Moscow Events and Festivals

Russian Winter Festival: head to Izmailovo Park to participate in this Russian tradition that is celebrated all across the country. Celebrations include performances by some of Russia’s top musicians, dancing and games. Featuring costumed residents taking part in traditional New Year’s customs and festivities, visitors will get the opportunity to sample vodka, taste Russian pancakes with caviar, take a sleigh ride and enjoy centuries-old folk music.

Russian Orthodox Christmas: visitors can participate in this religious event, which falls on the 7th of January, according to the Julian calendar. Services take place at midnight with mass.

Defenders of the Motherland Day: held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Alexander Park, this ceremony commemorates the founding of the Red Army and honours all those serving, or who have served, in the armed forces. Rituals include wreath-laying and surrounding the monument with flowers. Formerly known as Red Army Day, this commemorative day can be compared with Veterans Day in the USA.

International Theatre Festival: first introduced in 1986, this festival features both popular Russian and foreign plays. The festival is also complemented by additional seminars and lectures that explore the plays.

International Women’s Day: recognised by the United Nations and celebrated in the city since 1917, this national public holiday sees women gather to celebrate with various events. 
It is common to present women with gifts on this day as a token of appreciation of their role in the community.

Easter Sunday: celebrations take place at the Church of the Ascension. Moscow's Kolomenskoe hosts the Easter procession, which marks this prominent holy day. A midnight church service is followed by servings of special dome-shaped curd cakes and the swapping of hand-painted wooden eggs, two long-standing Russian traditions.

Victory Day: commemorates those Russians who died in the defeat of German forces 1941, but it is also a celebration of the victories at Stalingrad and Berlin against the Germans. Festivities take place at Victory Park and include uniform-clad veterans, military parades, bouquet-bearing mourners and cheery accordion players, dancers and singers as well as an impressive firework display. Held on the 9th of May, this was the date that the peace took effect after German surrender.

Moscow International Film Festival: first hosted in 1959, this cinematic festival shows screenings of the best films of the year and hosts awards ceremonies for those that win the top prizes. You can check the Moscow International Film Festival website for details on this year's event.

Day of Sovereignty of the Russian Federation: first observed in 1992, this special day commemorates the first anniversary of the democratic elections for the first president of the Russian Federation, which were held in 1991. Military parades are often held on this day.

International Folklore Festival: hosted at the Hermitage Gardens, this is a celebration of Russian music, with some of the region’s top musicians putting on spectacular musical and dance performances.

The Kremlin Cup: Russia’s biggest tennis event is hosted indoors on a carpet surface. Spectators can watch as 32 players compete in the singles event and 16 pairs in the doubles competition for a large cash prize. The cup kicks off with a two-day long Qualifying Draw, after which the main event starts. Details of who is competing in this year’s event are posted on the event’s website.

Moscow International Advertising Festival: takes place in mid-November for two days. The festival sees the judges compare the various entries of this huge advertising competition, with entries including print, internet and TV media.

Reconciliation Day: introduced in 1996, this day represents the reconciliation among society since the revolution of 1917, which divided the community.

New Year’s Eve: traditionally Russian people choose to celebrate the coming of the New Year at home, but nowadays they typically take to the streets at midnight and party until dawn. Red Square is a popular venue for celebrations, with fireworks and residents sporting costumes representing the Russian equivalent of Santa Claus.

Constitution Day: the country-wide referendum, which was held on December 12, 1993, lead to the introduction of the first Constitution of the Russian Federation. This day is a celebration of the adoption of this legal mechanism.