Crafts will host master classes on making pancakes from old recipes and Maslenitsa dolls. Many events will take place in the city’s libraries.
Preparations for welcoming Maslenitsa are also underway at the Taltsy Architectural and Ethnographic Museum. The museum has prepared plenty of parking spaces. For young visitors, small snow slides will be available; Irkutsk residents will be able to ride in dog sleds drawn by sled dogs (huskies and malamutes), as well as take photos with these affectionate animals. In Taltsy, in addition to traditional Maslenitsa contests, there will be a competition for the best restaurant (7 Irkutsk restaurants will operate in the museum during the folk festivities).