The history of Santa Claus - his appearance and development. From an evil old man to a kind wizard

Who is Santa Claus - this question is asked not only by children, but also by adults, because not everyone knows where this New Year's character lives, who helps him cope with such a volume of work and how to write a letter correctly in order to receive a cherished gift for the holiday.

Childhood memories warm the soul of a person throughout the life path, in such stories strength is drawn to overcome adult difficulties. The brightest are magical events that the children's mind cannot understand, but sincerely joyfully perceives them. Who is Santa Claus, a little older children explain to the little ones, he brings gifts and a lot of positive emotions. Sincere belief in a miracle often goes along with childhood, but even adults do not dare to deny the existence of Santa Claus.

Is there a real Santa Claus?

The question of the child, whether Grandfather Frost exists, should not take the parent by surprise, we must confidently say yes. From generation to generation, older family members tell the younger ones about a fabulous, not fictional character, the lord of winter frosts and snowfalls. In the mythology of the Slavs, he was associated with a blacksmith, holding water, he miraculously drew drawings from hoarfrost. The breath of Santa Claus is a frosty cold, icicle tears, and gray thick hair is clouds of snow, his wife is Winter.

For the first time, Father Frost came to the Christmas holidays in 1910, but the Soviet authorities forbade him to appear, and for several years he went on forced leave. On the eve of 1936, they remembered him and began to invite him to the New Year's holidays. Santa Claus became a giver of gifts to children at the Christmas tree, he is invited to act in films, and with him his granddaughter Snegurochka and a boy appear in public, symbolizing the coming New Year.

Who is Santa Claus - origin story

There is a story about how the modern Santa Claus appeared, because he did not always look like this. The Slavs had a god Morok - commanding the winter cold, frost and snow. He was cunning and cunning, he loved to deceive and mislead. The meeting with Morok did not bring good luck, they were afraid of him and coaxed him with gifts - they prepared delicious pancakes and kutya for him, putting them outside the windows, asked him not to destroy crops, not to freeze travelers on the roads.

A lot of time passed, and Morok became kinder, he easily began to give gifts to the kind and hardworking, an example of the fairy tale "Frost" where the main character with a complaisant and meek character received gifts after the tests, and the lazy and evil sister was frozen to death. Each parent always explains to the child that Santa Claus first of all comes to the obedient and good - in order to receive a gift, one must behave well.

Where does the real Santa Claus live?

Santa Claus lives in Veliky Ustyug, a few kilometers from the city center, has a manor - a carved tower, located in a pine forest, on the banks of the river. There he spends most of his time - reading letters, accepting gifts sent by children, drawings and postcards. You can only get to the very house where Santa Claus comes from, by riding on a Russian stove with Emelya. On the path leading to the house, you can find:

• Baba Yaga;
• Twelve months;
• Bear cub;
• Squirrel;
• Chanterelle;
• Grandmother Aushka;
• Old Man-Lesovichka;
• Wise Owl.

In the house of Santa Claus, there are whole mansions - a museum of gifts from different parts of the world. There is a room in which they make a wish to the sound of bells, you can go into the office, visit the observatory and the bedroom, see a huge closet with fur coats, hats and felt boots. The only secret of a fairy-tale character will be a room with gifts, it is not customary to talk about it, much less show it to guests.

What does Santa Claus look like?

Santa Claus is known as a strict and quick-tempered old man, but he is always fair, loves children very much, and acts as an instructive character, not a nanny. The external description of Santa Claus is known to everyone, a tall gray-haired old man is many, many years old, has a long beard to the waist or floor and thick gray eyebrows, symbolizing wisdom and power, rosy cheeks - good health. It is difficult to confuse him with other characters, Santa Claus's outfit is bright and memorable, each element symbolizes a certain power, a bag with gifts and a magic crystal staff is always with him.

1. Hat - skillfully embroidered with silver and gold threads with pearls.
2. A long warm fur coat - usually red, but can be blue or light blue, the edges are trimmed with swan down, the fur coat is decorated with an ornament of precious threads.
3. Mittens - warm mittens.
4. Linen shirt and trousers.
5. Shoes - felt boots.

What is the name of Santa Claus?

As Santa Claus is called in different countries of the world - the fairy-tale character is called differently, and his visit to children does not always coincide with the New Year holidays. The most famous Santa Claus - American grandfather, also in a red suit, but with pants and a wide black belt - comes on Christmas holidays, hides gifts in a stocking by the fireplace. In Poland, this is St. Nicholas, in France they call him Pere Noel, in Greece they call him Vasily, in Spain Olentzero or Papa Noel, in warm Cambodia he is Father Heat, he gives gifts to Norwegian children Yolinissa, Slovak children - Mikulas.

Santa's helpers

The most responsible workers who help Santa Claus prepare gifts are the Snowman and the Snow Maiden, snowflakes, Snowstorm or Winter Blizzard, a young boy - New Year, very smart and nimble beyond his years, often they not only prepare gifts, but also appear near the New Year tree. At festive matinees, brave children are often called to help the old grandfather, hold the staff, or suggest the necessary information. In the residence of Santa Claus, characters from New Year's fairy tales and cartoons, living in fairy-tale houses near his tower, help prepare gifts.

