Russia holds NY matinees for children despite pandemic

Russian families are not giving up on celebrating the New Year despite a resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic. Dances and songs with Father Frost are an essential part of New Year celebrations for Russian children, and this year most regional authorities have not cancelled the festivities, although some restrictions have been put in place.

In Moscow, the city hit the most by the virus, only elementary schools organized children's matinees where parents will not be invited. However, families were welcome at Father Frost's residence inside an amusement park where children read poems and showed off their dancing skills.

There's also a festive atmosphere in Yaroslavl, some 250 km northeast of Moscow, where families go to theatres that stage special performances for children. All the spectators get their temperature measured at the entrance and are separated from each other by a cardboard cutout of Russia's theatre founder. Earlier this month, mass vaccination against COVID-19 started in Russia with Sputnik V, a domestically developed coronavirus vaccine that is still undergoing advanced studies.