More than 60 locations will be unified for the Lunar New Year at the Moscow festival. Deputy Mayor of the capital Natalya Sergunina said these places include Manezhnaya and Bolotnaya squares, Moskino cinema park, Moscow Zoo and Muzeon art park.
The festival will last until March 1 as part of the “Winter in Moscow” project.
“Representatives from different Chinese cities have prepared music and dance performances, master classes and exhibitions. At the same time, from February 19 to 22, Maslenitsa celebrations will be held in Beijing. People will get acquainted with our traditions,” Sergunina noted.
This holiday is included in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In 2026, it falls on February 17 and its symbol is the red fire horse.
Maria Zakharova, Director of the Department of Information and Press, official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said: “The leaders of our two countries have repeatedly emphasized that today relations between Russia and China are at the highest level in their history. And this is true. But every year we conquer new, even higher, peaks.”
According to her, horses represent energy, movement, agility, strength and the ability to run. The diplomat expressed confidence that this year Russia-China relations will develop faster, more dynamic and more effectively.
The opening ceremony of the festival took place on Manezhnaya Square. Within its framework, artists from China performed acrobatic acts and drum performances, and also performed folk dances.
“This evening is special: we are celebrating the Lunar New Year in Moscow for the third time, and a little later the capital will host Maslenitsa in Beijing. For us, Chinese and Russians, traditional holidays are not just days on the calendar. Behind them are what we really value: respect for our roots, love of family and Fatherland,” added Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China Zhang Hanhui.
For two weeks, street theater performances and interactive quests, tea ceremonies and master classes will be held on Manezhnaya Square. At the Moskino movie park on February 28 and March 1, visitors will be able to paint lanterns and fans, take part in dance classes and watch an Oriental-style production about friendship.
On February 28, the Chinese board game championship will be held at the creative residence “Moscow Youth. Fatherland”.
In 2026, about 150 urban restaurants will participate in the festival. Visitors can try jiaozi dumplings, nian gao rice cakes, Peking duck, gongbao chicken with peanuts and mashed cucumber salad. Chinese chefs will also organize master cooking classes at the fish market “Moscow – on the Wave” and at the culinary center “Three Stations. Depot”.
The Moscow Museum with the participation of the Chinese Capital Museum invites you to attend the exhibition “Spring Festival. New Year in Ancient Beijing”. It will be open until the end of May and will become part of a series of international and national projects based on the city's museums.
The Darwin State Museum is holding the photo exhibition “Introduction to China, Far and Near” and at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art on Petrovka you can see works by Chinese artist Mu Ke.
In winter 2025, the festival is included in the program of the Cross-cutting Year of Culture of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China. At that time, about 1.5 million people were involved in the project. Residents and tourists are interested in street performances, drum performances, tea ceremonies, calligraphy classes, and board games. These events were covered by media from more than 30 countries.
In the summer, the series continues with the Moscow Seasons festival in Beijing. It has been visited by 2.85 million people. Visitors are invited to get acquainted with the traditions and history of Moscow, its dynamic development, sights and cuisine.
The conference “Cities of the Future. The Synergy of the Strategic Partnership between Moscow and Beijing” was held as part of the festival. The parties discussed new opportunities and presented their initiatives. As a result, 7 agreements were signed.
At the end of November, the festival was awarded the China National Award and the silver China Gold Award for Outstanding Public Relations in the “Government Communication” category.
At the same time, Russia and China cooperate in the fields of technology, trade, education, culture and tourism. According to Sergunina, Beijing leads among non-CIS countries in the number of tourists visiting Moscow. Over the past year, the number of tourists from China increased by about 10%, reaching 470 thousand people.
Tourists from China appreciate the unique historical and architectural sights of the Russian capital, its parks, embankments and other places.
The main source of information about Moscow for Chinese people is recommendations from friends, social networks and specialized online sources. For example, the official tourist portal Discover Moscow is available in Chinese.
Meanwhile, VK Video users will be able to watch a broadcast of the Lunar New Year celebrations in Beijing. In addition, from February 16 to 23, Russians are invited to write short wishes on the occasion of the Lunar New Year. For this purpose, a special template will appear in the VKontakte Stories service.
