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The Scarlet Sails (russian: Алые паруса) is a celebration in
St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eight ...
, the most massive and famous public event during the
White Nights Festival The White Nights Festival is an annual summer festival in Saint Petersburg celebrating its near-midnight sun phenomena due to its location near the Arctic Circle; each year between around April 21 and August 21, the skies only reach twilight an ...
every summer. The tradition is highly popular for its spectacular fireworks, numerous music concerts and a massive water show.


Description

Crowds of about one million people are treated to a wide variety of free entertainment provided by the city of St. Petersburg. Entertainment also includes appearances by popular rock-stars, as well as the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, ballet 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, such as
rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically att ...
and
motorboat A motorboat, speedboat or powerboat is a boat that is exclusively powered by an engine. Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the ge ...
races and a massive battle with pirates culminating in the appearance of a tall ship sporting spectacular scarlet sails.


History

This tradition began in 1968, when several
Leningrad Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
schools united to celebrate the end of the school year in connection with the symbolism of the popular 1922 children's book ''Scarlet Sails'' by Alexander Grin. During the first celebration, a brigantine with scarlet sails sailed along the
English Embankment The English Embankment (russian: Англи́йская на́бережная; ''Angliyskaya Naberezhnaya'') or English Quay is a street along the left bank of the Bolshaya Neva River in Central Saint Petersburg. It has been historically one of ...
and the
Admiralty Embankment The Admiralty Embankment ( (''Admiralteyskaya Naberezhnaya'')) or Admiralty Quay is a street along the Neva River in Central Saint Petersburg, named after the Admiralty Board. Between 1919 and 1944 the street was known as Roshal Embankment, name ...
towards the Winter Palace. The 1961 release of the film '' Scarlet Sails'' boosted the popularity both of the book and of the tradition. Although there existed an early draft version of the Scarlet Sails poem, which action was staged at post-revolutionary Petrograd (St. Petersburg's russificated name before renaming to Leningrad in 1924), the author eventually put its action to a fictional country, thus making his work just a symbolic story of an all-conquering, lofty dream with no rusty revolutionary propaganda. As a symbol of fulfilling child's dream to be adult and free from "schools and rules" the brigantine with scarlet sails turned to be an emblem of transition to a new wishfully beautiful adult life upon school-graduation. The tradition interrupted in later Soviet period, but was again reborn since 2005, when St. Petersburg authorities realized the tourist-attracting potential of the event.


Latest development

The show has become the main part of the
White Nights White night, White Night, or White Nights may refer to: * White night (astronomy), a night in which it never gets completely dark, at high latitudes outside the Arctic and Antarctic Circles * White Night festivals, all-night arts festivals held ...
celebration. More than one million people attended the Scarlet Sails show celebrating the end of the 2007 school year. In 2010, public attendance grew to 3 million, with entertainers including such stars as the
Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (, ; "Circus of the Sun" or "Sun Circus") is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 J ...
, Mariinsky Ballet and
Antonio Banderas José Antonio Domínguez Bandera (born 10 August 1960), known professionally as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish actor and singer. Known for his work in films of several genres, he has received various accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival ...
.Фокина М. Когда много праздников, люди живут дольше. «Комсомольская правда» в Санкт-Петербурге. 07.07.2010. № 98/24519. С. 10—11.
/ref> 2020 saw virtual celebration caused by COVID-19 pandemic. This celebration has been return in 2022.


References


External links


Official site

Youtube channel
*2007 Scarlet Sails celebration in St. Petersburg
part 1part 2part 3part 4
{{Scarlet Sails Tourist attractions in Saint Petersburg Events in Saint Petersburg Festivals in Russia