Santa Claus where did this character come from. The prototype of Santa Claus is a real person from Asia Minor

Father Frost- the main fairy-tale character at the New Year's holiday, the Slavic version of the Christmas giver. The creation of the canonical image of Santa Claus as an obligatory character of the New Year - and not Christmas - holiday took place in Soviet times and dates back to the late 1930s, when, after several years of banning, the tree was again allowed. The prototypes of Santa Claus are the character of Slavic fairy tale folklore and calendar rites and Saint Nicholas.

Santa Claus is depicted as an old man in a colored - blue, blue, red or white fur coat, with a long white beard and a staff in his hand, in felt boots. Rides three horses. Often comes accompanied by a granddaughter Snow Maiden, and in the days of the USSR, it happened, and New Year- a boy in a red fur coat and a hat (one of these items of clothing often had a digital designation of the coming / coming year). The New Year boy acted as a kind of successor to Santa Claus; most often he was depicted in new year cards the late 1950s - mid 1980s, and in one of the cartoons he is even allegedly the grandson of Santa Claus and flies on an airplane, after which the popularity of this character began to fall and by now he is almost forgotten. Also, Santa Claus is sometimes accompanied by various forest animals.

History of origin[ | ]

Research [ | ]

Slavic mythology[ | ]

Frost as a natural element has long been personified by the Eastern Slavs. They imagined him as a short old man with a long gray beard, who runs through the fields and causes crackling frosts with a thud. The image of Frost is reflected in Russian proverbs, sayings, and fairy tales. For example, in fairy tales Frost appears as a magic helper, acting under the nicknames "Studenets", "Treskunets", or as a donor with the correct behavior of the fairytale hero (see Morozko). The snowy frosty winter in the view of the Slavic farmer was associated with a good future harvest. This was judged by the presence of Christmas or Epiphany frosts. Therefore, on Christmastide and Maundy Thursday, it was customary to perform the rite of "click of the frost": he was invited to a meal and treated with ritual food - pancakes and booze. At that time, the souls of deceased ancestors were called to the house in the same way, and kutia was a traditional memorial meal among the Slavs. Frost food was left on the window or on the porch. At the same time, Moroz was asked not to come in the summer and not spoil the harvest.

Formation of the image[ | ]

V literary tradition Santa Claus enters in 1840 - with the publication of the collection of fairy tales "The Tales of Grandfather Irenaeus" by V. F. Odoevsky. The collection included the fairy tale "Moroz Ivanovich", which for the first time gave a literary interpretation of the image of folklore and ritual Frost, who had previously acted only as a pagan host of cold and winter cold.

The image created by Odoevsky is not yet very similar to the familiar New Year character. The calendar confinement of a fairy tale is not Christmas or New Year and spring. Therefore, Moroz Ivanovich lives in an icy country, the entrance to which opens through a well. And it is not Moroz Ivanovich who comes to the children, but the children come to him. He does not make any gifts for a certain date, although he can generously reward for a job well done. However, as the researcher writes:

… This image is already recognizable: “ good frost Ivanovich "-" gray-haired "old man who" as he shakes his head - frost falls from his hair "; he lives in an ice house, and sleeps on a feather bed made of fluffy snow. Needlewoman for Good work he presents "a handful of silver patches", however, he does not freeze Leninitsa either (like Morozko's old woman's daughter in a fairy tale), but only teaches her a lesson, giving her an icicle instead of silver ... In Odoevsky's pedagogical tale, ritual Frost and fabulous Morozko turned into a kind, but fair educator and mentor.

For quite a long time, Moroz Ivanovich and the New Year tree existed separately. Their unification took place in the second half of the 19th century, when the first attempts to create an original “Christmas grandfather” were noted in the urban environment of Russia, who would give gifts to Russian children, like Nikolai Ugodnik among their Western peers. Under Alexander II, "old Ruprecht" is mentioned (clearly German origin, 1861), St. Nicholas or "Grandfather Nicholas" (1870) - isolated attempts that did not take root. However, popular beliefs about St. Nicholas later had a certain influence on the creation of the image of Santa Claus. In 1886, Morozko was celebrated for the first time, and by the beginning of the 20th century, the familiar image of Santa Claus was already taking shape. At the same time, from the illustrated translations of Valery Karrik, the tale of Morozko becomes familiar to English-speaking readers. In the translation, Morozko appears under the name "King Frost".