Santa's Helper Snowman

Snow Maiden Santa Claus and the Snowman are the main three characters coming to the New Year's holiday. The snowman is cheerful and funny, carries a heavy bag, loves to talk about interesting adventures and various obstacles that suddenly happened on the way to the holiday. The kids make fun of him, but he is not offended, reminds Santa Claus that other children are waiting and it's time to hurry.

Who is the Snow Maiden?

The Russian Grandfather Frost travels with the Snow Maiden, a beautiful young companion that his foreign colleagues do not have. She is obedient and friendly with the forest dwellers, she loves to sing songs with children and give out gifts. Dressed in a white or blue fur coat made of fluff and snow, a long braid of hair, decorated with a bandage of crystal snowflakes. Often she is kidnapped by evil forces, and Santa Claus and the Snowman have to rescue the beauty from captivity - to be late for the solemn holiday.

Horses of Santa Claus

Santa Claus arrives on a holiday to the New Year tree, or as an invited guest to the house, on a troika of horses harnessed to a sled. He drives the team himself or entrusts an assistant to the Snowman. Using a mysterious method, he manages to visit different places, congratulate adults and give gifts to children. It should be recognized that if Santa Claus is sure that he does not have time, he instructs the most responsible assistants to take his outfits under the secret cover of a thick beard to visit the holiday, where they are very much expected.

How to call the real Santa Claus?

Fulfilling the cherished desire of the child, how to call Santa Claus, you can invite him to the house for a personal visit, but children, like adults, have fun in the company. The most provocative fairy-tale character who gave a bunch of desired gifts may not create a festive atmosphere in an individual setting. In such cases, an option would be to organize a children's celebration with other parents and their children in a predetermined area.

How to write a letter to Santa Claus?

A cherished desire can be written down and sent as a regular postcard, you should not start with requirements - I want and I need it, it’s better to start with a greeting and a story about yourself, good deeds done, over the past year. Letters written by children should be read to parents before being sent to correct errors. There will be a response to the letter.

It turns out that he was not always like this: a few centuries ago, Frost wore a cloak, had only three fingers on his hands, and beat children who were objectionable to him with a staff. the site traced how the image of Santa Claus in Rus' changed from the ancient Slavs to our times.

Evil spirit of winter

No one knows exactly where and when Santa Claus was born. The first mention of an old man who causes severe frosts is seen among the Eastern Slavs. Initially, the wizard was not called Santa Claus, but Morok - the name of the god of cold and winter. There is a version according to which the word "frost" subsequently came from the name of the ancient Slavic spirit. Morok was an evil being. The Slavs represented him as a hunched, disheveled old man who walked through the forests in a linen shirt and bast shoes. Everything in its path, he covered with snow or turned into ice - trees, rivers, land. The Slavs believed that when meeting with Morok, a person would turn into an ice statue, so they were very afraid of an evil spirit. Since that time, the expressions “faint” and “confuse the head” have gone.

Later, our ancestors learned to use the spirit of winter for their own purposes. The Slavs believed: if the winter is snowy and cold, then in the summer there will definitely be a lot of harvest. They began to lure the god of cold, on Christmas time and Maundy Thursday, inviting him to their place with pancakes or kutya. Food for the spirit was left on the porch or on the window. The next morning the food disappeared, and on Christmas or Christmas time frosts hit, so strong that the snow literally cracked under the gons. From here, more affectionate names for the god of winter appeared - Treskunets and Studenets. The image of the wizard has also changed.

The shirt and bast shoes were replaced by a long fur coat and a hat. The staff of the progenitor of Santa Claus was decorated with a bull's head - a symbol of fertility and happiness. Treskunets had warm three-fingered gloves on his hands: it was believed that all deities had fewer fingers than a person. Despite the fact that such Santa Claus has become kinder, modern children would hardly like him: the Student was still portrayed as a ferocious, shaggy old man.

Moroz Ivanovich

After the Baptism of Rus', Studenets was forgotten, and no one came to replace him. Santa Claus was reborn only in the 19th century in the form of Nicholas the Wonderworker, or Nicholas the Pleasant. This saint was chosen for the image of a good old man with gifts for children, since during his lifetime he helped people a lot and was very generous. Under Emperor Alexander II, the image of St. Nicholas was first associated with the New Year and Christmas. Nikolai the Ugodnik went from house to house and gave gifts to children, but this image did not become close to the children themselves, and at the end of the 19th century, Santa Claus, familiar to us, replaced the saint.

