Russia's New Year holidays are gradually coming to an end, but there’s still a full weekend ahead, so we're keeping the festive spirit alive and sharing a selection of beloved Russian and Soviet films that the whole country rewatches during long winter evenings! 🎞️✨

👉 The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath! (1975, dir. Eldar Ryazanov) – the number one classic.

The USSR's uniform architecture played a cruel trick on a Muscovite who, on the eve of the New Year, accidentally flew to Leningrad and woke up in an apartment identical to his own but belonging to a stranger young woman. Now the characters must decide whether this is a coincidence or fate.

The film has long been broken down into iconic quotes that unite older and younger generations. And on January 1, 2026, it will be 50 years since the film's premiere! By the way, it also premiered on a Thursday back then.

👉 “Charodei” (“The Wizards”) (1982, dir. Konstantin Bromberg)

A musical comedy about employees of a magical research institute who, ahead of December 31, are preparing a

magic wand

for the service industry, but face sabotage from ill-wishers and overcome obstacles to

save their invention and love along the way

.

The film is based on ideas by the Strugatsky brothers and gifted Russians many iconic New Year songs.

👉 Yolki (dir. Timur Bekmambetov)

A modern New Year’s comedy where several stories from different Russian cities intertwine into one big holiday tale. Taxi drivers, children, lovers, lonely souls, and eccentrics –

all are racing to make it by the chimes and fulfill their wishes.

The film became so beloved that last year, the twelfth installment of Yolki was released.

👉Silver Skates (2020, dir. Mikhail Lokshin)

In wintery St. Petersburg of 1899, the son of a lamplighter and the daughter of a minister meet by chance.

A fairy-tale-like, beautiful, and grand love story.

👉The Family Man (2025, dir. Dmitry Vlaskin)

Millionaire Georgiy spends his birthday completely alone and

demands that his assistant arrange a real family for him by morning

. To his amazement, Georgiy wakes up surrounded by a wife, a son, and a daughter who claim they've always been with him.

Now he must learn to be a husband and a father and money won't solve everything.

These kinds of films – sincere and beloved by all – are excellent for learning Russian and understanding the "mysterious Russian soul." It’s no coincidence that even many foreign leaders, before visiting Russia, spend a few hours watching films from this list.

🗓️ So, choose a film that speaks to your heart and enjoy both the classic Soviet cinema that whole generations grew up with and the modern films that have already become a tradition!

🌐 MGIMO International (ENG) / МГИМО для иностранцев (RUS)

Today is the first working day in Russia, and we invite you to take a little nostalgic trip back through the recent holidays and dive into our #NewYearReport, this time from Lia, Anna and Mahmud – members of the International Applicants Club from Kazakhstan! 🎄🇰🇿

Kazakhstan is a country with a rich culture and many traditions, and the New Year is considered one of the most beloved and grand holidays here: it is celebrated in every family, regardless of region or nationality.

🗓️ As in other countries, the main celebration takes place on the night of December 31st to January 1st. However, from mid-December, the streets are already decorated with lights, New Year trees, and festive installations. Central squares in major cities like Almaty and Astana become venues for concerts, ice rinks, and public festivities.

On the Kazakh table ("dastarkhan"), you can find both traditional for the post-Soviet countries New Year salads (for example, Olivier salad and Dressed Herring salad) and national dishes:
✔Beshbarmak (a dish of boiled meat and dough with broth),
✔Kazy (horse meat sausage),
✔Baursaks (pieces of dough fried in oil).

🎉 Several generations gather around the New Year's table. Children are visited by Ayaz Ata (Father Frost) and Aqshaqar (Snow Maiden). After midnight, Kazakhs take to the streets, set off fireworks, and celebrate in central squares.

➡️ But the festive mood doesn’t end there. Some Kazakhstan residents celebrate Orthodox Christmas on January 7th. Throughout the New Year holidays, concerts, cultural events, and celebrations are held.

Kazakhstan is a multinational country, so the New Year here is a holiday of unity, openness, and hospitality 💛

By Lia Kulmametova, Anna Vasiukova and Mahmud Abdimash

🌐 MGIMO International (ENG) / МГИМО для иностранцев (RUS)

The workweek is in full swing, but in Russia, there is another holiday that extends the New Year's spirit: on the night of January 13–14, Russians celebrate the Old New Year.

It’s the New Year according to the "old," pre-revolutionary calendar, which has become a cozy, nostalgic family celebration.

And this is a perfect occasion to continue our #NewYearReport, this time from members of the International Applicants Club from Kyrgyzstan! 🎉🇰🇬

Like in many countries, New Year in Kyrgyzstan is one of the most joyful and beloved holidays! Even though it’s not always snowy and cold during New Year here, it doesn’t dampen the festive mood, which comes from the anticipation of magic, greetings of "Happy upcoming New Year!" and, of course, the ubiquitous decorations – cities are richly adorned with lights, tinsel, fir trees, wreaths, and drawings on windows.

🤩On New Year’s Eve, families gather around a beautifully decorated tree and exchange gifts.

Some prefer to celebrate the New Year holidays at ski resorts like

Karakol and Baktoo-Dolonotu

, where skiing and staying in

traditional yurts

are popular.