Santa Claus returned to Soviet use on the eve of 1936. This happened after on December 28, 1935, a member of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR P.P. Postyshev published an article in the Pravda newspaper where he proposed organizing a New Year celebration for children with a New Year tree (however, Postyshev did not offer to return Santa Claus), after which all over the country start to organize New Year's events using the rethought old "Christmas" paraphernalia. The official solemn return of Santa Claus happened very soon. In the first in the USSR, the Kharkov Palace of Pioneers (opened in 1935), on December 30, 1935, the first official in the USSR after the "rehabilitation" Christmas tree... And in January 1937, Father Frost and Snegurochka greeted guests at a celebration in the Moscow House of Unions.

Soviet cinema also played an important role in the formation of the new image of Santa Claus.

Santa Claus and Orthodoxy[ | ]

The situation with several all-Russian Santa Clauses, including Lapland and Veliky Ustyug, was resolved as follows: since Santa Claus is a wizard, he can be both in Lapland and Veliky Ustyug at the same time. If the Lapland Nature Reserve is not indicated on children's letters to Santa Claus, then they are delivered to Veliky Ustyug.

December 25, 1999 in Veliky Ustyug took place Grand opening"Houses of Santa Claus". Tourist trains go to the city from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vologda and other cities of Russia. According to the former governor of the Vologda Oblast V.V. Pozgalev, in the first three years (from 1999 to 2002) the number of tourists visiting Veliky Ustyug increased from 2 thousand to 32 thousand. Since the beginning of the project, Santa Claus has received more than a million letters from children from different countries, and the turnover in the city has grown 15 times and unemployment has decreased.

The Moscow estate of Ded Moroz was created within the framework of the interregional project “Veliky Ustyug - the Motherland of Ded Moroz”. In 2004, the mayor of Moscow, Yu. M. Luzhkov, and the prefect of the South-Eastern district of the capital, VB Zotov, decided to build the Santa Claus Mail, the grand opening of which took place a year later. In 2006, four new objects were opened in the Estate: the Snegurochka tower, the Creativity tower, an ice skating rink, and a fairy tale trail. On August 5, 2008, by order of the Moscow government, the Moscow estate of Father Frost was given the status of a state budgetary institution. The founder of the Estate is the Moscow Public Relations Committee. The estate is working all year round, the main activity falls on the period from November 18 - the birthday of Santa Claus, until mid-January. Throughout the year, the manor hosts holiday concerts, game programs, master classes, excursions to the Post Office and the winter wizards' towers, various activities with public organizations... More than 20 thousand letters are sent to the estate annually.

At the end of December 2011, a fabulous residence appeared in Murmansk. The house of Lapland's Father Frost was erected there on the territory of the Murmansk Lights park.

In addition to the "national" Santa Claus with residences in Arkhangelsk, Veliky Ustyug and Chunozero, on the territory Russian Federation their "colleagues" from other nations are also known. For example, in Karelia near Petrozavodsk you can visit (translated from the Livik dialect of the Karelian language Morozets). This hero, however, is quite far from the usual image. He is middle-aged, he has no beard, and he lives in a great plague.

In Belarus [ | ]

Belarusian Santa Claus in his autumn outfit.

Belarusian Santa Claus is dressed in a long fur coat up to his toes, leans on a magic staff, does not wear glasses, does not smoke a pipe, leads healthy image life and does not suffer from noticeable fullness. The very first official Santa Claus in Belovezhskaya Pushcha was the deputy director of the Belarusian National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" for research work. About his two-year career as Santa Claus, he wrote the books How I Was Santa Claus and Santa Claus and His Relatives (together with director general National Park Nikolay Bambiza).

The total area of ​​the estate is 15 hectares. In addition to the House of Santa Claus itself, the estate also has a separate house for the Snow Maiden, the Treasury (Belorussian Skarbnitsa), where gifts and letters sent by children are kept, and the Museum of Santa Claus. It grows on the territory of the residence, as mistakenly stated in national park, "The tallest in Europe" forty-meter natural spruce, which is 120 years old.

The estate is decorated with numerous wooden statues of various fairytale characters, a model of a mill and a "magic" well. Branch mailbox Ded Moroz is located in the Minsk park. Gorky.

