On the big screen: Christmas concert by tenor Jonas Kaufmann

Filmed in 2020 near Salzburg in the very church where Silent Night was played for the first time, this concert all but embodies Christmas spirit. You are promised to hear classic and contemporary Christmas tunes, including but not limited to White Christmas, Winter Wonderland, and Let It Snow, performed by the prominent German operatic tenor Jonas Kaufmann. 

Christmas market: design and handmade

Where can you soak up all the holiday atmosphere you can get? At a Christmas market, naturally! Apart from the usual selection of the best local and Russian brands, there will be some tasty food, wooden board games, workshops, and even opportunities to donate to those in need or recycle plastic caps. Even if you’ve purchased all your presents in advance, visiting the market can be worth it, if only for another boost to your holiday spirit.

Organ and orchestra: Christmas in Northern Venice

With this concert, its organizers invite you to step into the 19th century St. Petersburg, where Christmas was still celebrated on December 25. The program will feature pieces by Bach, Tchaikovsky, Strauss, and other prominent composers that are especially popular at this time of the year, making for a perfect opportunity to rekindle your faith in miracles at the end of this long year.

Two ice rinks at the heart of St. Pete

So, we’ve already written about the traditional Christmas fair on Manezhnaya Square, but did you know that they’ve just opened their very own and entirely free ice rink? The rink is open 12:30 pm to 8:10 pm – just arrive 30 minutes before the session you want to attend (here’s the schedule) and leave a 1,000 ruble refundable deposit for the skates. On the other side of Nevsky Prospekt, inside Dvor Gostinki, you will find another ice rink, open 10:30 am to 11:30 pm, with prices ranging from 200 rubles to 500 rubles during the day (you can also rent skates for 350 rubles). Catch the lowest prices before December 25, as after that the range will move to 500-600 rubles with no student discounts.