The paper begins with some general reflections on the meaning of the motif of celebration in the genre of drama (and theatre) and shows the evolution of this motif in Russian dramatic art from its beginnings. Using the example of Michail Jur'evič Lermontov's most famous drama "Maskarad" (The Masquerade) the paper tries to show that the motif underwent considerable functional changes in Russian postclassical and romantic drama by providing the institutional framework for the development of the central conflict.