Some journalists believe that the Sovietized image of the patron saint of the New Year has replaced the natively revered among Ukrainians Christian patron Saint Nicholas (Ukrainian saints Mykolaj), who brings gifts to children (mykolajci) on the night of December 18-19 and puts them under the pillow (see. Nikola Zimny). Before the revolution in Russian Empire New Year fell on ancient holiday Melanie (Ukrainian. Malanka) or Generous evening and had its own attributes and rituals.

In November 2014, the mayor of Kiev Vitaliy Klitschko signed a decree that the main Christmas tree of Ukraine should move from Independence Square to one of the oldest squares in Kiev - Sophia Square. Celebration of the New Year will take place with the participation of St. Nicholas. The organizers talk about the desire to restore the ancient traditions of celebrating the New Year.

Since 2014 he has been living on the territory of the National Expocentre of Ukraine and on the territory of the Kievan Rus park.

In Soviet and Russian cinema[ | ]

We are already so used to such signs. new year holidays like a Christmas tree, garlands, Olivier salad, etc., that we hardly think about how they became traditional. But we often answer the question of our children about where Santa Claus came from. We will talk about this today. So…

The story of Santa Claus

The image of Santa Claus - a handsome, good-natured old man with a long, bushy beard, with a staff in his hand and a bag of gifts - is now familiar to every child and adult. He comes to congratulate, wishes for happiness and bestows upon everyone. It is not surprising that his appearance is especially expected at children's matinees.

The history of the appearance of Santa Claus begins from the depths of centuries, from the mythology of the ancient Slavs. But the one who thinks that he was originally a good magician who brings joy is mistaken. Quite the opposite. The Slavic predecessor of Ded Moroz - Snezhny Ded, Karachun, Studenets, Treskun, Zimnik, Morozko - was stern, trying to freeze those who met on the way. And the attitude towards the children was peculiar - to carry them away in a sack ... It was not he who handed out gifts, but it was necessary to appease him in order to avoid trouble. That's where the fun comes from - making snowmen. In fact, for our ancestors, these were idols depicting the god of winter. With the advent of Christianity, this peculiar spirit of Winter was preserved in folk tales.

Only in the 19th century Morozko, Moroz Ivanovich and other characters in fairy tales began to appear as strict, but fair creatures. Kindness and hard work were rewarded, and laziness and anger were punished. Odoevsky's tale about Frost Ivanovich - that's where Santa Claus came from!

Christmas Santa Claus

In the 80s of the 19th century, with the holiday of Christmas, following the example European countries, began to associate a person called Christmas Grandfather (or Yule Grandfather). He has already brought gifts to reward children for good behavior throughout the year. But, unlike Santa Claus, he was not a saint and had nothing to do with religion at all. And in countryside did not notice his appearance at all and continued to celebrate the Holy Evenings, as before - with fortune-telling and carols.

But to the general public, Santa Claus has become familiar since 1910. And Christmas cards helped with this. At first, he was painted in a blue or white fur coat up to his toes, to match the color of the winter itself. A hat of the same color was depicted on his head, and Grandfather also wore warm felt boots and mittens. A magic staff and a bag with gifts became indispensable attributes.

Then they began to fight against "religious rubbish". In 1929, the celebration of Christmas as a religious holiday was banned. It is clear that Santa Claus and the Christmas tree have also fallen out of favor. Even fairy tales were deemed to be a hoax designed to obscure the heads of the masses.

And only in 1935, at the suggestion of Stalin, the Komsomol issued a decree on the celebration of the New Year. It was ordered to organize Christmas trees for children instead of pre-revolutionary Christmas ones. It was noted that this is great fun for little workers and peasants, who previously could only look with envy at the entertainment of the offspring of the rich.

The symbolism of the tree has also changed. It was a secular and not a religious holiday. Instead, on the top of the forest beauty, red Santa Claus lit up, but he remained the same kind grandfather bringing gifts. He drove around in a Russian troika, accompanied by his beloved granddaughter Snegurochka.

How Santa Claus became a grandfather

So, we figured out where Santa Claus came from. The Snow Maiden appeared next to him much later. In ancient Slavic folklore, there is no indication of the companion of our Grandfather.

The image of the Snow Maiden was invented by the writer A. N. Ostrovsky. In his tale, she was the daughter of Santa Claus, who came to people attracted by music. After the appearance of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov's opera, the Snow Maiden became very popular. Sometimes she appeared at Christmas trees, but on her own, without Santa Claus.

