The Moscow Russian Winter Festival takes place in Izmailovo Park, where visitors can enjoy
troika rides and hear folk music performances. It takes place on the last week of December and the first week of January.
It is possible to experience Winter Festival activities elsewhere in Moscow, like ice sculpting on Red Square and snowman-building on Arbat Street.
December Nights Festival Moscow
During the latter half of December and the first couple of weeks of January, the Moscow classical music scene is at its winter height. Both local and international musicians perform during the December Nights Festival in Moscow.New Year's Celebrations in Moscow
Head to Red Square to join the throngs of celebrants ringing in the new year with the chime of the Kremlin clock tower, which is Moscow's version of watching the ball drop in New York City. Dress warmly, though, because if you think it's cold by day, Moscow at midnight on January 1 takes bravery and and a good pair of warm boots.Russian Orthodox Christmas - December 6 and 7
Orthodox Christmas falls on December 7, and both the 6th and 7th of December are religious days for Othodox believers. Christmas masses are held in churches throughout the city, but the mass held at the Kremlin is one of the most popular.Maslenitsa, a festival leftover from Pagan times, nevertheless corresponds with the Orthodox celebrations of Lent and Easter. This winter festival ushers out the cold weather and welcomes spring with traditional food (like blini, or Russian pancakes, that symbolize the sun), games, performances, and of course plenty of gut-warming vodka.
