It's Father Frost. As explained previously, on the whole, most Russians don't celebrate Christmas. However, any holiday involving the giving of gifts is bound to be worked in somehow. So it's not surprising that in post-Tsar, Stalinist Russia, New Year's became the de facto Christmas. Also, kids are going to sniff out when they're not getting what's owed them. And if Western kids are getting toys under a tree then, by Trotsky, they're gonna get toys under a tree.
So Father Frost is the Russian surrogate Santa Claus. He has a pedigree involving agriculture, the Winter solstice and the rejuvenation of the fields. But my favorite thing about Father Frost is his comely assistant, Snow Girl. Now, the way she's been described to me is that Snow Girl is a highly efficient helper who is basically the operation's CFO, COO, and distribution manager all rolled into one fetching package. She wears a blue leather outfit with white fur trim. I haven't seen her yet. But while I gave up on Santa long ago, my belief in Snow Girl is unshakable.
This afternoon Father Frost was in the nearby park conducting some sort of seminar with local children. Mostly it seemed to involve a kind of a ring toss game.
Apparently, Father Frost hands out these little rings then encourages the children to chuck their rings through a big ring. Then the child has to scramble out onto the ice and retrieve his or her own ring. Then you do it again.
I wish I cold tell you that it was seasonal tableau of great frivolity. Truth is, most of the kids seemed a little nonplussed. A few even preferred to play in the shadow of the dictator.
Frankly, I don't blame them. Father Frost had an accordian player who I swear I saw in one of the rooms at the end of The Shining.
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