"Bakshevskaya Maslitsa" in a secret glade in the Moscow region

Maslenitsa, one of the most joyful Russian holidays, has been celebrated on a special scale in the forests of the Moscow region for thirty years now, in a secret glade, each time in a new place, annually gathering thousands of lovers of winter fun. “Bakshevskaya maslyanitsa” (maslyanitsa is an outdated spelling of the name of the holiday. And the holiday acquired its own name in honor of one of the founders, Mikhail Bakshevsky) arose in 1986 thanks to the initiative of a group of Muscovites, voluntary restorers who participated in the activities of the All-Russian Society in the 80s protection of monuments of history and culture (VOOPIK).

Every summer, these volunteers got together to restore another church or monastery, and one day the idea arose to revive the traditional celebration of Maslenitsa. A clearing was chosen in the near Moscow region, the first snowy town with a fortress was built, friends responded to the call - and since then, the Bakshevskaya Maslitsa has only been gaining momentum. Every year, several thousand guests come to the holiday, many of them overnight, arranging a real Russian carnival in the deep forest with songs and dances, amusing fights and the culmination of the holiday - a frantic assault and the capture of a snowy fortress.

In 2016, the Bakshevskaya Shrovetide took place in Abramtsevo, not far from Sergiev Posad.

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The fortress, the main symbol of the Bakshev Shrovetide, begins to be built from the beginning of winter, coming to the glade on weekends.

Maslenitsa is traditionally celebrated on Sundays, but by Saturday evening, hundreds of tourists of all stripes (walkers, water workers, climbers, cavers, etc.) occupy the surroundings of the glade.

The main thing is to stock up on firewood before dark.

The Maslenitsa celebration begins at 10 am, when the first guests from the morning train arrive at the glade.

Before storming the fortress, you can warm up by taking part in traditional Maslenitsa fun: climbing a smooth wooden pole in just shorts, fighting “wall to wall”, participating in amusing pillow and fist fights.

Many guests of the holiday dress according to the unofficial rules of the Bakshevskaya Maslenitsa: a Russian folk scarf is for women.

An invariable attribute of the Maslenitsa costume is drying and bagels.

Any unauthorized trade, advertising or campaigning is prohibited on the clearing.

The holiday has no religious, political or ideological background.

The storming of the fortress, of course, is the culmination of the holiday.

Anyone can take part in the assault, but it’s better not to go into the crowd without a helmet.

From below, the fortress looks impregnable: snow bricks are stacked in such a way that it is almost impossible to cling to them with your hands. We have to organize a pyramid of people.

Usually the assault on the fortress lasts 30-40 minutes, and then the defenders of Maslenitsa begin to succumb.

After the capture of the fortress, the holiday continues, ahead is the burning of the effigy of Maslenitsa.

After the burning of Maslenitsa, the guests gradually disperse to their camps, where, finally, they can take a breath.

In addition to the fortress, the organizers build snow figures in the clearing every year.

By the way, anyone can take part in the construction of the snowy town by prior request.

The remoteness of the glade from highways and settlements makes it possible to hold the Bakshev Shrovetide in the unique format that distinguishes this holiday from other Moscow festivities.