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15 Reasons to Visit Russia in 2015

Moscow State University. Photo by Yury Degtyarev, mosday.ru

Moscow State University. Photo by Yury Degtyarev, mosday.ru

Do you plan to visit Russia? 2015 is a Big Year for Russia with ridiculously huge number of holidays, festivities, celebrations and parades!

If covering all Russia is a too ambitious challenge for you (and it certainly is for us, too) – go for your tours in Moscow Russia, but do in 2015! Why?

1. 70 Years of Victory

In the coming year it will be exactly 70 years since the victory of the Soviet Army over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War. Massive event! Thousands of events will take place In Moscow and other Russian cities.  You may just stop reading here, and it will already be the ultimate experience of your Russian travel. No tourist attractions can compare with the 9 May Parade, especially on it’s 70th year anniversary. Honestly, I even don’t know what to expect!

The heads of different states will be invited for May 9 parade.

2.  80 years jubilee of Moscow Metro

In 2015, the Moscow Metro will celebrate 80 years. On May 15, 1935,  the Metro opened its first line (red line), which ran from the metro station “Sokolniki” to the station “Park Kultury”, with a branch to “Smolensk”.  May 15 is accidentally the International Day of Families as well. So, give a special kiss and hug to your loved ones when taking a ride on Moscow Underground jungles.

We proudly take our tourists to Top 10 most beautiful metro stations in Moscow on our tours: Komsomolskaya, Kievskaya, Novoslobodskaya, Mayakovskaya, Prospect Mira, Square of Revolution, Electrozavodskaya, Krasnopresnenskaya, Taganskaya and Belarusskaya.

3. VVC Soviet Park Restoration

Add some Soviet flavor to your Moscow travel!

In 2015 All-Russia Exhibition Center (VVC) will have Europe’s largest skating rink and a giant mock-up of the capital, and some pavilions will be restored to their original Soviet form.

At the end of 2015 there will be installed the world’s largest scale model of Moscow, but part of this layout can be seen already in August 2015. The layout of the scale of 1:400 with one thousand square meters will be placed in the pavilion “Moscow”.

Moscow-850 is a Giant Ferris Wheel, located in Moscow at the Exhibition Center. The diameter of this wheel is 70 meters, and height is 73 meters. It was built in 1997 for the 850th anniversary of Moscow and became the highest attraction in Moscow and Eastern Europe. It has 40 passenger cabins, 12 of which are open. Each cabin can accommodate up to 8 passengers, and one turn of the wheel lasts 7 minutes.

Moscow-850 was the tallest Ferris wheel in Russia until an 80-metre (262 ft) wheel opened near Sochi in 2012.

4. 150 years of vodka

The event that caused the informal setting of the birth of vodka was 31 January 1865 in Saint Petersburg. On this day D.I. Mendeleev presented his famous doctoral thesis “On the combination of alcohol and water”.  The goal was to investigate the specific weights alcohol + water solutions depending on the concentration and temperature of these solutions.

The result made the world a bit more relaxed ;)

5. 50 years since the first man in the space

The Soviet cosmonaut A.A. Leonov had an honor to be the one on 18 March 1965.

Good idea to pay a visit to the Museum of Cosmonautics on April 12 too, as it’s the World Day of Aviation and Cosmonautics.

6. 260 years since the founding of Moscow University

Enjoy fantastic views of Moscow and ALL of the 7 Stalin skyscrapers (6 in front of you and the 7th – Moscow State University – behind you) from the observation deck on Sparrow Hills. Of all places to visit in Moscow, Sparrow Hills is our absolutely favorite, but only at night. Better views.

Top things to do in Moscow – Moscow State University, mosday.ru

7. Eclipse

During your Russian holidays don’t miss the last total eclipse in Europe on March 20! The sun will be in the dark for 2.47 minutes. The spectacle will be seen in the western Russia, especially in Murmansk, and in 22 more cities, St. Petersburg among them. The next eclipse will be only on August 12, 2026.

8. Ivan the Great & Ivan the Terrible

The granddad and the grandson, the III and the IV, the savior and murderer, the same blood.
2015 is the right year to finally get to know these Big Guys in the history of Russia, since they are both birthday boys:

575 years since the birth of the Grand Duke of All Russia, who started the unification of the Russian lands Ivan III (1440-1505, born on January 22)

485 years since the birth of the Russian Tsar Ivan IV Vasilyevich (Ivan the Terrible) (1530-1584, born on August 25)

9. 190th anniversary of the Bolshoi Theater

The opening of the new building of the Bolshoi Theater, which was built by the architect O. Beauvais, took place on 18 January 1825.

March 27 is just the right day for some performance, as it’s International Day of Theatre!

10. 50 years from the date of assignment Moscow the title of The Hero City

The beginning of May will be CRAZY FUN in Moscow with so many events and festives. In between May 1 – Spring Day – and May 9 -Victory Day, just don’t forget to congratulate Moscow. Moscow became the Hero City on May 8, 1965.

11. International Museum Day

May 18 is the only day in the year when we would discourage you from taking our tours. Most of the museums, art galleries and exhibition centers are FREE! Go explore the bucket-list beauties and hidden gems!

Top things to do in Moscow – Pyatnitskaya street

12. Day of Russia

June 12 is the perfect day to learn the history of big and powerful mother Russia, for example when it was founded and by who?  ;)

On the Day of Russia Russian President presents the State Prize of the Russian Federation in the Kremlin. Red Square hosts the main celebrations that end with fireworks in honor of 12 June.

Some big dates in November as well:

November 4 – National Unity Day. Liberation Day in Moscow by the people’s militia led by Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky from Polish invaders (1612). Kazan Cathedral is a must-do on this day.

November 7 – Day of the October Revolution (1917) Day of the military parade on Red Square in Moscow to commemorate the twenty-fourth anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution (1941). Square of Revolution and Square of Revolution metro station are a must-do on this day.

13. 85 years to Tchaikovsky Concert Hall

How about some classics in the Concert Hall to celebrate the anniversary of the opening of the great Concert Hall? Though they have a day off on their birthday, October 12, you can still enjoy the virtuoso performance of the Large Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra on October 11, or National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia on October 13, both at 7 PM.

October 1 will also do, as its International Music Day.

14. 95 years to Abramtsevo Estate

On 11th of August take a walk around Abramtsevo, the State Historical Artistic and Literary Museum.

15. A bit more celebrations never harm

We don’t know what from the rest best relates to you, so just pick up whatever you want to celebrate in Moscow and have fun with us! :)

March 20 – International Day of Happiness (by the UN decision of 29 June 2012)

June 1 – International Children’s Day

June 6 – Pushkin day Russia. 215 years since the birth of the Russian poet and writer

Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837 g), Russian Language Day

June 9 – International Day of friends

June 23 – The International Olympic Day

July 8 – Russian Day of Family, Love and Fidelit

August 12 – International Youth Day

September 27 – World Tourism Day

Top things to do in Moscow – Kolomenskoe Estate

When are you visiting Russia?

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