Everyone liked the new image of Santa Claus. Photo: Collage AiF

He was dressed in a long fur coat of blue or red color with fur, a hat and felt boots. The entire outfit of the wizard was painted with patterns. On the staff, instead of a bull's head, a star-shaped tip appeared. At that time, Santa Claus lived in a large ice palace and slept on featherbeds made of snow. No one knew where the elder's house was. The wizard's parents were also unknown, but, according to Russian tradition, elders should be called by name -

patronymic. With the light hand of the writer Vladimir Odoevsky, Santa Claus became Moroz Ivanovich. The new image appealed to both children and adults, but the location of Santa Claus then had to be earned. For children who behaved well all year, Grandfather gave sweets - sweets, candies and gingerbread. Lazy people and sluts received an icicle as gifts, and bad and evil children who grimaced and teased Santa Claus received a staff on their foreheads.

After the revolution, Santa Claus was persecuted. The magician returned only on the eve of 1936, and not alone, but with his granddaughter Snegurochka. After the next revival, Santa Claus again became even kinder. Now he began to give gifts to all children, in exchange for a poem or a song. The staff turned from a tool for cuffs into a magical device, with the help of which Santa Claus began to light the New Year trees with colorful lights.

In the late 80s, Santa Claus settled in his residence in Arkhangelsk, and in the late 90s he moved to Veliky Ustyug, where he lives to this day. Children from all over Russia write letters to the good wizard throughout the year, telling them what they want to receive as a gift for the New Year. Santa Claus fulfills the wishes of all the children without exception, bringing them as a gift not just toys or treats, but a real fairy tale and magic.

taken from big-rostov.ru

Somewhere on the edge of the earth, an old man lives in a wooden house. His mansions are full of amazing things: a huge throne, a warm fireplace, a bed with separate pillows for every day, and even a wishing room. With the onset of cold weather, when the snow falls in a confident cover on the ground, grandfather begins to bypass the property. Either he will freeze the river, then he will dress the tree in frost, or he will send a blizzard to people's houses. On New Year's Eve, he comes with a huge bag of gifts over his shoulder. He takes out colorful big and small surprises from there and gives children happiness, joy and a miracle. The real magic. Who shows it to kids? Without whom it is impossible to imagine the New Year in our time? And who is this mysterious old man with a white beard? Of course, Santa Claus! The history of its origin is very entertaining, and modern life is even more interesting.

The prototype of Santa Claus

taken from bigslide.ru

Who is this Red Nose Frost and how old is he - questions that concern both kids and many adults. Many people are interested, but few people know that according to many sources, the Wizard is already at least 2 thousand years old! Our Slavic ancestors considered the mighty and gloomy old man Treskun to be his prototype. The people also called him:

• Zimnik;
• Morozko;
• Morok;
• Student.

The pagan god had great power. He could freeze with one breath. Rivers and lakes froze under his feet, and from the swing of a stick in his hands, the trees were covered with frost. That's where was real Santa Claus ! In those days, there could be no talk of any kind New Year's wizard. Outwardly, he was very similar to a modern guest of the New Year holidays, only he was small in stature. They were afraid of grandfather, and they were very afraid of meeting him, because you could stay frozen in the forest forever. Some superstitious people still, when a blizzard blows, lower their heads low and hide their eyes so as not to meet the gaze of the lord of winter. Those who do not believe in such images interpret such deeds as mere caution before the hype, when they do not want to feel the taste of snow on their lips and the cold behind the collar.

Confirmation that the story of the appearance of Santa Claus is not fictional, is the fact of the existence of a very real Saint - Nicholas the Wonderworker. The elder lived in the 4th century in the city of Patara (Asia Minor) and did charitable deeds. He became the prototype of the current Winter sorcerer both thanks to his outward resemblance and good deeds.

In 1700, by decree of Peter the Great, the New Year became an officially celebrated holiday. Santa Claus could well become the symbol and guest of matinees, New Year's Eve and festivities. At that time, he had already changed his stick for a less formidable staff, and began to bring gifts to obedient children. The naughty ones, who indulged and upset their parents and teachers with their behavior, got "beaters" with rods.

If at all times the legends about Santa Claus were only heard, then in 1840 for the first time the magician was mentioned in literature. He appeared in Odoevsky's story, where readers finally found out the old man's real name - Moroz Ivanovich. His temper was still cool, he himself was powerful, but kindness, sympathy and understanding appeared in his character.

In the 20th century, at different periods of celebrating the New Year holidays, as well as the installation of a Christmas tree, it was either forbidden, or resumed again. And since 1935, officially under Stalin, a celebration was announced from December 31 to January 1. The guest of the programs was Ded Moroz, who in the same 35th year first appeared at a holiday in Moscow with the Snow Maiden.

Russian Grandfather Frost recently celebrates his birthday on November 18th. This date is significant in terms of changes in weather conditions. According to the data obtained as a result of summarizing figures for many years, it is from this day that real winter begins in Russia. The earth is covered with a reliable layer of snow and winter frosts come. Kids love to celebrate the birthday of their idol, and therefore send him postcards with congratulations and gifts made with their own hands.

