Going out: events and places to visit

Keep up the holiday spirit

Luckily, plenty of themed exhibitions are still open in the city – for everyone craving some more festivities:

And since holiday decorations are still on, partly thanks to the Old New Year celebrated on January 14, now's a good time to walk along the city's main arteries and enjoy the main attractions in all their glory:

  • Nevsky Pr., Moskovsky Pr., Voznesensky Pr., Bolshoy and Srednyi Pr. of Vasilyevsky Island, Kamennoostrovsky Pr.;
  • Christmas trees: Vosstaniya Square, Gostiny Dvor, Palace Square, Spit of Vasilyevsky Island – and marked on Yandex.Maps around the city;
  • Semimostye.

Arguably, ice skating is not strictly festive-themed, but it could be if you make it so, especially at the city’s decorated, cheerful ice rinks that we’ve listed in the first part of this guide. Don’t forget to prepare for your ice skating session properly with our handy guide.

Ring in the new year 

Here, of course, there is an even greater variety of fun things to do. For starters, if you didn’t have the chance during the busy fall and winter days, you can visit the ongoing exhibitions we’ve highlighted in our weekly guides:

Seen them all? Why not turn to the classics: the top must-see exhibits in the city’s most popular museums? You can do that with our special series, now covering the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, and the Kunstkamera. And if popular tourist attractions are not your cup of tea this holiday season, explore our selection of unusual museums dedicated to all kinds of things, from coffee to emotions!

If you’d rather walk outside, why not try and look at the city from a new angle? Use this guide for our tips on the matter, including our own articles and app recommendations that will bring out details you might have never noticed before. Generally, you can usually find something exciting to see in the city with our regularly updated tag Unexplored St. Petersburg – a perfect way to plan a fun day out.

Craving something even more active? Take a day trip to one of St. Pete’s beloved suburbs – you can choose to visit a palace and its premises, or enjoy some winter sports, such as skiing and snowboarding.

Staying in: things to do at home

Keep up the holiday spirit

When, like these days, the weather isn’t exceptionally winter-like, we can kindle our holiday mood at home. One of the easiest ways to do this, of course, is to turn on your trusted playlist or cozy up in front of the TV for a movie marathon. Here’s something to add a touch of Russian experience to these universal activities:

In Russia, even though officially the holidays typically end around January 9-10 (this year, January 9 is our first business day), because of the Orthodox Christmas (January 7) and the Old New Year (January 14), “unofficially” the holidays last a little longer. That’s why no one will look at you weird if you decide to try out some of the Russian holiday traditions after major New Year celebrations. 

For instance, on January 13, you can try laying the table like nearly every Russian family is wont to do on December 31 – caviar and pineapple included. No worries, if animal products aren’t an option, you can still enjoy the typical Russian experience vegan-style! You can even recreate one of the most popular midnight wish-making traditions: write your wish on a piece of paper, burn it, throw the ashes into your champagne glass (or any other drink!), and drink up. This could be a fun post-New Year party to host with your friends. Another fun activity to add to this day is kolyadovanie – essentially, Russian trick-or-treating that happens around Orthodox Christmas and comes with its own songs and traditions. 

Ring in the new year 

We know it can be hard to get back on track after the holidays – haven’t we all been there? – so, naturally, we have suggestions on some gentle activities for a gentle start of the year:

If you are feeling energized, why not join in the year-planning fun? Start by taking the time to make a vision board with all your goals and wishes for the year ahead. Then, you can turn to our collected tips on planning to start turning those dreams into a reality. And to help you keep your mind focused (and using the boost of “new year – new life”), you can do some adjustments to organize your space or even declutter your devices from all the digital stuff you no longer need.

Try analyzing what went well and what could be improved in the coming year, and try to adjust your plans to accommodate regular resting. Once you've planned your time to support both your health and productivity, you definitely won't feel so intimidated by the many tasks that might await you once the holidays are over.