Best Russian celebrations

Usually such events like Easter and Christmas and also historical and religious events are considered to be the traditional Russian festivals. Among them are the following which celebrate music, food, film and theater and sometimes snow and ice. In this guide we are going to provide you with the best festivals and celebrations in Russia:

– 7 January: Russian Orthodox Christmas

– 25 January: Tatyana’s Day

– January: International Festival of Snow and Ice Sculpture, Krasnoyarsk

– February: Maslenitsa Festival

– 8 March: International Women’s Day

– April: Moscow International Film Festival

– March/April: Golden Mask Theater Festival, Moscow

– May-July: White Nights Festival, St Petersburg

– 9 May: Victory Day

– June: Scarlet Sails, St Petersburg

– June: Ivan Kupala Night

– June: Taste of Moscow

– June: Wild Mint Folk Festival

– July: Nashestvie, Moscow

– August: Afisha Picnic, Moscow

– Early November: Day of Accord and Reconciliation, Moscow

– Mid-December to mid-January: Russian Winter Festival

– December/January: New Year

7 January: Russian Orthodox Christmas

Also like other religious celebrations, the Revolution of 1917 has influenced the Christmas. Christmas namely the birth of Jesus is celebrated on January, 7 by all Russians and also the Russian Orthodox church. Christmas is admitted to be a religious event when families gather together to attend church services on Christmas Eve on January, 6. At home they are eating a special holy supper that contains kutia such call a porridge with raisins. And other people just attend all-night vigils at church.

25 January: Tatyana’s Day

Tatyans’s Day is considered to be a Russian Students Day. On 25 January 1755 name the saint’s day of third – century Christian martyr St Tatyana- Empress of Russia Elizabeth signed a decree to establish Moscow State University. Thus, Saint Tatyana became the patron of students. Therefore there are a lot of universities which celebrate Saint Tatyana day, hold balls and choose the best Tatyana from the students.

January: International Festival of Snow and Ice Sculpture, Krasnoyarsk

The Magic Ice of Siberia is an international competition on the banks of the Yenisei River in Krasnoyarsk. To be in a competition in the categories snow and ice the biggest frozen artworks are created by the sculptors, architects, and artists.

February: Maslenitsa Festival

There is the biggest Maslenitsa Festival namely pancake week in Russia that is continued 7 weeks before Easter. This festival means the pagan tradition of transition from winter to spring with eating a lot of food before Lent. On that day there are a lot of various activities like:

• making Maslenitsa dolls from straw and old clothes;

• eating a lot of pancakes;

• playing on seesaws;

• singing;

• fistfighting;

• exchanging gifts;

• feasting;

• drinking tea or vodka.

On the last day Maslenitsa dolls are burnt, and young people jump over bonfires.

Celebrations start the night before Easter Sunday. Churches fill with lights and, at dawn, the bells ring out to announce the arrival of Easter. Everyone paints boiled eggs in bright colors and has a traditional feast. Typical Easter foods are round sweet bread as well as Easter cake served with sweetened curds, butter and raisins.

8 March: International Women’s Day

On March,7 Russians celebrate International Women’s Day as a symbol of women’s equality. This day is considered to celebrate women’s achievements. On that day people do not work and just celebrate when everyone gives presents to the best women for them.

April: Moscow International Film Festival

The very first Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF) was in 1935 when the jury was headed up by world-renowned film-maker Sergei Eisenstein (of Battleship Potemkin fame). It became a regular event on the cultural calendar in 1959. More than 200 films from 50 different countries are screened, with the best picture winning the Golden George.

March/April: Golden Mask Theater Festival, Moscow

The Golden Mask Theater Festival is normally taking place in Moscow and its made to be an all-Russian theater festival and competition. It includes all genres like drama, modern dance and puppet theater.

