Russian citizens will enjoy an 11 day New Year holiday break in 2027, Evgeny Masharov of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation has reminded.
Speaking to news agency RIA Novosti, Masharov explained that the long break will officially run from Thursday, December 31, 2026, through Sunday, January 10, 2027. He noted that the Russian government approves the official schedule of non-working days every year in order to balance work and rest periods across the country.
The annual New Year celebration is traditionally the longest public holiday in Russia. Combining New Year festivities with Russian Orthodox Christmas on January 7, the winter break routinely shuts down government offices, banks, and schools for more than a week. The Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation functions as a consultative state body tasked with analyzing legislation and protecting citizens' rights.
Labour code rules for holiday shifts
Masharov clarified the specific legal mechanisms governing how holiday dates are scheduled under the Labour Code of the Russian Federation. Standard regulations dictate that when a public holiday falls on a weekend, the day off automatically shifts to the nearest weekday. However, special exceptions apply to the New Year holiday period, allowing overlapping weekend days to be rescheduled to any designated date throughout the calendar year.
To construct the 2027 calendar, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection proposed several key day shifts. Under the plan, the weekend day of Saturday, January 2, is moved to Friday, November 5. Meanwhile, Sunday, January 3, shifts to Friday, December 31, and Saturday, February 20, is transferred to Monday, February 22.
As a result of these adjustments, Russian workers will have 247 working days and 118 days off throughout the year 2027. The Ministry of Labour routinely submits these annual schedule adjustments to ensure that public holidays aligning with regular weekends are distributed effectively into long weekends during other national observances.
Proposals for additional paid time off
The announcement follows other recent discussions surrounding public holiday entitlements in the country. State Duma deputy Sergei Mironov previously suggested that parents of Russian schoolchildren should be granted a paid day off on September 1. Known as Knowledge Day, September 1 marks the traditional start of the academic year in schools across Russia.
The State Duma serves as the lower house of Russia's parliament, where lawmakers frequently submit initiatives regarding employment regulations and worker benefits. While proposals like extra leave for parents remain under discussion, official calendar balances managed by the Ministry of Labour continue to set the baseline working schedule for millions of employees nationwide.
