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History How was New Year's Eve celebrated under the Russian empresses?

What kind of holiday would it be without cannons? Without masquerades and music?! Here's how the holidays were celebrated in Tsarist Russia.

History The story behind ‘Ded Moroz’, Russia’s main winter wizard (PICS)

It seems he's always been around – the spirit of the New Year, the lord of snow and the kind grandfather of ‘Snegurochka’ (aka Snow Maiden). But, by historical standards, he's not that old. ‘Ded Moroz’ who greets children at New Year’s trees every year isn't even 90 years old.

Lifestyle Top 10: Most POPULAR content in 2025 by ‘Gateway to Russia’

In case you missed something, here’s a roundup of our most popular and noteworthy text and video content of the year.

Culture Three Lives of ‘Snegurochka’ (PICS)

The image of ‘Snegurochka’ (aka the ‘Snow Maiden’) has undergone amazing metamorphoses. She has been a girl made of snow, a tragic heroine with a destructive inner conflict, as well as the cheerful granddaughter of ‘Ded Moroz’, the main winter wizard.

Russian Kitchen Who was the creator of the ‘Russian’ salad?

Journalist Anna Kruglova tells the detective story about the life of the Russian restaurateur with the French name Lucien Olivier in her book. We’ve selected seven of the most intriguing facts from it.

History How to organize a children's New Year’s tree according to the SOVIET GOST standard (PHOTOS)

You couldn’t just set up any tree as a New Year's tree in the Soviet Union [due to religion being banned, New Year’s Eve was the nearest to the holy holiday — Ed.]. To ensure the celebration was organized correctly, in the late 1930s, the Soviet Union published collections of recommendations.

Education Arkhangelsk Region in 3 Russian words

Arkhangelsk Region is renowned for its unique wooden architecture and is widely known as the cradle of the Russian Navy. Here are three more symbols of this region.

History How did Soviet leaders celebrate the New Year?

Not all of them enjoyed the noisy feasts in the Moscow Kremlin. Some preferred quiet gatherings with friends and family.

Lifestyle Share your opinion about 'Gateway to Russia'!

We want to make 'Gateway to Russia' even more interesting and useful – which means your opinion is crucial! So, please take a few minutes to complete our short survey: It will help us better understand your interests and expectations!

Russian Language Playground

Kira Polyudova

Education

Russian picture dictionary: Happy New Year!

Created by OpenAI/ chatgpt

Education

8 horse-related expressions for all occasions

Education

How to learn Russian easier? 5 life hacks from foreigners! (VIDEO)

Courtesy of the Pushkin Institute

Education

Ambassadors of the Russian Language: “We open the door to the world of Russian culture”

Education

Learn some Russian words related to Christmas & New Year! (VIDEO)

Natalya Nosova

Education

‘Gateway to Russia’ launches FREE online Russian language course for beginners

Russian Literature

House-Museum of Mikhail Prishvin

How writer Mikhail Prishvin built the first Soviet motorhome (PHOTOS)

Culture Club / Getty Images

How Vladimir Mayakovsky once wrote a script for a French film

Yuri Kushevsky (CC BY-SA 4.0)

5 most QUOTED works of Russian literature

10 reasons why Pushkin is so great

Kira Lisitskaya (Photo: Public domain; CSA Images/Getty Images; Tretyakov Gallery)

100 MAIN Russian books that everyone should read

Best of Russia

Alexander Melekhov / TASS

Travel

How Russian cities decorated for the 2026 New Year (PHOTOS)

yulenochekk / Getty Images

Travel

Solovetsky Islands: A journey into Russian history (PHOTOS)

Anna Sorokina

Travel

What's inside the most BEAUTIFUL house in old Moscow?

