REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA / Calarasi / Palanca / January 2016 / Malanca in Palanca / The masks are handed down from grandfathers and fathers. Made mostly of natural materials, in this ukrainian version of the Malanca they represent the society of a traditional village, with roles as the sheperd, old man, the gipsy, the merchand, the devil, the old woman called Baba and so on. The young men of the village engage all in the preparations of the traditional Malanca. Most of them alternate their time bewteen Russia, where they work, and Palanca, which they call home. Many of the boys return from afar in order to keep the tradition alive and hand down to the younger the rituals. Proud of this celebration, they will be protagonists untill they marry. After that they will still be supporting the group without wearing a mask. В© Chiara Dazi / Anzenberger