Russian National Competition By Climbing A Wooden Pole In Celebration Of The End Of Winter In The Kaluga Region On March 13, 2016. Editorial Image

Russian national competition by climbing a wooden pole in celebration of the end of winter in the Kaluga region on March 13, 2016. Winter festival (Russian Shrovetide) - ancient Slavic holiday with numerous customs, through the ages extant. Celebrated during the week before lent. Carnival in 2016 is celebrated from 7 to 13 March. Maslenitsa is funny seeing winter, illumined joyful expectation of close heat, spring renewal of nature. In the Orthodox Church, the festival coincides with Shrove Sunday. On this festival people participate in mass festivities, competitions, including traditional Russian competitions pole climbing, tug of war and others. At the end of the holiday is traditionally burned in effigy, which symbolizes the parting winter.