Eastern Europe

Country Flag Capital City Language

Russia

Ukraine

Belarus

Estonia

Turkey

Moscow

Kiev

Minsk

Tallinn

Ankara

Russian

Ukrainian

Belarusian and russian

Estonian

Turkish

Monuments and Landmarks

Hagia Sophia (Turkey) The Motherland calls (Russia)

Red Square (Russia) St.Andrew's church (Kiev)

Holidays in Eastern Europe

The Scarlet Sails

The Scarlet Sails is a celebration in St. Petersburg, Russia, the most massive and famous public event during the White Nights Festival. The tradition is highly popular for its spectacular fireworks, numerous music concerts, and a massive water show. This tradition began after the end of World War II, when several Leningrad schools united to celebrate the end of the school year in connection with the symbolism of the popular 1922 children's book Scarlet Sails by Alexander Grin. During the first celebration, a boat with scarlet sails sailed along the English Embankment and the Admiralty Embankment towards the Winter Palace. Although it was designed to update the rusty revolutionary propaganda, the "Scarlet Sails" tradition eventually evolved into a massive demonstration of freedom from "schools and rules" and has become the most popular public event annually celebrating the end of school year.

Maslenitsa

it is an Eastern Slavic religious and folk holiday. It is celebrated during the last week before Great Lent—that is, the seventh week before Eastern Orthodox Pascha (Easter). Maslenitsa corresponds to the Western Christian Carnival, except that Orthodox Lent begins on a Monday instead of a Wednesday, and the Orthodox date of Easter can differ greatly from the Western Christian date.Maslenitsa has its origins in both pagan and Christian traditions. In Slavic mythology, Maslenitsa is a celebration of the imminent end of the winter.

Peter & Fevronia Day

The Day of Saint Peter and Saint Fevronia also known as Day of Family, Love and Faithfulness, the Orthodox patrons of marriage, was officially introduced in Russia in 2008. Svetlana Medvedeva is among the most active promoters of the new holiday. Its symbol is a white daisy.As tells the Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom, Duke Peter was the second son of Duke Yuri Vladimirovich of Murom. He ascended the throne in 1203. A few years before Peter’s principality he became seriously ill that no one could cure him. One day the duke had a dream that he can be healed by the girl Fevronia. She was beautiful, pious and good, plus she was a wise woman, she knew the properties of herbs and could cure ailments. The prince fell in love with Fevronia and vowed to marry her after the healing. The girl cured the duke but he did not keep his word. Then again he was defeated by the disease and Fevronia cured him once again. And this time the duke married the girl.After the death of his brother Peter inherited the throne. The nobles (or boyars) respected his duke, but the haughty the nobles’ wives disliked Fevronia, not wanting to be ruled by the peasant. The nobles demanded that the duke had left her. Peter, after he heard of the intentions of separating him from the beloved wife, chose to voluntarily relinquish the power and wealth and go with her in exile. So Peter and Fevronia left Murom.

Cyrillic Alphabet

The Cyrillic script is an alphabetic writing system employed across Eurasia. It is based on the Early Cyrillic, which was developed in the First Bulgarian Empire during the 9th century AD at the Preslav Literary School. It is the basis of alphabets used in various languages, past and present, in parts of the Balkans and Northern Eurasia, especially those of Slavic origin, and non-Slavic languages influenced by Russian. As of 2011 around 252 million people in Eurasia use it as the official alphabet for their national languages. About half of them are in Russia. Cyrillic is one of the most used writing systems in the world.

Eastern european cuisine

The cuisine is diverse, as Russia is by area the largest country in the world. Eastern european cuisine derives its varied character from the vast and multi-cultural expanse of Russia. Its foundations were laid by the peasant food of the rural population in an often harsh climate, with a combination of plentiful fish, poultry, mushrooms, berries, and honey. Crops of rye, wheat, barley and millet provided the ingredients for a plethora of breads, pancakes, cereals, beer and vodka. Soups and stews full of flavor are centered on seasonal or storable produce, fish and meats. This wholly native food remained the staple for the vast majority of Russians well into the 20th century.

Eastern european sports

Rhythmic Gymnastics

Rhythmic gymnastics is an activity in which individuals or teams of 5 manipulate one or two pieces of apparatus: clubs, hoop, ball,ribbon, rope and Free (no apparatus). An individual athlete only manipulates 1 apparatus at a time. When multiple gymnasts are performing a routine together a maximum of two types of apparatus may be distributed through the group. An athlete can exchange apparatus with a team member at any time through the routine. Therefore, an athlete can manipulate up to two different pieces of apparatus through the duration of the routine. Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport that combines elements of ballet, gymnastics, dance, and apparatus manipulation. The victor is the participant who earns the most points, determined by a panel of judges, for leaps, balances, pirouettes (pivots), apparatus handling, and execution.

Ukranian team

Rhythmic Gymnastic exhibition

Eastern european music

The Tropak is a traditional Russian and Ukrainian folk dance from the Russian-speaking Slobozhan region of Ukraine settled primarily by descendants of the Zaporozhian Cossacks and of the Moscow region.The dance is a brisk allegro in 2/4 time in a major key. Accompaniment is usually on two alternating chords; dominant and tonic. The tropak differs from the better known Hopak in chordal use and also in that the tempo gradually speeds up throughout the dance.The Tropak was one of the traditional instrumental dances played by blind itinerant musicians called kobzars on their banduras and kobzas. It was also one of the dances often included in the repertoire of village violinists in Eastern Ukraine.The tropak went out of fashion in the 1930s during the major transformations in Ukrainian village society and culture that happened in Soviet Ukraine at that time.

The balalaika is a Russian folk stringed musical instrument with a characteristic triangular body and three strings.