December 13, 2025
14:00 - 22:00
14:00 - 22:00
Holy Winterfest
Holy Winterfest — a warm ending to 2025
Holy Winterfest became the final highlight of 2025 — a festival that brought together different generations, formats, and moods. The day was filled with conversation, creativity, science, music, good food, and the feeling of an open and vibrant community.
The festival opened with Holy Workshops, offering hands-on activities for guests of all ages. Participants created Christmas wreaths, cardboard trees, festive sweets, and — most importantly — a shared holiday spirit. Creativity became a meeting point for families, friends, and neighbors.
As part of Holy Cinema, guests watched “The Great Dictator” starring the legendary Charlie Chaplin and then discussed the film in an interactive format with an expert. The conversation offered new perspectives on the film, exploring its historical context, the author’s intentions, and the continuing relevance of its themes.
PlovBattle was one of the most popular and lively parts of the festival. In a blind tasting, participants compared three versions of plov — Uzbek, Kazakh, and international. As is often the case in Berlin, multiculturalism prevailed: according to the audience vote, the international plov took first place.
In the Holy Science program, participants had the opportunity to discuss a wide range of topics with experts, including artificial meat, attoseconds, European space exploration, challenges of artificial intelligence, lipids, and Christianity. The open exchange made it possible to talk about complex scientific issues in an accessible and human way.
The festival concluded with the Holy Party — a celebratory evening featuring live music, dancing, karaoke, and relaxed conversations. Guests reflected on the past year, shared plans for the future, and enjoyed the moment together.
Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this day special. Holy Winterfest once again showed that good neighborliness knows no borders!
We at WIR.DE adore our scientists and want to keep sharing them with our community — and introduce them to each other. And there is no one to stop us!
So we invite you to Holy Science, the scientific part of our festival.
We’ll start by getting to know each other with a bit of speed-dating. We’ll arrange you in circles, set strict time limits, forbid talking during breaks, make you answer hard questions quickly, and pretend that this should somehow make you feel comfortable together. In fact — it will. Just trust us.
After that, we’ll challenge you to explain your research simply and engagingly to a non-expert audience, and answer their questions — most of which boil down to one: why on earth are you doing all this?
And then, in the best traditions of academic conferences, the festival will naturally transition into the party stage!
So we invite you to Holy Science, the scientific part of our festival.
We’ll start by getting to know each other with a bit of speed-dating. We’ll arrange you in circles, set strict time limits, forbid talking during breaks, make you answer hard questions quickly, and pretend that this should somehow make you feel comfortable together. In fact — it will. Just trust us.
After that, we’ll challenge you to explain your research simply and engagingly to a non-expert audience, and answer their questions — most of which boil down to one: why on earth are you doing all this?
And then, in the best traditions of academic conferences, the festival will naturally transition into the party stage!
Most of you know that we love pilaf — and we love serving it at our festivals. But for WIR.DE director Sergey Savchuk, that has never been enough. One 20-liter cauldron for 100 people? Impossible! We need more cauldrons, more pilaf, and definitely more cooking chaos…
So we’re announcing a battle! Three chefs, three recipes, three cauldrons — all for you, for a blind tasting to determine the winner: the best WIR.DE pilaf of 2025!
Come hungry, come reckless.
So we’re announcing a battle! Three chefs, three recipes, three cauldrons — all for you, for a blind tasting to determine the winner: the best WIR.DE pilaf of 2025!
Come hungry, come reckless.
Did this year meet your expectations? Did things get better, worse, or have you long stopped thinking in such categories? Want to revisit the best moments — and the biggest fails? We do! That’s why we’re inviting you to the WIR.DE Year in Review.
But the nostalgic part is only the beginning of our party. We want to know: have you learned Dua Lipa’s new hits, or are you still singing Battery at karaoke? Have you picked up any new dance moves, or remain loyal to your alumni-reunion routines? Do you allow yourself mulled wine in church, or stick strictly to beer?
If none of this sounds like absolute fun to you — suggest something else. We’ll be waiting for you under the cross!
But the nostalgic part is only the beginning of our party. We want to know: have you learned Dua Lipa’s new hits, or are you still singing Battery at karaoke? Have you picked up any new dance moves, or remain loyal to your alumni-reunion routines? Do you allow yourself mulled wine in church, or stick strictly to beer?
If none of this sounds like absolute fun to you — suggest something else. We’ll be waiting for you under the cross!
Ready to sharpen your critical thinking — this time in the world of film?
During our meeting, we will embark on a fascinating journey behind the scenes to understand how a scientific approach and factual knowledge can help us uncover the true meanings and hidden intentions of great directors. After all, art is often driven by emotions and admiration for talent — not by objectivity.
We will explore how modern film criticism can enrich or cloud our movie-watching experience, revealing the secrets behind masterpieces and the underlying motives of filmmakers. At the center of our discussion will be Charlie Chaplin’s legendary The Great Dictator, whose story provides an excellent foundation for a profound and lively conversation.
Be prepared to see cinema through new eyes and discover new horizons of understanding!
During our meeting, we will embark on a fascinating journey behind the scenes to understand how a scientific approach and factual knowledge can help us uncover the true meanings and hidden intentions of great directors. After all, art is often driven by emotions and admiration for talent — not by objectivity.
We will explore how modern film criticism can enrich or cloud our movie-watching experience, revealing the secrets behind masterpieces and the underlying motives of filmmakers. At the center of our discussion will be Charlie Chaplin’s legendary The Great Dictator, whose story provides an excellent foundation for a profound and lively conversation.
Be prepared to see cinema through new eyes and discover new horizons of understanding!
- Workshop on creating festive evergreen wreaths! You will be able to make a beautiful wreath that can be hung on your front door or used as a table decoration.
- Workshop on crafting a magical Christmas tree made of cardboard and soft yarn. Each little tree is a unique Christmas miracle!
- Workshop on making holiday sweets! Create and decorate your own cake pop — and of course enjoy its delicious taste!
All materials are provided by the organizers.
Festival Program
14:00 – 16:00
14:00 – 16:00
Holy Workshops (0+)
Ground floor of the church
More information
More information
Languages: Russian, German, English
15:00 – 16:30
16:30 – 17:30
17:30 - 19:00
19:00-22:00
How it was
Address
Evangelisch-Freikirchliche Gemeinde Berlin-Lichtenberg
Heinrichstraße 31
10317 Berlin
Heinrichstraße 31
10317 Berlin
Partners
