The religious scholar spoke about the pagan roots of the feast of Ivan Kupala

The historical tradition of the feast of Ivan Kupala has its roots in ancient calendar and agrarian rituals associated with the summer solstice and the symbolism of fertility, however, the idea of the pagan deity Kupala has no confirmation in the sources and arose much later as a result of erroneous interpretation. Religious scholar Nikita Pavlov reported this in an interview with Izvestia.

"There was no pagan god Kupala in history. This deity is the result of a scientific misunderstanding of the 17th century. Polish historians, studying folk Kupala songs, made a hasty conclusion and discovered the Slavic god, whose name actually comes from the name of the ceremony itself," he said.

The expert stressed that the very word "Kupala" is not associated with the name of the deity, but with ritual practice. According to him, the pagan rituals that formed the basis of the holiday were dedicated to a symbolic event — the "wedding of the sun god with the dawn," an important part of the mythological idea of natural cycles.

Of particular importance in this context was the bathing ceremony, which, according to Pavlov, symbolized the "ritual bathing of the sun in the waters." According to the religious scholar, it was this element that gave the name to the entire holiday. He added that Kupala rituals fell on the day of the summer solstice and were closely related to magical practices aimed at ensuring fertility and a successful harvest.

"It was the day of the summer solstice, associated with agrarian fertility cults and magic designed to ensure a good harvest. It is important to understand that in its pre—Christian basis, it was not so much a holiday in honor of a particular deity as a complex calendar ritual marking a turning point in the annual cycle of nature," said the religious scholar.

Read more in the Izvestia article:

"Ivan Kupala – 2026: the true story of the most mysterious holiday of summer"