Blooming Spring
Moscow awakens with long walks along embankments and boulevards, and the joyful bustle of spring fairs. It’s a time when the city blooms — both in nature and in spirit.
The Best Places to Gaze at
Spring is the long-awaited season of blooming. We spend time in the city’s greenhouses until the lilac and apple trees at the Kolomenskoye royal estate have budded. Zaryadye, a unique park and architectural gem, has a year-round florarium that showcases the diverse flora in Russia's regions. The Butterfly House at VDNH is a ticket to a tropical paradise for those who need more bright colours in their lives.
Where to Catch the Bloom
Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden
Kolomenskoe Museum-Reserve
VDNH
Zaryadye Park
MSU Botanical Garden
Schroeder Dendrological Garden
Novospassky Monastery
Apothecary Garden
Ekaterininsky Park
Hermitage Garden
Chestnuts and Peonies: What’s Blooming in Moscow
In May, Moscow bursts into bloom – apple orchards turn white and lilacs open in courtyards. The capital is a perfect destination to admire flowering pear, cherry, almond, and rhododendron. Ready to lose yourself in soft pink apricot flowers and gorgeous lilacs? Here’s where to go.
Where to Find Primroses and Fruit Trees
In good weather, it is definitely worth going for a walk. March is the season of anemone. There are meadows full of these delicate white flowers on the banks of the Moscow River, and they bloom all over city parks. In the Elk Island Nature Reserve, you can find primrose and lungwort. Also, snowdrops can be found in Gorky Park, in the Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo, Izmailovo, and Bitsevsky forests.
The most anticipated time is May, when fruit trees bloom one after another throughout Moscow. Kolomenskoye turns into the capital’s main spot for photoshoots: snow-white apple and plum trees bloom there, and then pink cherries, and the aroma of summer approaching spreads throughout the entire neighbourhood. This is a unique place, and these gardens were founded several centuries ago.
Most of all, Moscow awaits the blooming of lilacs. On the edge of spring and summer, dozens of varieties of these fragrant bushes bloom gradually in Sokolniki, Bauman Garden, and the lilac garden at VDNH. The city also has a special historic Lilac Garden, established in 1954 on the initiative of the plant breeder Leonid Kolesnikov.
Walks Alone and With the Whole Family
There are plenty of physical activities you can do in Moscow, and, with the arrival of spring, you can enjoy going to more comfortable places. There are options for people with various tastes: jogging along the river, exercising in recreation areas in parks, or walking along eco-trails. You can have a real workout or just relax and take in nature.
Spring is also the season when rare animals at the Moscow Zoo come out of hibernation, so it's definitely worth a visit. Sleepy bears slowly emerge from their dens, pandas crawl out into an open enclosure to munch on bamboo, and dozens of other animals shake the remnants of winter off their fur.
Taste Spring
Moscow Breakfast Project to Be Held in May
Moscow launches a gastronomic project Moscow Breakfast on Terraces running from 1 to 31 May. Numerous restaurants and cafés across the city are taking part, and eight of them will offer special à la carte breakfast items for guests to enjoy in their outdoor dining areas.
Special Occasions
Cosmonautics Day
In Russia, Cosmonautics Day is celebrated on April 12th. It is an important national holiday, and themed events are held all over the country. It was on this day in 1961 that Yuri Gagarin made his first flight, leaving Earth for outer space. This date is a great opportunity to learn more about the history of space exploration, the difference between meteors and meteorites, and the incredible scientific and technological discoveries made for the sake of free flights beyond the atmosphere.
At the Cosmonautics Museum, you can hear Gagarin's pulse before heading to the stars and learn about what life in space looks like. The special route called To the Shores of the Lunar Seas, part of the Play in Moscow program, between the Atom Museum and the Cosmonautics and Aviation Pavilion at VDNH, is perfect for a family walk.
Night at the Museum
Every year in mid-May, Moscow does something truly special: dozens of museums open their doors to visitors for a whole night, hosting lectures, discussions, concerts, and other events. The largest art galleries, libraries, and history exhibitions, as well as closed spaces that are inaccessible at other times, participate in Night at the Museum.
Exciting Exhibitions Everywhere in Moscow
This spring, Moscow’s museums unveil an extraordinary season, blending imperial splendour with avant-garde dreams. With the city hosting a wealth of exhibitions exploring distant lands, ancient traditions, and modern visions, the season promises a journey through the world's cultural heritage without ever leaving the capital.
Easter
One of the most important spring holidays in Russia is Easter. Moscow celebrates it enthusiastically. You can find beautiful themed decorations all over the city; bakeries sell the freshest Easter cakes and pastry shops and restaurants offer Easter desserts and special gift baskets for the holiday. One of the biggest events is the Easter Gift Charity Festival which involves concerts and theatrical performances held in the capital's squares, bell ringers from Moscow churches sharing their mastery with the city, and historians giving lectures on Easter traditions.
In addition, in 2026, the XXV Moscow Easter Festival will be held: Major concert venues in Moscow and across Russia will host world-famous stars and legendary music groups. Their performances will be dedicated to the country's most significant historical dates and anniversaries of great cultural figures. The opening will take place on the Historic Stage of the Bolshoi Theatre, which celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2026.
