Several years ago, it was possible to get to the Kingdom of the Snow Queen only in one place in the city. But, apparently, there were so many who wanted to do this that in recent years Snow Towns have appeared one after another.
True, this year the weather has mixed all the plans of the organizers. It got cold outside atypically early. Because of which, many ice (and even more so snowy) structures were simply not ready to receive guests. Nevertheless, sooner or later they will still open. And, of course, they will again invite parents and children to ride steep hills, marvel at bizarre sculptures, get lost in labyrinths, and just have a good time.
For the fourth year in a row, young Muscovites and their parents are pleased with the ice city “Ice Moscow. In the family circle ”, which opens on December 29 at the Entrance Square of the Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill. Here you can admire the main symbols of the Great Civilizations. The park will have a miniature palace of the Chinese emperors, the Parthenon, Great sphinx and the pyramid of Cheops from Egypt.
Traditionally, a copy of the Kremlin wall with five towers and a cascade of ice slides will appear. The height of the Spasskaya Tower will reach 10 meters, and the length of the largest hill will be about 100 meters. In addition, at the festival site you can see a copy of St. Basil's Cathedral.
This year, part of the exhibition can be seen inside three tents.
Until the end of winter, an exhibition of ice sculptures "-273 °. Ice space" is open for adults and children in Gorky Park. The exposition is divided into three zones. The first pavilion houses a hall with space objects, including the sculpture "Buran". The second tent contains the main symbols of the new year: Santa Claus, Snow Maiden, Nutcracker and a pig. The third tent is equipped with a 16-meter planetarium.
Until January 8, at the Festival Square of the Luzhniki sports complex, there is a sports park for all lovers of winter active rest... Created on the Festival Square winter park entertainment for all connoisseurs of the Russian winter: an artificial skating rink, curling, a giant ice tubing slide, an ice climbing area and large illuminated ice objects.
The park is open until January 8, 2019, daily: from 16:00 to 21:00 (weekdays) and from 13:00 to 21:00 (weekends).
On the territory of Izmailovsky Park there is a real snow
Harbin
Melting art - this is how you can call all these mesmerizing ice villages, castles and even cities that every winter grow for a short time in places where people know about snow firsthand. Festivals of ice and snow sculptures are held throughout the northern hemisphere, and we will tell you about the largest of them, not forgetting about the domestic ones (this is our personal hit parade, and we do not pretend to be objective).
Harbin Ice and Snow Festival
China, Japan, Canada, Norway, Sweden - these are the Top 5 world ice holidays.
Let's start with the China Ice and Snow Festival, which has been held in the coldest city in the country, Harbin, since 1963. Not only one of the oldest, but also the largest of its kind. On an area of about half a million square meters, celestial palaces and giant sculptures of mythical gods have been growing within two months.
Harbin Ice City is about 2,000 different art objects and 200 thousand cubic meters the purest ice from the Songhua River. Each cube weighs 250 kg. Just think about these large-scale figures!
The theme of 2018 was the cities of the Great Silk Road. Ancient civilizations are recreated from fragile materials by artists and sculptors from China, America, Canada, Japan, Russia, Singapore, etc. This year it took ten days to erect the largest three-hundred-meter sculpture and the efforts of five hundred masters from all over the world.
The coolest thing about this festival is that there, as in the famous one, in the final all ice creations must be destroyed! Ice axes are given to everyone! Information for those wishing to destroy something: the final of the festival is scheduled for February 28th.
Snow Festival in Sapporo, Japan
In the middle of the last century, the history of the Japanese Snow Festival began with several sculptures built by boys.
The peculiarity of the festival is that it takes place in three places at once in the capital of the island of Hokkaido. And it is not a given theme that reigns in it, but the fantasy of snow sculptors! To create the largest compositions, the country's armed forces are involved. The holiday takes place in early February and lasts only a week.
Canadian Carnaval de Quebec
It is more of a carnival than a festival. Since ice sculptures are only part of the event at this celebration of souls and bodies, the main focus is on unbridled Canadian fun.
The birth of the carnival can be considered the end of the century before last, and the organizers recommend looking for its roots in traditional folk festivals before the start of Lent. Preparations for the winter holiday in Quebec begin with the construction of a palace for the symbol of the carnival - a snowman named "Good Man" (Good Man).
