For anyone trying to send a message to me, it is easier to use my email address as I don't review every message on this board.

We have, surprisingly, a number of leisure clients going to Moscow and to St. Petersburg in the middle of the Winter (business clients go to Moscow year round). Culturally St Petersburg is as vibrant in the Winter as it is in the Summer. Daylight hours are, however, short, it can get very cold, transportation outside of the city can be difficult (not within the city, though), and the sidewalks can be very, very slippery (I didn't stay at a hotel in Nizhny Novgorod for that reason). Also the period between December 1 and January 7 is a holiday in Russia; many museums are on an irregular schedule (although they do have events for the holidays). The Termikanov Ball you mention is part of the Arts Square Festival, and the main sponsoring organization is the St Petersburg Philharmonia (mentioned below).

I have answered this previously, in response to a query you posted in November 17 and 19; my answers are below (you can also click on your own name and see threads containing posts by you):

I've been to both Yusupov Palace for New Years (famous as the murder site of Rasputin) and to Catherine's Palace in St. Petersburg. In which palace is it being held, and who is the sponsoring organization (not tour operator)? The Mariinsky Opera and St Petersburg Philharmonia are both very worthy organizations for such support. The balls that support the arts are in general more interesting events in Russia as many Russians attend, rather than being filled with tourists.

I organized tours for both events in previous years, but didn't have enough demand this time around.

Both Mir and Exeter are good agencies, but there are many groups offering a "Tsar's Ball". They should be able to answer your questions as to the location and the beneficiary. The quality of the event is largely determined by who will be attending-if the group is a major Russian charity, then it will be a wonderful experience, and you will meet many prominent people. If it is just the travel company that rented the palace for the night, then it will be fun, but could also be somewhat pretentious (how many times have you dressed up in black tie for a for-profit event in the US?). And if it is for a charity group, see if the sponsoring organization has a US affiliate, which could mean a tax deduction for you (White Nights Foundation and the American Friends of the Hermitage, for instance).

Usually a few Romanovs attend (and many former nobility). There's also a Russian Nobility Ball in New York that has been around for years (my godfather and his wife, both from ancient princely families, run it); Houston had its first such Russian Nobility Ball two weeks ago, with many attendees from the former royalty, nobility and New Russians.