Santa Claus in different countries

taken from classpic.ru

For those who would like to learn something from the heading " Santa Claus interesting facts ' provides informative information. First of all, we should mention Santa Claus and Santa Claus. At present, on New Year's posters, as well as in modern cartoons and films, these two images are often identified or forced to become related. Indeed, the winter old people are very similar to each other: the same white beard and mustache, eyes with a smile, warm clothes and gifts for children. Here is just our Frost:

• tall, powerful and stately;
• does not change taste in clothes: wears a long fur coat and a high hat with fur trim;
• always appears with a magic staff;
• puts gifts for children under the Christmas tree while they sleep.

Santa Claus, on the other hand, often appears in glasses, wears a red jacket and pants, a red cap with a pom-pom, and enters the house to the kids through the chimney. Many families in our country have adopted the American tradition of hanging colorful socks by the fireplace, in which Santa hides gifts for children. This is an additional entertainment, and decorating the premises for the New Year holidays, and a memorable event for the kids.

Santa Claus looks different in different countries, and the method of delivering gifts to kids is different. So, in France, Per Noel puts surprises in shoes that prudent house owners leave in front of the fireplace. The Wizard comes to the monastery on a donkey, and even in wooden shoes. Instead of a bag, he has a basket with gifts, and the caftan is equipped with a hood.

In Holland, the magician is called Sinderklaas. He is invariably shod in white boots and dressed in a caftan. Before New Year's Eve, the magician stays in the capital on a ship, and the Moors, close associates of Sinderklaas, distribute gifts to the kids.

The Finns call Santa Claus Joulupukki. He is very similar to Santa Claus, only he lives in Lapland (Northern Finland) with his wife. Grandfather's favorite pastime is feeding his beloved reindeer Rudolph with lichen and, of course, giving gifts to the kids who are waiting for him.

In Italy, Frost is called Babbo Natale, in Georgia - Tovlis Babua, in Armenia he is called Dzmer Papi. Belarusian kids meet Zyuzya or Dzeda, and Estonian kids meet Yyuluvana. In Hawaii, the Wizard is allowed to appear not in a long fur coat and pants, but in a jacket and shorts, and in Australia, Santa can dress up in a funny blue fur skullcap.

Where does the Winter Wizard live?

taken from dvholidays.ru

The city of Veliky Ustyug deservedly bears its majestic name. It is surrounded by magnificent landscapes, which embodies the true Russian nature. The settlement is also the birthplace of the great masters of wood and silver. That is why Veliky Ustyug became the patrimony of Father Frost. Here, in silence, tranquility and harmony with the outside world, the Patron of Winter lives, who every year gladly welcomes the children who come to visit.

The residence of the Winter Wizard is located 15 km from the city itself. Pine forest, the river Sukhona, wooden towers contribute to the creation of a truly fabulous atmosphere. Magic reigns in Grandfather's house itself. Located here:

• wardrobe;
• throne room (wish room);
• bedroom;
• living room;
• the rest of the 13 rooms.

In the dressing room, Santa Claus stores all his outfits for different events. Here you can see fur coats of different colors and patterns, summer caftans, as well as a sports ski suit! Every child who wants his dreams to come true strives to the wishing room. It is believed that it is enough to really, really want something and think about it, and the room will then do its job. Many kids and parents return to the room again in order to make their next cherished wish. It is also interesting to visit the room where numerous gifts are collected for Santa Claus himself. Children send him crafts and beautiful postcards, and Santa Claus's friends send him funny little things, for example, a shaman's tambourine!

In addition to the house in Veliky Ustyug, the mighty Wizard appears in his. There are mansions in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kemerovo, in the Crimea and in Yekaterinburg. On the eve of New Year's Eve, Grandfather Frost, together with his beloved granddaughter Snegurochka and assistants, comes to visit children from different parts of the country. For example, the residence in Yekaterinburg is the only one in the Urals, and therefore residents of the cities of nearby regions gather here.

It is very important for children to spend the New Year holidays in the company of the Lord of Winter. For them, Frost with his retinue always prepares a lot of entertainment. The residences have attractions, playgrounds, a skating rink (in the Moscow Apartments), as well as exciting reindeer sleigh rides!

Letters and gifts

taken from img.com

Santa Claus in the eyes of kids and schoolchildren is the personification of miracles, magic and the fact that a fairy tale can come true. On such days, one cannot do without the main surprise - gifts for the children. In the residences of the Wizard, on the patrimony and on the squares in the cities, mass festivities are organized. Round dances are performed around the Christmas tree, garlands are lit and fireworks are set off.

For matinees in kindergartens and schools, as well as events in the residences of Father Frost, children prepare thoroughly. The smallest learn funny and simple quatrains. Older children can learn funny or narrative poems, sing a festive song in unison. For the efforts, the guys are presented with gifts. From a huge bag that Santa Claus always carries with him, he takes out wonderful toys, constructors, dolls, balls and much more interesting and long-awaited.

For guys who know exactly what they would like to receive from this magic bag, there is Santa Claus mail. Children together with their parents can write a letter to the Wizard, put it in a beautiful and hand-decorated envelope and send it to the addressee. In order for grandfather to hear the guys and pick up gifts for them, you should be polite to him, respect him and his retinue, and also thank you for the New Year's mood.

