[253] Shizhenskii and Aitamurto described one Kupala festival, held over the course of three days outside Maloyaroslavets in Russia; at this event, weddings, purification rituals, and name-giving ceremonies took place, accompanied by musical performances, martial arts, and folkloric plays, while a market sold traditional handicrafts. [370] These books teach what the scholar Rasa Pranskeviit has defined as a "cosmological pantheism",[371] in which nature is the manifested "thought of God" and human intelligence has the power to commune with him and to actively participate to the creation of the world. [245], Rodnovery is headed by a priestly class distinguishable into the orders of volkhv (translatable as "wiseman", "wizard", i.e. Yes, our ancestors believed in these things but we should not any longer", as polytheism is regarded as obsolete within the religion. In Slavic pagan beliefs, souls are separate from the body and dwelt on earth for forty days after someone died. [132], Ideas and practices perceived as coming from Western liberal societywhich Rodnovers perceive as degenerateare denounced as threats to Slavic culture; for instance, alcohol and drug consumption, various sexual behaviours and miscegenation are commonly rejected by Rodnovers, while they emphasise healthy family life in harmonious environments. The term was first employed by Yury Petrovich Mirolyubovthe writer or discoverer of the Book of Velesin the mid-twentieth century, and later adopted by the founder of Peterburgian Vedism, Viktor Bezverkhy. The shared underpinning is a pantheistic view that is holistic in its understanding of the universe. [128] Laruelle similarly found an emphasis on patriarchy, heterosexuality, traditional family, fidelity and procreation. [280], A key influence on the movement was the circulation of the Book of Veles among Russian and Ukrainian emigrees. Only the new people, the sun-worshippers, will be able to survive. Animals such as wolves, bears, hares or foxes thanks to the wide area of distribution firmly entrenched themselves in various legends, stories, mythology and art of Slavic people. Vladimir Istarkhov, in the book "The Strike of the Russian Gods", predicts that in the era of Aquarius there will be a revival of the pagan gods, and the "Aryan power" will triumph over the "Jewish devil. It guards the living from destruction, and from the degradation of the soul and spirit. [359] Makeyev himself, in a 2007 publication entitled "Assianism and world culture" (Assianstvo i mirovaya kul'tura), presented the religion as a worldwide spiritual heritage. [435] Simpson observed that in the country, Rodnovers were "still relatively young",[436] and saw an overlap with the community of historical re-enactors. [170] Some of them merge Rodnover themes with others adopted from Germanic Heathenry and from Russian Orthodox Christianity. [61] By the early 2000s, the term was widespread across Slavic countries. . Over time, however, tribes were consolidated and, not long after, most converted to Christianity. [42], In Ukraine, the first practitioners of Slavic Native Faith appeared in the 1930s. [59] Rod is conceived as the absolute, primordial God, supreme ancestor of the universe, that begets all things,[59] and at the same time as the kin, the lineage of generation which is the ancestral bond to the supreme source. [111] Sylenko acknowledged that the ancient Slavs were polytheists but believed that a monotheistic view reflected an evolution in human spiritual development and thus should be adopted. 1938). [46], The most commonly used religious symbol within Rodnovery is the kolovrat ("spinning wheel", e.g. Add to Favorites Kolovrat Leather Keychain - Slavic Mythology Sun God Svarog Symbol leather metal T keychain - FREE shippng - snis. [71] When using English language terms to describe their religion, some Rodnovers favour "Heathen", in part due to a perceived affinity with the contemporary Germanic Heathens who also commonly use that term. Ivanov, who declared himself a Zoroastrian and subscribed to "Arism" or "Slavism", published a fervently anti-Christian pamphlet entitled "The Christian Plague" (Khristianskaya chuma). Others have been assimilated by Christian teaching and aligned with new beliefs. [195] For instance, in 2002 Serbian Rodnovers established Svevlad, a research group devoted to historical Slavic religion which simulated academic discourse but was "highly selective, unsystematic, and distorted" in its examination of the evidence. [171] A number of young adherents of the Slavic Native Faith have been detained on terrorism charges in Russia;[166] between 2008 and 2009, teenaged Rodnovers forming a group called the Slavic Separatists conducted at least ten murders and planted bombs across Moscow targeting Muslims and non-ethnic Russians. She lives in the underworld with her counterpart, who is . [218] The Orthodox Christian Old Believers, a movement that split out from the Russian Orthodox Church during the reform of Patriarch Nikon of Moscow in the seventeenth century, is seen by Rodnovers in a more positive light than the mainstream Russian Orthodox Church, as Old Believers are considered to have elements similar to those of the Slavic Native Faith.