In 2018 and 2019 Russian citizens had been given 28 days off in addition to Saturdays and Sundays and the regular vacation all employees are eligible for.
Russia: Life as a party
Russians have so many holidays, they must be tired of celebrating them. In 2018, locals were granted whopping 28 days off in addition to Saturdays and Sundays, MK reported. In 2019 they are going to get just as many.
Yearly vacations for employees in Russia are also lengthy: 28 calendar days! Such is the length of the regular yearly vacation paid by the employers, as per labour legislation. Yes, it’s nearly a month off.
Would you like to have so much time off work for yourself? Here is the breakdown of the red calendar dates per year that Russia’s citizens enjoy.
Male and female days, January, May and November holidays
Russians have a holiday for males and females, and not in the way of a Father’s and Mother’s Day, which are scheduled for Sundays, as in western countries, but a proper public holiday allocated its own day off in the calendar every year.
- 8 March is the International Women’s Day.
- 23 February is the Defender of Homeland Day, which is viewed as men’s holiday due to the fact that all males have to come through the compulsory service in Army or complete such studies during their University course.
Day of National Unity 4 November
That’s another day off on the calendar, which replaced the former 2-day celebration on 7-8 November during the Soviet times, devoted to the dates of October Revolution of 2017.
The reason why these days were celebrated in November is simple: Russia was 13 days behind Europe in its calendar when the Bolshevik’s government synced the country’s schedules with most other countries in 2018. At that time, Russians lost 13 days in history that were deemed non-existent.
The Day of National Unity 4 November is supposedly celebrated after the liberation of Moscow by partisan troops in 1612. Critics say that the date was simply ‘pulled by the ears’ to replace the previous November holidays that generations of Soviet citizens got accustomed to.
At a recent public opinion poll by WCIOM, 42% of respondents said they don’t view it as a real holiday.
The symbol of the Unity Day is a bell.
Days of Russian life
In addition to the holiday of National Unity in November there are also celebrations of the Russian flag, Independence day and the Day of Constitution. Many locals are unsure what each of them signifies.
In addition, Russians have embraced other national holidays that seem fun to them. For example, 27% of WCIOM respondents reported celebrating St. Valentine’s Day. Halloween isn’t that popular in Russia, with only 5% of respondents saying they are celebrating it. The same share of respondent admitted giving a nod to St. Patrick’s Day.
However, no one complains when another day off is added to the calendar. Doesn’t matter what it’s for, people are happy to spend the day doing chores and fixing the things they didn’t get to during other 364 days of the year.
They are already thinking now in November how they will be celebrating the most beloved holiday of the year — The New Year’s Eve. In WCIOM’s survey, it scored the highest: 96%.
New Year is the most beloved holiday in Russia.
New Year and the new life
This is a grand happening that is prepared for weeks in advance. It’s bigger than Russian Christmas, which is celebrated on 7 January (the same reason with 13 days behind the rest of the world, which the Russian church refuses to rectify).
If you are planning to visit your online girlfriend in Russia, arriving during the New Year celebrations may give you some unforgettable memories of life time. Many of our couples meet during the days off that Russian women get during New Year holidays and we have lots of people reporting getting engaged during this time.
The famous Russian saying, ‘New Year — nee life’, helps local ladies to feel excited about changes to their lives that a meeting with a potential partner from another country may entail.
Check the flights and you may join the ranks of men who returned from celebrating Russian New Year’s Eve with a future wife-to-be!
2019 calendar of public holidays in Russia: days off are marked in red. The dates marked in green are shortened working days (1 hour shorter).
2019 public holidays in Russia
- 10 days off for New Year and Christmas holidays: from 30 December 2018 until 8 January 2019.
- 2 days off for the Day of the Defender of the Homeland: 23, 24 February.
- 3 days for the International Women’s Day: 8 to 10 March 2019.
- 9 days off in May: 1 to 5 May (Day of Spring and Labour); 9-12 May (Victory Day).
- Russia’s Day: 12 June.
- 3 days off for the Unity Day: 2 to 4 November.
It’s 28 days of public holidays and long weekends for 2019.
Read also:
- 12 surprising New Year’s Eve customs in Russia
- 23 February in Russia is Men’s Day
- International Women’s Day 8 March: Why Russian, Ukrainian girls love this holiday
- Orthodox Easter — Paskha, Russian Easter Day
Sorry to get off topic, but I just spent a month on that ppl site VH. Would love to share what I found. I have screen printed many things that might provide a different perspective about how this site works. Nonetheless very deceitful, perhaps more to women in the East then to men in the West. I can share privately Elena, not sure if you get involved with support stuff. I know you read these comments. I did it mostly for research, inspiration I learned from somewhere. This page needs some love anyway. And yes, Russia and Ukraine have a… Read more »
Shaun, I am finished with writing about PPL!
This topic has been beaten to ashes.
My view now: “If none of the victims or government consumer watchdogs cares enough to pursue it via law enforcement agencies or legitimate media investigators, then this service is OK and their lies and deception are none of my business”.
I now only care about what happens at EM and giving great service to our clients!
We are already in holiday mood preparing for all the celebrations 😉
Finished with writing, fair enough. Finished learning, investigating, caring about the women in your birth land? Have you given up your site that teaches the West about finding women in the East? You now only care about EM? I find this hard to believe. RBCG was one of the first sites I found when I decided to look abroad. I learned so much, it led me here. I met many girls and learned even more. I met a girl last May and spent two weeks in Ukraine this past September. I bet you know exactly what I found, a land… Read more »
Shaun, what I am telling you (and you don’t wish to hear): Go to a consumer watchdog in your country and present your findings! I know everything that PPL sites do, including what you have ‘discovered’, I assure you. If you care enough, go to the consumer watchdog and media companies in your country. This will be a caring attitude to your countrymen. I did and got rejected by every media source I contacted and told about it. They don’t want to know or don’t believe me. Men don’t want to know (or don’t believe me) and keep using PPL… Read more »
Do not be jealous. Let them rest. The climate in Russia is complex, it is very hot in summer, and very cold in winter. Approximately from minus 30-40 to plus 30-35. And in Europe? from minus 5-10 to plus 25-30. Therefore, residents of Russia need in additional rest. Otherwise, at work, all life will pass, and something important can be missed. And during the holidays you can travel, see your country or go abroad. And finally talk to each other.
Yes, Russians are lucky – we have a lot of days off, but it’s worth considering that many people still work – this is work in shifts and rush jobs. In addition, our working conditions and wages are far from European and American. In Russia we also have a rather long maternity leave, which is a definite plus. Personally, I am glad to have the opportunity to relax in the long New Year holidays.