Gateway to Russia (Photo: Polinmr/Getty Images)

Lifestyle

Where to find 'Gateway to Russia' on social media

Gateway to Russia (Photo: Russian Classes; TimKirbysTravel; Think Slavic)

Lifestyle

4 social media accounts recommended by ‘Gateway to Russia’

Getty Images

Basic facts

34 incredible UNESCO sites located in Russia (PHOTOS)

Russian Cinema

Gateway to Russia (Photo: nekonome/Getty Images, Mosfilm/Legion Media)

5 movies in which FALL is one of the main ‘characters’

P. Arsenov/The film studio named after Gorky, 1985

10 BEST Soviet & Russian movies about school

Studios ProLine Film/TASS

7 screen adaptations of Soviet science fiction writers Arkady & Boris Strugatsky

Sputnik

8 UNDERRATED Soviet movies

KEYSTONE-FRANCE/Gamma-Rapho / Getty Images

10 Russian movies that won awards at Cannes

Russia 101

Legion Media

Plan your trip

Q&A: What to do if your foreign SIM card doesn't work in Russia?

Alexander Kislov (Photo: Freepik.com)

Plan your trip

The MOST important phone numbers, addresses & websites for your trip to Russia

Legion Media

Visa help

How to get a Russian visa in Canada

Shatokhina Natalia/news.ru / Global Look Press

Plan your trip

Why foreigners need to submit biometric data in Russia & how

beast01 / Getty Images

Plan your trip

When & where does a foreigner need to present their passport in Russia?

ampueroleonardo / Getty Images

Plan your trip

How to travel across Russia: A guide for foreign tourists

History

Mikhail Ozersky / Sputnik

How the first Moscow Kremlin New Year’s tree was staged (PHOTOS)

Public domain

What was going on in Russia during the fall of Constantinople in 1453?

Vyacheslav Runov / Sputnik

How Canada's Prime Minister once visited Soviet Norilsk

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How Emperor Paul I challenged ALL European monarchs to a duel

Alexandra Koroleva; Public domain

How tall were Russian rulers? (INFOGRAPHIC)

The Most Russian American

Checking out New Year’s decorations in a Russian store (VIDEO)

What you should know about New Year's in Russia (VIDEO)

Why visit the VDNKh Park in Moscow? (VIDEO)

There's a whole airplane in the Moscow metro! (VIDEO)

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Gateway to Russia

How to replicate the ‘Slavic stare’: Decoding the social media trend

V. Alisov / Sputnik

5 facts about Russia's main New Year's Eve movie (STILLS)

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6 ‘drinking’ expressions

Kamchatka freeride community

Santa in the mountains (VIDEO)

freepik (s.salvador)

New Year congratulation (VIDEO)

Andrey Nikitin / Getty Images

Why do Russians insist on eating ‘Olivier’ & ‘Mimosa’ salads on New Year's Eve?

Kira Polyudova (Photo: Public Domain, Unsplash)

Overlooked Russian greats: Ostrovsky

Kira Polyudova

Russian picture dictionary: Happy New Year!

Ring in the New Year with Russian flair in Tobolsk! (VIDEO)

Gateway to Russia (Created by OpenAI)

How was New Year's Eve celebrated under the Russian empresses?

Oleg Lastochkin / Sputnik

The story behind ‘Ded Moroz’, Russia’s main winter wizard (PICS)

Andrey Dudaev/Norilsk City Administration (Андрей Дудаев/Администрация Норильска)

The Arctic city of Norilsk is ready for New Year festivities despite the frosts and winds! (VIDEO)

Viktor Vasnetsov/Tretyakov Gallery

Three Lives of ‘Snegurochka’ (PICS)

Natalya Nosova; Aku Louhimies/Elokuvaosakeyhtiö Suomi, 2017; Kira Lisitskaya (Photo: Public domain; CSA Images/Getty Images; Tretyakov Gallery); Alexander Oshchepkov/NGS.RU/Shkulev Media Holding

Top 10: Most POPULAR content in 2025 by ‘Gateway to Russia’

Gateway to Russia (Photo: Roifactory/Imazins, Serhii Ivashchuk, Alex Milan/Getty Images)

Who was the creator of the ‘Russian’ salad?

Mordolff, Andrey Sayfutdinov, olgaIT/Getty Images; Legion Media

Learn what do you need to become a Russian 'Father Frost' ('Ded Moroz')!

Recraft.ai

Writing a letter to Russian Ded Moroz (VIDEO)

How to learn Russian easier? 5 life hacks from foreigners! (VIDEO)

State Russiam Museum

How Russians celebrated New Year & Christmas in the 19th century

Created by OpenAI/ chatgpt

8 horse-related expressions for all occasions

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