In 1937, at the Yolka in the Moscow House of Unions, for the first time, Snegurochka performed with her Grandfather. Her transformation from daughter to granddaughter happened because a cheerful girl or a very young girl was closer to the children, for whom the holiday was arranged.

Since then, the Snow Maiden has been accompanying Santa Claus at any New Year's holiday, most often it is she who is its host. True, after Gagarin's flight, sometimes on the Yolki instead of the Snow Maiden ... an astronaut appeared.

Santa Claus helpers

The story of the appearance of Santa Claus in recent times supplemented by new pages. In addition to the Snow Maiden, new fairy-tale characters take part in the good New Year's magic. For example, the Snowman, who appeared in the fairy tales of the wonderful children's writer and cartoonist Suteev. He then goes into the forest for a Christmas tree for a holiday, then he drives a car with gifts. Most of the forest animals help Grandfather, and some sometimes try to prevent the onset of the New Year's holidays. Often, Old Man-Lesovichki, Brother-Months appear in the scripts ...

Where Santa Claus came from, he moved on foot or on the wings of a blizzard. Subsequently, they began to represent him on the dashing Russian troika. And now reindeer are kept in Veliky Ustyug - a real winter form of transport. Can't be the same kind wizard countries whose dominions stretch as far as the North Pole fall behind Santa Claus!

When was Santa Claus born?

Curious children want to find out how old Santa Claus is. Despite the ancient Slavic roots, Grandpa is still quite young. The appearance of a fairy tale (1840) can be considered the moment of his birth. It is in her that a good old man first appears, who presents gifts to a diligent girl and punishes the lazy one. According to this version, Grandfather is 174 years old.

But in the aforementioned fairy tale, Frost does not come to anyone, he does not give out gifts in connection with the holiday. All this will be much later, towards the end of the 19th century. If you count from this moment, Santa Claus is not yet 150 years old.

When is Santa Claus's Birthday?

This is another question that children confuse us with. After all, they, who have received gifts for the New Year, often want to thank the good old man. This question can be answered absolutely precisely - on November 18th. After all, the children themselves decided so, choosing as the onset of winter in the homeland of Santa Claus. It happened in 2005.

And now every year this day is held big holiday where his colleagues arrive. These are Santa Claus from real Lapland, Pakkaine from Karelia, Mikulas from the Czech Republic and even Chishan from Yakutia ... Every year the scope of the celebration expands, new guests come. But most importantly, from his homeland, from Kostroma, the Snow Maiden is in a hurry to congratulate Grandfather.

Guests from other cities are also invited to the celebration. These are the deputies of Santa Claus, who will come to the children for the New Year, and fairy-tale characters-helpers. Everyone is waiting for them fun activities... And in the evening, Santa Claus lights the lights on the very first Christmas tree and announces the beginning of preparations for the New Year. After that, he and his assistants set off on a trip around the country in order to have time to congratulate all its inhabitants.

In March, Santa Claus surrenders his duty to Vesna-Krasne and returns to his house. Until the next birthday, he will appear in public again - in the summer, on City Day. Both holidays include festivities, an extensive program of events telling about the Russian North, including excursions to the patrimony of Father Frost.

And let us not say exactly how old Santa Claus is, but congratulate him, write a letter with good wishes quite possible.

Where to write?

Where can Santa Claus live? At the North Pole? Or in Lapland, next to Santa Claus? Or maybe in a well, as in the fairy tale "Moroz Ivanovich"?

Many people know the address of Santa Claus very well. His residence is located in that in the Vologda region. A magnificent tower was built there for him, his post office works. Santa Claus even received a passport from the hands of the governor of the Vologda region. And to the question of children "where did Santa Claus come from", one can safely answer: from Veliky Ustyug.

If your child wants to write a letter, wish a good old man a happy birthday, make a wish for the New Year, do not be alarmed and do not get lost, because it is easy to do. Write down the address of Santa Claus: 162390, Russia, Vologda region, the city of Veliky Ustyug. Santa Claus mail.

