Ded Moroz To Receive Guests Until Spring This Year

The Russian Ded Moroz, or Father Frost (Russian Santa Claus), "residing" in the Lapland nature reserve in the Murmansk Region (European Russia's north) is going to receive his young guests until early spring this year, a representative of the reserve's administration told journalists. Ded Moroz's house on the territory of the nature reserve opened its doors to visitors in 1998. Since then, the reserve kept organizing theme tours for groups of children coming to the venue from mid-December to mid-January. Ded Moroz's schedule of receptions is booked up long beforehand, with applications for visiting his abode to be submitted one year in advance. Groups of avid visitors come from all over Russia. Ded Moroz tells his guests about the Lapland nature reserve, shows them around his chambers and demonstrates the most interesting artefacts sent to him by his numerous young fans. The visit ends with a tour of the reserve during which children listen to the sounds of the forest. Then Ded Moroz has a farewell tea party with his young visitors. The number of applications from those who wish to hobnob with Ded Moroz is so large that this year the reserve's administration decided to extend Ded Moroz's engagement until early spring. The Ded Moroz project also involves a year-round mailing operation, with the nature reserve's staff annually replying to thousands of children's letters sent to Ded Moroz's address.