[219]. [315] Another Polish Rodnover group under the leadership of Lech Emfazy Stefaski registered by the state in 1995 is the Native Polish Church (Rodzimy Koci Polski), which represents a tradition that goes back to Wadysaw Koodziej's Holy Circle of the Worshippers of Svetovid. Air. [414] Rodnovery is also spread through a variety of newspapers and journals. In 2012 they presented their official flag. [119] Christianity is also considered as a system that destroys morality by casting human responsibility away from the present world and into a transcendent future,[121] its theology also enforcing a separation of the supreme God from the world. [290] The journal attracted various personalities, including Anatoly Ivanov, the artist Konstantin Vasilyev (19421974), and Nikolay Bogdanov, among others. Russian folklore has its roots in the Slavic pagan traditions. His name, sometimes styled as Jarilo, comes from the Russian for bright or bright lord. Yarilo represents youth and rebirth. [266] This organisation was a government-recognised entity until 2010, when it was unregistered and became an informal association due to disagreements between the Castists and other subgroups about whether Slavic religion was Indo-European hierarchic worship (supported by the Castists), Neolithic mother goddess worship, or neither. . [296] In the 1980s, Boris Rybakov published his last books, including The Paganism of the Ancient Slavs (1981) and The Paganism of Ancient Russia (1988). [410] A high proportion were also involved in specialist professions such as engineering, academia, or information technology, and the majority lived in cities. [133] Many groups in both Russia and Ukraine have demanded the prohibition of mixed-race unions,[134] while the doctrine of the Ynglist Church includes an articulate condemnation of race mixing as unhealthy. It will not come as any surprise that most of the demons in Slavic mythology took the form of women. [111] A number of senior followers broke with Sylenko during the 1980s, rejecting the idea that he should be the ultimate authority in the religion; they formed the Association of Sons and Daughters of the Native Ukrainian National Faith (OSID RUNVira) and secured legal control of the temple in Spring Glen. [53] Rodnovers generally present their symbols in high-contrast colour combinations, usually red and black or red and yellow. [89] While most Rodnovers call it Rod, others call its visible manifestation Svarog or Nebo ("Heaven"), and still others refer to its triune cosmic manifestation, Triglav ("Three-Headed One"): PravYav-Nav, SvarogBelobog-Chernobog, SvarogDazhbog-Stribog, or DubSnop-Did. TScottFitzgerald 1 yr. ago. [143] Rodnovery typically emphasises the rights of the collective over the rights of the individual,[144] and their moral values are the conservative values typical of the right-wing of politics: emphasis on patriarchy and traditional family. [186] Some Rodnovers take their cosmology, ethical system, and ritual practices from the Book. Slavic mythology has its roots in the human Neolithic Period, when various tribes of Slavic people, geographically designated as North, South, East, and West, worshiped pagan deities according to . [40], The concept of double belief is especially significant in Russia and for the identity of the Russian Orthodox Church[41] and the folk Orthodoxy of the Old Believers;[42] in that country, it is an oft-cited dictum that "although Russia was baptised, it was never Christianised". [14] In 2002, six Russian Rodnover organisations issued the "Bittsa Appeal" (Bittsevskoe Obraschchenie), in which, among the many topics discussed, they expressed the view that "Rodnovery" should be regarded as the foremost name of the religion. 4.5 out of 5 stars (584 . [185] The fact that many scholars outspokenly reject the Book as a modern, twentieth-century composition has added to the allure that the text has for many Rodnovers. Slavs belong to the group of Indo-European peoples, also called Aryan peoples (do not confuse this term with the term 'Aryan race'). [19] In this way, Slavic Native Faith has been understoodat least in partas an invented tradition,[20] or a form of Folklorismus. [129] Most Rodnover groups will permit only Slavs as members, although there are a few exceptions. The symbol Chur represents the god of boundaries and property, and the delineation between that which belongs to one person, and that which belongs to another. [286] Native Ukrainian National Faith congregations were established among Ukrainian emigree communities in other parts of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Other symbols such as