Russia’s Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov told about the celebration of carnival abroad In the World : Vladim

Russian Ambassador to the USA Anatoly Antonov told reporters on established tradition to celebrate pancake week in Washington.

The diplomat said that the festival is celebrated in the United States for almost twenty years. Previously, it was motivated by the desire to give moral support to the Russian community of the us capital. Today, however, according to the Ambassador, the celebration of Russian Maslenitsa allows Americans to know better the cultural traditions of the peoples of Russia, to introduce them to culinary tastes in a strange country, and to facilitate the spiritual rapprochement of mentalities of citizens.

Anatoly Antonov told a briefing that the Mardi Gras – only pagan Russian holiday, which was permitted by the Synod of the Orthodox Church. It symbolizes the destruction of all the old, obsolete and the rebirth of the new light of life.

The transition from winter to spring has always been considered the Slavs renewal of the world, cure diseases of the past that, according to the diplomat, important for relations between two sovereign countries. Holiday in the Russian community of Washington has a charitable component: all funds in the Fund of support for older citizens abroad.