Valentine's Day Flowers in Russia: Is It Celebrated?
Customers from abroad often call us in early February and ask the same question: do people in Russia actually celebrate Valentine's Day, or will a bouquet arrive to an awkward silence? The short answer is that 14 February is now one of the three busiest flower days of the year in Russian cities, sitting alongside 8 March and New Year. The holiday arrived in the 1990s, took root fastest among people under 40, and today generates a genuine spike in orders that starts building on 12 February and peaks on the morning of the 14th. If you are ordering delivery for someone in Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Kazan or another large city, you are not doing anything unusual — you are joining a very crowded queue.
How Valentine's Day Took Hold in Russian Cities
Valentine's Day entered Russian popular culture in the early 1990s alongside a wave of Western films, music and retail. It was not imposed by law or tradition — it spread through magazines, television and, later, social media. By the 2000s, gift shops in every major city were stocking heart-shaped cards, and florists noticed a clear 14 February bump that had not existed a decade earlier. Today the holiday is observed widely in cities with populations above 500,000, and Saint Petersburg in particular has a young, internationally connected population that treats the date seriously. Smaller towns are more mixed: some embrace it fully, others barely register it. If you are sending flowers to a recipient in a regional city, it is worth knowing their age group — people in their twenties and thirties almost universally recognise the occasion, while older generations may find it slightly foreign. The holiday has no official status in Russia, which means shops and offices do not close, but it also means there is no state awkwardness around it. Florists simply treat it as a commercial peak and prepare inventory accordingly. One practical consequence: because 14 February is not a public holiday, deliveries can be scheduled during normal working hours without worrying about office closures, which makes workplace deliveries — a very popular format in Russian cities — straightforward to arrange.
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Which Flowers Russians Actually Buy on 14 February
Red roses dominate 14 February orders in Russia by a wide margin, and within that category the variety matters more than most customers realise. Explorer and Red Naomi are the two varieties that hold their shape longest at room temperature, which is critical in Russian winters when heated apartments can sit at 22–24 degrees Celsius and accelerate petal drop. Freedom roses are a popular mid-range choice — they have a large, full head and a deep red that photographs well, which matters to recipients who will post the bouquet. Spray roses in red or burgundy are increasingly common as accent flowers in mixed arrangements. Beyond red roses, pink tulips are the second most requested flower for 14 February in Russia. Tulips are closely associated with 8 March — International Women's Day — but they have crossed over into Valentine's Day shopping because they are available in abundance by mid-February and are considerably more affordable than premium roses. Varieties like Dynasty and Mistress Mystic in soft pink or lilac are ordered frequently. Peonies would be the obvious third choice, but they are not reliably in season in February in Russia and imported peony quality in mid-winter is inconsistent — we tell customers this plainly rather than sell them a flower that will droop by evening. Alstroemeria and lisianthus round out most mixed bouquets as filler flowers that last well in dry, heated Russian interiors.
Bouquet Sizes and Quantities That Work for This Date
Russian flower culture has a strong preference for odd numbers in bouquets — 1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 15, 21, 25, 51, 101. Even numbers are traditionally associated with mourning and funerals, and while younger Russians are becoming more relaxed about this, it is still a rule worth following if you want the gift to land without any unintended signals. A single rose is a recognised romantic gesture and is ordered more on 14 February than on any other date. For a more substantial gift, 11 or 15 roses is the most common range — enough to make a visual impression without requiring the recipient to find an unusually large vase. Orders of 51 or 101 roses exist and we fulfil them, but they are a small fraction of total Valentine's Day volume. Mono-bouquets of roses remain more popular than mixed arrangements on this specific date, which is different from 8 March when customers tend toward variety. If a customer wants to add texture, a common combination is roses with gypsophila or with eucalyptus — both of which survive well in warm interiors and do not compete visually with the main flower. Ribbon colour and wrapping paper are taken seriously by Russian florists: on 14 February, red, burgundy, blush pink and ivory kraft paper are the dominant choices. Customers ordering from outside Russia sometimes ask for cellophane wrapping, which is less fashionable here now — fabric and paper are the current standard in Saint Petersburg boutique florists.
Timing Your 14 February Delivery in Russian Cities
The single biggest mistake customers make when ordering Valentine's Day flowers in Russia is treating 14 February like an ordinary day and placing an order on the morning of the 14th expecting a two-hour window to still be available. In Saint Petersburg and Moscow, delivery slots on 14 February fill from the evening of the 12th onward. By the morning of the 13th, afternoon slots on the 14th are typically gone. Early morning slots — 8:00 to 11:00 — hold longest because many customers assume their recipient will be at home rather than at work, but workplace deliveries to offices are extremely popular and those slots go quickly too. The safest approach is to place your order on 11 or 12 February and specify a delivery window. If you want the flowers to arrive before the recipient leaves for work — common for a home delivery — a 7:00–9:00 slot needs to be booked at least 48 hours in advance during this period. Temperature is a practical concern in February: Saint Petersburg averages around minus 4 to minus 8 degrees Celsius in mid-February, and couriers carry flowers in insulated packaging. Roses and tulips handle brief cold exposure well, but they should not be left on a doorstep — a recipient who is not home is a real problem. Confirm the recipient will be available or arrange delivery to a workplace where someone can accept the order.