animals, geometric shapes, and ancient Slavic runic writing, are considered to be associated to specific gods, and the prayer to their image is considered to intercede with these gods. She offers protection to women during childbirth. There are, otherwise, Rodnover groups that intertwine with forms of religion and spirituality which are not immediately related to the Slavic Native Faith (this is the case of Ivanovism, Roerichism and Anastasianism). [387] Despite this, Ynglism continues to operate as an unregistered religious phenomenon represented by a multiplicity of communities. [236] The Ukrainian organisation Ancestral Fire of the Native Orthodox Faith promotes a healing technique called zhyva that has close similarities to the Japanese practice of reiki. [11], Some involved in the movement avoid calling their belief system either "paganism" or "religion". [100], In Ukraine, there has been a debate as to whether the religion should be monotheistic or polytheistic. [437] They also observed that males constituted the majority of the community. [244] Gaidukov documented that in the 2000s Rodnovers erected a statue of Perun in a park near Kupchino in Saint Petersburg, although they did not obtain official permission first. History . These ceremonies typically entail the invocation of gods, the offering of sacrifices and the pouring of libations, dances and communal meals. [139] Aitamurto observed that the different wings of the Rodnover movement "attract different kinds of people approaching the religion from quite diverging points of departure". [191], Rodnovery has a "cyclical-linear model of time", in which the cyclical and the linear morphologies do not exclude each other, but complement each other and stimulate eschatological sentiments. [253] Similarly, Schnirelmann noted that the founders of Russian Rodnovery were "well-educated urbanised intellectuals" who had become frustrated with "cosmopolitan urban culture". [240], Rituals and religious meetings are often performed in rural settings, forests and clearings. [444] Though Rodn Vra no longer maintains structured territorial groups, it is supported by individual adherents scattered throughout the Czech Republic. [136], There is no evidence that the early Slavs ever conceived of themselves as a unified ethno-cultural group. It is believed that Slavic mythology can trace its roots back to the Proto-Indo European period, and perhaps as far back as the Neolithic era.The early Proto-Slav tribes split into groups, consisting of the East, West Slavs, and South Slavs.Each group created its own distinct set of localized mythologies, deities, and rituals based upon the beliefs and legends of the original Proto . [188], Some Rodnovers believe that the Slavs are a race distinct from other ethnic groups. ), a variant of the swastika (Sanskrit: "wellbeing", "wellness"). Ivakhiv classifies Roerichians and others movements of Theosophical imprint, such as the Ukrainian Spiritual Republic founded by Oles Berdnyk, together within the broader "Vedic" movement. [230], Rituals of initiation include a formal renunciation of Christianity (raskrestitsia)[231] which entails the baptism with a Slavic name (imianarechenie), the ritual of entry into a brotherhood (bratanie), and rituals of marriage and death. [121] In other words, fleeing from the commitment towards the forces at play in the present context is the same as a denial of the gods; it disrupts morality, impairing the individual, society and the world itself. Boris Rybakov emphasised the continuity and complexification of Slavic religion through the centuries. Veles is associated with creativity, honesty and determination, as well as common sense wisdom and personal responsibility. Among the members are eleven organisations including the Gontyna Association, the ertwa Association, the Pomeranian Rodnovers (Rodzimowiercy Pomorscy), the Drzewo Przodkw Association, the Circle of Radegast (Krg Radogost), the Kadus Association, the Swarga Group (Gromada "Swarga"), the WiD Group, ZW Rodzima Wiara and the Watra Rodnover Community (Wsplnota Rodzimowiercw "Watra"). Classified as a new religious movement, its practitioners hearken back to the historical belief systems of the Slavic peoples of Central and Eastern Europe, though the movement is inclusive of external influences and hosts a variety of currents. [81], Prior to their Christianisation, the Slavic peoples were polytheists, worshipping multiple deities who were regarded as the emanations of a supreme God. [441] While the contemporary association is completely adogmatic and apolitical,[442] and refuses to "introduce a solid religious or organisational order" because of the past internal conflicts,[443] between 2000 and 2010 it had a complex structure,[442] and redacted a Code of Native Faith defining a precise doctrine for Czech Rodnovery (which firmly rejected the Book of Veles). Indra), Iranian deities (such as Simargl and Khors), deities