Moscow Zoo to host Katyusha Panda Week on August 24–30
Moscow Zoo under the Moscow Department of Culture invites to its Katyusha Panda Week dedicated to bamboo bears and Chinese culture, to take place on August 24–30.
“The celebrations will start on August 24 th; exactly three years ago on this day, the giant pandas Ru Yi and Ding Ding gave birth to their long-awaited daughter who became everyone’s favorite and an emblem of Russian-Chinese friendship. Katyusha will receive gifts every day between August 24 th and August 30 th during our keeper talks sessions,” says Svetlana Akulova, Director General of the Moscow Zoo.
On the opening day, the zoo will welcome representatives of the Chinese Embassy who will present a gift to Katyusha at 2:00 p. m. You can watch the gift ceremony on-site at the zoo or, alternatively, you can visit the panda camera web-page.
Visitors will also enjoy a vast entertaining and educational program, including short tours, quests, lectures, master classes, talks with keepers, and documentaries, to be accessible on August 24–30.
Guests from the Celestial Empire
Every day 10:00 a. m. until 2:00 p. m., the zoo will host a themed quest for both children and adults, the assignments to be announced in advance on the zoo’s VKontakte (VK) page and Telegram channel.
What is more, they are going to offer a range of creative workshops, to be held daily starting at noon and continuing until 2:00 p. m. in both the old and new parts. On August 29–30, 12:00 p. m. until 4:00 p. m., everyone will be welcomed at the creative workshop area next to the Primates Pavilion. To participate, make sure that you buy a zoo ticket; no prior registration is required.
Another daily event will be the Guests from the Celestial Empire tours introducing into the animal world of China. The event will start on August 24 th at 1:00 p. m. at the main entrance; from August 25 to 28, the meetings will be held at the same place at 11:00 a. m. and 2:00 p. m. On the weekend of August 29 th and 30 th, tours are scheduled every hour from 12:00 p. m. to 4:00 p. m. Please mind that at 12:00 p. m., 2:00 p. m. and 4:00 p. m. groups will meet at the main entrance; at 1:00 p. m. and 3:00 p. m. those who choose to come will be awaited at the stage next to the Primates Pavilion (the new part). Up to 25 people can take part in a tour at the same time. No registration is required, but be sure to buy a zoo ticket.
Moscow Zoo’s lecture hall will deliver two lectures, namely, Katyusha Revealing Secrets (August 24 th and 30 th) and Giant Pandas: Mysterious Guests from the East (August 26 th and 29 th). Pre-registration on Mosbilet is required.
In addition, on August 24 th, there will be themed shows, including The Lion Dance and The Dragon Dance, performances by children’s groups, and a lottery, a similar program to also run on August 29–30. All you need to attend the events is to buy a zoo ticket.
On August 25 th and 27 th at noon and on August 26 th, 28 th and 30 th at 2:00 p. m., the zoo will hold its keeper talks sessions at the Fauna of China Pavilion, with zoo staff sharing some amazing facts about the life of bamboo bears. The pavilion will also offer great interactive and play areas; they will be open 1:00 p. m. until 3:00 p. m. on August 24 th, 27 th, 28 th, 29 th and 30 th and 2:00 p. m. until 4:00 p. m. on August 25 th and 26 th. No registration is required.
On August 29 th, at 1:30 p. m., zoo visitors are invited to a food master class to hand-make treats for the giant pandas. To participate, do not forget to buy a zoo admission ticket.
On top of that, Moscow Zoo’s library will run a documentary called Katyusha the Panda. Russia’s Number One, to start at 1:00 p. m. on August 29 th and 30 th. Pre-registration on Mosbilet is required for attending the sessions.
Moscow Zoo is a rapidly growing space; it is engaged in scientific research, hosts international conferences and delivers educational programs, while creating a unique atmosphere for introducing visitors to the amazing world of wild animals.
In early 2025, Moscow Zoo set a world record for the number of animal species represented in its collection, with 1,253 species; in 2026 the figure exceeded 1,280.