Russian universities have released the official vacation and exam schedule for the 2026-2027 academic year, establishing holiday dates and break limits across higher education institutions.
Under Russia's federal law on education, university holidays are defined as planned breaks during study intended for rest and other social purposes.
The exact schedule for each academic year is configured by individual universities based on their educational system, academic calendar, specialist training programs, and official working calendar. Holiday dates can differ even among students in different groups within the same academic year depending on winter and summer examination timetables.
The total amount of vacation time granted to students directly correlates with the number of academic days in their annual program. Courses with more than 300 academic days provide between 49 and 70 days of vacation, while programs running between 100 and 300 academic days offer 21 to 49 days. Programs containing fewer than 100 study days provide up to 14 days of rest.
Officially, mandatory vacation duration does not differ between full-time, part-time, or extramural study modes, though total break lengths may vary if authorized by the relevant Federal State Educational Standard (FGOS) for a specific academic discipline.
Russian university students typically receive two distinct vacation periods following their major examination sessions. Winter holidays take place in January and February, lasting between one and three weeks, while summer breaks span approximately one and a half months during July and August.
Winter exam schedules and university systems
Specific vacation dates depend on each university's winter examination schedule and its overarching instructional model. Institutions following a traditional semester structure, which divides the year into two terms of four to five months, schedule winter exams in January and split holiday time into two separate periods.
Students at semester-based institutions take their first break during the nationwide New Year public holidays at the end of December and early January. Their second vacation period takes place after intermediate academic assessments in January or February.
At the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), a prominent public research university in Dolgoprudny near Moscow, most students will take winter examinations from December 22 to January 24 in the 2026-2027 academic year. MIPT students will rest during the New Year break from December 31 to January 8, 2027, followed by a post-examination vacation from January 25 to January 31, 2027.
At Moscow State Linguistic University (MSLU), a major language university based in the Russian capital, winter exams will run from January 16 to January 29, 2027. Students will take their New Year break from December 31 to January 10, followed by post-exam holidays from January 30 to February 3.
In contrast, universities operating under a modular system divide academic material into distinct blocks and hold winter exams in December. At the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE), a leading public university centered in Moscow, modular exams run from December 21 to December 30, 2026, allowing winter holidays to coincide with the official New Year break from December 31 to January 8, 2027, before the next module begins immediately afterward.
Summer holidays and practical training
Summer vacation begins after the conclusion of June and July examination sessions and runs until the start of the next academic year on September 1. Extramural students may receive extended summer breaks if their classes begin in mid-September or October.
For most students at HSE and MIPT, summer holidays in 2027 will run from July 1 to August 31. At MSLU, the 2027 summer exam session ends on July 3, after which students remain on break through August 31.
When summer practical training is required, student holidays begin immediately after the training concludes. History students often participate in archaeological expeditions, journalism majors complete work placements in newsrooms, medical students assist staff in clinics and hospitals, and law students undertake practice in court facilities.
The length of practical training is determined by the educational curriculum, with senior students generally completing longer placements. Students may choose to extend their practical work throughout the summer for research or professional reasons, though academic departments will not extend official holiday periods for those who voluntarily prolong their training.
Early exams and post-graduate leave
Students seeking to start their vacation early can apply for an expedited examination schedule by submitting a formal request to their dean's office or academic department. Valid grounds for early examination include medical conditions, academic or athletic mobility such as out-of-town competitions or creative contests, scheduled practical training, work trips, and family circumstances.
Decisions on individualized exam schedules are made by the department dean or designated authority, and requests deemed unexcused will be rejected. Alternatively, students at some institutions may arrange directly with instructors to sit exams early alongside other student groups, though overall examination dates remain bound to established university timetables.
Russian education law also guarantees graduating students the right to post-graduate holidays following their final assessments. Students who submit an application can maintain official university enrollment through the holiday period until their formal dismissal upon degree completion.
Post-graduate vacation timelines are set by each university and typically extend until August 31, though exceptions exist. HSE has scheduled its post-graduate leave for the 2026-2027 academic year from July 1 to August 11, while Moscow State University (MSU), Russia's oldest university, requires students to submit a dean-addressed application directly to their faculty department.
During post-graduate leave, graduating students retain standard student privileges. These benefits include discounted public transportation passes, military draft deferment verified by continuing education certificates, university dormitory accommodation rights, and ongoing scholarship payments.
Public holiday schedule for students
In addition to winter and summer vacations, university students receive official non-working days during nationwide public holidays throughout the academic year.
Official public holidays during the 2026-2027 academic calendar include:
- Unity Day on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.
- New Year's Eve on Thursday, December 31, 2026, designated as a non-working day by transferring the day off from Sunday, January 4, 2026.
- New Year holidays running January 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8.
- Orthodox Christmas on Thursday, January 7, 2027.
- Defender of the Fatherland Day on Tuesday, February 23, 2027.
- International Women's Day on Monday, March 8, 2027.
- Spring and Labor Day on Saturday, May 1, 2027, forming a three-day holiday weekend from May 1 to May 3.
- Victory Day on Sunday, May 9, 2027, forming a three-day holiday weekend from May 8 to May 10.
Some institutions also establish additional vacation periods on their own initiative, such as HSE granting its undergraduate students a spring break from May 2 to May 8, 2027, between Spring and Labor Day and Victory Day.
