The Real Deal on Moscow's Red Square During New Year's - Is it Worth Visiting?
add_circle Pros
- The Christmas tree is a nice touch, even if it's a bit of a sad sight.
- The smaller trees around it add a bit of festivity to the area.
- The cardboard fence is a clever way to protect the setup.
- The nearby islands with trees and fences are a nice addition.
- The plastic cartoon characters behind the fences are a fun touch.
- The area is still worth visiting, even if the festive atmosphere isn't the most impressive.
remove_circle Cons
- The decorations are a bit of a letdown, especially when compared to other festive atmospheres.
- The Christmas tree is trying too hard to fit in with traditional values.
- The whole setup feels a bit cramped and lacks a cohesive look.
- The tree almost falls over in the wind, which is a bit of a sad sight.
- The festive atmosphere is not the most impressive, especially considering the effort put into the decorations.
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Editor's Summary
Moscow's Red Square during New Year's is a bit of a letdown, but there are some redeeming qualities. The Christmas tree is the main attraction, but it's trying too hard to fit in with traditional values. The tree itself is decent enough, but the whole setup feels a bit cramped. Nearby, there are smaller trees and a cardboard fence to protect the area. It's a shame the decorations aren't more impressive, especially when the wind blows and the tree almost falls over. Still, it's worth a visit.
Specifications
Moscow's Red Square during New Year's is a mixed bag. The decorations are a bit of a letdown, but there are some redeeming qualities.
So, what does the local administration offer to create a festive atmosphere for the locals?
The Christmas tree is the main attraction, but it's trying too hard to fit in with traditional values. It's a bit of a sad sight, though - it keeps trying to fall over in the wind, but manages to stay upright until the end of the holidays. The tree itself is decent enough, but the whole setup feels a bit cramped.
There are smaller trees around it and a cardboard fence to protect the whole setup. Nearby, there are a few islands with trees and fences, behind which you can see plastic cartoon characters.
The photo zone is a bit of a mystery to me - I'm not sure what it's supposed to be for or who it's for. It's like they're trying to create something original, but it's just a bit of a mess. Who else can say they've taken a photo of a Christmas tree with a chunk missing, surrounded by a crowd in a glowing frame?
The photo zone is a bit of a mystery to me - I'm not sure what it's supposed to be for or who it's for. It's like they're trying to create something original, but it's just a bit of a mess. Who else can say they've taken a photo of a Christmas tree with a chunk missing, surrounded by a crowd in a glowing frame?
But the organizers said to take photos here, so people are obeying. They're freezing in line, waiting for the magic to happen.
Occasionally, a whole group of people will fit into the frame, leaving the tree with just its branches and trunk showing. But overall, people seem happy. It's a bit of a mess, but it's festive.
There are some great, bright spaces nearby where you can take photos for a few hours, like the Millionnaya Street.
The New Year's Mail is a nice touch, though. The 'Petersburg Diary' newspaper has organized it again. I took advantage of the free postcard delivery from December 20th to 30th. They've got a small postcard station set up with mailboxes and decorations.
I took advantage of the free postcard delivery from December 20th to 30th. They've got a small postcard station set up with mailboxes and decorations.
To be honest, that's pretty much all you can see on the square. All the decorations are crammed around the main Christmas tree, leaving the rest of the space empty. It's a bit puzzling, to be honest. The main square in the city during New Year's doesn't really feel like the main attraction. But hey, people in line for the 'in-frame' photo seem happy enough.
As for the snowballs - they're fine, I guess.
But there's also the main sledding hill.
Sledging is free, and it's open from 2 pm to 8:30 pm throughout the holidays. They also give out free waffles for sledging. Of course, you get what you pay for - in this case, it's the time spent waiting in a line of hundreds of people.
The ride is a one-off. If you want to do it again, you're back in line.
The Russian Christmas Fair is a bit of a letdown, though. It's just a bunch of stalls, and they're not even that tempting. The question on everyone's mind is: what's the point of this 'massive' event?
It even has an operating schedule, which is a bit of a joke. I guess the organizers couldn't admit that they just threw this together to keep people from freezing to death in line.
Ryazhenyov and Yekaterina are nowhere to be seen, probably off enjoying the warm weather somewhere or getting fined for not showing up. In their place, we have plastic figurines in the arch of the Main Staff building.
They're pretty low-key and quiet, I suppose.
Toilets? Yeah, we've got those. Thirty of them, to be exact. Go ahead, grab a coffee, and indulge in some festive cheer!
Overall, the Dvortsovaya Square doesn't really feel like a festive celebration, unless you're walking around the Christmas tree without taking your eyes off it. They've only decorated about 5% of the area, leaving the rest in darkness.
While other areas like Nevsky and some of the more distant squares are lit up and sparkling. They've even turned the Blue Bridge near the Isaakievskaya Square into a winter garden.
It's about a hundred times less crowded than Dvortsovaya, though. I'm sure there's some deeper meaning to this.
I'd give this a 3-star rating, with one star for the Christmas tree and the New Year's mail, and the remaining star as a bonus – after all, it is New Year's.
I wouldn't recommend going any further than this:
My rating is solely based on the decoration.
