Head of European Programs of the Russkiy Mir Foundation Alexei Gromyko took part in the celebration of Maslenitsa in London, which this year for the first time was held on Trafalgar Square in the center of the city. The celebration was supported by the Russkiy Mir Foundation, Onexim Group, the Russian Minister Culture, Russian Embassy in Great Britain, the mayor’s offices of London, Moscow and St. Petersburg, Rossotrudnichestvo and others. The event was organized by the British company Ensemble Productions, which is headed by Olga Balakleets
On March 6, Forgiveness Sunday, Trafalgar Square was jam-packed with people, who had come for an elaborate celebration of the both Christian and pagan holiday. Trafalgar is known not only for Nelson’s Column and the National Gallery but also for public events of diverse genre – from union demonstrations and antiwar marches to public celebrations of all sorts. At one point in time the current Mayor Boris Johnson of the Conservative Party, who replaced the Labor Party’s Ken Livingstone, even wanted to forbid mass gathering on the square. However, British tradition could not be undone and Trafalgar remains a place of the people. And it was Mayor Johnson who officially launched the start of Maslenitsa celebrations on this early spring day.
This public celebration of Maslenitsa was held for the third time, but this was the first year that it took place at such a prestigious place in London. Of course, apart from the main stage, bliny, flapjacks and other Russian cuisine was offered in tents set up throughout the square, attracting long lines of revelers. In this area packed with thousands of people, English speech was less common than Russian. And probably for the first time in the history of street celebrations in London, a video bridge was set up by Russia Today between the British capital and Moscow, where the main Maslenitsa celebrations were being held on Vasilievsky Spusk near Red Square.
During the official part of the event, the visitors of the celebration heard speeches by Deputy Mayor of London Richard Barns, representative of the Conservative Party Greg Hands, Russkiy Mir Foundation Representative Alexei Gromyko, Russian Ambassador to Great Britain Alexander Yakovenko, the renowned Russian sportsman Alexei Nemov and others.
Among the Russian sportsmen supporting the celebration was Andrei Arshavin, and his wife Yulia together with Alexander Oleshko and Julian Gallant, head of the Pushkin House, acted as MCs for the celebrations concert, which included some of the most popular contemporary Russian performers.
In the evening the Institute of Directors, which is situated on Pall Mall (one of the central streets of London) held a ceremonial reception in honor of Maslenitsa.
Speaking at the event Alexei Gromyko noted the following: “Britishness and Russianness change together with the world. But does it not evoke respect that located in a sea of other cultures and traditions they find a way to foster and support their own uniqueness, while at the same time preserving their openness to the outside world?”
Alexei Gromyko
