In Russia, the New Year tree used in winter celebrations is called a yolka.
Yolka is the transliteration of the Russian word ёлка, which can mean a spruce or fir tree and, in holiday contexts, the decorated New Year tree. Although it looks much like a Christmas tree, the modern Russian yolka is primarily associated with Novy God, the secular New Year celebration, rather than with Christmas.
The tree tradition has roots in Imperial Russia. In 1699, Peter the Great ordered that the New Year be celebrated on January 1 instead of September 1 and encouraged the use of fir, pine, and juniper branches. Christmas trees were later discouraged during the Soviet Union’s antireligious campaign after the 1917 Revolution.
The custom returned in a secular form in the 1930s. A 1935 article by Soviet official Pavel Postyshev helped promote decorated New Year trees for schools, children’s institutions, and public celebrations. The large Kremlin yolka and children’s festivities became especially prominent.
Yolka does not identify one precise species: spruce is common, but fir and pine may also be used. “Yule log” is a separate Christmas custom, while “New Year tree” describes the broader practice.