LARP Events in Russia
Russia boasts a vibrant live action role-play (LARP) scene with events ranging from medieval fantasy battles to post-apocalyptic survival games. Major cities like Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg (among others) host numerous LARP events year-round. These LARP events in Russia attract anywhere from a few dozen to over a thousand participants, forming one of the world's most active LARP communities. Notably, many Russian LARPs are narrative-driven and often open to international participants – organizers report that most games are foreigner-friendly, actively seeking international players. Below is a list of active in-person LARP events currently held in Russia (excluding online, play-by-post, or purely historical reenactments), with details on language, genre, and more.
Notable Ongoing LARP Events in Russia
Warhammer Fantasy LARP
Location: Kaluga region (near Moscow)
Primary language: Russian (some English support)
Genre/Theme: Medieval fantasy wargame (Warhammer Old World)
Description: A massive annual LARP inspired by Warhammer Fantasy Battles, featuring large-scale faction warfare, immersive costumes, and an entire simulated city. Every year over 1,000 players attend to fight epic battles, weave intrigue, engage in trade, politics, and even dark rituals in an eternal-war fantasy setting. This is one of Russia's largest LARP events, renowned globally for its scale and production quality.
Official page: warhammerlarp.ru
Witcher 1062
Location: Moscow region
Primary language: Russian
Genre/Theme: Dark fantasy (Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher universe)
Description: A story-driven LARP series set in the Witcher world, circa year 1062. The first chapter centers on a gathering of sorcerers, witchers, and nobles at a remote Temerian castle – an academy graduation that draws nearly every notable mage and monster-slayer to one place. The game emphasizes political intrigue and supernatural mystery in the medieval fantasy realm of the Witcher.
Official page: VK community
Metro 2033: Pandemonium
Location: St. Petersburg (Pargolovo)
Primary language: Russian
Genre/Theme: Post-apocalyptic survival (Dmitry Glukhovsky's Metro 2033 universe)
Description: An in-person LARP set in the underground metro tunnels of post-apocalyptic St. Petersburg. This 60+ player game (held in a countryside cottage venue) focuses on political intrigue, complex personal relationships, and survival challenges over the course of one in-game day. Players assume the roles of metro station inhabitants dealing with power struggles, unexplained threats in the tunnels, and "skeletons in the closet" amid the struggle to survive underground.
Official page: VK event page
Cyberpunk 2077: Precursors
Location: Moscow region
Primary language: Russian
Genre/Theme: Dystopian cyberpunk sci-fi (CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077)
Description: A high-immersion LARP that invites players to dive into the neon future of Night City. Set in 2068 (nine years before the video game's storyline), it unfolds during the aftermath of a major gang uprising and amid a heated presidential election in the New United States. Players take on roles as mercenaries, corporate operatives, and hackers in a world on the brink of a technological revolution – entangled in corporate warfare (Arasaka, Militech, etc.) and political turmoil. This outdoor ("field") event draws around 200 participants.
Official page: VK group (MG "Efir" organizers)
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Epilogue
Location: Novosibirsk (Siberia)
Primary language: Russian
Genre/Theme: Post-apocalyptic survival horror (based on the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games)
Description: A gritty LARP that brings to life the radioactive Exclusion Zone inspired by the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series. Players organize into armed factions of stalkers, scavengers, and scientists exploring a deadly wasteland filled with anomalies and hidden threats. Russian LARP fans have run S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games with hundreds of players – for instance, a STALKER LARP in Vyborg drew over 200 participants into the Chernobyl-inspired zone. "Epilogue" is a recent chapter of an ongoing Siberian campaign (≈120 players) where teams must contend with mutants, rival groups, and the zone's mysteries in a 24/7 simulation.
Official page: VK group (Territory of Game)
World of Darkness: Masquerade
Location: Perm (Ural region)
Primary language: Russian
Genre/Theme: Modern gothic horror (Vampire: The Masquerade)
Description: An immersive city-wide LARP chronicle set in the World of Darkness, focusing on vampire society and intrigue. Organized by the ByNight community, this event runs over multiple evenings (spanning a week) and involves around 80 players portraying vampires, mortals, and other creatures hidden in Perm's urban shadows. Expect political power plays between undead clans, secret meetings, and the enforcement of the Masquerade (the vampires' law to remain hidden).
Official page: VK community (ByNight Perm)
LARP Across Russia
Each of these events highlights a different facet of LARP in Russia, from epic fantasy battles in Moscow to intense survival games in Siberia. The Russian LARP scene continues to grow and diversify, with many events actively welcoming international participants and providing a unique opportunity to experience live action roleplay in Russia first-hand.
Sources: The above details were compiled from official LARP community pages and reports, as well as insights from Russian LARP organizations and media.