All there is to know about Ivan Kupala in one picture

Many cultures around the world celebrate the summer solstice. The Russian version of this folk festival (out by a couple of days) is known as Ivan Kupala. Like many other festivals (Christmas, for example), Ivan Kupala combines elements of Christian and pre-Christian, pagan rituals.

RBTH explains the main elements of this holiday with reference to the painting by Ivan Sokolov "The Night of Ivan Kupala" (1856).

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