In the days before the New Year and Christmas, the capital of Russia becomes like fairytale city, which tourists from all over our country and the world strive to get to. Christmas markets in Moscow are a very colorful and cheerful event, without which it is simply impossible to imagine these holidays.
On the eve of the New Year and Christmas, fair trade stalls are organized on the streets and squares, where anyone can enjoy the spectacle of New Year's illumination and holiday decor showcases There are a lot of New Year's souvenirs and gifts in the stalls and kiosks, Santa Claus and his fairy-tale helpers walk along the street, bright lights, children's carousels, and all kinds of ice slides. All this creates a unique holiday atmosphere and will not leave any visitors indifferent! To create a holiday, colorful performances are held with clowns, dancers, and musicians. At the same time, walkers can not only watch the street show, but also take part in folk festivities and fun.
If you are hungry, you can try different dishes prepared according to old Russian recipes. In general, fair cuisine pleases with the abundance and variety of dishes; here you can enjoy the national cuisines of different nations and taste Christmas delicacies from Europe. Visitors are offered pancakes with a huge variety of fillings, delicious pastries, pickles with baked potatoes and warm drinks. So the Christmas market is a holiday not only for the soul, but also for the body. Traditionally, Moscow hosts more than one Christmas fair. In different parts of the city and at different venues, residents and guests of the capital will be able to visit many different fairs and festive events.
Christmas fair 2016-2017 on Red Square
The largest and longest fair is traditionally organized on Red Square. This year it will begin its work on November 30, 2016 and will delight residents and tourists until February 28, 2017. At this time, Red Square turns into a real magical city with a lot of souvenir shops, ice slides and carousels. Here you can admire performances staged with the participation of various musicians and dancers, clowns, and there will definitely be New Year's fairy-tale characters. Fair guests will be able to choose new Year gifts, take part in the festivities and taste delicious treats prepared according to classic and unusual recipes. In addition to classic Russian dishes (pancakes, mead, herbal tea, sbiten, etc.), you will also be able to enjoy Christmas cuisine from other countries (Bavarian sausages, roasted chestnuts, Viennese waffles, etc.).
This year marks the 120th anniversary of GUM, so the Christmas market will be stylistically decorated in the spirit of the 60s of the 20th century. At the fair you will be able to purchase real Russian souvenirs: Tula gingerbread, Khokhloma, Orenburg shawls, Gzhel, Palekh miniatures and much more.
Christmas fair at VDNKh
The fair at VDNH will begin its work on December 12, 2016 and will welcome guests until January 11, 2017. A real fairy tale-fair is being created on the territory of VDNKh. In beautiful trade stalls, reminiscent of fairy-tale towers, you will be able to purchase everything that will be useful for celebrating the New Year and Christmas. There will be folklore souvenirs here, Christmas decorations, wooden crafts, real hats with earflaps and felt boots and much more.
At the fair you will also be able to purchase a real green forest beauty - spruce. Of course, at the fair you can enjoy various gastronomic delights prepared by skilled chefs. There will be a lot here interesting cuisines peoples of the world and national dishes. Various meat dishes, gingerbread and pretzels, meadow herb tea and cloudberry tea - it’s impossible to list everything, you have to come and see it all.
Christmas market in Sokolniki
The fair will open in Sokolniki Park on December 18, 2016, and will continue until January 10, 2017. The fair in Sokolniki greets its visitors with the aromas of sweet pastries, delicious spicy drinks and the smell of fresh pine needles. An interesting program of festive events has been prepared for guests of the Christmas market. It includes various concerts and theatrical performances, sports competitions and comic entertainment. The exhibition-fair will open several thematic areas: an interior shop (dishes, textiles, home accessories), souvenirs (holiday souvenirs, jewelry, creative products) and a New Year's table (food, master classes on holding a holiday at home and in the office, serving New Year's table and etc.).
During the Christmas fair, the Orthodox fair “Christmas Gift” will also be held on the territory of Sokolniki, which will last from December 23 to December 29. At this fair it will be possible to buy products produced in the monastery farms, various icons and books, Jewelry and church souvenirs.
Be sure to visit at least one of the Christmas fairs 2016-2017 in Moscow. You will get a lot of pleasant memories and useful information, you can buy wonderful souvenirs and gifts for the New Year and Christmas.
Christmas market on Red Square
The central, main Christmas Fair Moscow. 23 cozy houses and benches will occupy almost 2,000 square meters of Red Square. There you can buy New Year's toys, try traditional Russian cuisine, drink mulled wine with a Viennese waffle and snack on roasted chestnuts.
Also, two stages will be built on the square, from which live music and dance groups will perform from Thursday to Sunday. Other entertainment includes an ice slide in the shape of a huge cake (let's hope that warm winter won't turn it into a water park) and a children's carousel.
New Year's fair at VDNKh
Here you can find gifts from two dozen regions of Russia and the CIS countries. The New Year's market will be located near pavilion No. 1 and will offer visitors a variety of decorations, Christmas decorations and decorative items. And in the City of Fairy Tales, children will be able to meet characters from old cartoons, including the penguins Lolo and Pepe, Umka and Mama Bear and, of course, Santa Claus. On Industry Square there will be a clock counting down the time until the New Year.
