Safe, Special and Spectacular: New Year’s Moscow is Set to Become World’s Premier Holiday Destination
Only lighted tunnels, shining Christmas trees, millions of lights and kilometers of garlands can make the trip around Moscow better these days. But for Christmas, it's better to travel by foot. This year, the theme of the festival is the theatre in which anyone can become the protagonist. And the most unusual installations will appear on the city streets on December, 31.
Alyona Rogozina will tell us about New Year Moscow.
Decorators call this "plotter cutting". This plastic material being cut is a thin fabric. Then, they add color, light, spangles. The New Year decoration of the capital consists of 4000 art objects.
The decorator: When you were a child, you had the 15-piece puzzle. These pieces move the same way, and you can assemble a beautiful image. There's a heating element inside.
- So someone can warm up their hands?
- Yes, even so.
The interactive puzzle is only a part of the composition that will be installed on Tverskaya. There'll also be the Snow Queen's mirror, treasure chest, and Nutcracker. All the compositions are hand-made and heavy-duty. They're absolutely safe in rain and snow.
Alexander Lapir, business development director: "We put a special anti-slipping elasticized sports coating for the children not to get hurt while playing and moving."
In five years of the New Year movement, a new street festive decoration industry emerged in Moscow. Dozens of workshops are preparing the capital for the holiday. The missile carrier Vostok is behind and the Kosmos is in front. The VDNKH pavilion is the main spot for the tubing enthusiasts. These are giant inflatable donuts for those who love sliding. A folk entertainment, everyone must know how to do it.
Ten years ago, only one million people visited the New Year capital's parks and squares. Last year, it was 50 million. This year, more people are expected to come. These numbers are the best answer to the question about who needs these New Year decorations and what for.
Moscow, renewed after the streets reconstruction, sets the holiday trends itself. The Russian capital is confidently becoming the center of the world's New Year and Christmas tourism.
- It's very beautiful and bright! It looks like Paris.
- It's very beautiful here! Bye!
The Christmas tree in the Gorky Park is the biggest surprise. The main entrance square was empty for that long that people decided not to wait for anything. But the workers came. A unique 3D Christmas tree is under construction. It's made of real mirrors.
Alexander Babayan, worker: "It has a cube shape and looks dimensional from all sides. Inside, there's an image of a Christmas tree."
This unique Christmas tree will also perform light and sound compositions. Their content is still secret. It's better to see go see if there are any “miracles” in person, especially on New Year's eve.
Alyona Rogozina, Oleg Ivanov, Pyotr Belenikin, Vesti.