Russian blini-the sun on a plate

It is traditional Russian dish for more then ten centuries.
In pagan times blini were made during a week of Maslenitsa festival, also known as "Butter Week" or "Pancake Week" It was and it is still celebrated during the last week before the Great Lent. Maslenitsa was a sun festival, celebrating the imminent end of winter and the coming of spring. It lasted for a week, during which time people tended to eat nothing but pancakes with different fillings: caviar, smocked salmon, meet, eggs, cottage cheese or without stuffing just with sour cream, jam or honey.
The blin itself, round and golden, symbolized the sun.
My blinis with cottage cheese.