Market “4 Seasons” in Event Hall “Danilovsky”
Address: m. Tulskaya, st. Dubininskaya, 71, building 5
Market “4 Seasons” is a traditional meeting place for young and talented Russian designers. At the December fair, the main topic, naturally, will be New Year and Christmas. We will be waiting for you at festively decorated stands. original jewelry, decor, as well as clothing collections of domestic brands. Difference from the previous two Christmas markets the fact that they are less focused on tourists, there is no mass market and the notorious souvenir products. At such markets, the craftsmen do everything first and foremost with their soul.
In addition, several master classes will be held as part of the fair, there will be a photo zone, Santa Claus and a Christmas tree, so New Year's mood be!
Fair Mercatino di Natale
When: December 16–18
Where: Foodiez Bazaar on Flakone, Bolshaya Novodmitrovskaya, 36, building 24
Since Moscow is being decorated this year, without theme week not enough. At the Christmas market you can buy Italian food, immerse yourself in the atmosphere of this country, watch the battle of chefs and choose a stylish souvenir for your family and friends. The festival schedule includes a rich program with master classes, lectures and quizzes about Italy.
New Year's fair of handmade gifts ArtFlection
Where: Central Telegraph, st. Tverskaya, 7
Everything here is hand-made, more than 100 Russian and foreign craftsmen will present decorations, Christmas souvenirs and other items on the New Year's list. The symbol of this year is “The Same Deer”, and its image will decorate most of the products. Handmade gifts are always nicer, and most likely there will be no more similar items, or they will be released in limited quantities. 
During New Year holidays, and also on the eve of the New Year, you should include in your list of things to do, in addition to watching a movie with tangerines, visiting guests or parties, and visiting Christmas markets. They have been spending several years in a row in Moscow. There you can immerse yourself even more in the holiday atmosphere, eat traditional Christmas food and drink a warm drink, buy some cute little things for your home, or Original gifts for loved ones.
We bring to your attention a small schedule of interesting Christmas markets with information about where in Moscow they are held, when they open and when they close.
Fair in GUM (November 30, 2016 - February 28, 2017)
Christmas fair in Moscow GUM
The event is one of the popular ones held in the capital. Every year the organizers choose one or another style, this time, for example, it is the 60s. Guests of the fair, held right on Red Square, will enjoy music and performances dance groups, clowns. There are also numerous shops where you should pay attention to a variety of crafts that can prolong the feeling of Christmas and New Year in your home for a long time.
Visitors to the bazaar will be able to try traditional Christmas and New Year's dishes from Russian cuisine, such as baked potatoes or pancakes with caviar.
ArtFlection (December 27-28, 2016)
The exhibition will become a must-see item on the list of fans of handmade jewelry and interior items. Here every visitor will be able to purchase homemade dolls (including the famous Tilda), original postcards, natural cosmetics. The organizers have selected interesting participants, so the ArFflection fair may well change the views of capital residents about such an industry as handmade.
Bazar (December 13-14, 2016)
Christmas Charity Bazar in Moscow
The charity fair takes place at the Expocentre Fairgrounds and is dedicated to travel around the world. The event welcomes 70 charitable organizations from all over the country, and among the important guests is Father Frost from Veliky Ustyug. Visitors to the fair will be able to purchase symbolic gifts for the upcoming holidays. It is worth recalling that all proceeds from the sale will be transferred to non-profit organizations for the implementation of social projects.
Marche de Noel Francais (26 - 28 November 2016)
French Christmas market in Moscow
The French fair will be held at the French Institute, located on Vorontsov Field. Here visitors will be able to purchase original gifts for themselves and their loved ones, specially brought to the this event from France - interior items, perfumes, cheeses and traditional French sweets. Throughout the bazaar, musical groups will perform for visitors.
Seasons (December 19, 2016)
The one-day fair, which is not the first time Russian entrepreneurs have organized it, will be held in the Hermitage Garden. These are about 40 tents with souvenirs, clothes, gifts, handmade toys. During the event, a charity lottery will be held, and a performance by the Antique Circus is planned.
Fair in Sokolniki Park (November 17, 2016 – January 10, 2017)
The event includes an exhibition, numerous shops with souvenirs and gifts, a number of master classes on making crafts, teaching traditional dances characteristic of a particular country. Visitors will also be able to see national New Year's tales, meet the real Santa Claus. It is worth mentioning that part of the proceeds from the fair will be transferred to charitable foundations.
Mercatino Di Natale (December 16-18, 2016)
Italian fair in Moscow
The Italian fair will be held in the renovated Space space of the Flacon design factory for the fifth time. The event is dedicated to Italian food. Here you can buy olives from Caserta, balsamic cream and mortadella from Emilia-Romagna. And also sun-dried tomatoes, olives and capers from Puglia, different kinds pastas from famous regions of Italy.
