U.K. to host festival of Russian culture on March 1

LONDON, January 22 (RIA Novosti) - A festival of Russian culture, Maslenitsa, will be held in London on March 1, the event's organizers said in a statement on Thursday.

The festival will be instead of the annual Russian Winter Festival, which has been held in mid-January in London's Trafalgar Square since 2005. This year Russian Winter was cancelled for financial and organizational reasons.

Maslenitsa is due to go ahead from 13:00 to 18:00 GMT at Potters Fields, a park by the Thames, beside Tower Bridge and City Hall.

"The festival will include various music, dance and theater performances by well-known and promising Russian performers, as well as some local groups," the statement said.

Traditional Russian pancakes and other national food will also be available.