Father Frost, Chishan and Kish Babai Finish Their Preparations for New Years Holiday
Father Frost himself received a very warm welcome in the Caucasus, and his colleagues in the regions received guests themselves. Our correspondents Arthur Mustayev from Chechnya, Ayina Vinokurova from Yakutia, and Stanislav Nazarov from Tatarstan will tell us about this.
7 days until the New Year The Republic of Chechnya, Grozny.
Father Frost: “Hello, my dear friend! At last, the wait is over!”
In Chechnya, Father Frost is greeted according to Caucasian traditions, as a cherished guest. Even the Head of the Republic came. Thousands of children from all over the Republic went to the celebration.
Ramzan Kadyrov, Head of the Chechen Republic: "For many years, I've been a Father Frost' helper and performed his functions here. Each time, I would meet with our children and our people. We had a lot of fun and did everything for our Republic to turn into a fairyland".
The celebration had its Caucasian peculiarities. Fairytale characters couldn't help it and started dancing together with everyone under the foot-tapping lezginka.
The country's main magician from Veliky Ustyug visited schools and kindergartens. In accordance with tradition, children prepared a lively performance for their guest.
Father Frost: "I wish you happiness, health, and peace! And celebrate the New Year with your big, close-knit families!"
Father Frost spent just a day in Chechnya. It's understandable, as the country's main magician has a busy schedule. He still has many children to see, but the main thing is to come home to Veliky Ustyug before the New Year.
Arthur Mustayev, Zelemkhan Bundashev, Vesti, Grozny
The Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, Yakutsk. The Permafrost Kingdom is the most popular spot in Yakutsk during the New Year holidays. This is where the magic happens. It's in this ice kingdom that one can meet Chiskhan, the Lord of the Cold. The legend says that every year he comes out of the Arctic Ocean, and with each step he makes, it becomes colder and colder in Yakutia.
Chiskhan means "severe cold with the icy wind" if translated from the Yakut language. The winter king's appearance suits his name perfectly. A blue coat with traditional northern ornaments reflects the Yakuts' image of a long winter filled with magic.
- Chiskhan, what do you have under your coat and how do you keep your feet warm? Even the keeper of the cold should keep his feet warm, I guess.
- The keeper of the cold doesn't have to keep himself warm. Chiskhan has a kind heart under his coat. And it's full of love.
Every year, on the eve of the holidays, the Keeper of the Cold receives magicians from different countries. They get cold and frost as a present.
- I think our Chiskhan has the most beautiful outfit. What do you think?
- Well, then. No comment.
The Yakut magician has two favorite means of transport. Deers and dogs. He moves around the city on a dog sled. The best Eskimo dogs are chosen for this.
Chiskhan has a long way to go. He'll celebrate the New Year in the cold, polar town of Oymyakon.
Ayina Vinokurova, Maxim Burtsev, Vesti, Yakutia. Tatarstan, Kazan, Novy Kyrlai
The Tatar Santa Claus Kysh Babai meets with children in the homeland of the poet Ğabdulla Tuqay. Here, national fairytale characters become alive, and the guests move around the village of Kyrlai on horse sleds. Children of different nationalities sign folk songs in Russian and Tatar together with Kysh Babai, the winter man.
The Tatar magician's residence is located in thick forests of northern Tatarstan. Children are met by well-known characters, Shurale, Ubyrly Karchyk, Baba Yaga, and the golden-haired Altynchech.
The magician from the Tatar forests is dressed in the folk costume— leather Chitek boots, and a coat with green velvet insets, all in traditional folk style. It's embroidered with gold and bead.
He receives up to 5,000 letters from different countries.
Kysh Babai: It's mainly the Tatar children that write to me. But letters come from abroad, too. They write to me even from Belarus and the US, from Lithuania.
- In Russian or Tatar?
- They write in their language. It feels good when they write in Tatar because it's very dear to me.
It's not too late to write to the Tatar Santa Claus. Many people believe that the farther away the magician lives, the higher the possibility that their family will see a miracle this New Year.
Stanislav Nazarov, Aleksei Urazakin, Ail Khazipov, Vesti, Tatarstan.