New Year’s holidays this year will last ten whole days, from December 31, 2021 to January 9, 2022. And this is a great reason to go on a trip. We tell you how to have an interesting time and where you can go.
St. Petersburg
If you love mass celebrations and the bustle of the holidays, celebrating the New Year in St. Petersburg is ideal. On New Year’s Eve the whole city turns into one merry hive, and squares, buildings, cafes and parks decorated with festive illumination create the feeling of a real fairy tale.
During the New Year holidays you can visit the main museums and cathedrals of the city, stroll along the canals, see the mesmerizing frozen Gulf of Finland, go down the slides in the park (snow tubing is also available for adults) and, of course, ice skating, for example , in New Holland. For a snow fairy tale, go to Okhta Park, Sosnovka and Shuvalovsky parks, Kamenny Island. You can also go to the surrounding cities – Vyborg and Gatchina.
Yaroslavl
This ancient Russian city is the center of the Golden Ring. The New Year is widely celebrated in Yaroslavl, with festivities taking place in several central squares – Sovetskaya, Yunost, and Yubileinaya. There are many skating rinks in the city, most of them are open on New Year’s Eve, one of the largest is on Kotoroslnaya embankment near the 1000th Anniversary Park of Yaroslavl.
Here you can also find more than 30 ancient temples, a beautiful Volga embankment, interesting craft workshops and museums. There are three ski centers near Yaroslavl – Shaksha, Podolino and Izgib.
Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod is the “New Year’s Capital of Russia 2022”, and its main concept this year is the “Magic Forge of Snowflakes”. From December 24, five street theater stations of different themes will open on the main pedestrian street of the city (Bolshaya Pokrovskaya). At the Nizhny Novgorod Fair, the residence of Father Frost will open and a skating rink will operate “like in Moscow in front of GUM.” Skating will also be organized in the Switzerland Park.
The main attractions of the city are the Kremlin and ancient monasteries, which become even more charming in winter decoration. The Volga embankment and the cable car are interesting. In the surrounding area you can visit the birthplace of Pushkin – Bolshoye Boldino, as well as the Ichalkovsky caves and Lake Svetloyar.
Kazan
The third capital of Russia is especially picturesque on sunny frosty days, when the city is dusted with snow and decorated with toys and garlands. Festive festivities are held in the Millennium Park or on Freedom Square near the Kazan Kremlin. It’s always fun, bright and noisy there: New Year’s competitions are held, skating rinks are open, music is playing. Bauman Street is also crowded, and a huge Christmas tree can be seen near the Kazan family center, next to which there is an ice town with sculptures, installations and slides.
The Kremlin and the Kul Sharif Mosque are the main attractions to see in Kazan. It’s also worth checking out the water park, and outside the city, visit the island town of Sviyazhsk and the Temple of All Religions.
Makhachkala
A procession of Santa Clauses and Snow Maidens is organized in the city, the main Christmas tree is placed on the square named after. V. Lenin, where artists often perform. The New Year’s three-dimensional multimedia graphic representation is projected onto the building of the Government of the Republic. During the holidays, the entire city is decorated with New Year’s paraphernalia, and New Year’s songs are played in the parks.
After walking around Makhachkala and seeing the Caspian Sea, go to the Sarykum dune and the Sulak Canyon. Travel to the most ancient city of Russia – Derbent, to the high-mountain waterfall Tobot, to the villages of Goor and Gamsutl. You can go skiing and snowboarding at the Chindirchero ski resort.
Sochi
New Year in Sochi is exotic. Palm trees and eucalyptus trees dusted with snow, an ice-free sea and gray mountains will surprise any traveler. It is in Sochi that you can get a “piece of summer” as a New Year’s gift: many hotels have heated swimming pools with sea water.
New Year’s fairs are organized on Flag Square and near the administration of the Adler district. The largest and most beautiful Christmas tree in the whole city stands on Flag Square, where they also organize master classes, round dances, parades of New Year’s costumes and offer delicious treats from the best chefs of the resort.
Without crowds of tourists, you can enjoy sunsets at sea, explore city attractions, and walk around the Olympic Park. It’s also worth skiing or snowboarding at the Rosa Khutor, Krasnaya Polyana and Gazprom resorts, or at least just going up the mountains on a ski lift to appreciate the magnificent views.
Simferopol
In Crimea, even in winter it is quite warm and sunny, and fresh air with juniper notes contributes to a wonderful holiday. On New Year’s Day, Simferopol is decorated with luxurious Christmas trees in the squares, festive installations, as well as century-old Lebanese cedars – the main coniferous trees of the Crimean capital, hung with toys and garlands. At the same time, chrysanthemums and even roses are still blooming in the flower beds, the contrast is amazing!
It’s convenient to go from Simferopol to any point in Crimea. You can climb Ai-Petri, see the Valley of Ghosts, visit the cave city of Chufut-Kale and luxurious palaces.
Petrozavodsk
New Year in Petrozavodsk is a great option for those who love a real snow fairy tale. The main city Christmas tree is traditionally placed on Kirov Square, and on New Year’s Eve guests will enjoy an entertainment program with Father Frost and the Snow Maiden and folk festivities with fireworks.
In the city it is worth walking along the historical quarter, the embankment of Lake Onega and visiting the Museum of the Republic of Karelia. When going to explore Karelia, don’t miss the Ruskeala marble canyon, Kivach waterfall, and the Marcial Waters resort.
Numerous tourist centers in the vicinity of Petrozavodsk offer a bathhouse, rental of cheesecakes and snowmobiles, and some have kennels for huskies, so you can go dog sledding. 15 km from Petrozavodsk there is the Yalgora ski center with a chair lift and trails of varying difficulty levels.
Vladikavkaz
Celebrating the New Year in the heart of the Caucasus Mountains is a great idea for a complete reboot, because the North Caucasus is magnificent at any time of the year. Vladikavkaz welcomes guests with a lot of New Year’s lights, an eight-meter live spruce tree on Victory Square, decorated alleys and a pedestrian bridge illuminated by strobe lights.
Take a tram ride with mountain views, stroll through the city’s parks and go on a tour of the surrounding area: for example, to the city of the dead Dargavs, the Tseyskoye Gorge and the tower complexes of Ingushetia. You can go skiing or snowboarding at the Tsey ski resort.
Smolensk
Mass public festivities on New Year’s Eve are held on Lenin Square and in Lopatinsky Park. The observation deck of the Assumption Cathedral offers the most beautiful views of the city and fireworks. In Readovsky Park you can go downhill on sleds and cheesecakes.
There are many beautiful houses, parks and cathedrals in the city center. Visit the Smolensk Fortress, stroll along the Dnieper embankment. From the city you can go to the Talashkino estate and the M. I. Glinka estate museum. In neighboring Vitebsk (about 2 hours 30 minutes drive) there is a residence of Father Frost. His hut stands on the banks of the Western Dvina, and various interactive programs are held for children and adults during the New Year holidays.
Our “Where to Go” project will help you with ideas for your upcoming vacation. You choose the month and city of departure, and we offer the most interesting and affordable options – with ticket prices and information about restrictions for tourists.
In a number of regions, tourists have begun to be asked for QR codes when checking into hotels. To make it more comfortable for you to plan trips around the country, we have collected information on the currently imposed restrictions for tourists in one place. Data is updated regularly.
