Ice Chess match London-Moscow

On Saturday 13 January 2007 the third Russian Winter Festival – a free event offering a wonderful taste of Russia to children and adults alike – will take place on Trafalgar Square. It marks Russia’s ‘Old New Year’ – New Year according to the Tsarist calendar which was used prior to 1917, and which is still celebrated in Russia in mid-January.

The Festival brings Russian music, dance and song – and even snow! – to the heart of London. The Suvorovsky Ensemble of the Military and Music Academy of the Ministry of Defence – originally set up as a second Moscow school for the Red Army – will perform, as will folk groups including Pelageya and Russian Song and some of Russia’s most contemporary artists such as Ranetki and Tokio. The Russian pop legend Garik Sukachiov will be making a headline performance. Other attractions include the Moscow State Children's Puppet Theatre, children’s art workshop craft stalls and traditional Russian food.

The St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, being recreated in ice in London

The famous Moscow Cathedral in Trafalga Square

Russian Winter Festival
Event Venue: Trafalgar Square – Event Date: 13.01.2007 – Event Time: 11:00 to 18:30 – Event Cost: Free.

Ice Chess event

We are organising the world’s first international large-scale Ice Chess game between London and Moscow to launch the third annual Russian Winter Festival in London.

Chess pieces made of ice

The ice chess battle takes place next Thursday 11 January between 8am and 9am in Trafalgar Square in London, and simultaneously via live satellite link in Pushkin Square, Moscow. The aim is to stage the world’s first international ice chess game to celebrate the close business and cultural links between Russia and London as well as highlight the forthcoming annual Russian Winter Festival in London’s Trafalgar Square.

A London team and a Russian team, each captained by a chess grandmaster, will battle it out on two large-scale 64 square metre chess boards in each capital city, using giant chess pieces carved out of ice. The chess figures measuring over a meter in height will be especially carved for the event, with selected pieces sculpted in the shape of famous London and Moscow landmarks.

British chess champion, Grandmaster Nigel Short will captain the London team comprising of Peter Ackroyd and 8-year-old child prodigy Darius Parvizi-Wayne, while the former World Champion and chess legend Anatoly Karpov will captain the Russian team. Both Nigel and Anatoly will advise their teams on each move and will attempt to guide their players to victory, while spectators in London and Moscow can watch the players’ every move in each city thanks to a live satellite link.