A fiery Firebird lit up the sky at the graduation celebration "Scarlet Sails–2026"

The fiery Firebird, born by the light of the brig Rossiya, has become one of the main visual symbols of the Scarlet Sails 2026. A large-scale kinetic decoration with a wingspan of 25 m turned the Neva River into a fairy tale space.

One of the most spectacular and symbolic images of the water and pyrotechnic show at the festival was the Firebird, a symbol of the realization of the dream of happiness, which is given only to people with a kind heart. In the story, she is born in the light that the brig Rossiya brought to the Neva River. At first, the audience saw only her silhouette on the water, and then the scenery "came to life": she spread her wings and illuminated the Neva River with a fiery light: the effect was as if a Firebird was hovering over the river.

"We are always looking for an unusual pyrotechnic element, let's say, the climax of the show, which will be, like the brig, the climax. Since this year's theme of the water pyrotechnic show is Russian fairy tales, the idea of this element appeared on the surface. What can burn and impress?! Only the Firebird. And then they began to think about how to implement the idea, to select costumes for the mise-en-scene. When we saw the bird in the model, everyone felt a little uneasy. We realized the scale we were aiming at, but there was no turning back," said Mikhail Kolpakhchiev, chief production director of the Scarlet Sails water and pyrotechnic show.

"This is a dynamic art object, which has no analogues in Russia yet. It is made in the shape of a bird with a wingspan of 25 m and is painted in the style of Russian national patterns. The scenery flaps its wings, moves its neck. I believe that this facility has been implemented at the level of major world events," said Konstantin Luzgin, the author of the project.

Work on the pyrotechnic component of the structure began back in October 2025. All articles were selected individually, taking into account the required visualization and mechanics of the bird's movement. A large number of preliminary trials, tests and tests were carried out. The maximum wing load should not exceed 500 kg.

Various groups of products were used, which experts among themselves call "fountains" and "contour candles". A special emphasis was placed on articles with a low gorenje temperature. At the same time, a special protective lining was provided to ensure the safety and reliability of the Firebird structure.

"The main task was to create a dense visual "picture" and a clear contour light line. Selecting the location of the effects on the wing, taking into account its movement, is a complex and lengthy process: it was important to calculate how the drawing would look from all angles. Therefore, all the products were placed not in one line, but in a checkerboard pattern. An individual mount with a certain angle of inclination was made for each element. First, a "treadmill" appeared on the wings, then their entire area was put into operation. In addition, it was necessary to achieve synchronous triggering of all effects and, no less importantly, their simultaneous attenuation," said Andrey Semin, Executive Director of Orion—Art.

The uniqueness of the decoration lies in its complete autonomy and in the fact that the Firebird worked on water. The structure is made of metal and aluminum, covered with special paints and gilding. All technical parameters take into account the wind and weather conditions of St. Petersburg, and the different wave heights on the Neva River. The pontoon on which the bird was mounted weighed about 10 tons for greater structural stability.

It took about a month to create the design project, and two more months for engineering development. This was followed by test tests: first in production, then on the water in the port, after which several rehearsals took place in the water area. The final setting of the lights and pyrotechnics was already carried out on the site.

During the climax, the Firebird's movements were synchronized with the music and light. Thanks to the mechanics and pyrotechnic effects, it felt like she was floating over the Neva River.

In the future, the decoration can be used as a self-sufficient art object that can decorate not only a world-class show, but also an urban space.

The Scarlet Sails holiday was revived after a long-term hiatus in 2005 on the initiative of ROSSIYA Joint Stock Bank, the Government of St. Petersburg and Channel Five.

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On the night of June 28, the main alumni celebration "Scarlet Sails - 2026" ended in St. Petersburg. The highlight of the event was a colorful fireworks display over the Neva River. The key concept of the holiday this year was chosen by the motifs of Russian fairy tales.

More than 70,000 graduates at the festival saw snowfall in the middle of June and a wheat field in the city center. For the first time, "Scarlet Sails" was broadcast in three languages at once — English, Chinese and Vietnamese. But everything is clear even without translation, because the audience was spoken to in the language of symbols: first about the dreams of children and adults, then with the help of familiar fairy—tale images about the power of the Russian soul, the eternal confrontation of light and darkness, the beauty of folk traditions and the importance of unity of generations.