The White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg, also known as the Star of the White Nights Festival, was started by Anatoly Sobchak in 1993. Sobchak was the first mayor of St. Petersburg, and during his tenure, the city evolved into Russia’s cultural and sporting hub. As part of his initiative to develop the city, he developed the idea of a holiday to celebrate Russian culture, especially art and entertainment. The festival had a series of classical ballet and music, opera, and other events at the Mariinsky Theater and Mariinsky Concert Hall.

The Scarlet Sails celebration is the final and best-attended part of the White Nights Festival. It is the most famous public event in St. Petersburg. The spectacular fireworks displays and elaborate performances bring the city to a standstill. The Scarlet Sails — ‘Alye Parusa’ in Russian — has been around since the 1960s and began after World War II when schools in Russia united to celebrate the end of their academic year. The celebration organized in their honor took place on the Neva banks in St. Petersburg. The practice was stopped in 1979 but was revived decades later on June 24, 2005.

In 1990, the White Nights International Marathon and 10K Run through the streets of St. Petersburg became part of the festivities. Over 5,000 runners participated in these events each year, which helped promote the city’s status as Russia’s sports capital. The White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg has grown in popularity across Europe, with other E.U. nations introducing their versions of the holiday to their citizens.