Events Not to Miss on Your Russia Tour in 2021 | Travel Guide

Events Not to Miss on Your Russia Tour in 2021

Events Not to Miss on Your Russia Tour in 2021

You are here

Last updated:
08.11.2020

The travel season in Russia offers many exciting experiences! Starting in May, the national holidays, parades, and celebrations follow one another making the cities even more fascinating and the Russia tours - more memorable. Here’s a list of events you wouldn’t want to miss.

White Nights & Peterhof Fountains

Saint Petersburg is the remarkable cultural capital of Russia that was given an extraordinary gift by nature: the White Nights. From about May 15th to July 10th the romantic White Nights create a mind-blowing positive atmosphere. At this time of the year it seems as though the whole population of the city doesn’t sleep. People take walks down Saint Petersburg’s streets admiring the architecture and the drawing of bridges in the half-dim sky and listen to the sounds of music.

Peterhof Fountains

The city celebrates the beginning of the warm season by an incredible and well-known event: the opening of the Fountains at Peterhof Palace. Held in the middle of May this unique celebration is dedicated to the first water. On this day the 147 fountains located on the territory of the gorgeous imperial residence are turned on, accompanied by a traditional military orchestra, dancing and decorative illumination. The jaw-dropping beauty of the surroundings together with the festive mood are sure to sink into your memory for a very long time.

Scarlet Sails

Another well-known annual public event which takes place during the White Nights in Saint Petersburg is the traditional Scarlet Sails show, celebrating the end of the school year as well as the graduation of senior students. On June 26-27th breathtaking fireworks light up the city’s sky symbolizing freedom from "schools and rules".

Scarlet Sails

An actual ship with red sails sails along the city’s adjacent waters just like in the famous children’s book by Alexander Grin. Lots of music concerts, entertainment programs, ballet and orchestra performances and a massive water show on the Neva River decorate and enliven the “Venice of the North”.

Kupala Night

Ivan Kupala Day is an ancient pagan holiday observed in Slavic countries, celebrating the summer solstice. Traditionally the festive gatherings took place every year on July 6th in honor of the god of fire. For many centuries light and fire have been the symbols of Kupala.

Kupala Night

On this night people jump over bonfires and swim in rivers to burn and wash out all the bad. They sing and dance in a ring around bonfires, make wreaths out of leaves and flowers, girls wear them on their heads and let the wreaths float on water to tell their fortune. Ivan Kupala is an unforgettable cultural event worth experiencing.

The Maslenitsa Festival

Feast away during the ancient Slavic pagan holiday where you can try the best traditional Russian treat - blini pancakes. Maslenitsa celebrations will start in Russian towns on February 21st, seeing off the winter with different holiday festivities, folk songs, dancing, games and an overall joyous atmosphere.

Maslenitsa Festival

Major events for this Russian holiday are often held in Moscow’s famous Gorky Park as well as its chique estates. As such, for an authentic Russian experience stop by former royal complexes including Kolomenskoe, Tsaritsyno or Lublino which host events in honor of Maslenitsa with theatrical performances, famous singers, and the traditional burning of the scarecrow as a grand finale of the celebration.

Night of Museums & St. Petersburg's birthday

Coincided with the International Museum Day, an event called “Night of Museums” is held around the 18th of May every year in numerous cities, including St. Petersburg. On this day most museums will work after hours till late at night at reduced rates or even for free. For instance the St. Petersburg’s Feodor Chaliapin House Museum, the F.M.Dostoevsky Museum and some rooms of the Hermitage open its doors to visitors longer than usual. Some museums even hold annual masquerades to make the night even more culturally eventful.

YOUR ALT TEXT

Another great reason to celebrate while visiting St. Petersburg in May is the city's birthday, held on the 27th of May! Commemorating the date of the establishment of the city back in 1703, the day is marked with parades, festivals, concerts, and firework shows, as well as cheerful locals and visitors all around. It is surely an excellent addition to any St. Petersburg tour.

Must-visit museums in St. Petersburg:

  • State Hermitage Museum;
  • Military-Historical Museum of Artillery;
  • Faberge Museum;
  • State Russian Museum;
  • Dostoevsky Museum;
  • The General Staff Building;
  • Russian Ethnography Museum.

Victory Day Parade and Celebrations

Celebrated annually on May 9th, Victory Day is one of the greatest large-scale holidays in Russia. During your trip to Russia in 2021, watch parades with World War 2 symbolism, military machinery, and listen to songs of the 1940’s. Such events are held nationwide to commemorate the bravery and heroic deeds of the Great Patriotic War participants. People thank courageous veterans and place flowers on war memorials.

Victory Day Parade

On this day all Russians give tribute to their relatives and ancestors who have fallen pro patria. One of the most triumphal elements of this holiday is the Immortal Regiment Memorial Parade in Moscow, during which locals march for miles holding pictures of their family members that participated in the war and share their war story with the country. As a final chord of this Russian holiday, take in the beauty of the traditional Victory fireworks.

All in all there’s much more to Russia than just architecture and sightseeing, these remarkable events can surely adorn your tour to Russia in 2021!