Under the scarlet sails of dreams: how was the main graduation celebration in St. Petersburg?

Tens of thousands of schoolchildren in St. Petersburg took their first step into adulthood on the night of June 28. The main alumni celebration "Scarlet Sails" ended there. The legendary brig Rossiya passed along the Neva River, which was a bright highlight of the evening. The whole event was built around traditional Russian themes: through them, the audience was reminded of friendship, kindness and love, which, like school knowledge, remain for life. Everyone felt like the hero of their own fairy tale. For more information, see the story of Izvestia correspondent Roman Ishmukhametov.

The whole of St. Petersburg froze under a scattering of sparkling gems. The lights over the Neva flashed only for a moment, but they will remain in memory forever, like youth itself. And when the brig Rossiya appeared under this cascade of lights, as if from the radiance of the whitest night, the line between dream and reality seemed to disappear.

The sailboat passed from the Senate Square under the gates of the Palace Bridge and flaunted in front of tens of thousands of graduates. No one could take their eyes off him.

Yesterday they were still graduates, and today they are the captains of their lives. The evening belonged to each of them. They make plans that seem endless.

A blow to the market — and childhood time froze, giving way to adulthood. For the past five years, graduates from Mariupol, St. Petersburg's twin city, have been gathering on Dvortsovaya Street together with their peers. Graduates from China, Cuba, the CIS countries, Africa, and Europe also attended the celebration. Different cities, different languages, but one night and one dream: to go on a great voyage.

"It's really incredible. I am very glad that we are here today," said Sarah, a student from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The graduates were addressed by astronauts from the ISS, teachers and heroes, who set the most correct and necessary guidelines for young people.

"Set goals, look for opportunities, take steps forward towards your dream. Step by step, and your dreams will begin to come true. And remember: wherever you are, whatever you are doing, call your parents more often. They always love you and are waiting for you," said Hero of Russia Nikita Schmidt.

A traditional graduation waltz was performed on the stage of the Scarlet Sails. To the song "The Last first Call", pairs of graduates came out to the Palace Square.

The "City of Dreamers" was built on the Palace Square, which led the audience from the schoolyards of St. Petersburg and the stories of people to the main image — a ship from a children's drawing, ready to go on a big voyage.

Lyusya Chebotina, Yulianna Karaulova, Tatiana Kurtukova, and Yelka took the stage. And the secret guest Vanya Dmitrienko performed a song specially written for the holiday.

After midnight, fairy tales began to come to life on the embankments of the Neva River, it was to them that the water and pyrotechnic part of the holiday was dedicated. On the spit of Vasilyevsky Island, a wide Russian field stretches out — the whole Russian soul seems to be in the mise en scene.

Silence and peace are so dear to the heart, and in fairy tales they are always being disturbed by dark forces. But it is in the hour of trials that real strength is born. And her name is love. She doesn't wait for the right moment, but goes ahead, even when she's scared. Once again, the heroes of different generations show the right way to yesterday's schoolchildren.

But which way to go next? A question familiar to everyone who stands on the threshold of adulthood. Every step is a life—changing choice, and how important it is not to make a mistake.

The brig Rossiya was sailing along the Neva River, and every graduate tried to see and remember the cherished sailboat. Meanwhile, the heroes passed all the tests, the choice was made — a golden glow flashed over the water. The firebird is a messenger of hope, a symbol of happiness and good luck. She reminded me that there is always a place for light in life.

The Firebird became the key decoration of the Scarlet Sails water and pyrotechnic show. As part of the show, graduates were told Russian folk tales, stylized to sound like familiar songs.

A world-class show that could not have been dreamed of back in 1968, when a holiday was held in Leningrad for the first time. Everything was very modest, and then the tradition was interrupted. And only in 2005, at the initiative of the ROSSIYA Joint-Stock Bank, the Government of St. Petersburg and Channel Five, the holiday was revived again. Every year he captivates and delights.

"It was very cool to see it with my own eyes," Artyom Kosatko shared.

"That's the fairy tale I always wanted to visit," Sergei Generalov confessed.

"It is indescribable, words cannot convey it," Pavel Feoktistov noted.

The night gave way to dawn, and the scarlet sails, like a bright dot at the end of the chapter, disappeared over the horizon. The grandiose show, which gathered millions of views on the embankments, on television, on the Internet, has died down. There were only reflections on the water and the feeling that a completely different life begins beyond this line, and the fairy tale is waiting for new characters.

On the wave of dreams: graduates made wishes during the full turn of the Brig Rossiya

How was the large-scale holiday "Scarlet Sails" in St. Petersburg?

The graduation celebration ended in St. Petersburg on the night of June 28 with a colorful fireworks display. The concert on the Palace Square was held against the backdrop of the large-scale scenery of the "City of Dreamers". A scenic area was built especially for the event, including a train station, a shipyard, a 30-meter lighthouse structure and over 1,000 square meters of multimedia screens.

Foreign guests from Serbia, China, South Ossetia, Kyrgyzstan and Cuba spoke about their emotions from the alumni holiday "Scarlet Sails — 2026" in St. Petersburg. For them, the large-scale show on the Palace Square and in the Neva River became an event that will remain in their memory forever.