Name: Ded Moroz

Country: Russia

Creator: Slavic folklore

Activity: new year wizard

Family status: not married

Santa Claus: character story

Snow-covered streets, a decorated Christmas tree, Olivier on the table ... The list of New Year's symbols of the inhabitants of Russia would not be complete without Santa Claus. Every year, a clumsy fairy-tale good-natured person makes both children and adults believe in a miracle.

The image of Santa Claus was formed gradually, taking shape from the details of East Slavic beliefs and literary works... The modern Grandfather, who comes on New Year's Eve with a bag of gifts, is a rather young character, no more than 100 years old.

In mythology Eastern Slavs in winter, the spirits of cold were in charge - Treskun, Karachun and Zimnik. The Trinity froze all living things, but each had its own task: Treskun sent cold to the ground and destroyed crops, Karachun, who lived underground, froze reservoirs and wells, and Zimnik, a stooped old man with a long silver beard, turned people and animals into ice. In those days, people appeased with gifts of dangerous spirits, and not vice versa. On Christmas Eve, they offered kutya, jelly, pancakes and baked koloboks with a request to spare the crops in the fields.

Over time, the spirits united into a single character, and Frost the voivode settled in folk art... In myths and legends, the lord of cold and blizzard turned out to be a little kinder than his ancestors, but even more powerful, because his forces tripled - the abilities of previous spirits were mixed in him.

The writer contributed to the creation of the canonical image of Santa Claus. The fairy tale "Moroz Ivanovich", which was included in the collection "Tales of Grandfather Irenaeus" in 1840, tells the story of an inhabitant of an icy country, to whom children fall. V magic story the character is presented in the role of a just mentor and educator - for good work and obedience, Frost presents the positive heroine with silver coins.

In Russian literature of the 19th century, the future favorite of children appeared several more times, but all in the same guise of the evil sovereign of winter. The cruel and domineering elder became the main character of the poem "Frost - Red Nose", the play "Snow Maiden" and the opera of the same name.

Before the revolution in Russia they tried to take root western tradition the celebration of Christmas, during which a gray-haired grandfather appears with gifts. The costume was brought closer to the Russian mentality - they dressed the old man in a fur coat and felt boots, and put a staff in his hand. However, the people did not accept the likeness of Nicholas the Pleasant or "old Ruprecht" (companion of St. Nicholas in German folklore). And the sunset of the 19th century was marked by the appearance of the fairy tale "Frost", where the character turned into good grandfather as we see it today at the end of each year.

The biography of Santa Claus was interrupted with the change of power in Russia, at the height of the anti-Christmas campaign. The disgraced hero returned to the kids only in 1936 - together with his granddaughter Snegurochka, symbolizing frozen waters, he ruled the New Year's ball at the House of Unions. Since then, the kind owner of cold and snowstorms gives gifts and helps children cope with evil forces in the person of Leshy, and other fairy-tale heroes.

Residence of Father Frost

By the beginning of perestroika, the main owner of the New Year holidays began to acquire their own residences. Today Santa Claus has more than one address - the geography of residence of the New Year's character stretched from Moscow to Murmansk, and you can write a letter to every city asking for a gift, which the children are happy to do.

Arkhangelsk was declared the first homeland of Santa Claus in the late 1980s, a little later the character settled on the Kola Peninsula as part of the project "Fabulous Lapland - the possession of Santa Claus." And in 1998 with light hand of the capital's mayor Veliky Ustyug received the first tourists who wanted to see the snow grandfather with their own eyes. Now the Vologda residence includes the house of Ded Moroz, the tower of the Snow Maiden, the fairy trail and the post of Ded Moroz.

In 2011, at the initiative of the Murmansk authorities, the house of Lapland's Father Frost was erected in the northern city. A young Morozets Pakkaine lives in the Karelian town of Olonets.

Santa Claus in other countries

The symbol of the New Year is quite diverse, in every country there is a character who brings the desired gifts on Christmas Eve or on the eve of the coming year.

Santa Claus is eagerly awaited in America, Australia and Great Britain. Europe has its own traditions, according to which Saint Basil (Greece), Babbo Natale (Italy), Mikulas and Ezhishek (Czech Republic and Slovakia) come to homes.

In Finland, a relative of the New Year's grandfather is called Joulupukki. The Japanese revere Segatsu-san, and the Colombians revere Pope Pascual.

Image in cinematography

Fairy tales and movies new year theme are full of images of the lord of the snow and winter cold. The classic Santa Claus, whom Russians still consider "real", was presented in 1965. In the fairy tale "Morozko" the role has disappeared - the grandfather turned out to be solid, formidable, but at the same time kind and fair.