from the Book of Veles (such as Pchelich) and figures from Slavic folk tales such as the wizard Koschei. [233] The structure of these Syenkoite rites is modelled on those of the Eastern Orthodox Church. [168] Rodnover themes and symbols have also been adopted by many Russian nationalists who do not necessarily embrace Rodnovery as a religion,[169] for example many members of the Russian skinhead movement. Adherents of Rodnovery usually meet in groups in order to perform religious ceremonies. [123] This emphasis on individuality is not at odds with the value of solidarity, since collective responsibility is seen as arising from the union of the right free decisions of reflexive individuals. The Slavic Kremlin Vitaly Sundakov is one of such centres, located in the Podolsky District of Moscow Oblast. [203] Some Rodnovers also take a hostile stance towards Judaism, which they regard as having spawned Christianity,[204] or believe that Christianity has led the Slavs under the control of the Jews. [394] Outside of Russia, the movement has communities in Belarus, Bulgaria and Ukraine, and as a sport it is practised in other countries too. The Slavic mythology personified many aspects of the world, with worshipers believing that waters, forests, households and even illnesses were represented or governed by spirits. The Lunica is a symbol worn by Slavic and Viking women. [143] The renaming symbolises the death and rebirth of the individual into the new community. [393] The original federation of Belov splintered many times over the years giving rise to other distinct groups of military Rodnovery; Belov, however, continued to remain a central figure for the movement as a whole. [74] Indeed, many Slavic languages have two terms that are conventionally rendered as "pagan" in Western languages: the aforementioned pogan and yazychnik. [133] Aitamurto and Gaidukov noted that "hardly any women" in Russian Rodnovery would call themselves feminists, partly due to Rodnover beliefs on gender and partly due to the negative associations that the word "feminism" has in Russian culture. [225], According to Aitamurto, rituals play "a central role in defining, learning and transmitting the religion", and thus they constitute an important complement to Rodnover theology. [115] The United States-based Native Ukrainian National Faith established itself in Ukraine soon after independence, with the first congregation in Ukraine gaining official recognition in Kiev in 1991. [55] The suffix "-ism" is usually avoided in favour of others that describe the religion as if it were a practice or craft (which is the meaning of the Ukrainian and Russian suffix -stvo, thus translatable with the English suffix "-ery, -ry"). [231], There is much variation between major currents and organisations of Rodnovery. withershins, leftwise) in those rituals dedicated to the gods of Nav (underworld). The return to reflections on the "Aryan" theme takes many forms. Finally, the Trojan symbol may be said to connote the three dimensions of time: past, present and future. Dodola is the Slavic Goddess of rain, sometimes thought to be the goddess of the air, also. Koliada Viatichey is theologically dualistic, giving prominence to the complementary principles of Belobog and Chernobog, respectively governing spirit and matter, a polar duality which reflects itself in humanity as the soul and the body. In Christianity wolf was associated with evil spirits but still most of these . [138], Laruelle observed that Rodnovery is in principle a decentralised movement, with hundreds of groups coexisting without submission to a central authority. [302] The first Rodnover website on the Russian Internet (so-called Runet)was created by a Moscow-based believer in 1996. The Ossetians endonymously call the religion Watsdin (Ossetian Cyrillic: , literally "True Faith"), and practice it in large numbers. The four points of the star represent faith, freedom, righteousness and honor, while the circle represents the Sun. The Slavs believed in three planes of existence: the heavens, governed by Perun, Dazhbog, Mokosh and Lada, symbolized by the sun and the moon; the earthly plane, occupied by humanity; and the underworld, symbolized by snakes and darkness, ruled over by Veles. [45] According to her, the case of Russia is exceptional compared to western Europe, because Russia neither lived the intellectual upheavals of the Renaissance, nor the Reformation, nor the other movements which severely weakened folk spirituality in Europe. [92] Many Rodnovers believe in casteism, the idea that people are born to fulfill a precise role and business in society; the Hindu varna system with its three castes priests, warriors and peasants-merchants is taken as a model, although in Rodnovery it is conceived as an open system rather than a hereditary one. [253] A questionnaire distributed at the Kupala festival in Maloyaroslavets suggested that Rodnovers typically had