🍊 Before New Year, every family prepares a festive dinner featuring Olivier salad, plenty of sweets and fruits, as well as traditional Kyrgyz dishes: beshbarmak (отварное мясо со специальной лапшой), kabırga (lamb rolls), lamb sausages (asıp), horse meat sausages (chuchuk), and manti. All of this is enjoyed with flatbreads, fresh vegetables, and herbs, accompanied by a mountain of savory fried dough balls – boorsoks.

🕓 At midnight, streets and squares fill with people setting off fireworks and firecrackers. The President of Kyrgyzstan addresses the nation, congratulating fellow citizens and wishing them happiness and prosperity in the coming year.

❗️However, New Year in Kyrgyzstan is a relatively young holiday: it has been celebrated since the mid‑19th century. The peoples of Central Asia have their own New Year – Nooruz, celebrated on the day of the spring equinox, March 21.

It is one of humanity’s oldest holidays, with a history spanning

over 3,000 years

and roots dating back to the pre‑Islamic era in Central Asia, Iran, and the Middle East.

Nooruz is an important part of Kyrgyz identity, so celebrations take place across the country. On this day, people often wear traditional costumes.

There is also a custom of fumigating the house with a dried branch of archa (juniper, which grows in the mountains of Central Asia), symbolizing the cleansing of evil spirits and negative energy.

➡️ These are the two different New Year celebrations in Kyrgyzstan. But what unites them is their role in preserving the connection between generations, blending Kyrgyzstan’s past, present, and future.

By Bogdana Tulubaeva, Milana Slizovskaya, and Artem Golov.

🌐 MGIMO International (ENG) / МГИМО для иностранцев (RUS)

🎉 The holidays have come to an end, and it’s time to say goodbye to the New Year theme. Let’s wrap up our #NewYearReport series with a collection of holiday traditions from different countries, prepared by members of the International Applicants Club about Uzbekistan, Namibia, and Italy.

🇺🇿 In Uzbekistan, New Year is becoming an increasingly large-scale holiday that captures the whole country!
✔Even if there’s little snow, the winter mood can be felt everywhere – from the bustling streets of Tashkent to the cozy lanes of Samarkand and Bukhara.
✔The country’s main New Year tree is one of the most impressive in the world. It reaches almost 40 meters in height and is among the top three tallest New Year trees on the planet.
✔New Year in Uzbekistan is also a true feast of flavors. The tables traditionally feature plov (rice cooked with meat (usually lamb or beef), onions, carrots, and a blend of spices), samsas (layered dough filled most classically with minced meat), soups, fresh and dried fruits, sweets, and various types of tea. Dishes from different regions of the country are often prepared to showcase the richness and diversity of Uzbek cuisine.

🇳🇦 Namibia is located in the southern hemisphere on the African continent, so December here is summer: many people gather in riverbeds, on beaches, and even on sand dunes to welcome the New Year with music, fireworks, and friends while cooking over an open fire.
✔Food is an integral part of a memorable New Year, so many families and friends gather for a "braai" (barbecue), enjoying salads, "potjiekos" (stew), and grilled meats like beef ("kapana"), chicken, or fowl. Rural culture is reflected in traditional dishes such as "mahangu pap" (millet porridge), cornmeal porridge, and "mopane worms" (edible caterpillars).
✔The numerous tribes have their own special traditions. For example, the Herero tribe performs a ritual of lighting the ancestral fire, symbolizing the connection between the living family and their ancestors.
✔But there are also more modern ways to celebrate the New Year: popular coastal cities like Swakopmund and Walvis Bay host beach parties, musical performances, and fireworks.

🇮🇹 Finally, Italy: here, it’s customary to celebrate New Year’s Eve with friends rather than relatives.

"Natale con i tuoi, Capodanno con chi vuoi,"

as the popular saying goes: "Christmas with your family, New Year’s with whomever you wish."
✔Italians wouldn’t be Italians without bringing their gastronomic traditions to the celebration: eating 12 grapes with each stroke of the clock to avoid losing luck in the coming year; adding plenty of lentils ("lenticchia") to festive dishes, believed to bring prosperity; serving "zampone" (stuffed pig’s trotter) and "cotechino" (fried sausage), symbolizing wealth and abundance in life.
✔At the same time, Italian traditions have also been significantly influenced by politics.

The historical division of the country into numerous counties, city-states, and principalities led to, for example, Pisa celebrating New Year on March 25, the Day of the Annunciation, according to the Pisan calendar, which was abolished in 1749. But 40 years ago, Pisans regained their New Year, complete with its own masquerade, regatta on the Arno River, a ritual of lighting a thousand candles, and festive fireworks.

As many countries, as many ways to celebrate the New Year. But no matter which country you visit, one thing remains unchanged: during this holiday, we bid farewell to the joys and failures of the old year and make wishes for the new one.

And if your wish this New Year was to enroll at MGIMO, we are sure it will come true, and we’re always here to guide you on how to make it happen!

By Islambek Yuldashbekov, Alexander Tomilov, and Alexey Goncharuk

🌐 MGIMO International (ENG) / МГИМО для иностранцев (RUS)