Masquerade ball of mummers, sledding races, hockey matches, rowing competition on the stormy St. Lawrence River, night parties and a dozen more good traditions! And amid all this fun, there is time for a serious international competition: more than 50 teams from 30 countries take part in the snow sculpture competition.
Geilo Norwegian Ice Music Festival
On the first full moon of the year, the snow-capped peaks of the ski town become the backdrop for an unusual musical show. The Norwegian composer and artist Terje Isungset came up with the idea of playing music on ice instruments.
Each instrument is made from natural crystal clear ice... Terje tried to make guitars and drums from ordinary frozen water, poured into a prepared mold, but they sounded dull.
The festival lasts only 3 days. Music sounds, and icy guitars, harps and trumpets melt from the warm touch of a person. This has its own magic.
Swedish snow festival in Kiruna
Kiruna is a town in the north of Sweden. For the first time the festival took place there a little over 30 years ago in 1986 on the occasion of the launch of the Viking rocket.
Every year, in the last week of January, the city is filled with ice and snow sculptures. And guests come to admire the short-lived creations against the background of the northern lights, which are frequent in those latitudes.
The organizers call it the only festival in the Arctic Circle, which they are very mistaken about (below we will tell you about our Arctic snow and ice festival, which is gaining momentum).
"Snegolod" in Khibiny, Russia
The smallest, but no less spectacular snow festival takes place on the very edge of Russia, beyond the Arctic Circle on the Kola Peninsula. There, starting from the end of December, for the tenth winter in a row, the Snow Village has been growing, where the Snow Ice festival is taking place. Snow ice lasts a couple of weeks, where viewers watch the birth of new snow creations in real time.
There is so much snow in the Russian north that in addition to the "village" in the Arctic, a gallery of ice sculptures was also built, next to which in the middle of winter an express competition "Crazy Saw" takes place. Blocks of the purest lake ice turn into art in 90 minutes. Thus, it turns out that Snegolod is a large-scale two-week festival consisting of a competition in snow and ice sculptures.
On the eve of new year holidays the capital of our Motherland is being transformed beyond recognition. In all districts of the city, unique light compositions are created, New Year's trees begin to glow with all colors, pre-holiday fairs are unfolding everywhere. But, perhaps, the main attraction is the ice sculptures in Moscow, which shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow and remain in the memory of Muscovites and guests of the capital for a long time.
But few people know that the tradition of creating ice figures in Russia began in the distant seventeenth century. At the origins of such events was the empress herself, who personally signed a decree on the creation of an Ice House in St. Petersburg. It was he who became the first ice structure in the then Russia. Recently, the Moscow authorities recalled a once forgotten tradition and decided to build an icy splendor in the current capital.
There is no doubt that the ice sculptures in Moscow 2018 will amaze us with even greater magnificence and scope. In the meantime, let's remember how it was in 2017.
Ice extravaganza on Poklonnaya Hill
The ice sculpture exhibition last year was slightly different from previous years. Thanks to the "Ice Moscow", namely the so-called exposition, one could visit Crimea, Volgograd, Kizhi, Vladivostok, St. Petersburg and others. interesting places Russia. " swallow's Nest", The Motherland Monument, the Moscow Kremlin, ancient temples were so large and charming that everyone wanted to be photographed next to them.
Ice figures of a samovar, a steam locomotive, a Russian stove, and a throne were no less popular among children. You could even climb on them and play inside. The most popular were, of course, the slides directly from the ice walls of the Kremlin. The little ones also liked the figures of animals: a tiger, a dolphin, etc. In general, in the Victory Park, the authorities of the capital tried and did everything for the whole family to spend the New Year holidays in an interesting way. Organizationally, everything was great too:
- food points worked;
- animators entertained the kids as best they could;
- a first-aid post functioned in case of injuries;
- public toilets, etc.
- excellent illumination of all figures was organized;
- large screens worked;
- music played;
- there was a huge Christmas tree, which created an already festive mood.
The price of children's tickets is 250 rubles, and for adults - 350 rubles. Tickets could be bought completely free at special box offices, houses. The exposition was available for a whole month from 12/29/16 to 01/29/17.
Exhibition of ice sculptures at VDNKh
In this area of Moscow, an ice rink is traditionally filled in winter, which is considered the largest in the world. Anyone can ride right around famous fountains"Stone Flower" and "Friendship of Peoples". In addition, the exhibition annually hosts an exposition of ice sculptures on various topics. In 2017, an ice bridge was erected right in the middle of the lake. extraordinary beauty"Northern Lights". All this splendor begins to live a special life when a special colored light turns on in the evening.
