During the reign of Empress Elisabeth the Maslenitsa festivities were arranged in her favourite Pokrovskoye village and included tobogganing not only for common people but for the Empress as well. This tradition is still extant in Russia. But it is unlikely that anybody remembers, that sledging is not just an entertainment, but also an ancient ceremony. In the old times people thought, that the more you slided the higher would be your flax. The sleighing hills were built of snow and were decorated with two fancy turrets having fancy flags on their tops. Along the way down the hill stood two rows of fir trees substituting the barriers with statues of ice and snow between them. In the beginning of the twentieth century one Russian historian remembering his childhood thus described Maslenitsa sleighing, "On Saturday after the pancake feast we used to go tobogganing to the Zoological Garden where there were our sleighing hills. They were built of snow and wood and were covered with ice. These were very high hills on the ponds. Flags on top of the plank pavilions standing on the hills flatter in the wind. High coaches slide along the ice tracks going between the snow arbors with fur-trees driven into them. The hills are crowded. Sedate carpenter Ivan helps Pavel the clerk to cut and hand the tickets. The tickets say: "Once from both ends". People form a long row before the ticket window. Fine Maslenitsa The high sledge with velvet benches meant for six called "the coach", that returned from the other hill, is dragged up with the help of ropes along the rolled shoot. Tired off rollers - the stately braves - who conduct "the coach" down the hill skating behind the sledge, are cheerful and moderately drunk. It was a strict job, one couldn't even blink: you should hold on to the handrail, firmly conduct along the slope. The lights were put up, The booming hills growl with void. People sleigh down holding Bengal lights in their hands. The whole show is surrounded by the music of tambourines and garmoshkas…"
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