Christmas interior market at the Twinstore gallery (November 20-30, 2016)
Interior bazaar in the Twinstore gallery
On the territory of the gallery as part of the fair, every visitor will be able to find original holiday decorations, souvenirs and gifts. But the highlight of the event will be the exhibition of interior items that can be purchased.
For millions of Muscovites, the magic of the long-awaited winter holiday begins with the lights of this fair on the main square of the capital.
Although the tradition of holding Christmas markets is not originally Russian, last years This colorful European custom has taken root on the streets of many Russian cities. The central place among domestic Christmas markets is occupied by the market, which takes place from the first day of December until the end of the New Year holidays near the walls of the Moscow Kremlin. The New Year's market got its name from the nearby giant GUM department store, which is one of the popular attractions of Moscow.
In the best traditions of French fairs, the Christmas market on Red Square will combine a trading platform and an amusement park with many exciting attractions. On the shelves of the “toy” chalet houses you will find a rich selection of national souvenirs, New Year's toys, handicraft jewelry and handmade warm clothing. The range of treats at the fair combines Russian hospitality with European practicality. Here, hot mulled wine and aromatic sbiten, golden-brown pancakes and Bavarian-style fried sausages, Viennese waffles and Tula gingerbreads peacefully coexist.
Next to the brisk trade, you can also find entertainment for the soul - on the fair stages the public will be entertained by performances of musicians, dancers, circus and theater groups. On weekends, guests of the Kremlin Christmas market are greeted by the cheerful duet of Father Frost and the Snow Maiden.
Opening hours of the GUM fair
- Monday-Thursday: 11:00-22:00
- Friday: 11:00-23:00
- Saturday, Sunday and holidays: 10:00-23:00
The Christmas market in Moscow 2016-2017 is a colorful, noisy and cheerful event, without which it is impossible to imagine Christmas. On the eve of the holiday revered by Christians, folk festivities and fair “shopping” unfold on Moscow streets and squares with shopping arcades decorated with New Year and Christmas paraphernalia and festive illumination. Rich display cases, kiosks and counters with gifts, souvenirs and toys, Father Frost with his fabulous retinue and Christmas nativity scenes are indispensable components of any Christmas market. And above all this folk fun, fragrant smells hover, which create the very spirit of real Christmas.
Christmas Market: Red Square
During the New Year and Christmas holidays, the capital of Russia becomes especially elegant and attractive for tourists. At this time, Red Square will turn into a fairy-tale town with benches-houses, ice slides, children's carousels, entertainment performances with New Year's characters, musicians, dancers and clowns. Guests of the Christmas fairy tale will be able to not only take part in the festive festivities on the square and buy New Year's gifts, but also taste winter treats based on ancient and classic recipes. The fair kitchen will offer tastings of Russian dishes and traditional Christmas treats of the Old World. Visitors will remember their favorite tastes of Russian pastries, baked potatoes with crispy cucumbers, pancakes with all kinds of fillings, and spicy drinks. Gourmets will discover roasted chestnuts, ginger liver, Viennese waffles, grilled sausages, mulled wine, punch and other delicacies, beloved by Europeans.
Christmas Fair: VDNKh
Since mid-December, when preparations for the New Year and Christmas are gaining momentum, a Christmas fairy tale-fair unfolds on VDNKh Square. In the shopping arcades, reminiscent of towers and caskets, you can buy everything your heart asks for and what you cannot find even far away. Here are souvenirs of folklore themes and arts and crafts (hats with ear flaps, felt boots, nesting dolls and other wooden crafts), Christmas tree decorations and the beautiful Christmas trees themselves.
Not a single fair is complete without traditional holiday delicacies prepared by gastronomic experts. The Christmas market at VDNKh is a real exhibition of culinary masterpieces of world and national cuisine. Boar's knee, German sausages, burgers, Dutch pancakes, non-alcoholic mulled wine and cocoa with marshmallows will appeal to those who came to the fair to taste traditional Russian pretzels and printed gingerbreads, kebabs and other meat dishes, tea with cloudberries or meadow herbs.
Christmas Fair: Sokolniki
Christmas sales, the smell of pine, sweet desserts and hot spicy drinks, children's laughter, music and widespread fun are the main fair experiences for which residents and guests of Moscow come to Sokolniki Park. The fair is held in accordance with the best Russian and European customs and traditions. The program of entertainment events for the 2017 Christmas season is expected to be the most extensive and interesting. As part of the large-scale project, theatrical performances, concerts, folk entertainment and sports competitions for the whole family will be organized. Guests of the fair will be show business and sports stars who will hold and take part in a charity auction. The funds raised will go to holiday gifts and sweets for orphans in orphanages.
The Christmas exposition on Fontannaya Square will add to the bustle of Moscow everyday life festive atmosphere, will give children a fairy tale, and adults - a ticket to childhood with real wonders, emotions and tastes of the old good Christmas. Visitors to the fair will find original gifts and goods in elegant display cases. folk art, clothes, jewelry and elegant New Year and Christmas decorations for the upcoming holidays. On the square you can enjoy delicious treats and warm up with a fiery punch or grog.
Christmas markets 2016-2017 in Moscow