The St. Petersburg’s Tourism Committee, jointly with the city’s leading hotels and cultural institutions are presenting the winter program “The White Days in St. Petersburg” which will celebrate its 5th anniversary this year.

The program “White Days in St. Petersburg” was first introduced to the tourist market in October 2002 by the city’s five luxury hotels: the Astoria, Angleterre, Grand Hotel Europe, the Corinthia Nevskij Palace and the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel. The city’s cultural institutes welcomed the program and prepared a wide range of new festivals, exhibitions and other events that since then have become an integral part of the St. Petersburg winter season. Currently, White Days is also supported by other city hotels, such as the Renaissance Baltic Hotel, the Kempinski Moika 22, Taleon Imperial Hotel, Park Inn Pulkovskya and Park Inn Pribaltiyskaya Hotel.

The “White Days” program was specifically developed to attract guests to the city during the winter period from November through March. “White Days in St Petersburg” offers a full and extensive program of cultural and fun events in combination with affordable accommodation prices, and is aimed to increase the attraction of St Petersburg as a winter destination.

The roots of White Days can be traced to the tsarist winter seasons and tradition of having carnivals and winter entertainment. One of the many advantages offered by “White Days” is the relatively low cost of accommodations. Winter offers travelers the opportunity for big savings on accommodations while providing all the cultural advantages of the busier peak seasons.

In addition to the traditional festivals, such as the Christmas and New Year carnival, the Maslenitsa or Pancake Week, and the International Mariinsky Ballet Festival , the program of the “White Days ” season is extended every year by new events specially prepared by the State Hermitage Museum, the Russian Museum, and the Shostakovich Philharmonic Hall.

When Peter the Great founded St. Petersburg, he boasted that he had opened “a window onto Europe.” Visiting today’s St. Petersburg is like opening a magic window onto a world of extraordinary cultural achievement. The city’s internationally praised opera, ballet, and concert performances are most readily accessible to visitors during this special season. The Mariinsky Theatre, Moussorgsky Opera House, and Shostakovich Philharmonic Hall feature symphonic, opera, and ballet programs conducted by Maestros Gergiev and Temirkanov.

St. Petersburg in winter provides an unparalleled opportunity to reflect on some of the most celebrated works of Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Gauguin, and scores of other masters. St. Petersburg’s 220 museums and galleries offer absorbing exhibits on every aspect of world history, science, and culture. Ranging literally from A to Z—from the Artillery Museum to the Zoological Museum—visitors can take advantage of and enjoy the sites just right for them away from summer crowds.