What to Check Before You Confirm a Valentine's Day Order
Before you finalise any 14 February order, there are four things worth verifying explicitly. First, confirm the exact delivery address including the apartment number, floor and entry code — Russian apartment buildings almost universally have coded entry doors, and a courier who cannot enter the building will call the recipient, which ruins any surprise. Second, check whether the recipient is at the address during your chosen window. Sending flowers to a workplace is reliable precisely because there is always someone at reception; home deliveries require the recipient to actually be home. Third, specify the bouquet size in stems rather than relying on category names alone — what one customer calls a large bouquet and what another means by the same phrase can differ by 20 stems. Fourth, include a card message at the time of ordering rather than trying to add it later. On peak days like 14 February, last-minute changes to orders slow processing and increase the chance of an error. If you are ordering in English for a Russian-speaking recipient, tell us and we will transliterate or translate the card message — this is a common request and takes no extra time. Finally, double-check the phone number for the recipient: couriers call ahead by 15–20 minutes as standard practice, and a wrong digit means a missed delivery.
Sending Flowers from Abroad to Russia on Valentine's Day
A meaningful share of our 14 February orders come from customers outside Russia — from Europe, the Middle East, North America and Central Asia — sending flowers to someone in Saint Petersburg or another Russian city. The process is straightforward but there are a few friction points worth knowing in advance. Payment from foreign cards can occasionally be declined by Russian banking infrastructure, so having an alternative payment method ready saves time. The order itself is placed in the same way as a domestic order, and we deliver ourselves across the city without involving third parties, which means the bouquet that leaves our shop is the bouquet that arrives. If you are in a very different time zone, place the order well in advance and specify the delivery window clearly — do not rely on being awake to make last-minute adjustments when it is already the morning of the 14th in Saint Petersburg. Recipients in Russia will not find it unusual to receive flowers from abroad; international couples and families separated by work or emigration send flowers through florists regularly, and 14 February is one of the most common occasions for this. If you want to include a gift alongside the bouquet — a box of chocolates, for example — this can be arranged at the time of ordering. Keep the message on the card simple and warm; long messages in English are fine, but short ones are easier to read aloud and tend to land better.
Valentine's Day in Russia is real, commercially significant and taken seriously by florists and recipients alike in every major city. The flowers that work best — red Explorer or Red Naomi roses, pink Dynasty tulips, mixed arrangements with lisianthus — are chosen for how they hold up in warm Russian apartments, not just for how they look in the shop. Order early, confirm the delivery address details including entry codes, and pick an odd number of stems. If you do those three things, the bouquet will arrive correctly and the occasion will mean exactly what you intended it to. Доставим букет по России за 1–2 часа.
Frequently asked questions
Is Valentine's Day widely celebrated in Russia?
Yes, in cities with populations above 500,000 it is firmly established, especially among people under 40. Saint Petersburg and Moscow see major spikes in flower orders on 14 February. Smaller towns vary. The holiday has no official status, so workplaces stay open — which actually makes office flower deliveries on the day very straightforward.
Why do Russian bouquets always have an odd number of flowers?
Even numbers are traditionally associated with mourning in Russian culture and are used at funerals. Odd numbers — 1, 3, 5, 11, 15, 51, 101 — are the standard for celebratory gifts. Younger Russians are gradually relaxing this rule, but following it avoids any unintended signal, especially when you are sending flowers to someone you do not know well.
Which rose variety lasts longest in a warm Russian apartment in February?
Explorer and Red Naomi are the most reliable choices. Russian apartments are typically heated to 22–24 degrees Celsius in winter, which accelerates wilting. Both varieties have dense petal structure and hold their shape for five to seven days with fresh water and a cool spot away from radiators. Freedom is a good mid-range alternative with a large, full head.
How far in advance should I order Valentine's Day flowers for delivery in Saint Petersburg?
Place your order by 11 or 12 February at the latest. Delivery slots on 14 February fill from the evening of the 12th. Early morning windows — before 10:00 — go first for home deliveries. If you want a specific time, booking 48 hours ahead is the safe margin. Same-day ordering on the 14th is possible but available windows will be limited.
Can I order flowers for delivery in Russia from outside the country?
Yes. Many of our Valentine's Day orders come from customers in Europe, the Middle East and North America sending flowers to recipients in Saint Petersburg. Place the order in advance given time zone differences, have an alternative payment method ready in case your foreign card is declined, and confirm the recipient's address including the apartment entry code.
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