above-average levels of education, with a substantial portion working as business owners or managers. [48] As such, it represents wholeness, the ultimate source of renewal, the cosmic order and the four directions. [129] Schnirelmann observed that Rodnovers' calls for social justice tend to apply only to their own ethnic community. [11] In 2003, the Russian Ministry of Justice had forty registered Rodnover organisations, while there were "probably several hundred of them in existence". [307] Many people became unemployed, and many turned to the past, nourishing the study of ethnic roots. It is believed that, for this reason, Veles symbol has stylized horns. Nemiza is the Slavic god of death, in that he or she would cut the thread of life. The god was depicted, at different times, as both male and female. [241] The basic structure of a temple of the Slavic Native Faith, the ritual square (, kapishche), is constituted by a sacred sacrificial precinct, accessible only to the priests, at the centre of which are placed poles with carved images of the gods and a ritual fire (krada). [164], Laruelle has observed that even in groups which reject extreme nationalism or are apolitical, ethnic identity is still important, and a good Rodnover is considered one who is conscious of ethnic identity, national traditions, and knows the history of the ancestors. In Witcher 3, his rune will cause burning. "" - slavic sun wheel - "kolovrat" means "spinning wheel" in a number of slavic languages. In religious terms, there is a development of a number of movements focused on the "re-creation" of ancient Slavic paganism. [312], In Poland, the Wrocaw-based publishing house Toporze reissued Stachniuk's works and those of his disciple Antoni Wacyk. [295] The Pamyat movement attracted personalities interested in Vedism and welcomed the ideas developed among Russian emigrees, also organising a conference on the Book of Veles led by Valery Skurlatov (b. Rodnover ethical thinking emphasises the good of the collective over the rights of the individual. [76] According to Demetria K. Green of the Johns Hopkins University, Rodnovery is strictly intertwined with the development of East Slavic languages, and especially of Russian language, which preserved embedded in themselves ideas and terminology of ancient Slavic religion over the centuries facilitating its revival in the modern era. In 2012, in Russia, representatives of the Union of Slavic Native Belief Communities, the Circle of Pagan Tradition and the Circle of Veles, signed an "Agreement on Mutual Recognition of Priests" that defined the criteria for the ordination of those wishing to become Slavic priests. [70], Some Slovenian practitioners use the Slovenian language term ajd, which is a loan-word of the Germanic-language heathen. [184], Many within the movement regard the Book of Veles as a holy text,[185] and as a genuine historical document. [9], The scholar of religion Alexey Gaidukov has described "Slavic Neopaganism" as a term pertaining to "all quasi-religious, political, ideological and philosophical systems which are based on the reconstruction and construction of pre-Christian Slavic traditions". Yes, it's a Slavic symbol. [350] Yet, they espouse Russian nationalism, ancestrality and ecology, and oppose Christianity (but not folk Orthodoxy, which is regarded as a continuation of Russian indigenous religion) and the Western "technocratic civilisation". In Belarus and the neighbouring regions of Russia there are groups taking inspiration from the Kriviches, of one of the tribal unions of the early East Slavs, mixing Slavic and Baltic traditions. He is a source of wealth, sometimes translated as wealth-giver, and represents justice and well-being. [17] This is often right-wing ethnic nationalism. [292] The first manifesto of Russian Rodnovery is considered to be the letter "Critical remarks by a Russian man" (Kriticheskie zametki russkogo cheloveka) published on such journal, anonymously in 1973, by Valery Yemelianov (19291999), who was then close to Khrushchev. Rod is often depicted as a man, holding a fish, wheel, flowers and wearing a linen belt which moves in the wind. the kolovrat is one of the most respected and most powerful protective pagan symbols and is a symbol of the god, svarog. Zhiva (or iva) is the goddess of life in the Slavic mythology. It was believed that dead ancestors existed within the same spiritual plane as the Slavic deities. Vasilyev's art is widely celebrated within the Rodnover community. Sep 8, 2018 - Explore Kelli Andrews's board "Slavic mythology & symbolism" on Pinterest. Aitamurto summarised Rodnover ethics in the concepts of patriarchy, solidarity and homogeneity, with the latter two seen as intrinsically related. [158] Other Rodnovers hold philo-Semitic views instead;[159] for instance, Kandybaites regard Jews and Asians in general as part of the same Eastern spiritual humanity of which the Slavs themselves