The celebrations were also attended by children from the Dedovsk Special Correctional Boarding School and two family boarding schools, each housing about fifty minors.
The celebrations which took place at the New Century Club in Krasnogorsk County of Moscow Region were organised by the Foundation for Social and Cultural Initiatives chaired by the First Lady.
Svetlana Medvedeva brought ice skates and sweets as gifts for the children. She also presented each of the educational institutions with a gift certificate for a plasma television.
“I hope you will really enjoy and remember this holiday. I want to wish all of you joy, happiness, cheer, good health, and success in all of your endeavours. I hope this entire year will be just as happy as today’s celebration,” said the First Lady.
The children celebrated with clowns, masked characters, buffoons, folk singers, and a tamed bear.
Guests at the event also spent time at the horse training grounds, where they saw the Club’s best equestrians put on an exciting show, whose pinnacle was a performance by officers in Moscow’s mounted police regiment, which included stunts and shooting.
Outside, there were tents where tea and pancakes were served to the children.
Maslenitsa, or Pancake Week, is an ancient Slavic festival which originated in pagan culture and was not abandoned after the adoption of Christianity in Russia. Maslenitsa takes place during the week before Lent and in 2010 it started on February 8.