As you might know, vaccination QR codes are required to attend all cultural and other events in the city. We’ve created a handy guide to get you well-versed in QR codes and COVID-free activities.

Cosmism in Russian Art

  • November 17, 2021 - March 10, 2022; Wed & Mon 10 am - 6 pm; Thu 1 - 9 pm; Tuesdays are days off
  • Benois Wing (State Russian Museum)
  • 400 rubles (200 for students)
  • QR code: required

Cosmism is an intellectual movement born in the early 20th century in Russia and is its own version of transhumanism. Inspired by space travel and theology, as well as various philosophical traditions, the movement brought together artists, writers, and scientists, such as Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, the famous Soviet rocket scientist. What did immortality and interstellar travel look like to artists a century ago? How did they envision the planet and people of the future? That’s what you get to discover in this unusual exhibition where works of Wassily Kandinsky and Kazimir Malevich are side by side with lesser-known names of the Russian avant-garde and suprematism. Sometimes it can be educational to look at the future through the lens of the past – and, perhaps, discover a lost romanticism to our daily lives. You can find regular tickets here; tickets with student discounts are to be purchased at the museum on the day of your visit. 

Sevkabel Port’s Ice Rink by the Sea

  • November 13 - March 13, Mon-Thu 11 am - 9 pm, Fri-Sun 11 am - 10:30 pm 
  • Sevkabel Port
  • 250-450 rubles (get your tickets in advance here and print them out before your visit)
  • QR code: not required

Ice skaters out there, this is not a drill! This is our kind reminder that the city’s second most popular ice rink has already opened with even more grandeur – all of its 2,200 square meters of unadulterated skating fun! Take a trip to Sevkabel Port (located on Vasilievsky Island) to enjoy skating with a view of the sea and experience winter like you never have before. Don’t forget that extra pair of fluffy socks! If, by any chance, you would rather go to a rink that’s a little closer to the city center, turn to New Holland Island. And if you are thinking about other fun winter activities, check out this guide.

Alfred Schnittke: Revolutionizing Harmony

Alfred Schnittke was a composer who made it his life’s mission to reinvent music and bring together its “light” and “serious” themes. He experimented with styles, finally creating his own, referred to as polystylism. In many senses, his compositions are unlike anything else you might have heard before, so this concert is likely to bring about even more musical revelations than is usually to be expected from live orchestral performances. As a bonus, you will get to discover a unique location that is St. John’s Church, which you might have passed unnoticed before on your way to the nearby Mariinsky Theater. You can get your tickets here – and hurry, as they are almost sold out.

Mikhail Matyushin. Paintings 1900s-1910s

Mikhail Matyushin was a representative of the Russian avant-garde who developed a curious theory of the fourth dimension that connected visual art and music and even conducted experiments meant to discover a new rhythmicity to vision (quite a visionary for his time!). A professional musician and an amateur painter, he went through several periods in his artistic career, one of them being impressionism – the subject of this exhibition. Here, you will get to see his landscapes that reflect his views on nature as a single organic entity. This is your opportunity to learn anew to appreciate the incredible beauty that is our planet (and get glimpses of greenery as we settle down for a snowy winter in the city).