Traditional & Bit Crazy: Winter Activities of Russians

"Nature has no bad weather," says a famous Soviet song. In fact, many Russians look forward to the onset of frost and snow, because winter offers many opportunities for fun and entertainment.
Sputnik
The physical and geographical conditions of the largest country in the world are quite diverse. While in the south of Russia the thermometer barely drops below zero degrees Celsius, in Yakutia (the Far East region) and Siberia, real frost rages: in the Yakut town of Oymyakon, considered one of the coldest cities in the world, the temperature once dropped to -71.2 degrees Celsius.
However, the cold does not prevent the residents of Russia from relaxing and spending their time actively and cheerfully: Russians enjoy skating, skiing, tubing, etc. And some of them are even into quite extreme hobbies like snowkiting, winter windsurfing, and swimming in frozen rivers and reservoirs.
Moreover, in winter, Russians celebrate one of the country's main holidays: New Year, and a blanket of white fluffy snow that sparkles under the light of lanterns in the evening creates a magical festive atmosphere.
Take a look at Sputnik Africa's photo gallery to see how Russians enjoy winter season!
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Members of the Skipper yacht club and their guests in carnival outfits are holding an event dedicated to the end of the 2023 yachting season and the upcoming New Year, on a cruising yacht in the waters of the Krasnoyarsk reservoir of the Yenisei River.

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Members of the Skipper yacht club and their guests in carnival outfits are holding an event dedicated to the end of the 2023 yachting season and the upcoming New Year, on a cruising yacht in the waters of the Krasnoyarsk reservoir of the Yenisei River.

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International exhibition-forum "Russia". Parade of the Snow Maidens at the main entrance arch.

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Visitors feed reindeer at the Lesnaya Izbushka farm in the Leningrad Region.

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A reindeer at the Lesnaya Izbushka farm in the Leningrad region.

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Visitors take photos with a tame raven at the Lesnaya Izbushka reindeer farm in the Leningrad Region.

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Visitors at the opening of the skating rink at Nikolsky Rows in St. Petersburg.

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Visitors ride on a carousel on the opening day of the skating rink at Nikolsky Rows in St. Petersburg.

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Participants of the Siberian Cup in snowkiting and winter windsurfing at the start of the race in the Marathon discipline on the ice of the Novosibirsk reservoir.

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A participant in the Siberian Cup in snowkiting and winter windsurfing during a race in the Marathon discipline on the ice of the Novosibirsk reservoir.

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Members of the winter swimming club "Dolphin" before a swim in the Yenisei River on the first calendar day of winter in Divnogorsk town.

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Members of the winter swimming club "Dolphin" before a swim in the Yenisei River on the first calendar day of winter in Divnogorsk town.

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Citizens relax on the territory of the Central Park of Culture and Leisure named after S. M. Kirov in St. Petersburg.

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Women take photos on a frosty day on the icy Sportivnaya Gavan embankment in Vladivostok.

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People go tubing on Leninsky Prospekt in Moscow during heavy snowfall.

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Vacationers on the ski lift of the Krasnaya Polyana ski resort in Sochi.

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Vacationers on the ski lift of the Krasnaya Polyana ski resort in Sochi.