The center of the Maslenitsa Square were Balagans (show-booths). Maslenitsa balagans were the main attraction though not always affordable. Balagans were the face of the carnival. The number of balagans, the pomposity of the finery and the names of their promoters - all were the signs of the degree and importance of the event. Initially the word "balagan" meant "an upper extension of a building". In the beginning of the XIX century the word meant "a convertible shopping construction". The term acquired the nowadays meaning, which is a construction for traveling shows, or booths, only in the second half of the XIX century. Professional actors, state functionaries, craftsmen, as well as circus actors performed on these light theatrical constructions.
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