School holidays in Russia: 2024 and 2025

School holidays in Russia vary according to what type of school your child attends. If you are a parent that lives and works in Russia, you will need to check with your child’s school for exact dates so that you can plan accordingly. State schools in Russia have a break in each of the four seasons plus an additional break in February for first graders. International schools have slightly different timetables. All schools also have additional days off throughout the year for nationally observed holidays and school-related events.

This guide covers all the essentials about school holidays in Russia, and includes the following:

School holidays in Russia

State and private independent schools have different holiday calendars in Russia. State schools in Russia follow a timetable set out by the Ministry of Education, but the regional authorities and schools have some freedom in deciding when holidays fall. It is essential to check holiday dates with your school, as they can vary.

The school year starts on or near 1 September.

The holidays are spread across the four seasons. Schools with a semester system have a 10-day break in autumn, an 11-day break in winter, a nine-day break in spring, and a break of around three months for summer (plus first graders get an extra 10-day break in February). Those with a trimester system have the same number of holidays but they might vary in length.

Privately run international schools in Russia can set their own school holidays. Most follow a similar pattern of breaks – autumn, winter, spring, and summer – with the main differences being:

• Longer winter break: Russia follows the Orthodox Christmas calendar which celebrates Christmas Day on 7 January (Gregorian calendar). State schools typically don’t break up until the end of December. International schools usually close a few days before 25 December.
• Different dates for all breaks: Some international schools also have shorter autumn and spring breaks.
• Additional holidays: Many international schools have an additional holiday of a few days around May. Some schools may break for a week or more at Easter (which often falls after the spring break).

Russian school holiday dates 2024–2025

School holidays in Russian state schools for 2024–2025 are:

• First day of school: 2 September 2024
• Autumn break: 28 October– 4 November 2024
• Winter break: 30 December 2024 – 12 January 2025
• Extra break for first graders: 17–24 February 2025
• Spring break: 24–31 March 2025
• Summer break begins: 23/24 May 2025

Schools following the trimester system have the following holiday schedule:

• First day of school: 2 September 2024
• First trimester holidays: 5–13 October 2024
• End of first trimester holiday: 16–24 November 2024
• Second trimester holidays: 29 December 2024 – 8 January 2025
• End of second trimester holidays: 15–24 February 2025
• Third trimester holidays: 5–13 April 2025
• Summer break begins: 31 May 2025

All dates are subject to change.

Additional holidays and days off

As well as the standard school holidays in Russia, there are a number of additional public holiday dates when most schools will be shut. These include Fatherland Day (23 February), International Women’s Day (8 March), Russia Day (12 June), and Unity Day (4 November).

Most schools also have their own timetable of dates when there will be no school due to things such as staff training, pupil book days, or regional holidays. Consult your child’s school for a full list of these dates. Many schools also publish a full calendar on their website. International schools that publish online calendars include:

• British International School Moscow
• English International School Moscow
• International School of Moscow
• Lycée Français

Childcare during school holidays in Russia

If you are working during the school holidays, you may need to make childcare arrangements. There are public and private kindergartens in Russia, some of which take children up until the age of 8. Public provision has declined since the end of the Soviet era and there tend to be more facilities in the busier cities. Check with your regional authority (область or oblast in Russian) for more information.

Holiday and recreational programs for children and teenagers run in many areas. You can find information and search for local programs in your area from the Ministry of Education and Science.

There is also a variety of summer camps and seasonal activities for all ages run by private organizations in Russia. Costs and availability for these vary. You can search for programs on Russian sites such as My Camp and Best Camp. There is also EuroClub which runs camps in each of the school holidays in the Moscow region. Some of the international schools run their own holiday provision for pupils so it’s worth asking for details.