MOSCOW, FACTBOX. /TASS/. On December 13, 2025, Ryazan launched the festive marathon titled Ryazan - New Year’s Capital of Russia 2026, becoming the first city to hold the title for a second time. The city last hosted New Year celebrations in 2020.

TASS has prepared this factbox on the project dubbed The New Year’s Capital of Russia.

History of the project

In 2012, the Russian Ministry of Culture launched the cultural and educational project titled The New Year’s Capital of Russia to promote inbound, domestic and event tourism in the country. Every year, the ministry’s expert council selects a city, based on applications, to be awarded the status of the New Year’s capital. The criteria include the level of cultural infrastructure development, the availability of venues for mass celebrations, the experience in organizing large-scale events and the candidate’s readiness to host large numbers of tourists.

The winner of the contest titled The New Year’s Capital of Russia must prepare an original program reflecting the region’s unique character, its history and cultural heritage, as well as local traditions and customs. The festive events begin in December and end after the New Year holidays. The project’s symbol is a snowflake, which is passed from city to city and crafted using any chosen technique.

On November 29, 2012, Kazan, the administrative center of the Republic of Tatarstan, was declared the first New Year’s capital. The celebrations under the project dubbed Kazan - New Year’s Capital of Russia 2013 were held from December 31, 2012, to January 7, 2013, drawing over 100,000 visitors and local residents. Subsequently, the status of New Year’s capital has been awarded to other administrative centers of Russian regions and cities under regional jurisdiction: Vologda (2014), Vladimir (2015), Sortavala (Karelia, 2016), Tambov (2017), Khanty-Mansiysk (2018), Tula (2019), Ryazan (2020, 2026), Kaluga (2021), Nizhny Novgorod (2022), Novosibirsk (2023), Suzdal (Vladimir Region, 2024), Kirov (2025).

Kirov - New Year’s Capital of Russia 2025

The previous New Year’s capital of Russia was Kirov (former name - Vyatka). The city received the title in the year of its 650th anniversary and became the 13th city to hold this status. The festive events took place from December 7, 2024 to January 7, 2025.

For the project’s opening, Kukar lace artist Lyubov Antsygina from the Kirov region created a snowflake measuring over 40 centimeters in diameter. The folk handicraft of Kukar lace originated in the Vyatka land at the beginning of the 18th century. The logo for the project was selected as the Vyatka bird of happiness, the image of which is used in various folk handicrafts.

A program including more than 100 thematic events was prepared for visitors and local residents. It included a New Year’s tree festival featuring Russian regions, theatrical performances, the Vyatka fair, excursions along the New Year’s route, interactive fairytale games and sporting events.

On January 7, 2025, at the closing of the festive marathon, Kirov handed the symbol of the New Year’s capital to Ryazan.

Ryazan - New Year’s Capital of Russia 2026

Ryazan has taken on the title of the New Year’s capital for the second time during the project’s existence. In 2025, the city celebrated its 930th anniversary and will end the celebration in this honorary status with a broad program of New Year’s events.

The New Year’s marathon will take place from December 13, 2025 to January 10, 2026. The main venue for the celebration will be the city center.

The main New Year’s tree and the main stage of the project dubbed Ryazan - New Year’s Capital of Russia 2026 will be located there. There will also be festive and gastronomic fairs, art objects, thematic zones, creative workshops, photo zones and a skating rink.

About 700 varied festive events have been prepared for residents and visitors of Ryazan, including festivals, a sporting event featuring Olympic and World Championship winners in biathlon and cross-country skiing, theatrical performances, contests, quests, quizzes, etc. From January 8 to 10, 2026, the city will host street processions with songs and games.