Russian public holidays in 2025
Whether you’re living in Russia or just visiting, it’s important to note the dates of Russia’s holidays. This is because on some of these dates, businesses and public institutions will close or have reduced hours.
To ensure you don’t miss out on anything important, read on for the public holidays in Russia, as well as some important dates:
- Russian public holidays: an overview
- Public holidays in Russia during 2025
- Important dates in Russia in 2025
- School holidays in Russia
Russian public holidays: an overview
Every year, the Russian government makes an announcement about the fixed Russian holidays for the coming year.
Whenever observances fall on a Tuesday or Thursday, the preceding Monday is usually declared a day off to make a bridge public holiday. In that case, the following Saturday then becomes a regular working day. On the other hand, if a celebrations falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday is sometimes also declared a holiday.
It’s worth checking if any Russian festivals fall on national days off. They’re a great way to experience local culture and sample traditional food.
Each city in Russia also has an official founding date, with celebrations, fireworks, speeches, food, and drinks. Moscow’s City Day, for example, is usually celebrated around the first weekend of September with free concerts in Lubyanskaya Square and a varied cultural program. Other cities, including St Petersburg, also have their own city days.
Here is a list of Russian national holidays in 2025, as well as other important Russian holidays you should mark on your calendar:
Public holidays in Russia during 2025
This is a list of public holidays in Russia during 2025. Please note that this list is subject to change due to official announcements.
Date Public holiday
1 January (Wednesday) New Year’s Day
2-6 January (Thursday-Monday) New Year holiday
7 January (Tuesday) Russian Orthodox Christmas Day
23 February (Sunday) Defender of the Fatherland Day
8 March (Saturday) International Women’s Day
1 May (Thursday) Spring and Labor Day
9 May (Friday) Victory Day
12 June (Thursday) Day of Russia
4 November (Tuesday) Unity Day
Important dates in Russia in 2025
Although these dates are not public holidays, they are celebrated throughout the country.
Date Special occasion
25 January (Saturday) Tatiana Day/Student’s Day
24 February – 2 March (Monday-Sunday) Maslenitsa
12 April (Saturday) Cosmonaut Day
20 April (Sunday) Orthodox Easter Day
6 July (Sunday) Ivan Kupala Day/Day of John the Baptist
22 August (Friday) National Flag Day
30 October (Thursday) Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repression
Do note that there is no daylight saving time in Russia. There are 11 time zones across the vast country, which are all permanently on winter time.
School holidays in Russia
Wondering when your little ones will be on vacation?
State and private independent schools have different holiday calendars in Russia. State schools in Russia follow a timetable set out by the Ministry of Education, but the regional authorities and schools have some freedom in deciding when holidays fall. It is essential to check holiday dates with your school, as they can vary.
The school year starts on or near 1 September.
The holidays are spread across the four seasons. Schools with a semester system have a 10-day break in autumn, an 11-day break in winter, a nine-day break in spring, and a break of around three months for summer (plus first graders get an extra 10-day break in February). Those with a trimester system have the same number of holidays but they might vary in length.
Privately run international schools in Russia can set their own school holidays. Most follow a similar pattern of breaks – autumn, winter, spring, and summer – with the main differences being:
Longer winter break: Russia follows the Orthodox Christmas calendar which celebrates Christmas Day on 7 January (Gregorian calendar). State schools typically don’t break up until the end of December. International schools usually close a few days before 25 December.
Different dates for all breaks: Some international schools also have shorter autumn and spring breaks.
Additional holidays: Many international schools have an additional holiday of a few days around May. Some schools may break for a week or more at Easter (which often falls after the spring break).
Russian school holiday dates 2025
School holidays in Russian state schools for 2025 are:
Winter break: 30 December 2024 – 12 January 2025
Extra break for first graders: 17–24 February 2025
Spring break: 24–31 March 2025
Summer break begins: 23/24 May 2025
Schools following the trimester system have the following holiday schedule:
Second trimester holidays: 29 December 2024 – 8 January 2025
End of second trimester holidays: 15–24 February 2025
Third trimester holidays: 5–13 April 2025
Summer break begins: 31 May 2025
Additional holidays and days off
As well as the standard school holidays in Russia, there are a number of additional public holiday dates when most schools will be shut. These include Fatherland Day (23 February), International Women’s Day (8 March), Russia Day (12 June), and Unity Day (4 November).