Beliefs and interesting observations

taken from hmmasters.ru

Many mistakenly compare Santa Claus with the Snow Queen. Like, both command cold and blizzard, freeze and chill. Only now the Snow Queen turns people's hearts into pieces of ice, because instead of a heart, she herself has a piece of frozen water in her chest. Santa Claus, on the contrary, warms hearts with his kindness and warmth. He gives everyone a chance to improve in the coming new year, to leave everything bad and wrong in the outgoing year. He generously gives gifts to children, and adults - the joy of watching the happiness of his children. It is only thanks to him that multi-colored lights are lit on the Christmas tree, the trees are wrapped in hoarfrost, and in every house under the Christmas tree on New Year's Eve gifts appear.

The personal life of Santa Claus, according to popular belief, has developed quite successfully. In his wives is Winter herself. According to some superstitions, a blizzard lives in his beard, and the blizzard obeys his will, according to others, the blizzard is his daughter. Frost's favorite granddaughter is the beautiful Snegurochka, who has a kind heart and love for children. The Snow Girl always accompanies her grandfather, helps to congratulate the children, dances with them and sings songs. In the residences of the country, personal chambers have been prepared for the Snow Maiden, where she can relax and braid her beautiful braid.

There are several more superstitions that define Santa Claus as the majestic and powerful Lord of the Cold:

1. When Frost walks around his possessions in the cold, he leaves unique patterns on the glass of the windows. Where his foot steps, the water is covered with ice, and if he hits the hut with his staff, the log on the log house will crack.
2. In addition to the freezing staff, the Wizard always has a bag with gifts in his hands. It is believed that he is bottomless. Santa Claus never rummages through it in order to extract a gift. He just puts his hand in there, and the right gift jumps into his mitten.
3. Frost Red Nose travels on a sleigh pulled by three handsome stallions. Horses are named after the winter months - December, January and February.
4. The wizard's wardrobe contains long fur coats of three colors: white, blue and red. All of them are decorated with fabulous patterns, turned off with white fur and girded with a wide belt.

At present, the facts and beliefs regarding this Wizard are closely intertwined and created wonderful legends, traditions and beliefs in tandem. What is true and what is fiction is difficult to determine. It is easy to learn only one thing: the New Year holidays, and especially the night, are filled with miracles. And they come true especially for those who believe in them with all their heart!

We are already so accustomed to such signs of the New Year holidays as 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'll talk about this today. So…

History of Santa Claus

The image of Santa Claus - a stately good-natured old man with a long lush beard, with a staff in his hand and a bag of gifts - is now familiar to every child and adult. He comes to congratulate, wish happiness and give gifts to 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. Rather the opposite. The Slavic predecessor of Santa Claus - Snow Grandfather, Karachun, Studenets, Treskun, Zimnik, Morozko - was harsh, tried to freeze those who met on the way. And the attitude towards children was peculiar - to carry it away in a bag ... It was not he who gave out gifts, but it was necessary to appease him in order to avoid trouble. That's where the fun was left - to sculpt 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 of fairy tales began to appear, albeit strict, but fair creatures. Kindness and hard work were rewarded, while laziness and malice 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, following the example of European countries, they began to associate a person called Christmas Grandfather (or Christmas Santa) with the holiday of Christmas. Here he already brought gifts to reward children for good behavior during the year. But, unlike Santa Claus, he was not a saint and had nothing to do with religion at all. And in the countryside, they did not notice his appearance at all and continued to celebrate 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 in this. At first, he was painted in a blue or white fur coat to the toes, the color of winter itself. A hat of the same color was depicted on his head, and Grandfather also wore warm boots and mittens. A magic staff and a bag with gifts became indispensable attributes.

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

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

The symbolism of the Christmas tree has also changed. It was a secular, not a religious holiday. Instead, at the top of the forest beauty, the red Santa Claus lit up, but he remained the same kind grandfather, bringing gifts. He rode 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 fairy tale, she was the daughter of Santa Claus, who came to people attracted by music. After the appearance of the opera by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, the Snow Maiden became very popular. Sometimes she appeared on Christmas trees, but on her own, without Santa Claus.

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

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

Santa's helpers

The history of the appearance of Santa Claus has recently been supplemented with new pages. In addition to the Snow Maiden, new fairy-tale heroes also 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 either goes to the forest for a Christmas tree for a holiday, or drives a car with gifts. For the most part, forest animals help Grandfather, and some sometimes try to prevent the onset of the New Year holidays. Often in the scripts appear Old Men-Foresters, Brothers-Months...

Where Father Frost came from, he moved on foot or on the wings of a snowstorm. Subsequently, they began to represent him on the dashing Russian troika. And now reindeer are also kept in Veliky Ustyug - a real winter form of transport. The kindest magician of the country, whose possessions stretch to the North Pole, cannot lag behind Santa Claus!

When was Santa Claus born?

