July

This big, open-air rock festival focuses on Russian rock bands. The festival's name means ‘invasion’. It’s a good place to see both established and up-and-coming musicians from around Russia and neighbouring states, but please be prepared that it will be full of excited and highly energised rock fans.

This is a summer solstice celebration related to John the Baptist as July 6/7 is June 23/24 in the Julian calendar used by the Orthodox church. Girls tranditionally wear flower or herb wreaths on their heads, and in the evening the wreaths are decorated with burning candles and set afloat; it is believed the girl whose wreath travels the farthest will have the happiest year ahead and the candle that burns the longest means a long life. There are fireworks.

The Day of Saint Peter and Saint Fevronia, also known as the Day of Family, Love and Devotion is celebrated all over Russia on the 8 of July. It has its roots in the love story of Peter and Fevronia who devoted their lives to each other and demonstrated how love and devotion can help to overcome any difficulties.  On this day you will find a lot of street concerts and entertainment in most Russian cities but the most popular one is Murom. Here you will find an open-air festival with many Russian celebrities, a lot of dancing and traditional Russian music.

The museums that are under control of the City Department of Culture offer free admission on every 3rd Sunday of the month. Please note that the federal museums such as the Tretyakov Gallery, the Historical Museum, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts do not participate in this initiative. Long queues can be expected as there always many visitors who would like to use the offer.

A centuries-old tradition of the ceremonial change of the guard revives in Kremlin each Saturday through the Russian warm season. The ceremony is a mix of intricate maneuvers and musical performances. Admission is by the ticket for visiting the architectural complex of the Kremlin’s Cathedral Square (Annunciation, Assumption and Archangel Cathedrals and of the Patriarch’s Palace and the Church of the Twelve Apostles) – 500 rub.