The most amazing thing is that there is so much light that it seems that you have ended up on another planet. Everything glows, and even the ice on the skating rink, where different patterns are drawn to the music.
The program of the Vyugovey festival is so rich that everyone will find something to their liking here. At the disposal of vacationers:
- sled;
- snowboards;
- skis;
- skates.
Various New Year's games are arranged around the tree, fairs, folk festivals are organized, folk groups perform. Here you can taste various culinary treats and drink hot tea.
Festival tickets vary by stay. The price ranges from 300-600 rubles. - adults and about 250 rubles. - for children.
"Polar Star" in Sokolniki
This was the name of the Ice Sculpture Museum in famous park... In it, Muscovites and guests of Moscow could get acquainted with the traditional dwellings of the peoples of the North, dog sleds and other attributes of the life of northerners. Here you could also see the figures:
- penguins;
- seals;
- whales;
- polar bear;
- walruses;
- killer whales.
The landscape of the North Pole and many other things made us look at many things in a new way. The cost of tickets for the exposition was 250 rubles.
Russian sculptures made of ice on Krasnaya Presnya
The gallery covers an area of 450 m2 and operates throughout the year due to the maintenance of sub-zero temperatures. The room is equipped with professional lighting and musical accompaniment. The best sculptors of Russia worked on the exposition, who more than once became the winners of various domestic and international competitions. The project is unique and there is no such thing in the whole world. The creation of the exposition took ninety tons of ice made from spring water... The collection of figures is dedicated to the characters of the best works of Russian literature, such as: Krylov's fables and the tales of Ershov and Pushkin. The exposition can be interesting for both children and adults. The ticket price is 350 rubles. Video filming can be done free of charge.
Ice Age at Luzhniki
Every year, with the onset of frost and until spring, a snow and ice festival is held here. The area is divided into two halves. In one there are children's attractions in the form of: various caves, an ice aquarium, a labyrinth, a trap and slides. The other part contains compositions dedicated to the cartoon "Ice Age", as well as the "Camelot" gallery, which contains knights, castles, phoenixes, dragons, etc. In total, more than 70 figures made of ice and snow were presented at the festival in 2017.
In general, in winter there is a real mecca for children, although, as observations show, sitting on a dinosaur or sliding down a slide are not averse to quite adult guys and girls. Lovers often take photos here. The ticket price for the festival is: 200 rubles. for children and 300 rubles. for adults.
Opening hours of ice rides
In the City of Winter there are interesting entertainment for each guest: two spacious ice rinks, a tubing slide, a team game of Yukigassen, curling and an incredible program for the whole vacation!
The event has already passed
Festive fair on Red Square 0+
Multicolored lights of shopping chalets, performances by street performers, Christmas tree decorations of all stripes, the most beautiful New Year's gifts and mouth-watering delicacies await you at the main Moscow fair.
The event has already passed
Ice city on Poklonnaya Hill 0+
From December 29 to January 12 at Poklonnaya Hill the traditional New Year festival “Ice Moscow. In the family". 2019 has been declared the Year of the Theater, so a whole complex of ice buildings dedicated to theatrical theme will be located on the Entrance Square of Victory Park.
st. Fonchenko Brothers, 7, Poklonnaya mountainFather Frost's estate in Kuzminsky forest
You don't have to go to Veliky Ustyug to see the main wizard of winter! Come in Kuzminsky park- here you will see the Snow Maiden's tower, the magic throne of Santa Claus, and interactive playgrounds where children will be offered to have fun at exciting master classes. In addition, the Father Frost's Post Office works in the estate. Where else, if not here, to make wishes for the next year!
Volgogradskiy Avenue, possession 168dMuseum-reserve "Tsaritsyno" 0+
Tsaritsyno is a magical place in itself, especially in winter, when everything is covered with snow. And this year, for the first time ever, reindeer sledding will take place there. Do you want to feel like Santa Claus and ride a sleigh pulled by reindeer? Come to Tsaritsyno!
st. Dolskaya, 1"Factory of happy people" in Gorky Park 0+
Back in 1934, the writer Herbert Wells visited Gorky Park and called it the "Factory of Happy People." In the new season, the skating rink in the park was stylized as a factory: with a neon conveyor belt and a ten-meter chimney. Of course, the factory produces only positive emotions.
