Russians get a three-day break in February 2027 for Defender of the Fatherland Day

Mark your calendar early: a long weekend is coming in Russia, even if it is still more than three months away.

Defender of the Fatherland Day, the holiday honouring Russia's armed forces, is traditionally marked on February 23. In 2027, that date falls on a Tuesday.

That means the day off from Saturday, February 20, will be moved to Monday, February 22. The result is a three-day break: Russians will rest from February 21 to 23, according to Feliks Akhmedov, an associate professor at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, who spoke to the RIA Novosti news agency.

There is also a short week to look forward to before that. The last working week of 2026 will be just three days long, starting on Monday, December 28.

So if you like planning ahead, you now have two dates to circle.