About Russia's Public Holiday Calendar
Russia's New Year holiday is not a single day but an unbroken 8-day official holiday block spanning January 1–8; Orthodox Christmas (January 7) is separately celebrated within this same block.
The Russian government applies a "bridge day" rule: when a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, the adjoining Monday or Friday is also declared a day off, with the preceding Saturday designated as a make-up workday — which is why the annual calendar is re-issued by official decree every year.