MOSCOW - Abstinence is in for Russians, thanks to new attention being paid to the Orthodox Church's observance of Lent.
Trains, planes, trendy restaurants and even the Kremlin are offering special Lenten menus, with an array of vegetarian dishes that meet the church's dietary requirements for the weeks before Orthodox Easter, which is May 5 this year.
The church does not keep records on the number of people observing Lent, but 10 years after the Soviet collapse and the end of state-sponsored atheism, the period of fasting and prayer is clearly becoming more popular.
During the 48 days of Lent, Russian Orthodox Christians are supposed to abstain from meat, milk, eggs and alcohol, although they are allowed red wine and fish on certain days. Pregnant women and nursing mothers, sick people and travelers are exempt.
Observing Lent seems particularly in vogue among Russia's nouveau riche, and high-end restaurants are rushing to capitalize on the trend.
At Sudar, a Moscow restaurant that often has a fleet of black Mercedes parked outside, customers can order any of a dozen special Lenten dishes, like mushroom puree and grilled eggplant.
"Lent is undergoing a revival, that's for sure," said Anna Mazayeva, a manager at Sudar.
But not everyone orders Lenten dishes out of religious devotion, she said. "For some, it's simply a way to eat healthier and lose weight."
Monsieur Reporter, another chic restaurant near Moscow's New Arbat Street, takes the Lenten concept a step further, offering gourmet choices like sweet and sour soy steak, fennel soup and green apple sorbet.
Yelena Mironova, the restaurant's manager, said roughly 75 percent of her customers order something off the Lenten menu, though they often combine it with a non-Lenten meat dish.
"We've even had cases where someone comes in and says, 'I'm observing Lent,' and then they down a shot of vodka," she said with an ironic smile.
Still, Mironova said, the increased attention to Lent seems more than just a passing trend.
"Everyone is talking about Lent, the newspapers are writing about it, so people know the rules well enough," she said. "Right now may be the peak of interest, but I think it will continue in the future."
Several rail companies and the airline Aeroflot now offer passengers a choice of a regular or Lenten meal.
The Russian government is following suit. The Kremlin, both houses of Parliament and the White House government building all have special menus for those observing Lent.
At the gold-domed Cathedral of the Grand Ascension in central Moscow, worshippers have mixed reactions to Lent and its growing popularity.
"I don't do it. A person can't live on so few calories," said Ira, 30, a secretary who declined to give her last name. "But at the same time, I'm Orthodox and I'm a believer."
Dmitri Klikov, 33, who works in an art museum, said he has been observing Lent for years and is happy to see more joining in. "If rich people are doing it, it means society is changing for the better."
Representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church are pleased about the surge of interest, if they remain a bit wary about how people are putting it into practice.
"It's become stylish, even prestigious," said Viktor Malukhin, communications director at the Moscow Patriarchate. "But it's not just about abstaining from meat and milk. It's about spiritual reflection."
Still, Malukhin said the attention focused on Lent could pay dividends in the future.
"Look at the situation we had in 1988, during Russian Orthodoxy's 1,000th anniversary celebration," he said. "At that time, a lot of people came to the church out of curiosity. Some left, and didn't become believers, but others stayed. So it was a positive experience."