March 05, 2026

Maslenitsa 2026: Russians Burned Their Heart


Maslenitsa 2026: Russians Burned Their Heart
Dancing in the darkness. Russian life image

During this year's annual Maslenitsa celebration effigy-burnings included, instead of a straw doll, several unusual objects, turning celebrations into a political performance. 

The tradition of burning an art-object instead of a straw "witch" was begun in 2001, with the famous Nikola-Lenivets landscape park in Kaluga Oblast. Each year, a symbolic image is chosen, the spectacular destruction of which becomes an act of collective therapy, from the installation “Project Russia” in 2007 to the “Vaccine Tower” in 2021.

Now, in the fourth year of Russia's War on Ukraine, a huge “Burning Heart” was created at Nikola-Lenivets, referring to the legend from Maxim Gorky's story, in which the story's hero burns his heart to light the way for people lost in the darkness. Considering that Nikolo-Lenivets has always been a hangout for liberal Muscovites, this performance can be seen as an act of mutual support in “dark” times. More explicit statements can be dangerous: for example, in 2022, a St. Petersburg resident who burned an effigy of a soldier was sentenced to almost four years in prison. 

Yet it is not only the opposition who use Maslenitsa to express their emotions. An effigy of Labubu was burned in Agramach Park in Lipetsk Oblast as part of a new tradition to destroy “hostile” Western toys during Maslenitsa. In 2023, Lipetskians set alight the monster Huggies, which had previously been at the center of a scandal as a toy that did not correspond to Russian “spiritual values.”

The most unexpected event this year was a performance staged in Irkutsk Oblast. On Maslenitsa eve, Russian pop star Yaroslav Dronov, known as Shaman, posted a video in which he licked the ice of Lake Baikal. The video was a provocative mix of eroticism and patriotism. In response, Irkutsk activists decided to burn an effigy of Dronov. This was explained as an action against the use of a “place sacred to indigenous peoples” for scandalous content. But, since Dronov is one of the most famous state-sponsored propagandists, the performance also seems to be a way of expressing dissatisfaction with Russian authorities.

More explicit demonstrations can only be done in exile.

You Might Also Like

With Mouths Sewn Shut
  • July 15, 2022

With Mouths Sewn Shut

Art is a powerful realm for protest. The Ukraine War has inspired a new wave of brave works.
A Pancake a Day...
  • March 17, 2024

A Pancake a Day...

A recommendation on how many pancakes you should eat during Maslenitsa.
Maxim Gorky
  • March 05, 2000

Maxim Gorky

The turbulent life of this Russian author {1868-1936}, his experience with oppression and involvement in the Russian revolution make him one of his country's most loved and important writers. Gorky was born March 28, 1868.
Painting Maslenitsa
  • March 03, 2019

Painting Maslenitsa

In which we look at how Russian painters have been inspired by Maslenitsa.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955