The exhibition “Back to the New Year” opens today in the Special Purpose Garage at VDNh, Pavilion 53, and invites visitors to trace the New Year’s traditions in Russia from the early 1800s through the first quarter of the 21st century. The show weaves a living timeline through a rich array of objects that once defined festive rituals: Christmas toys, decorative postcards, keepsakes, and even carnival masks. Together they tell how celebrations shifted across the Russian Empire, the Soviet era, and modern Russia, revealing a cultural thread that connects generations.
Eyewitness stories come to life as the display explores how the holiday was celebrated in different eras. Guests can examine the evolution of decorations, toys, and memorabilia that mirrored the era’s aspirations and anxieties. Visitors see how the period’s fashions, political climates, and technological advances shaped festive symbolism—from the earliest 19th-century ornaments to contemporary keepsakes that continue to spark joy and memory. The installation aims to create a festive mood and an atmosphere of wonder, inviting people to relive their childhoods and imagine how older generations marked the arrival of the New Year.
Among the highlights are Christmas relics, postcards, records, and other seasonal artifacts that illuminate turning points in the national narrative. For instance, the late 1930s showcased ornaments featuring polar explorers as a nod to northern expansion; the mid-1940s saw decorations reflecting military themes with tanks and airplanes; and the 1960s introduced rockets and astronauts as space exploration captured the public imagination. Following the premieres of films that became cultural landmarks, such as Circus and Carnival Night, popular toy shapes like bells gained widespread appeal. These details help visitors understand how popular culture and state messaging intertwined to shape holiday customs, says a representative of the museum.
Alongside the display, a distinctive assortment of “Soviet Santa Clauses” and genuine “Kremlin gifts” adds a playful and historical layer to the experience. Nearby, original children’s masks collected by Irina Vorobyova and vintage posters from the State Film Fund offer a window into the visual language of the era. Modern traditions that define the New Year began to crystallize around 1935 with public celebrations for Soviet children and the enduring icons of Father Frost and the Snow Maiden becoming embedded in collective memory.
Vote – win Lada!
Audiences are invited to participate in the “Behind the Wheel” Grand Prix poll, a playful contest to help spotlight the year’s most exciting car novelties. The process invites attendees to weigh in on design, innovation, and style that best capture the spirit of today while nodding to the past.
As a thank-you for taking part, a drawing will be held among survey respondents. Three ferrets will be awarded to lucky winners who complete the questionnaire before the cut-off date. This lighthearted incentive adds a sense of anticipation and community involvement to the experience.