We R In Ur Religion, Turning It Pagan

According to Slavic mythology, "Maslenitsa" is a sun festival that celebrates Winter's end.

This pagan tradition has survived hundreds of years. Today it's recognized by the Orthodox church as a sort of Carnival marking the week before Lent.

The Russian Orthodox Church, waged a century-long struggle to stamp out pagan traditions in Russia. Eventually the Church capitulated and today includes many pagan rites and traditions in the Russian Orthodox calendar.

Ulyan Vasilyevich, Moscow resident, said, "For me, a Russian, it is a continuation of Russian tradition. The fact that pagan traditions survived in Russia, that the Orthodox church accepted, though with great hesitation, is a great achievement."