June festivals: Russia’s Scarlet Sails Festival

St Petersburg in Russia is one of the world’s most northern cities, which means during the three months of May, June and July, it never really gets dark. For many, after the freezing winter months this is a time to truly celebrate, and there’s lots going on – all-night parties, cultural events, firework displays and the ‘Scarlet Sails’ celebration.

The event first took place at the end of World War II, when a group of Leningrad schools united in celebrating the end of the school year, taking its symbolism from the popular children’s book, ‘Scarlet Sails’ by Alexander Grin. The tradition has since evolved into a celebration of end-of-school-rules and is now a popular annual festival, which culminates in a spectacular battle between pirates and the arrival of a magnificent sailing boat with scarlet sails.