Last week Russia celebrated Maslenitsa, or pancake week, which is followed by Great Lent (40 days of fasting) starting on March 11. For many in the country it was the last chance to eat red-blooded meat, seafood with backbones, and dairy products, as the Orthodox Church dictates.
So, as you can imagine, believers and non-believers alike wasted no time in using the holiday as an excuse to gorge themselves on pancakes, or bliny. The collective sizzle of batter hitting hot pans could be heard across the country.
Only your imagination can hold you back when choosing which toppings to slather over bliny. Anything goes, including jam, sickly sweet condensed milk, berries, stewed cabbage, smoked salmon, red and black caviar, minced meat...
People let their creativity run wild, creating cakes and art with bliny.
Letneeutrechko12 / Pikabu
One of the symbols of Maslenitsa is a straw doll, which is burned on the last day of the celebration, so some Russians decided to create their own dolls by draping Barbies in bliny to mimic national costumes.
Would you eat them?
P.S. Someone has a unique sense of humor...
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