Conquer that hill
Sledding is much more thrilling than it may seem when you’re not the one riding down the hill. Although potentially dangerous, this activity is a winter favorite of many – basically, any hill becomes a sledding hill in Russia when there’s enough snow.
Nowadays people mostly ride inflatable inner tubes, officially known in as тюбинги (tyubingi) and colloquially – as ватрушки (vatrushki) because of their shape. Before they gained popularity, though, kids used actual sledges (санки – sanki) made of wood and metal or… Whatever they could find lying around, like a piece of a cardboard box. Those were the days.
If you’d like to try sledding, please be careful: only ride down hills equipped for that, avoid areas near trees or roads, and don’t underestimate the speed you can reach.
Build your own Frankenstein monster
The Russian language offers more flexibility than English when it comes to snow figures: you can build not only a snowman (снеговик – snegovik), but also a snow woman (снежная баба – snezhnaya baba). You’ve probably seen one of them before, with their typical accessories like a carrot nose, coal eyes, and a shawl or a bucket on the head.
So, to those who prefer a more peaceful activity than sledding, we recommend going creative and building a snowman. Or a snow woman. Or something not human-like at all – go all out! A very satisfying process, as long as the snow is sticky.
Help birds in need
There’s not much for birds to eat during long winter months, so another wholesome tradition popular in Russia is creating a handmade bird feeder (кормушка – kormushka). For that, you can use an empty milk carton or a similar lightweight box. For birds to safely enjoy the feast, put some unsalted seeds or grains inside and hang the feeder on a tree branch.
A life hack found online: just get a piece of butter and spread it on a tree trunk. Birds love it, and they need some fats to survive the cold.
Winter doesn’t mean hibernation. We have a lot of fun winter activity suggestions: from planning the year ahead to learning how to ski. All while sipping on a hot beverage, of course.
