Exhibitions

Christmas exhibition at Annenkirche

  • Until February 1, 10 am - 6 pm, 800 rubles (600 rubles for students)

Visit the storied church and learn the history of the holiday while you explore its decorated interiors. This annual exhibition is famous for its ceiling-based Christmas tree and has been quite a crowd-pleaser through the years. Discover it for yourself this season.

As for ongoing non-winter themed exhibitions, these are currently making the waves: Portraiture. A Personality and an Era at the Hermitage, All Benois – Everything Benois at Manezh Central Exhibition Hall, and Russian Historical Portrait at the Russian Museum. You can learn about other ongoing exhibitions in the December issues of our weekly guides to the coolest events in the city.

Ice rinks & other winter activities

Even when there isn’t much snow on the ground, we can count on catching the winter at one of the city’s many ice rinks – for all tastes and budgets. Prep with this article and go exploring!

The biggest

For a city center experience

With a sea view

  • Sevkabel Port (600-750 rubles + 500 rubles skates rental)
  • Brusnitsyn Loft (300-500 rubles + 500 rubles skates rental, discounts available)

Forest vibes

  • Yelagin Island (200-400 rubles + 400 rubles skates rental, free tickets every morning)
  • Okhta Park (900-1,200 rubles + 1,000 rubles skates rental)

For longer skating sessions

  • Hockey city (200-550 rubles + 400 rubles skates rental)

Slides

Markets

Warming drinks, last-minute gift- or ornament-shopping, and simply walking among winter decorations to themed music – that’s what you get at a holiday market. Here are the city’s top spots: 

  • Christmas Fair – three squares in the city (Manezhnaya, Palace, and Moskovskaya) traditionally turn into little festive villages. On offer are Christmas tree ornaments, all kinds of souvenirs and warming winter gear (hats and mittens), delicacies from different regions of Russia, as well as warming drinks and snacks.

  • New Year’s Bazaar – a Christmas tree market, stalls with hand-made items, presents and foods, free themed workshops, and a stall for donating your presents to local charities, all on New Holland Island.

  • Smaller markets at malls, including Galeria, DLT, Passage, and others. Even though staying inside might lack some of the winter spirit, it has the definite bonus of keeping you warm at all times.

The Nutcracker – on the big screen

This season, you get to watch two different renditions of the legendary ballet at various cinemas in the city. 

The Bolshoi Theatre Nutcracker: 

Dresden: The Nutcracker

Concerts

Get into the holiday spirit through music with concerts featuring holiday classics, organ essentials, and more.

December 27, 7 pm, 1,000 rubles

Travel through time with pieces by Couperin, Bach, Vivaldi, and Tchaikovsky, as performed by esteemed musician Nina Kirpichnikova.

December 25-30, January 1-9, 8 pm, from 1,500-1,900 rubles

Learn about Christmas traditions at this concert-multimedia show with projections of world-renowned paintings and a talk about the history of the holiday. 

December 30, 8 pm, from 1,200 rubles

Holiday classics will be performed on the organ by Baptiste-Florian Marle-Ouvrard, as projections of interiors of famous European cathedrals fill the hall.

December 31, 7 pm, from 5,000 rubles

Just like a New Year present, this one’s a surprise – you’ll learn what’s on the program as it unfolds before you on New Year’s Eve.

Looking for more winter activities and cool holiday facts? Check out our New Year tag!