Official actions
Some Facts About Ded Moroz
20.11.2006 09:38
The Moscow News/ November 20, 2006/ By Antonina Thao
During his short visits to Moscow, Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost), Russia's kind New Year magician, is met like a more and more welcome guest each year.
Recently he has celebrated his birthday for the very first time, with the celebration taking place in the Russian capital. According to a newly created legend, Ded Moroz was born on November 18th in Veliky Ustug, a small town in the Vologda region. The date of the magician's birthday was chosen by weather chart makers as their long-term observations register that on that very day the ground of Veliky Ustyug is usually covered with a heavy snow blanket. No one knows Dedushka's exact age. Although experts insist his career began more than a 150 years ago, the first mentions of his appearance in noble Russian families on Christmas and New Year eve date back to the beginning of the 19th century.
On the exact day of his first birthday party Moroz started the traditional pre-New Year trip throughout Russia. His send-off at Yaroslavsky railway station in Moscow attracted a number of official delegations from Vologda, Togliatti, Murmansk, Arhangelsk, Kostroma, etc, including even Chyskhan magician, acknowledged Cold Curator from Yakutia, and Young Frost from Karelia. Among the cities Ded Moroz is going to visit are Uhta, Yakutsk, Olonets, Samara, Togliatti, Cherepovets and even Mirny, where Plesetsk, a famous space vehicle launching site, is located. Kids of Moscow and St. Petersburg will be the last to see the traveler but on the other hand, the long-awaited meeting will happen during their winter holidays.
Children who can't meet the real Moroz from Veliky Ustug in person can write a letter to him. Despite the fact that Dedushka will soon be presented with his own residence in Moscow (the construction works must be completed by the very eve of New Year 2006), he has already got Moscow registration and an official postal address: Dedushka Moroz, Kuzminsky les (Kuzminsky forest), Moscow, 109472. As the winter magician's press service explained: "Any child can ask Dedushka for a New Year party favor in writing and count on a proper present. In the near future, Ded Moroz plans to establish a special New Year e-mail, so children will be able to address their favorite personage by means of modern conveniences".
Although Kuzminki is not a forest actually but just a large park in the south-east of Moscow, the authorities try to make the fairy-tale as real as possible. The head of the South-East Prefecture Vladimir Zotov has already ordered to plant some fir trees around the residence under construction. To attract Moroz to Kuzminki the prefecture promised to construct a special home for Snegurochka, his granddaughter and usual companion, as well as a special theatre to arrange shows for kids and even a stadium for family competition with Ded Moroz prize.
All the efforts to make the visits of Ded Moroz comfortable can't be called completely altruistic. The stay in Kuzminki won't be just a rest for Dedushka. According to official documents the "functional purpose" for the residence to appear is organizing meetings with kids, seminars for teachers, Ded Moroz master classes (preparing younger generation of Ded Moroz professionals).
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