If you are going to visit Russia during the upcoming holidays, first use our previous guides on ice skating rinks and popular Christmas markets. But don't forget that Russia has a wonderful variety of cultural attractions. Dedicate some of your time to visiting one of these so-called winter museums, as they are connected with such snowy, frosty and festive things like ice sculptures, Russian felt boots and New Year's tree decorations. 

Ice Sculpture Museum

If you are looking for something unusual, you should visit the Ice Sculpture Museum in Moscow Sokolniki Park. It occupies an area of 700 square meters and exhibits beautiful sculptures fully made of ice. The sculptors used 800 tons of ice and 200 tons of snow to create the first exposition.
You will be able to go through a labyrinth, to see various creatures, flowers and fountains and even to visit an ice living room with interior elements – fireplace, table, chairs, mirror and bed. You will be offered an extra warm coat as the temperature inside is always -10°C.
This museum is highly popular among tourists as it can offer many opportunities for entertainment. The territory of the museum includes cafe and a special area for workshops and animation programs. You can book a guided tour for children (400-700 rubles depending on the number of children in a group and on the chosen program), an individual tour (2600 per person, including an ice sculpting workshop) and special romantic program (total price is 3800 rubles).

Address: Sokolniki Park (use signs in the park to get to the museum), “Sokolniki” metro station.
Opening hours: daily 11:00-20:00. The museum works all the year round.
Prices: 300 rubles per person (adults), 200 rubles per person (students, schoolchildren, pensioners).

Felt Boots Museum

This cute Moscow museum is dedicated to traditional Russian winter footwear – felt boots or valenki. The museum displays a variety of models: from embroidered boots of the late 19th century to felt boots, which Russian participants of 2002 Winter Olympics wore.
Here you will be able to see such unusual and interesting exhibits like felt boot-mushroom, felt boot-mouse, felt boot-train and so on.
This winter footwear fully made of sheep wool got widely spread in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among peasants. Today felt boots are again popular in Russia: people wear them in winter and designers use them as an art object.

Address: 12, 2nd Kozhevnichesky lane, “Paveletskaya” metro station.
Opening hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday from 11.00 till 17.30.
Prices: 50 rubles (adults), 20 rubles (shoolchildren and pensioners). You can order a guided tour (a group for 10-25 persons): 130 rubles (adults) and 100 rubles (children and pensioners).

Museum of New Year's Tree Decorations

This unique museum is the only in Russia which is fully dedicated to New Year's tree decorations. It is located in Klin, an old town in Moscow region.
The museum consists of 12 exhibition halls and two studios for creating Christmas toys, where the most interesting processes – blowing and painting - can be observed. Adults and children can participate in a workshop and paint a toy.
You will take a wonderful trip to the world of New Year's celebration and find out why people began to decorate New Year's tree with glass balls. At the museum you will see various Soviet toys, a huge firtree, unique glass wartime toys and many other interesting things.
You can buy New Year's tree decorations at the museum's shop. Opening hours: daily from 9:00 till 18:00.

Address: 4, Staroyamskaya Street, Klin, Moscow region.
Opening hours: from 9:30 untill 17:00. The last excursion begins at 16:00. In November and December the museum works only with organized groups. If you prefer more calm atmosphere, please choose the period from January to October for this trip.
Days off: December 30-31, 2011 and January 1-2, 2012.
You can visit the museum individually in January on the following dates: January 5 (at 12:00), January 8 (at 10.00), January 15 (at 15:00).
You can order guided group tour (please call 8 (49624) 2–40–34 or 8 (916) 246–60–34). An excursion lasts 1 hour, a workshop (painting a glass ball) lasts 25-30 minutes. 
The museum works all the year round, expositions are unchanged.
Prices:
November 1, 2011 – January 10, 2012 (weekdays): 360 rubles (adults), 320 rubles (schoolchildren, students and pensioners), 150 rubles (children from 3 to 6 years old). A workshop costs 150 rubles per person.
November 1, 2011 – December 30, 2011 (weekends and holidays): 400 rubles (adults), 360 rubles (schoolchildren, students and pensioners), 150 rubles (children from 3 to 6 years old). A workshop costs 170 rubles per person.
January 11, 2012 – March 31, 2012: 330 rubles (adults), 280 rubles (schoolchildren, students and pensioners), 150 rubles (children from 3 to 6 years old). A workshop costs 150 rubles per person.
E-mail: info@klinvk.ru 

Natalia Semicheva.

Image courtesy: www.led-sokolniki.ru, www.gorizont.org, www.anothercity.ru, www.zateevo.ru, www.mobilmusic.ru, www.promtur.ru.