IRINA TRAVELING - Official Web Site - White nights romance in Saint Petersburg and holidays of graduates

Surely, the whole world knows the photographs of the raised bridges of St. Petersburg, against the background of the Peter and Paul Fortress on White Nights, when the evening twilight merges with the morning, and one gets the impression that it is always light.

Navigation in St. Petersburg is carried out from the end of April to November. But it is during the White Nights that the spans of bridges rushing into the sky look especially solemn and romantic.

This special time begins at the end of May, and from June 11 is gaining full strength. The longest white night falls on the summer solstice from June 21 to 22, with a sunset angle of about 7 degrees. The brightest White Nights period ends on July 2, but in fact, they last almost until the end of July, slowly fading away.
What could be more romantic, under the cover of light magical twilight, to walk admiring the light city illumination, and watch how the bridges on the Neva embankment slowly raise their spans, opening the way for shipping. Laden barges and other ships majestically sail.

There are 18 drawbridges in total in St. Petersburg. 12 crossings are regularly raised, some of them are located in the city center, including the Palace Bridge near the Hermitage, one of the symbols of St. Petersburg. Troitsky Bridge, famous for its length, which is more than 500 m, and Liteiny Bridge, which is distinguished by an interesting single-span opening.

From the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island you can observe the opening of two bridges at once, Palace and Troitsky. But do not forget that earlier, after opening the bridges, you found yourself locked in the center of the city, and you had to walk until morning. Now in St. Petersburg there is a cable-stayed Bolshoy Obukhovsky bridge. , almost 3 kilometers long, built in 2004. And the Western High-Speed Diameter, opened in 2008, which allows you not to depend on the bridge opening schedule.

Previously, if you lived in the center, you had to accept all friends who missed the subway, or cross the bridge. Cafe in the city center, also around the clock, accepts everyone who wants to while away the night and refresh after a romantic walk.

On White Nights, a holiday of graduates of St. Petersburg schools is held, named like A, Green’s romantic work, “Scarlet Sails.” Under the motto “Together with Russia,” emphasizing the hopes that the city places on talented and promising youth, on which the future of the country depends.
As a rule, on the closest to the brightest white night on Saturday, at the end of June. Tickets for “Scarlet Sails” cannot be officially purchased, only graduates of St. Petersburg schools and regions with their loved ones can visit them, by special invitation. For the first time this holiday was held in Leningrad On June 27, 1968, at the initiative of the graduates themselves. The musical accompaniment of the holiday was Reingold Glier’s “Anthem to the Great City.” October Revolution and the Great Patriotic War. Behind them was the main ship, accompanied by boats with graduates of military schools. On the admiral’s boat “Leningrad” there were three graduates who opened the holiday. One of them held a festive pennant, and next to them are a young man and a girl – tall lighted torches, from which the Rostral columns were lit on the Spit of Vasilievsky Island. These columns continued to burn until the end of the holiday. Later this action became one of the Scarlet Sails traditions.

A year later, the holiday was officially approved. However, in 1979 the tradition was interrupted due to fears of a large crowd of young people, and resumed in 2005 by President V, V, Putin. But from 1979-1991 , the holiday was unofficially held in the suburbs of St. Petersburg, Sestroretsk, one of the organizers was a local yacht club.

The holiday consists of 2 parts. A concert on a specially mounted stage on Palace Square and a light, musical and pyrotechnic show in the waters of the Neva. At the concert, solemn words of parting words are heard for young people setting sail through life, stars of the modern music stage, idols of youth, Eurovision participant Sergey Lazarev, Polina Gagarina and others.

The second part is in the waters of the Neva, which everyone can admire. This is the largest multimedia performance synchronized with music, light, pyrotechnics and a sailing ship with scarlet sails.

A multifaceted architectural multimedia drawing of the show, where each object is part of a virtual space. .Fire and fountain walls hit from floating platforms, a light video series is projected onto the buildings, fireworks, which are the background for the ship, and all this is synchronized with the music. The festival is one of the world’s largest water performances taking place on open water. In 2015, he entered the top ten most visited tourist events in the world according to The Telegraph and ranked 3rd after Oktoberfest and the Brazilian Carnival

But this is not the only holiday that takes place during the White Nights of St. Petersburg. Many festivals and events take place at this time. City Day on May 27 with a traditional concert on Palace Square, fireworks and the Singing Bridges sound show, when bridges are bred to music. water shows in the waters of the Neva, surfers, flyboarders, yacht clubs. Festival of flowers and orchestras.

International festival “Stars of the White Nights”, which is one of the ten best festivals in the world. Under this brand, one of the most grandiose international music forums in terms of design and scale is held annually. Traditionally, the festival program includes both the best opera and ballet performances of the Mariinsky Theatre, as well as premieres, grandiose symphony concerts and chamber music concerts. Stars of the world stage and young talented performers take part in the festival.

The international marathon “White Nights” gathers marathon runners from all over the world on Palace Square to overcome the distance of 42 km 195 m along all the central streets and embankments of the city.

In the Jazz Philharmonic, since 1994, the St. Petersburg Jazz Festival “White Night Swing” has been held. Including outdoors in the city center.

Children’s International Music Festival “Sounds and Colors of the White Nights”.

International Music Festival “White Nights of St. Petersburg”. Not only Russian pop stars, but also famous performers from all over the world come to the northern capital to participate.

Also, Petersburg produces confectionery products with the same name.

White Nights are not only a unique natural phenomenon, but they gather festivals, holidays and artists from all over the world. To pay tribute to art and merge with the unique romance of twilight Petersburg.