On January 7, 1852, in St. Petersburg, in the building of the Catherine Station (now the Moskovsky Railway Station), a public Christmas tree was decorated for the first time.
The tree was adorned with decorations, toys, sweets, fruit, and candles. A star crowned the top. At first, only wealthy, well-to-do people could afford such decoration. Gradually, the tradition grew into a broad popular custom, and decorated trees accompanied Christmas celebrations both at home and in the streets. The first public tree in Soviet Russia was set up on December 31, 1917, at the Mikhailovsky Artillery School in Petrograd.
In 1927, during the anti-religious campaign that had begun, Christmas ceased to be an official holiday, and the Christmas tree was declared a “religious relic.” However, before the start of 1936, the tree was permitted again, but now as a New Year’s tree. The New Year’s tree of 1938—a 15-meter-tall forest beauty—was installed in the Column Hall of the House of Unions. It was decorated with 10,000 ornaments.