Photo credit: the press service of the organizing committee of the Moscow Seasons / mos.ru (CC BY 4.0)
For the 2nd time in a row, Russians are celebrating the New Year amid continuing restrictions aimed at countering the spread of COVID-19. However, this year, it has been decided to hold traditional mass events in some regions taking into account the improvements in the epidemiological situation, TASS reports.
Traditionally, New Year celebrations in Moscow are taking place in parks, squares and cultural institutions. Most of the programs will be broadcast online. Unfortunately, visits to Red Square on New Year's Eve will be limited. Muscovites and guests of the city are invited to the skating rinks at the VDNKh exhibition center and GUM shopping mall.
There will be no mass celebrations in St. Petersburg either, but the authorities did their best in decorating city streets and squares. Taking into account the upcoming anniversary of Peter the Great, the imperial style was chosen for the New Year's decorations.
Nizhny Novgorod has been chosen the New Year's capital of Russia this year. The holiday started with a parade of fairy-tale characters. They left the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin, together with the Provincial Orchestra proceeded along the main pedestrian street of the city - Bolshaya Pokrovskaya. The final point of the route was Gorky Square, one of the central festive grounds. Almost 70 skating rinks will open in the city.
In Yakutsk, mass street events had to be abandoned due to severe temperatures - 40-45 degrees below zero. Nevertheless, a huge snow statue appeared in the city - it depicts the symbol of the year - a tigress with a cub.
In Kislovodsk, Yessentuki, Pyatigorsk and Georgievsk on January 1, the Race of Promises marathon is planned. Each participant will write a wish on their bib and save it as a reminder of their promise to themselves at the beginning of the year.
Russkiy Mir
