‘Russian Folk Festivals and Superstitious Rites’ is the work by Ivan Mikhailovich Snegirev (1793–1868), published four times, from 1837 to 1839. It was the most recent and significant work by that author, although the idea was submitted to him as early as 1825 by Metropolitan of Kiev E. Bolokhvitinov, a famous scholar-bibliographer. The author notes that national festivals and ceremonies were a reflection of patriarchal antiquity. ‘Russian common Folk Festivals...’ was one of the first works devoted to religious studies, where a historical approach is realized.

The entire work was compiled from earlier literature (the author mentions the works by A. G. Glagolev, M. N. Makarov, I. P. Sakharob), from someones’ testimonies, and from the author’s observations. The book includes only a historical and theoretical introduction, in which the author tries to explain why it is important to collect information about the festivals and rites related to them – they are a rich source for understanding the internal and external life of the people. He also notes that they were shaped with the first beliefs in the course of formation of the first societies, and reflected the most ancient life of the people. He argued that most of the festivals were born in ancient paganism; they were associated both with religious services and with daily activities. For all nations, solemn expression of joy and sadness is characteristic, but natural and moral reasons lead to differences in the forms of their festivals. The author notes the difference between ecclesiastic and folk festivals. On his opinion, the first ones were introduced for the upbringing in piety, the second ones were produced by folk fantasy; for the former, an appeal to spirituality is characteristic, for the latter – to sensuality. The author notes that not all national festivals were shaped in the pagan era – some of them appeared in the first centuries of Christianity in Russia, according the new ideas.

Three subsequent issues of ‘Russian Folk Festivals...’ describe feasts, arranged according to the annual calendar cycle. The second issue consists of the following chapters: Christmas, Avsen’, Maslenitsa; the third issue includes Welcoming the spring, Krasnaya Gorka, Radunitsa, the first of April, Svistoplyaska, St Yury day of spring, the first of May, the Feast of the Cuckoos, the Semik, the Trinity Day. The fourth issue describes customs and festivals not always tied to the calendar: Mermaids and Rusaliya, Kupalo and Kupalnitsa, Yarilo, Petrovka, Bash and Bashikha, various agrarian festivals, Semen Day, Autumn Parenting, Weddings. Throughout the work there are many comparisons of rituals and festivals of Slavs with those of other nations, both ancient and modern: rites of Ancient Greeks, Romans, Germans, Scots, Danes, etc. In 1840, for the book was awarded by the Ac. of Sc. with the Demidov Award.