Maslenitsa

Lady Maslenitsa is a folkloric figure symbolizing the end of winter and the coming of spring in Slavic tradition, particularly during the Maslenitsa festival, a pre-Christian, later Orthodox-associated celebration.

Often depicted as a brightly dressed straw effigy with a sun-like face, she embodies warmth, fertility, and renewal.

Throughout the week-long festival, Lady Maslenitsa is honored with pancake feasts (blini), games, and dancing.

On the final day, her effigy is ceremonially burned in a bonfire, representing the destruction of winter and the hope for a bountiful season ahead.

This act blends agricultural rites with seasonal mythology, reinforcing her role as a solar symbol of transformation.