Manezh Square in Winter: Chaos, Crowds, and a Whole Lot of Magic

Hey there, and happy holidays!

I'll be honest, my main takeaway from visiting Manezh Square is that you can go, but it's way better to do it before the New Year's rush, because you'll get trampled otherwise. But to enjoy the festive atmosphere, grab a cup of hot tea with spices, and some gingerbread – it's worth braving the crowds for. Just be aware of what you're getting yourself into, because it's all about the lines and the crowds, and more lines and crowds.

Gingerbread with chocolate and colorful sprinklesI live in one of the most vibrant districts in my city, right in the center, and I think it's just crazy not to head to the city center and check out the Christmas trees in GUM, and not visit Manezhnaya Square and see what our mayor has come up with this year to make the Muscovites happy.

As always, the metro in the center is almost always closed on the way in, and to get to Manezhnaya Square, you can exit at Revolution Square, but getting back in is a whole different story – you'll end up somewhere near Lubyanka.

We were at Manezhnaya Square a few days ago, before the snow even started falling, but it was already freezing. And beautiful, of course. In the evening, the atmosphere is just magical.

Right in front of the Historical Museum, they've set up a massive Christmas tree, surrounded by a market and an installation with giant, inflatable Christmas decorations.

This is just incredible! First, we head up to the platform, where the market stalls start, and they're all stocked with all sorts of treats – ribs, crazy-smelling snacks...

RibsAnd then there's the photo studio, where you can take pictures in an historical setting with historical characters

and all sorts of hot drinks to suit any taste. We had hot tea with spices and gingerbread. We enjoyed the atmosphere at our table, which was actually quite hard to find.

Hot drinks at the marketI love how all the stalls are decorated with Soviet flag prototypes. I had those as a kid, on a string in my room. My dad would hang them up across the room before New Year's, and it was really heartwarming... too bad they didn't survive. I actually want to buy some similar ones this year to recapture that atmosphere again.

The Christmas trees are decorated with flags, red balls, berries, and all sorts of other decorations.

What's nice and not surprising at all is that people don't try to touch everything and take it home in their pockets, but instead just take photos and often give up their spot to others. The market is pretty crowded, even on a weekday evening just 10 days before New Year's.

Every corner is filled with natural Christmas trees, each one decorated in its own unique way... I found myself wanting to approach each one and take a closer look.

The area with Soviet rubber toys was definitely the most beautiful. It's a work of art! I wanted to examine each one and take a photo to remember them by – they're that good! The kids around me were going wild, and the adults seemed to be enjoying themselves just as much, probably because they hadn't seen toys like these since their own childhood.

The characters and scenes are really nice, especially the kid on the sled.

I love seeing families decorating the tree together.

The main event at Manezhnaya Square is the massive Christmas tree, which is surrounded by a sea of twinkling lights. It's a classic look that never gets old, and each year it still manages to impress.

The tree is a real showstopper, and it's especially magical when you get up close and personal. The base of the tree is swarming with kids, all eager to take a photo with the festive backdrop.

Right next to the tree, there's a smaller one where kids' ensembles are performing. When we were there, it was the Napisy ensemble that was rocking the stage.

Moving on from this part of the festival, we found ourselves in another area of the fair, where they've set up a merry-go-round, an ice rink with shows, and a stage. It's the second part of the fair, and it's just as exciting as the first.

The merry-go-round is a real showstopper, and the best part is that it's free! You just have to wait in line, and you're good to go.

I have to admit, I was really looking forward to seeing the winter train installation, but unfortunately, I didn't get to see it. There were just too many people, and everyone wanted to take a photo with it. As someone who hates waiting, I just couldn't hang around.

But we did manage to take a photo with the train, just as we were about to leave)

We made it to the carousel, had a hot cup of tea, and soaked up the atmosphere of New Year's Moscow. Yeah, the crowds, the people rushing around, the bloggers constantly taking photos, the impossibility of getting close to the thing you want to take a photo with... but that's just the style of Moscow. It's like fast consumption of emotions and events.

We kind of got caught up in the midst of things, just to experience it all. But experience it slowly. We stood there for 40 minutes at a table, just listening to music from Soviet movies. Somewhere nearby, Glinka was playing, and people were skating and putting on a show.

And being in the midst of all this, you realize that everything in your life is going great. Everyone around you is happy and satisfied, Moscow is getting more and more beautiful every year, and you get to experience it all. Even the crowds... even the expensive tea on Manezhka. But this chaos - that's New Year's Moscow.

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