International Students Celebrate New Year in Russia

Foreign nationals got to know Russian traditions.

The New Year is a much loved holiday in Russia; it is carefully prepared for and celebrated for several days. International students readily join the nationwide fun. Participation in the festivities gives them an opportunity to gain a better understanding of Russian culture. Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University international students learnt to make the traditional Olivier salad and paper snowflakes, participated in a quiz and joined a master class to make Christmas tree toys from wood. Musical acts were presented by Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University "LETI” international students from Australia, Cote d’Ivoire, Mongolia, Nigeria, China, Iran, Vietnam, France, Djibouti, Ecuador, Uzbekistan, Colombia, Egypt, Syria, Kazakhstan, Tanzania etc. After the show, students guessed movies from pictures and had a limbo contest (walking under a horizontal bar with the back facing toward the floor, with the bar put lower and lower). Foreign nationals also sampled Russian New Year dishes such as dressed herring.

Other universities had prepared busy New Year programmes as well. South Ural State University international students rode down ice slides and participated in the “Secret Santa” anonymous gift-exchange. At Lobachevsky University, dressed up international students performed at a sing, dance and recital show. International students at Tomsk State University sold Christmas tree toys, postcards, badges, cups, candles and other souvenirs at a New Year charity fair.