Yekaterinburg's Ice Town Reduced to Bald Snowmen and Ice Piles
The festive ice town in central Yekaterinburg closed early in 2026, with dismantling underway for days.
Jan 21, 2026 0
The central holiday tree now stands with only its bottom tier remaining after dismantling.
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In the center of Yekaterinburg, the festive ice town is being dismantled for the third consecutive day. In 2026, it closed even earlier than the skating rink on 1905 Square, all because maintaining the attractions has become too expensive.
Construction equipment operates on the site as the ice town is taken apart.
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Ice sculptures have been smashed to pieces, only the bottom tier of the holiday fir tree remains, and the rock snowmen have lost their hats. Photographer Vladislav Lonshakov captured how the Historical Square looks now. The holiday spirit is about to completely leave the city.
Amidst the dismantling, the snowmen have lost their bright hats and now look bald.
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This was the first year that ice for the town had to be purchased from another region: brought from Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (KhMAO). The supply was handled by the company «Ice-Project 2000,» which has been winning contracts from the city hall for many years (we covered them in detail in this text).
Only workers are present to admire the traditional Russian beauty ice sculptures.
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Despite favorable weather, the operation of the site was not extended this year for a simple reason: no money. Many residents were unhappy that the town, which cost 26 million rubles (approximately $290,000 at current rates), stood for less than three weeks. But the authorities immediately made it clear that a New Year«s miracle should not be expected.
Attractions are being gradually dismantled during the third day of operations.
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The other day, Mayor Alexei Orlov reported that the Historical Square was visited by 150,000 people during the holidays this year. This is several times less than in 2023, when the town was last located on 1905 Square.
Plastic horse figures are stored away until the next New Year celebration.
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Why fewer and fewer people are eager to stroll through Yekaterinburg«s ice town and how it has (not) changed in recent years, read in this article.
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A garland is removed from the festive sign as decorations are cleared.
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Piles of ice now occupy the center where mazes once stood.
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See how the ice town«s final day unfolded and how it was stormed.
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