A child stands near Cossacks who are standing in a line during the celebrations of Maslenitsa, or Pancake Week, outside Almaty March 17, 2013. Maslenitsa is widely viewed as a pagan holiday marking the end of winter and is celebrated with pancake eating, while the Orthodox Church considers it as the week of feasting before Lent. The participants are from the Cossack Union of Semirechye, which translates as “seven rivers territory”, which is located in the south-eastern part of Kazakhstan. (Photo by Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters)
|