are part, opposed to a Western despiritualised beastly humanity. Alkonost, who gets her name from the Greek demigod Alyclone, is a creature with the body of a bird and the head of a woman. The goddess Mara, sometimes Marzanna, in Slavic Paganism represented the death and rebirth of nature, particularly the end of winter and the beginning of spring. [440], The leader since 2007 is Richard Bigl (Khotebud), and the organisation is today devoted to the celebration of annual holidays and individual rites of passage, to the restoration of sacred sites associated with Slavic deities, and to the dissemination of knowledge about Slavic spirituality in Czech society. Later, Avdeyev abandoned Eurasian ideas and came to racial doctrine. The contemporary organised Rodnovery movement arose from a multiplicity of sources and charismatic leaders just on the brink of the collapse of the Soviet Union and it spread rapidly during the mid-1990s and 2000s. [97], When emphasising this monism, Rodnovers may define themselves as rodnianin, "believers in God" (or "in nativity", "in genuinity"). Slavic Pagan Design. [283], One of the disciples of Volodymyr Shaian was Lev Sylenko (19212008). [177] Aitamurto has defined the Rodnover idea of the veche as a form of grassroots democracy, or, using the term preferred by the Ynglists, as a samoderzhavie, that is to say a system of "self-power", "people ruling themselves". Tropa Troyanova does not identify itself as a "religion", but rather as a "traditional worldview". Her voice is incredibly beautiful and alluring, causing people to forget everything and never be able to experience happiness like hearing the voice again. [269] He claimed that in 1934 he underwent a spiritual revelation atop Mount Grekhit in the Carpathian Mountains. Glory to Dazhboh! In the Slavic mythology, Viy (or Bog Viy) is the guardian of the Heavenly Border, which separates the Light Halls the spiritual world inhabited by the gods and dead souls from the Dark Halls populated by demons and evil spirits. [274] the term Zadruga refers to a South Slavic tribal unit. Kupala night is still celebrated in many Northern European countries on the summer solstice, as the Pagan Slavic tradition was assimilated into early Christian rituals. [2] Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Baba Yaga's Book of Witchcraft: Slavic Magic from the Witch of the Woods at the best online prices at eBay! Most Slavic people worshipped in natural circles and groves; and it plays a large part in all kinds of magic. [402], According to Laruelle, the most politicised current of Rodnovery has given rise to organisations in Russia including the Church of the Nav ( ), founded by Ilya Lazarenko and inspired by German Ariosophy; the Dead Water movement and its parties which participated to the State Duma elections in 2003; Aleksandr Sevastianov's National Party of the Russian Great Power, which has had links with politicians close to the former mayor of Moscow Yury Luzhkov (19362019); and the Party of Aryan Socialism led by Vladimir Danilov. The symbol for Prov represents truth. [211] In 2015, the movement was observed to be small but well connected with romantic intellectuals and nationalist political circles,[425] and with the debate about the ethnic identity of the Belarusians. [91] Rod is also "Time" (Kolo), scanned by the cycle of the Sun, ad reflected in the turning of the hours, the days, the months, the seasons, and the year. The movement has its headquarters in eastern Ukraine,[377] the region of origin of Ivanov himself, and it is widespread in Russia. [205] As an alternative to the "mono-ideologies" and the world of "unipolarity" that they created, Rodnovers suggest their idea of "multipolarism". Black magic spells were also used for revenge, protection, and power. The ideas of these Rodnover political groups span from extreme right-wing nationalism and racism, to Stalinism, seen by some of them as the most successful political expression of Paganism. [37] Practitioners often legitimise the incorporation of elements from folk culture into Slavic Native Faith through the argument that Slavic folk practices have long reflected the so-called "double belief" (dvoeverie), a conscious preservation of pre-Christian beliefs and practices alongside Christianity. Years later, the protagonist guards the secret of the library from a Moscow scientist who burns old books. [53] Also appropriate chants and gestures are believed to allow the participants to enter in communion with the upper world. [190] Temple buildings (, khram) may be present. [284] Sylenkoism was influenced by deism and Theosophy. [126] A festival that is believed to be the most important by many Rodnovers is that of the summer solstice, the Kupala Night (June 2324), although also important are the winter solstice festival Karachun and Koliada (December 2425), and the spring equinox festival Shrovetidecalled Komoeditsa or Maslenitsa (March 24).