If you learn Russian in St. Petersburg this summer, you have to know about the main celebration of the White Nights!
The Scarlet Sails (Алые паруса) is a celebration in St. Petersburg, the most famous public event during the White Nights. The tradition is highly popular for its spectacular fireworks, numerous music concerts, and а water show.
Celebration is called according to the story of Alexander Green of the same name (1923) which screen version shot in 1961 was very popular in Russia.
This tradition began after the end of World War II, when several Leningrad schools united to celebrate the end of the school year. During the first celebration on June 27th the 1968, a boat with scarlet sails sailed along the English Embankment and the Admiralty Embankment towards the Winter Palace.
Today entertainment includes appearances by popular rock stars, ballet, the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra and other classical acts, performing on several stages simultaneously during the event. The show also includes a series of large-scale events on the waters of the Neva river.
Scarlet sails have been entered in the register of the world event tourism and recommended for visit in 20 countries of the European Union.
Each year, ProBa School organizes the boat tour for our students. It happens at the week of Scarlet Sales. The ship with ruby-colored sails is brought on Neva on the week of the event for repetition before the main event. It is a great chance to see it very close during the day, and not in the night when it’s crowdy and hard to see anything. Anyway the students have an opportunity to visit the most famous summer festival in Russia!