In 1975, the children's picture " New Year's Adventures Masha and Viti ”, where in addition to Baba Yaga, Matvey the Cat and Koshchei Bessmertny, Grandfather Frost appears in the person of actor Igor Efimov. Filled with magic and kindness adult tale The character embodied the "sorcerers".

The directors exploited the image as best they could. It even leaked into Gentlemen of Fortune. According to the script of the film, he changed into a bearded gift giver, enriching the lexicon of the Soviet audience with a catch phrase:

“Santa Claus has come to you, he brought you presents. Fedya, come here! Slippers for you. They will come in handy in prison. "

Trying on a New Year's costume and modern famous actors... Lovers of Russian cinema will remember Santa Claus the thief from Poor Sasha (1997), as well as Zhenya Lukashin of the 21st century, who put on the attributes of a snowy old man in the film The Irony of Fate. Continuation". In the 2007 tape, he won the heart of Nadia.

A romantic hero from "Come to see me" (2000) dressed as Santa Claus brings magic to the house old maid Tatiana. And the adventures of the actors who work as a grandfather on New Year's Eve were shown in the comedy Who Comes to winter evening"(2006).

• During the first three years after the opening of the "House of Father Frost" in Veliky Ustyug, the tourist flow in the city increased from 2 to 32 thousand people. For almost 20 years, the fabulous grandfather received more than a million messages from children.
• Writing a letter to a fabulous magician is as easy as shelling pears. Santa Claus address: 162390, Russia, Vologda region, Veliky Ustyug. Messages from kids are also expected on the Internet mail of Santa Claus.

• Journalists have declassified the identity of the main New Year's character living in the Vologda region. Andrei Balin is hiding under his snow-white beard, who has not even celebrated his 40th birthday yet. The man took up the post of the country's main Santa Claus at the age of 22. A zootechnician by education turned into a specialist in culture and tourism under the administration of Veliky Ustyug. The married fabulous magician was immediately presented with a three-room apartment, and at the place of service, the "grandfather" launched a business - he opened a souvenir shop, in which he put his spouse as a seller.

• Modern Santa Claus celebrates his birthday on November 18. The date was not taken from the ceiling - on this day Russia is already covered with snow and frosts are hitting most of its territory.
• Santa Claus since the 50s of the last century often traveled around the world in the company of a boy named New Year. The character who settled on the postcards of that time wore a red fur coat and a hat with the number of the coming year. The boy's popularity lasted 30 years, and then faded away.

For residents of the residence of Father Frost in Veliky Ustyug, the New Year is not a fabulous time, as for most people, but a real business. On the eve of the 2015 offensive, SUPER found out who works as the country's main Santa Claus and how much he earns.

Few people know that the current owner of the residence in Veliky Ustyug is 37 years old. The real name of the favorite of all Russian children is Andrei Balin. The young man got a job as Santa Claus as soon as the commercial project "House of Santa Claus" appeared - at that time, 22-year-old Andrei had just graduated from the 44th Lyceum with a degree in zootechnics. The indigenous resident of Veliky Ustyug, having no acting education, concluded with the city administration labor contract as a specialist in culture and tourism. Andrei Balin has been in charge for 15 years in the magic mansion built in Serebryany Bor, Vologda Oblast.

Over the years, Santa Claus managed to acquire not only many deputies and various assistants, but also a family. SUPER learned that the country's main magician is married - his beloved name is Tatiana. Six years ago, the girl gave her husband a daughter. To provide for his wife and child, 37-year-old Andrei Balin opened right in his terem own business- a souvenir shop in which Tatiana works as a seller. Every morning, Santa Claus and his wife come to the territory of the estate in their SUV, and in the evening they return home.

By agreeing to fulfill the children's modest desires in the form of a 10-minute communication with Santa Claus, which, by the way, costs the parents of the kids a lump sum, Andrei made his own dreams come true. Immediately after he took over as chief Russian grandfather Frost, he was presented with a spacious three room flat in Veliky Ustyug.

