All of Russia Prepares For New Years! Every City Wants to Top 2019 With New Attractions!

There's exactly one week left before the new year of 2020, and we move to our holiday studio in the center of Moscow.

7 DAYS LEFT UNTIL THE NEW YEAR

On New Year's eve, people will be able to go anywhere in Moscow for free. The Metro, MCC, and land transport will be free of charge from 8.30 p.m. on December 31st to 6 a.m. on January 1st. At the moment, you can carry a New Year's tree in the Metro for free if it's not taller than 1.5 meters (~4.9 feet).

 

Tatiana Remezova is reporting on the latest holiday news.

- Hello, Tatiana.

- Hello, Igor. I have some good news for you, too. December 31st may become an official day off. Chairwoman of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko supported it today, though she proposed not to increase the total number of days off in a year, but to make December 31st such a day at the expense of another non-working day. In any case, it'll happen no sooner than next year.

For now, we'll have eight days off, from January 1st to January 8th.

We hope it'll become colder during the holidays. For now, the abnormal warmth has melted the main winter entertainment — the ice rinks. Today, the "South Pole" ice rink was supposed to open at Luzhniki Stadium, but instead of ice, the rink has pools of water now. The opening has been postponed. A similar picture can be seen at VDNKh, though people are allowed to skate there anyway. Ideal ice is now only at some artificial ice rinks where a constant temperature is maintained, for example, on Tverskaya Street or Sparrow Hills.

However, while it's relatively warm, you can try winter swimming. There are four places open in Moscow: in Vorontsovo Park and Fili, as well as Severnoye Tushino and Kuzminki. Professional coaches will help you immerse yourself in winter waters without compromising your health.

My colleagues know what to do if you still want a vivid, frosty winter. Pavel Melnik is reporting from the white, snowy hills of Sakhalin, and Marina Gromova — from two New Year capitals of Russia at the same time.

It's thought that the symbol of the new year on the table or New Year's tree brings happiness. But what if the symbol is a whole town? We're in the unofficial capital of the upcoming year, Myshkin. There are more mice in the main museum than people in town — 2.5 for every resident of Myshkin. Wooden houses with carved frames. The main building is the Mouse Palace. You can also charge your luck for the whole year with a live mouse. It's a chinchilla, though, but I was told it works, too.

MYSHKIN — RYAZAN

Entering the new year of 2020 in the New Year capital itself. This year, it's officially Ryazan. The city greets us with thousands of lights and invites to share the holiday together.

It'll take much time to brush the glitter off. Artists paint the balls by hand. You can create your own at the tree decorations workshop or go to the local symbol of the new year.

"We greet you on the land of Ryazan at the home of kosopuz ("skewbelly")".

The main question is, who is kosopuz and why is he called like that?

“Skillful carpenters and craftsmen always lived here. They stuck their ax behind their belt, which was outweighed by the tool, so their belly got skewed.”

A kosopuz will teach you to carve spoons, and a glassmaker — to make stained glass. They'll allow you to warm up by the forge.

Ryazan eats not only mushrooms with eyes. Haute cuisine from the chef. He got recipes in gastronomic expeditions, but the ingredients were grown in Ryazan fields or caught in local lakes. They even created such a dessert for the holiday: a cake with bird cherry flour and arrowwood filling.

Marina Gromova, Valery Vinokurov, Ivan Murashov, Alexander Paramoshin, and Yulia Gavriletskaya, Vesti, Myshkin and Ryazan.

RYAZAN — YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK

Sakhalin rushes towards the New Year holidays so fast that only snow caps fly by. It's a real Russian winter in the taiga of the Far East that you can storm into at the speed of wind.

He swirled the snowboarders in a spectacular jump and brought crystal-clear air from the peaks. Ded Moroz rushes down the mountain, cutting the snow blanket. The ski season is open for everyone. The reindeer are jealous. They're clearly less practical than modern transport.

"It's actually an ordinary bicycle. You just put skis and special bindings on it".

It seems that, with enough speed, you can jump over all of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. At 1968.5 feet above the sea and miles of fairy-tale paths.

"You feel something like harmony with yourself. You just feel good and don't think about anything".

Valery Limarenko, governor of the Sakhalin Oblast: "We'll amaze people by our hospitality, good mood, tasty food, and, of course, our beautiful mountains located in the center of our city".

The only thing better than mountains is fishing. People go to catch smelt right on the ice.

"Something's swimming. Good bite".

This bullhead has just been caught, to the envy of white-tailed eagles. They come and wait for who'll feed them.

"The water is clean and very transparent. You can even see the fish".

The stars have aligned: the fish gather in schools. They hide in the thicket, but they won't miss a tasty bait.

"We can clean it and fry it, too".

An open-air restaurant that anybody can afford.

"Flour, grain, salt, pepper. Tangerines are must-have. Here's the New Year tree, the fish".

Treating your neighbors on the ice to fish is thought to bring good catch.

"Excellent".

Sakhalin is looking forward to the holiday. A fantasy neon town has appeared on the streets. The adults created it to return to their childhood where all their wishes came true.

Pavel Melnik and Sergey Svestilnikov, Vesti, the Far Eastern bureau.

Fantastically beautiful Moscow on New Year's Eve. New Year trees are in the city's center. Decorative compositions changed Kuznetsky Most, Tverskaya and White squares, and these are just some places where you can charge up with a festive mood. But it's important to not spoil it for your loved ones. A list of the worst New Year presents has appeared today. The least desirable are souvenirs with the symbol of the new year are these plush mice, and, attention, scales.

On the contrary, old Soviet tree decorations are becoming more popular. Where and at what price can you get such rarities? We'll tell you tomorrow from our New Year's studio.

- Thank you. That was my colleague Tatiana Remezova from our holiday studio in the center of Moscow.