BYU Russian Department celebrates Russian holiday Maslenitsa

The BYU Russian Department recently celebrated Maslenitsa, a traditional holiday, in preparation for springtime and Easter.

It was an evening filled with good food, beautiful singing and a fantastic performance from BYU's International Folk Dance Ensemble. The purpose of the event was to foster belonging among those connected to Slavic culture.

I just love being able to share my culture with other people, and I feel like it's really important, Slavic Choir singer Andrew Crookston said.

My mom was in a similar Russian dance and choral group, so I want to connect more with my heritage and where I come from, Crookston said. I think there's huge value in that.

Maslenitsa, from the Russian word maslo, meaning butter, is a final feast before Lent, and its symbolic preparation for Easter inspired everyone in attendance.

Jennifer Bown, department chair in the BYU German & Russian department, explained why the celebration is significant at BYU.

I think there's a lot that we can learn from Slavic culture, Brown said. The music and dance, their approaches to Easter, their approaches to the great fast, it's just a very rich culture.

The event served as a reminder that in a time of international tension, politics must be separated from people.

We're still a culture, we still have the shared history that is important to recognize, Crookston said. Just because of politics, that shouldn't affect how we view other people and other cultures.

The BYU Slavic Choir meets weekly and accepts anybody interested.