Visiting acting icebreakers that are in operation in Russian seas in the winter days, one museum icebreaker, a themed open-air exhibition and watching a show of dancing tugs – this all in St. Petersburg and absolutely free except a visit to the museum.
The Icebreakers festival features five vehicles standing along two embankments in the city center in the vicinity of the Hermitage, Palace square and other major attractions.
During two days you can visit the icebreakers from 12.30 to 19.00 (May 2) and from 11.00 to 17.00 (May 3):
1) Captain Sorokin, Nevskaya Zastava and St. Petersburg icebreakers stand along the Universitetskaya embankment (the nearest metro station is Sportivnaya-2)
2) Mudyug and Ivan Kruzenshtern icebreakers are at the Angliyskaya embankment (the nearest metro station is Admiralteyskaya)
Entrance is free, but note that your visit is no longer than 20 minutes. Women wearing shoes with high heels (over 4 cm) are not allowed. Either entrance with food, drinks, cigarettes, animals, big bags is prohibited. Children under 6 are not allowed at all, children under 14 are allowed only with accompanying adults. After all, these all are icebreakers being in operation in the cold seasons, they are not fit to tourist flows.
There will two fan zones operating at the Leitenanta Shmidta and Angliyskaya embankments with music, food-courts and other entertainments as well as open-air cinema featuring themed movies (in Russian).
There is one special event we’d recommend to attend: the Dance of Tugs. It will take place on May 3 since 18.00 to 18.30 in the aquatorium of the Neva river. A few tugs move synchronically with music – that’s what you’d see in St. Petersburg only.
At 18.30 – 19.00 the icebreakers are to leave the embankments which is also surely worth seeing.