City of Vladimir, Russia, on the Golden Ring - Local Events, Things to do, Tourism, Vacation, Visit

Holidays & Events

There is always something going on in Vladimir and the surrounding communities. This list of events and holidays should help you plan your first trip—and your return visits.

Holidays

Banks and public offices are not open on these holidays, but, as in other countries, many shops and other commercial establishments stay open for business. Most businesses provide information about their days and hours of operation on their front doors or windows. Unfortunately, this information is generally only in Russian.

January 1	New Year's Day
January 7	Christmas, Russian Orthodox
February 23	Soldier's Day
March 8	International Women's Day
April-May	Easter, Russian Orthodox
May 1-2	Spring and Labor Holiday
May 9	Victory Day (Over German Nazism in WW2)
June 12	Independence Day
November 4	People's Unity Day

The New Year is first on the calendar and in popularity. Many celebrate it twice, on January 1 and 14 (which corresponds to January 1 in the Julian calendar which was used in Russia before 1918). The New Year holiday is especially popular with children. In every house there is a fir tree. Presents are supposed to be delivered by Father Frost and his lovely young Snow Maiden helper. People decorate their houses, prepare delicious dishes, and exchange presents and cards. People see the old year out and the new year in sitting around a festive table. They address New Year's greetings and good wishes to one another, sing songs, and often play games. "Happy New Year" is heard everywhere and toasts are made with sparkling wine.

Russian Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on the 7th of January. In remembrance of the gifts the Bible says were given to Jesus on his birth, people today try to please their friends and relatives by giving them Christmas presents. One may say that in fact this holiday is the continuation of New Year's Day, but at Christmas there is more of an emphasis on religion.

February 23 is Soldier's Day, known until recently as Soviet Army Day. Popularly viewed as a holiday for all men, it is closely followed by its female counterpart, Women's Day, March 8, when women receive flowers, presents and are toasted by the men.

All of us have already gotten used to International Women's Day - the holiday we celebrate in honor of our wives, mothers, daughters, brides, grandmothers and sweethearts. But actually, not everyone remembers how this day of women's international solidarity began. It was such a long time ago in 1910 in Copenhagen at the 2nd International Conference of Socialist Women a proposal was passed to celebrate this day. It was celebrated for the first time in 1911 in several European countries and two years later in Russia. In 1966, March 8 was declared a major holiday in Russia. As this day comes closer, men try find a way to compensate for their shortfall of attention, concern and tenderness over the rest of the year.

In 1997 Russia added the celebration Mother's Day on the last Thursday of November. But March 8 remains the primary holiday for the celebration of "womanhood" in Russia.

Easter Procession

Russian Orthodox Easter is celebrated 35 days after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. This usually falls some time between April 4 and May 8. Orthodox Easter, as in the West, comes at the end of Lent. It's considered the Church's most important holiday.

Through the end of the Soviet Union the celebration of the combination Spring and Labor Day holiday was officially termed International Workers' Solidarity Day. In some years falls on or close to Russian Orthodox Easter, so some people celebrate in church while some attend customary demonstrations.

Russia celebrates Victory Day on May 9 to commemorate the millions who fell in World War II. Flowers and wreaths are laid on wartime graves on this day, and veterans come out into the streets wearing their military orders and medals. Alas, there are fewer of them with every passing year. The Great Patriotic War ended on May 9, 1945. That spring day went down in the history of our country as Victory Day. But the victory was won at a very high price. The Soviet people had to fight against the fascists from the White Sea in the North to the Black Sea in the South. The heroic Soviet people not only defended their own country, they played a major role, quite possibly the leading role, saving the world from Nazi domination.

This is one of Russia's newest holidays. It commemorates the adoption in 1991 of the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Russian Federation. The Russian declaration was followed by an abortive attempt by the Communist Party conservatives to "reestablish order" in August 1991, and after the coup attempt collapsed, the breakup of the Soviet Union in December 1991.

The Russian legislature, at President Vladimir Putin's request, created a new holiday in 2004 and dropped an old one. The holiday that was dropped was November 7, the anniversary of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. This holiday had already been renamed the Day of Accord and Reconciliation by Boris Yeltsin. The new holiday, which was celebrated for the first time in 2005, is supposed to mark the day in 1612 when Russian forces liberated Moscow from Polish occupation. There is some controversy among historians as to whether anything meaningful actually happened on November 4 more than 400 years ago. And it remains to be seen how the Russian public will respond to this new holiday

Events

Winter Festival

From the 31st of December through the 10th of January, Russian Winter Festival events are held in Vladimir and Suzdal to celebrate the coming new year. Troika rides and other traditional folk customs are showcased during this extended holiday period.

Maslenitsa

Beginning 8 weeks from Easter, that is some time between the end of February and the beginning of March, the Russians celebrate Maslenitsa, also known as bliny or "pancake" week (bliny are very thin pancakes). This is a traditional Russian folk holiday with both pagan and Christian origins; it's the Russian equivalent of Mardi Gras.

Maslenitsa

This week comes just before Lent and provides an excuse to eat and frolic to one's heart's content! Tourists have a chance to taste Russian pancakes and other treats, take part in traditional national games, and go sledding. During the Maslenitsa festival is one of the best times to visit the towns of The Golden Ring, especially Vladimir and Suzdal.