Tag: Russia

Is it curtains for the Suez Canal

The Suez Canal has provided a link as important as the jugular vein to the world of commerce since 1858. Its importance has dramatically diminished since a container carrying vessel buried its bows in the canal’s banks and constipated the seaway’s traffic.

Russia Divorces Europe but Europeans pay the Bill

Russians have finally realised that the Europe they wanted to partner with after the Soviet collapse in 1991 no longer exists. It was predicted that Russia’s post-Soviet generation would embrace a shared identity with Europe. However, polls demonstrate that Russians are rapidly shedding the European identity of their country.

Spectacular Slavic Carnivals before Easter

Slavic carnivals are known under different names in various Slavic countries: [Macedonian language: ‘Прочка’ (Prochka)], Bulgarian: Сирни заговезни, Прошка (Sirni zagovezni, Proska), Russian: Масленица, Мясопуст (Maslenitsa, Miasopust), Polish: Ostatki, Mięsopust, Zapusty, Czech: Masopust, Šibřinky, Ostatky, Slovak: Fašiangy, Slovene: Mesopȗst, Pust, Pustni teden, Fašnk, Serbian: Покладе, Poklade, Croatian: Pust, Poklade, Mesopust, Fašnik. They are traditional Slavic festivals related to the period of carnival.

Maslenitsa: Slavic ‘Spring Festival’

Maslenitsa (Belarusian: Масленіца, Russian: Мaсленица, Rusyn: Fašengy, Ukrainian: Масниця, ; also known as Butter Lady, Butter Week, Crepe week, or Cheesefare Week) is an Eastern Slavic religious and folk holiday, which has retained a number of elements of Slavic mythology in its ritual, celebrated during the last week before Great Lent, that is, the eighth week before Eastern Orthodox Pascha (Easter).