"Culture Shock". International Maslenitsa in Vitebsk Medical University Gathered Hundreds of Students

March 14, Vitebsk . Students of all departments of the Vitebsk State Order of Peoples' Friendship Medical University (VSMU) gathered today for the international Maslenitsa , BELTA reports.

The celebration took place on the square near one of the university buildings and brought together students from several countries. Participants and spectators, of whom there were several hundred, were treated to creative and sports competitions. Among the "delicious" competitions was pancake eating for speed. Support groups watched the intense struggle. The loudest and most active were the foreign students.

"It was delicious, but I did not expect the pancakes to be without spices. But it was fun and interesting, for me it was a good new experience," Nugit Senwiru, a Sri Lankan student of the VSMU Faculty of Preparation of Foreign Citizens, shared his emotions after winning the competition.

The young man admitted that he would be more accustomed to trying pancakes seasoned with pepper, which are spicier. The future cardiologist is already somewhat familiar with Belarusian cuisine - he tried draniki and other dishes (he could not name other dishes off the top of his HEAD).

"We also celebrate spring in Sri Lanka, it's like New Year for us, but we eat rice and MILK," added Nugit Senwiru.

Sixth-year student Govher Akhmedova also felt the atmosphere of Maslenitsa for the first time.

"I am from Turkmenistan. In our country, there is a holiday called Navruz - they also celebrate the beginning of spring. This is our traditional holiday, when they prepare a special dish - sameni. Here, as I understand it, they prepare pancakes. We do not have Maslenitsa, the first time I got acquainted with this event was only when I came to Belarus . For me, it was unusual, I was impressed," the girl said. After studying the traditions of the country, as she herself noted, Govher Akhmedova began to cook pancakes according to Belarusian recipes.

The Maslenitsa festivities at VSMU lasted a little over an hour. The hostel teams offered the audience various competitions, including tug-of-war and a dance flash mob. Those who wanted to pulled out "prophecies" from an improvised "chest of predictions", joined in quizzes and a no-lose lottery. The culmination and spectacular end of the holiday was the burning of an effigy - this process was filmed on dozens of mobile phone cameras.

"Maslenitsa is an event that is probably the most interesting and unifying one (considering that we have students from more than 45 countries, today there are more than 1.6 thousand of them). They get acquainted with our Belarusian traditions, I would even say more broadly - with Slavic traditions. Because we also have students from the Russian Federation, for whom this holiday is native in its own way. It allows those foreigners who have not yet integrated into our culture to get acquainted with it, to feel all the flavor, "usyu asaloda" - this is great, because for them this is an unexpected holiday. When they get acquainted with it, they are in a state of culture shock, because they have a specific understanding of our holiday," said VSMU Rector Alexey Chukanov.

The head of the university called such events a powerful force that unites peoples. "And if we show Belarusian folklore here, this is generally great, because the effect is double," he concluded.