Yes, Russia is cold in winter! This didn’t stop the 24 participants of the New Year’s event “Meanwhile in Siberia” to go there and experience this special climate themselves, which was organised by AEGEE-Moskva and AEGEE-Tyumen – two locals that are almost 2000 kilometres apart. Tanya Romanova, PR responsible of AEGEE-Moskva coordinated the event, which took place from 29th of December 20017 to 6th of January 2018.

Golden Times: How many participants did you have?
Tanya Romanova: We had 24 the best participants ever!

GT: Did your New Year’s event have a theme?
Tanya: “Meanwhile in Siberia I survived.”

GT: How was your new year’s party?
Tanya: It was for sure outstanding: we met the New Year in the night train! There was everything: christmas lights, decorations, costumes, music, sparkling wine and delicious dishes prepared by our food team. The train is not a spacious place and it brought us all together helping to make a sincere and hot party!

GT: What were the other programme highlights?
Tanya: Glorious Moscow nights, husky-riding and hot springs.

GT: What were the funniest or most exciting moments?
Tanya: It was night when we came to a station in the middle of nowhere, between Moscow and Tyumen. Our participants saw the snow on the ground for first time during this event! Some of them started to roll on the ground, had fun, were laughing and made snow angels, and local people were recording them on video! It was a really funny moment. Then we started to scream all together, wished “Happy new year” to each other, had lot of hugs and happiness!

GT: How was the group of participants?
Tanya: We really can say that our participants were the best: active, friendly, adventurous – of course, they decided to come to Siberia in mid-winter! We gathered people from all over the world and there was nobody who we could call “average”.

GT: Anything you would like to add?
Tanya: After admiring shiny Moscow, we got really hot in cold Siberia and we liked it so much and miss it so bad right now! Wish we could repeat it next year…