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

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

When is Santa's birthday?

This is another question that puzzles us with children. After all, they, who received gifts for the New Year, often want to thank the kind old man. This question can be answered quite accurately - 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 on this day a big holiday is held, to which his colleagues arrive. These are Santa Claus from real Lapland, Pakkaine from Karelia, Mikulash from the Czech Republic and even Chiskhan from Yakutia... Every year the scope of the celebration expands, more and more guests come. But most importantly, from his homeland, from Kostroma, the Snow Maiden hurries 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 assistant characters. All of them are waiting for fun activities. And in the evening, Santa Claus lights the lights on the very first Christmas tree and announces the start of preparations for the New Year. After that, he and his assistants go on a trip around the country in order to have time to congratulate all its inhabitants.

In March, Santa Claus surrenders his duty to Spring-Krasna and returns to his house. In public, before the next birthday, he will appear again - in the summer, on the Day of the City. Both holidays include folk festivals, an extensive program of events telling about the Russian North, including excursions around the estate of Father Frost.

And even if we don’t say exactly how old Santa Claus is, it’s quite possible to congratulate him, write a letter with good wishes.

Where should i 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"?

The address of Santa Claus is known to many very well. His residence is located in what is 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 the children "where did Santa Claus come from," you can safely answer: from Veliky Ustyug.

If your child wants to write a letter, congratulate a kind old man on his birthday, make a wish for the New Year, don't be scared and don't get lost, because it's easy to do. Write down the address of Santa Claus: 162390, Russia, Vologda region, the city of Veliky Ustyug. Santa Claus mail.

And in the days of the USSR, it happened, and New Year- a boy in a red coat and hat (one of these garments 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 on New Year's cards of the late 1950s - mid-1980s, after which the popularity of this character began to decline and by now he is almost forgotten. Also, Santa Claus is sometimes accompanied by various forest animals.

History of occurrence

Research

Slavic mythology

Frost as a natural element has long been personified by the Eastern Slavs. He appeared to them in the form of a short old man with a long gray beard, who runs through the fields and causes bitter frosts with a knock. The image of Frost is reflected in Russian proverbs, sayings, fairy tales. For example, in fairy tales, Frost appears as a magical assistant, acting under the nicknames "Student", "Cracker", or as a donor with the correct behavior of a fairy-tale hero (see Morozko). A snowy frosty winter, in the view of a Slavic farmer, was associated with a future good 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 “clicking frost”: he was invited to a meal and treated to ritual food - pancakes and kutya. At that time, the souls of dead ancestors were called to the house in the same way, and kutya is a traditional memorial meal among the Slavs. Food for frost 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.

Image formation

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

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

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 from their Western peers. Under Alexander II, “old Ruprecht” (obviously of German origin, 1861), St. Nicholas or “grandfather Nicholas” (1870) are mentioned - single attempts that did not take root. 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. Then, from the illustrated translations of Valery Carrick, the tale of Morozko becomes familiar to English-speaking readers. In the translation, Morozko appears under the name "King Frost" (Eng. king frost) .

After the revolution, Santa Claus, along with all Christmas traditions, was persecuted. His final exile took place on the eve of 1929. Then Christmas was declared a regular working day, and special patrols walked the streets and looked into the windows to reveal holiday preparations.

Santa Claus returned to Soviet life 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, after which New Year's events began to be organized throughout the country using the rethought old " Christmas" paraphernalia. The official solemn return of Santa Claus happened very soon. In the first in the USSR Kharkov Palace of Pioneers (opened in 1935), on December 30, 1935, the first official New Year tree in the USSR after the "rehabilitation" was held. And in January 1937, Father Frost and the Snow Maiden greeted guests at a celebration in the Moscow House of the Unions.

Soviet cinema also played an important role in shaping 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 Reserve is not indicated on children's letters to Santa Claus, then they are delivered to Veliky Ustyug.

December 25, 1999 in Veliky Ustyug, the grand opening of the "House of Santa Claus" took place. Tourist trains run to the city from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vologda, and other Russian cities. 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, more than a million letters have been sent to Santa Claus from children from various countries, and the turnover in the city has increased 15 times and unemployment has decreased.

The Moscow estate of Father Frost was created as part of the interregional project "Veliky Ustyug - Father Frost's Motherland". In 2004, the mayor of Moscow, Yu. M. Luzhkov, and the prefect of the South-Eastern district of the capital, V. B. Zotov, decided to build the Father Frost Post Office, the grand opening of which took place a year later. In 2006, four new facilities were opened in the Manor: 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 Ded Moroz was given the status of a state budgetary institution. The founder of the Manor is the Public Relations Committee of Moscow. The estate is open all year round, the main activity falls on the period from November 18 - Father Frost's birthday, until mid-January. Throughout the year, the estate hosts festive concerts, game programs, master classes, tours of the Post Office and the winter wizards' towers, and various events with public organizations. More than 20 thousand letters come to the estate every year.