It is a sin for a fairy-tale character to complain about income. In addition to the profits from the souvenir shop, Santa Claus receives a good salary, given the prices for entertainment at his residence. Rides, slides, sleigh rides and horseback riding, traveling along the Fairy Tales Trail and walks through the magical forest, available at any time of the year, cost a lot of money. The most expensive months for tourists are December and January. At this time, only the entrance to the territory of the estate of Santa Claus will cost visitors 1,000 rubles. Further movements on the estate are paid separately.

So, according to average estimates, the revenue that the estate brings to the treasury is more than 1 billion rubles a year. During the first three years of the “House of Santa Claus” operation, the number of tourists visiting Ustyug increased from 2 to 32 thousand per season, and the turnover in the city increased 15 times.

- Our Grandfather Frost is endowed with magic power, he lives in his residence all year round. He does not need money, because he is a wizard, - said SUPER spokesman for Santa Claus Lyubov Yakimova.

Confirmed his belonging to the magical world without money and himself fairytale hero, having been on the air of the program “ Evening Urgant»:

- I have not noticed any sanctions in my fairy tale. Play yourself with these pieces of paper, which you call money. I don’t play these games! - said Santa Claus to the host, answering the question of how the sanctions affected him.

In fact, the owner of the residence in Veliky Ustyug has no sanctions. Including the range of VIP services for wealthy guests of Santa Claus.

- Yes, we can really arrange an individual meeting with Santa Claus in a separate room, but 10 minutes will cost no less than 50 thousand rubles, - the administrator of the residence Julia Khudozhilova shared with SUPER. - The main Santa Claus may even come to your house for the New Year, but the price will be much higher.

However, money is not the only thing that can convince the main magician of the country to leave his native residence and arrive by special plane in Moscow in the midst of the holidays to listen to the poems of the heirs of the capital's oligarchs.

- I have a rich fleet of vehicles: reindeer, horses, flying carpet, and running boots. On what is more convenient, on that and fly, - said Santa Claus about the methods of his movement around the country in the program "Evening Urgant".

In fact, everything is much more prosaic. A budgetary institution"House of Santa Claus" lacks funding, and therefore for the arrival of Santa Claus on a private holiday, his colleagues are asked to donate to the estate new car or allocate funds to expand the grandfather's residence so that he can host more children.

Can any of the children or adults imagine such a beloved and long-awaited holiday of the New Year without the most important guest of Santa Claus? All people look forward to both of them with equal impatience. The capricious queen from the fairy tale "Twelve Months" claimed that there would be no New Year until the snowdrops were brought to her. But in reality, the New Year does not come until the most welcome guest comes to visit - Grandfather Frost.

But what is the story of Santa Claus and Snegurochka? How did Santa Claus and his granddaughter appear? Was he always a grandfather? Very young children are more interested in what gifts he has in the bag, and older children already want to know more about him and his companion.

The history of the appearance of Santa Claus - a good grandfather goes far into the past, there is no unequivocal opinion who exactly became his prototype. There are several versions and legends that reveal the secret of the appearance of a magical character:

Lord of the cold

Similar characters appeared long ago in Old Russian legends. People believed that the lord of the cold wanders the fields and forests, wrapping them in snow, knocking with a staff, freezing rivers and lakes, drawing patterns. This was called Vladyka Frost, Ded Studenets, Morozko, Ded Treskun or Moroz Ivanovich. This gray-haired old man not only freezes, he also looks after nature, helps plants and animals survive the frosty winter. Morozko did not present children with gifts and did not wish them Happy New Year, his main task was to take care of nature.

Ancestral spirit

Ancient people believed that the spirits of the dead care for the living and protect nature. As a token of gratitude, people performed a kind of ritual, depicting the spirit of the dead, and went from house to house. For this they received a reward from the owners. The oldest man among all the carols portrayed a formidable spirit, for which he was called Grandfather. Probably, he could become the predecessor of Santa Claus, with the difference that the participants in the ceremony received gifts, and Santa Claus, on the contrary, brings them.

Ancient Varuna

In the rituals of antiquity, falling on the period of the winter solstice, during Christmas time, depicting the sun, it was customary to draw its legs. This meant that all roads were now open to the sun. Now the sun begins its new journey in a circle, which increases daylight hours and frees nature from snow and ice. By analogy with the ancient Varuna, in Russia this is facilitated by Father Frost, who also unites the world of the living and the dead and helps the souls of the dead to return to Earth with rain or snow. It was from Varuna that the winter guest known to us adopted the custom of judging people by their actions and rewarding what they deserve, being a strict and fair judge.

