Russia has eight federal public holidays, and in 2026 they fold into six long weekends plus one mid-week day off. For a visitor the practical question is not the history of each date but what actually closes, when the city gets crowded, and which days are good or bad for museums, trains and restaurants. Here is the official 2026 calendar (set by government decree) with exactly that.
Official non-working days in 2026
- 31 December 2025 - 11 January — New Year holidays and Orthodox Christmas (7 January). Twelve days off in a row;
- 21-23 February — Defender of the Fatherland Day (23 February, Monday);
- 7-9 March — International Women's Day (8 March, Sunday);
- 1-3 May — Spring and Labour Day (1 May, Friday);
- 9-11 May — Victory Day (9 May, Saturday);
- 12-14 June — Russia Day (12 June, Friday);
- 4 November — Unity Day (Wednesday, a single day off);
- 31 December 2026 — a transferred day off, so the next New Year break starts early again.
What it means in practice
New Year holidays (31 Dec - 11 Jan) are the deepest shutdown of the year for offices and banks — but not for tourism. Museums typically close only on 31 December and 1 January and then open through the holidays with extended crowds; theatres run their most popular programmes; restaurants work but the good ones need booking. Metro and trains run normally (the metro traditionally runs all night on New Year's Eve). If you want Moscow lit up and don't mind company, this is the best-decorated window of the year; if you want quiet museums, come after 11 January.
23 February and 8 March are small breaks. Almost everything a tourist needs stays open; the visible effect is flowers everywhere on 8 March and busy restaurants both evenings.
The May holidays are two three-day weekends a week apart, and many locals bridge the gap and leave the city — Moscow itself gets noticeably emptier and pleasant. The exception is 9 May: the Victory Day parade closes the centre for much of the day, security is tight, and the central metro stations open and close on a rolling schedule. Watch the rehearsal days in late April and early May too — they close the same streets in the evening.
12-14 June is a mid-summer city weekend with open-air events. 4 November is a single quiet day off; most museums stay open.
