You don't have to go abroad to spend the New Year holidays in an unusual way. There are many unique places in Russia where you can celebrate the New Year, learn a lot of interesting things about the history and culture of your country, and even tickle your nerves with extreme entertainment.
The oldest cities in Russia
Yaroslavl is one of the oldest cities in Russia. Quiet streets, friendly people, beautiful architecture - this is not all that tourists will see on the eve of the New Year holidays. Yaroslavl recently celebrated its thousandth birthday. The facades of old buildings were renewed, the embankment was reconstructed, and the central streets of the city were decorated with festive lighting. Guests of the city can visit the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery. It is here that the only surviving manuscript version of the literary monument "The Lay of Igor's Campaign" is kept. You can admire New Year's Yaroslavl from the observation deck on the belfry, which is located at a height of 40 meters. Children and their parents will certainly be curious to look at the living symbol of the city - the bear Mashka, who lives in an open-air cage on the territory of the monastery. In addition, tourists will be amazed by the beauty of the frozen Volga. The most picturesque views of the city open up if you walk along the Volzhskaya embankment.
The ancient and amazingly beautiful city of Pskov is transformed every year for the New Year holidays. Here you can see the most beautiful architectural monuments and monasteries. History knows the fact that at different times the New Year was celebrated in Pskov by Ferdinand Wrangel, Sofia Kovalevskaya and the Russian genius Alexander Pushkin.
Most of Vladimir's museums are open even during the New Year holidays. However, in order to get to the Museum of the House of Stoletovs and the Golden Gates, it is better to know their opening hours in advance. The main street of the city is Bolshaya Moskovskaya. All the main sights of Vladimir are located on it or just a few steps away. The best photographs in memory of the New Year can be obtained from the observation deck on the Water Tower. Lovers of alpine skiing will be able to ski on the slope "Hare Mountain". After sunset, tourists usually take part in the celebrations held near the Assumption Cathedral.
Lake Baikal
Many people think that Baikal should be visited in summer, when you can swim, sunbathe and fish on the lake. However, in winter this place leaves an even more unforgettable experience. The blue-blue ice of the planet's largest freshwater lake is so transparent that the bottom is visible even a dozen meters from the shore. On Olkhon Island, rich in its legends and legends, you can wait for the chimes to strike. It is on Olkhon that you will meet the largest number of northern shamans. There is also one of the nine main Asian shrines - Shamanka Rock. At its foot, a rock painting and an ancient inscription in Sanskrit are clearly visible. In memory of the New Year holidays held on Lake Baikal, you can buy souvenirs made of jade and lapis lazuli. If you visit the Baikal Sledding Sports Center, you will see how about 30 dogs are trained and educated, as well as ride dog sleds on the Baikal ice.
Karelia
Those who have visited Karelia on New Year's Eve know very well that only here one can experience the harsh beauty of the Russian winter. Prices here are much lower than in boarding houses and guest houses in the Moscow region, and ski tracks, ice slides, pine forests are no worse. Interesting entertainment programs are organized annually for both children and adults in Karelia. For example, the whole family can visit the zoological complex, where animals walk freely in the forest, but do not pose any danger. They can be stroked and hand-fed. In the House of the Doll, tourists will get acquainted with the toys of the Slavs and find out who, when and how invented the characters of Russian fairy tales.
On New Year's holidays in Karelia, you can go on a ski trip, take part in dog sled races, visit the frozen Kivach. True extreme lovers will surely be delighted with a three-day ATV trip, because the route passes along forest and dirt roads past abandoned villages, as well as along the shores of Lake Ladoga, beautiful in its grandeur.