At the end of December 2011, their own fabulous residence appeared in Murmansk. The house of the Lapland Father Frost was erected there on the territory of the Ogni Murmansk park.

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

Santa Claus in Belarus

In Belarus, Father Frost (Belarusian Dzed Maroz) also now has his official residence. On December 25, 2003, on the territory of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha", the Belarusian Father Frost and the Snow Maiden welcomed the first guests to his estate. Since then, Santa Claus all year round, and not just on New Year's Eve, cordially welcomes guests in his possessions. During the first five years of the Manor's operation, more than 340 thousand tourists from 70 countries of the world visited here.

Belarusian Santa Claus is dressed in a long fur coat to the toes, leans on a magic staff, does not wear glasses, does not smoke a pipe, leads a healthy lifestyle and does not suffer from noticeable fullness. The very first official Santa Claus in Belovezhskaya Pushcha was Vyacheslav Semakov, 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 the general director of the national park Nikolai Bambiza).

The total area of ​​the fabulous 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 (Belarusian Skarbnitsa), where gifts and letters sent by children are stored, and the Museum of Santa Claus. On the territory of the residence grows, as mistakenly stated in the national park, "the highest in Europe" forty-meter natural spruce, which is 120 years old.

The territory of the estate is decorated with numerous wooden statues of various fairy-tale characters, a model of a mill and a “magic” well. The branch of the mailbox of Santa Claus is located in the Minsk park named after. Gorky.

Belarusian Santa Claus has his own website, where you can also see some of the children's drawings sent as a gift to Santa Claus. Belarusian Grandfather Frost receives 1.5 thousand letters daily and almost all messages with a return address are answered.

There is an opinion that the creation of Father Frost's Estate on the site of the former bison nursery in Pushcha violated the environmental legislation of the Republic of Belarus and introduced elements of landscape design that were alien to it into the protected relic forest, and also caused great concern for the Pushcha bison population.

Santa Claus in Ukraine

In Ukraine, Father Frost (ukr. Dіd Moroz) is universally known, but does not have his official residence. "Competition" Santa Claus is St. Nicholas, who since 2004 has a residence in the village of Pistyn in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, where he receives local and foreign guests, and in 2007 he paid a courtesy visit to Ustyug - the residence of the Russian Santa Claus.

Some journalists believe that the Sovietized image of the patron saint of the New Year's holiday has replaced the primordially revered among Ukrainians Christian intercessor St. Nicholas (Ukrainian St. Mykolaj), who brings gifts (mykolajchiks) to children on the night of December 18-19 and puts them under the pillow (see. Nicholas Winter). Before the revolution in the Russian Empire, the New Year fell on the ancient holiday of Melania (Ukr. Malanka) or Generous Evening and had its own paraphernalia and rituals.

In November 2014, the mayor of Kyiv, Vitaliy Klitschko, signed a decree that the main Christmas tree of Ukraine should move from Independence Square to one of the oldest squares in Kyiv - Sophia Square. The 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.

In December 2015, representatives of the public of Ivano-Frankivsk appealed to the city authorities with a proposal to abandon the celebration of the New Year in educational institutions with the participation of Santa Claus in favor of the Nativity of Christ with St. Nicholas.

Art films

• Morozko (1965) - the role of Morozko is played by Alexander Khvylya
• " Snow Maiden" (1968) - Pyotr Nikashin.
• "Gentlemen of Fortune" (1971) - the teacher Troshkin (Evgeny Leonov) dresses up in the mask of Santa Claus
• "New Year's Adventures of Masha and Viti" (1975) - the role of Santa Claus is played by Igor Efimov
• « Wizards» (1982) - Kivrin (Valery Zolotukhin) dresses up in the costume of Santa Claus