May-July: White Nights Festival, St Petersburg

Due to St Petersburg’s northerly location, the sun never fully sets in St Petersburg between May and mid-June. You can talk a walk at midnight and still see the sun on the horizon. This provides the romantic backdrop for the annual White Nights Festival, an arts festival with music and dance by Russian and international stars. The Mariinsky Theatre has a program of more than 175 operas, ballets, and classical concerts – and locals snap up tickets pretty quickly. There are carnivals, also, the best being in the suburb of Peterhof where actors dress up in historical costume from the time of Peter the Great and re-enact historical events.

9 May: Victory Day

On May, 9 there is a celebration the end of World War II when parades, spectacular fireworks and displays of military strength are appeared. The best attracted event is in Red Square in Moscow when you can see the soldiers, tanks, missiles and other military equipment with military planes in the sky. Military memorials all over Russia are spruced up, and there are displays in museums.

June: Scarlet Sails, St Petersburg

The White Nights Festival culminates with Scarlet Sails. Scarlet Sails is considered to be the biggest annual public gathering in Russia when more than a million of people watch a mock pirate battle on the River Neva, a firework show, and a tall ship with sails the color of blood. This events means the end of the school year.

June: Ivan Kupala Night

This is a summer solstice celebration related to John the Baptist (Ivan means John and kupala is related to a Slavic word for bathing) and 23–24 June in the Julian calendar is used by the Orthodox church. Girls wear flower or herb wreaths on their heads, and in the evening the wreaths are decorated with burning candles and set afloat; the girl whose wreath travels the farthest will have the happiest year ahead, and the candle that burns the longest means a long life. People light bonfires and jump over them for good luck. Some seek a special flowering fern said to direct the finder towards treasure. There are fireworks, of course.

June: Taste of Moscow

Year by year in Moscow there is a selection of top restaurants for 3 days of masterclasses and tasting sessions that is open to all the families because a kid’s menu is offered and a special entertainment zone. You can see there zones for different types of food, drink, and music to make a festive atmosphere. There are more than 200 different masterclasses and also both Russian and international food.

June: Wild Mint Folk Festival

Each summer Moscow Ethnomir complex includes the biggest open-air world folk music festival. You can hear there different folk-based genres as afro-beat, ethno-jazz, raga, Russian folk. As an option, you can go there to the food stalls, markets and body and soul workshops.

July: Nashestvie, Moscow

On July, there is the largest open-air rock festival with Russian rock bands. This festival is organized by Russian rock station Nashe Radio. Nashestvie means invasion in Russian but a lot of people call the festival the Russian Woodstock. There you can watch established and also new musicians from Russia and neighboring countries.

August: Afisha Picnic, Moscow

Afisha picnic in Moscow is just a one-day event butalso the oldest and well-known festival in Russia. It’s held in the grounds of Kolomenskoye, a former Tsar’s estate on the banks of the Moscow River. It attracts big Russian and international names such as the Kaiser Chiefs, Courtney Love, Jamiroquai and Madness.

Early November: Day of Accord and Reconciliation, Moscow

In November Day of Accord and Reconciliation is made to celebrate the communist revolution in 1917 -1918 years. There is usually a large parade in Red Square near the Kremlin.

Mid-December to mid-January: Russian Winter Festival

Russian Winter Festivals are normally hold in all the Russian cities but the biggest one is held in Moscow. On this day Moscow is decked with thousands of fairy lights. There are a lot of activities on that day in Izmailovo park like the following:

• watching performances of folk songs and dances;

• ice skating;

• take a ride in one of the three-horse sleighs called troikas;

• seeing beautiful ice sculptures;

• buying crafts;

• eating warm pancakes or bagels spread with jam or honey;

• listening to a balalaika concert;

• watching a fashion show.

December/January: New Year

Because of Christmas ban for many years in Russia, many Christmas traditions were diverted to the New Year celebration on December, 31. Instead of Christmas trees people decorate New Year trees and instead of Father Christmas there is Ded Moroz with his granddaughter Snegurochka to deliver presents.

Families enjoy feasts, listen to the President’s New Year Speech and the Kremlin clock strikes midnight. Many Russians also celebrate a second New Year on 13–14 January or Old New Year, a tradition dating back to the old Julian calendar. Concerts, carnivals and street fairs – and a large ice rink in Red Square – are part of the fun.