Evil Frost

There are several versions according to which the prototype of dear Grandfather was completely opposite characters. According to one legend, he is known as an evil and cruel deity, the lord of the cold and blizzards, the Great Northern Elder, who freezes people, and once freezes a young widow to death and leaves her children orphans. According to another version of the pagan peoples, Santa Claus received sacrifices on earth, stole small children and carried them away in his sack.

St Nicholas

According to one version, many features of Santa Claus inherited from a real person who lived before our era, the kind and selfless Nicholas. Living in prosperity, he willingly helped those in need and those who were in trouble, he paid special attention to children. Everyone knows that Nikolai helped collect a dowry for the daughter of a poor peasant, he threw a bag of coins into the chimney, and the coins fell into the girl's sock drying near the fireplace. This legend marked the beginning of the tradition of hiding surprises - "nikolaychiki" in children's socks. For his kindness, Nicholas began to be called saints. And in many countries, the custom of giving gifts for the Christmas holidays has become entrenched.

Image and clothing

Previously, Santa Claus was portrayed in completely different clothes, which were radically different from the outfit we were used to. Now it is hard to imagine that Santa Claus was once wearing a raincoat. Then the artists worked on the image and outfit of the grandfather, and at the end of the 19th century he wore a red fur coat with white fur trim. Later, the image of a good-natured fat old man with a gray beard characteristic of his age was created.

Now the grandfather we know has the following special features:

Hair and a long beard to the floor(the same in all collective images character) - thick, gray-haired, symbolize power and happiness.

Shirt and Pants – white with the same snow-white pattern, symbolize purity. It is a mistake to dress your grandfather in red trousers.

Fur coat- very long and exceptionally red in color, trimmed with swan down and decorated with a silver pattern. A short sheepskin coat and fur coats of other colors belong to the wardrobe of grandfathers from other countries.

A cap- red, without tassels and pom-poms, trimmed with swan down, decorated with pearls and silver pattern, with a V-neck in the front.

Mittens- necessarily white, not red, decorated with a silver pattern, symbolize purity.

Belt- white with a red pattern, symbolizing the unity of the past and the present.

Shoes- boots or red or silver boots.

Staff- has a twisted silver handle, with the head of a bull or a month at the top, which symbolizes fertility and power, the staff can freeze naughty kids and helps to move through the snowdrifts.

Bag- bottomless, full of gifts, always red.

Who is the Snow Maiden?

If everything is very complicated and confusing with the appearance of Santa Claus, then the story of his granddaughter Snegurochka is known - this is the heroine of the New Year's play, which the audience loved so much that her image has been popular for more than a hundred years. Although there was an image of a girl in a white fur coat before - it existed in folklore and this girl's name was Snezhevinochka, Sneguroka. Her name comes from the word "snow", because this girl was born from the snow.

Sometimes she is portrayed as a young girl, sometimes as a little girl, because there is a version that the Snow Maiden is the daughter of Santa Claus, but we know her as the granddaughter of a fabulous grandfather.

Be that as it may, not one can do without her children's party, it is she who helps the kids to call Santa Claus to the holiday, it is she who is his permanent companion and assistant.

On the holidays

On a holiday, Santa Claus manages to go around every house, but he does not invite anyone to visit him, so no one knows him the exact address... People who believe in magic assume that his home is far in the North, in the land of ice and eternal winter. Many believe that grandfather may well live at the North Pole or that his home is in Lapland. Santa Claus will feel comfortable in any country where winter reigns supreme all year round.

Grandfather comes to visit on a sled flying through the air, pulled by three horses, he can also come on skis or on foot. If someone had to see him on a reindeer, keep in mind that in front of you is Santa.

Santa Claus comes to the children with the Snow Maiden, who is his granddaughter. Her clothes are snow-white, with a silvery ornament, and on her head she wears a crown with 8 rays. The image of the Snow Maiden is very close to children, she takes an active part in New Year's games and contests and helps children to invite Santa Claus to the holiday.

The appearance and character of Santa Claus were collected from many good and evil, real and fictional characters. Having come a long way, he appeared before us as a symbol of power, goodness, justice and holiness. Meeting with him marks the beginning of a new period in the life of a person and the entire planet, in which there will be only good, kind and the best.