Ded Moroz

Ded Moroz or " Father Frost" is a fictional character who in some Slavic cultures is said to bring presents to children, but unlike the secretive Santa Claus, the gifts are often delivered " in person", at New Year's Eve parties and other New Year celebrations.

Depictions of Ded Moroz commonly show him accompanied by Snegurochka, his granddaughter and helper, who is often depicted in long silver-blue robes and a furry cap or a snowflake-like crown.

The traditional appearance of Ded Moroz resembles that of Santa Claus, with his coat, boots and long white beard. Specifically, Ded Moroz is often shown wearing a heel-length fur coat, a semi-round fur hat, and valenki or jackboots on his feet. Unlike Santa Claus, he is often depicted as walking with a long magical staff.

In 1998, the town of Veliky Ustyug in Vologda Oblast, Russia was declared the home of the Russian Ded Moroz by Yury Luzhkov, then Mayor of Moscow. Between 2003 and 2010, the post office in Veliky Ustyug received approximately 2, 000, 000 letters from within Russia and from all over the world for Ded Moroz. On January 7, 2008, then President Putin of the Russian Federation was reported to have visited Ded Moroz' residence in the town of Veliky Ustyug as part of the Russian Orthodox Christmas Eve celebration.

In November and December 2010, Ded Moroz was one of the candidates in the running for consideration as a mascot for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.