Russians burn 24m ’corona castle’ to celebrate Maslenitsa and bid ’farewell’ to pandemic

Subscribe to our channel! A giant ’castle’ made of natural materials was torched on Saturday as part of the Maslenitsa week celebration at the Nikola-Lenivets Art Park, in the Kaluga Region. The audience, with pre-purchased tickets, attended the ceremonial burning of the 24-metre (78 feet) art installation, made from vines and hay. The burning of the giant ’Castle of the cannibal corona’ symoblised a hopeful goodbye to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Maslenitsa programme included traditional dances around fire and competitions in which participants could win ’BliniCoins’ (Russian cryptocurrency) and exchange them for souvenirs afterwards. Meanwhile, nine other art installations made from metal, plywood and knitted fabrics by artist Olga Lesnikova were presented to the audience alongside the castle. The week-long Maslenitsa celebration of festivities precedes the most significant fast of the Orthodox year, Lent, which also commemorates the coming of spring. During the Maslenitsa week, peo