Image Gallery

New Year's stamps of Ukraine Ded Moroz.jpg

Ukrainian stamp 2011

see also

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Notes

1. (Russian). Government of the Vologda Oblast.
2. (Russian). INTERFAX.RU. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
3. (Russian). Russian Ethnographic Museum. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
4. Odoevsky V.F.// Tales of grandfather Iriney.
5. Shigarova, Julia.// Arguments and Facts - Stolichnost . - 2013. - No. 19 (49) for December 18. - S. 4. (Retrieved January 9, 2016)
6. Carrick V.// More Russian picture tales. - 1914.
7. Minaeva, Anna.// Moscow news. - 2003. - No. 49. (Retrieved January 9, 2016)
8. Ilyich, Larisa.// Evening Kharkov. - 2007. - No. December 21. (Retrieved January 9, 2016)
9. Leskov S.. // Izvestiya nauki (December 28, 2006). Retrieved December 1, 2011.
10. Salnikov A.// Blagovestnik: Vologda diocesan newspaper. - 2000. - No. 12.
12. . . . December 17, 2003
13. Cheremushkina I.. RIA Novosti (November 17, 2009). .
14. . . . "World of News" No. 2 (836) 2012
15. (Russian). Arguments and Facts - Northwest (November 16, 2011). Retrieved December 1, 2011. .
16. .
17. .
18. . . - December 29, 2011
19. Ponomareva V.(Russian). School of Life.ru (December 28, 2009). Retrieved December 1, 2011. .
20. see WP:NAMES
21. (Russian). site of the Brest region. Retrieved December 1, 2011. .
22. (Russian). Retrieved December 14, 2011. .
23. (Russian). TUT.BY. Retrieved December 14, 2011. .
24. (Russian). Retrieved December 14, 2011. .
25. (Russian). Retrieved December 14, 2011. .
26. (Russian). Retrieved December 14, 2011. .
27. (Latvian) (English)
28. (Russian). Retrieved December 14, 2011. .
29. (Russian). Retrieved December 14, 2011. .
30. (Russian). Retrieved December 14, 2011. .
31. (Russian). Retrieved December 14, 2011. .
32. (Russian). Retrieved December 14, 2011. .
33. see VP:NaUkr
34. (ukr.)
35. (ukr.) . Retrieved December 14, 2011. .
36. Klimonchuk O.(Ukrainian) // Day: newspaper. - 2010. - No. 232-233.
37. (ukr.) . Retrieved December 14, 2011. .
39. (ukr.)
40. (ukr.)
41. . RIA Novosti Ukraine. Retrieved 8 December 2015.

Literature

• Adoneva S. B. The history of the modern New Year tradition // Mythology and everyday life: a collection. - St. Petersburg. : IRLI RAN, 1999. - Issue. 2. - S. 372.
• Dushechkina E. V.// Otechestvennye zapiski: journal. - M ., 2003. - No. 1.
• Dushechkina E. V.: report. - St. Petersburg. : IRLI RAN, 2000.
• Dushechkina E. V. The history of Santa Claus in Russia // Russian tree. History, mythology, literature. - St. Petersburg. : Norint, 2002. - ISBN 5771101265.
• Dushechkina E. V.// Science and life: journal. - 2008. - No. 1.
• George Borodin. . animator.ru(Oct. 2001 - Oct. 2007).

Links

• (Russian). .

Gods Spirits of the place Mortgage dead Mythical creatures ritual characters mythical places see also Notes: 1 the historicity of the deity is debatable; 2 divine status is debatable.

An excerpt characterizing Santa Claus

Kutuzov, through his spy, received on November 1 news that put the army under his command in an almost hopeless situation. The scout reported that the French in huge forces, having crossed the Vienna bridge, headed for the route of communication between Kutuzov and the troops marching from Russia. If Kutuzov decided to remain in Krems, then Napoleon's 1500-strong army would cut him off from all communications, surround his exhausted 40,000-strong army, and he would be in the position of Mack near Ulm. If Kutuzov decided to leave the road leading to communications with troops from Russia, then he would have to enter without a road into the unknown regions of the Bohemian
mountains, defending themselves against superior enemy forces, and abandon all hope of communication with Buxhowden. If Kutuzov decided to retreat along the road from Krems to Olmutz to join forces from Russia, then he risked being warned on this road by the French who crossed the bridge in Vienna, and thus being forced to accept the battle on the march, with all the burdens and carts, and dealing with an enemy who was three times his size and surrounded him on two sides.
Kutuzov chose this last exit.
The French, as the scout reported, having crossed the bridge in Vienna, marched in a reinforced march to Znaim, which lay on the path of Kutuzov's retreat, more than a hundred miles ahead of him. To reach Znaim before the French meant to get a great hope of saving the army; to let the French warn oneself at Znaim would probably mean to subject the whole army to a disgrace similar to that of Ulm, or to total destruction. But it was impossible to warn the French with the whole army. The French road from Vienna to Znaim was shorter and better than the Russian road from Krems to Znaim.
On the night of receiving the news, Kutuzov sent the four thousandth vanguard of Bagration to the right by the mountains from the Kremsko-Znaim road to the Vienna-Znaim road. Bagration had to go through this crossing without rest, stop facing Vienna and back to Znaim, and if he managed to warn the French, he had to delay them as long as he could. Kutuzov himself, with all the burdens, set off towards Znaim.
Having passed with hungry, barefoot soldiers, without a road, through the mountains, on a stormy night forty-five miles, losing a third of the backward, Bagration went to Gollabrun on the Vienna Znaim road a few hours before the French approached Gollabrun from Vienna. Kutuzov had to go for another whole day with his carts in order to reach Znaim, and therefore, in order to save the army, Bagration, with four thousand hungry, exhausted soldiers, had to hold the entire enemy army that met him in Gollabrun for a day, which was obviously , impossible. But a strange fate made the impossible possible. The success of that deception, which without a fight gave the Vienna bridge into the hands of the French, prompted Murat to try to deceive Kutuzov in the same way. Murat, having met the weak detachment of Bagration on the Tsnaim road, thought that it was the whole army of Kutuzov. In order to undoubtedly crush this army, he waited for the troops that had lagged behind on the road from Vienna and for this purpose proposed a truce for three days, on the condition that both troops did not change their positions and did not move. Murat assured that peace negotiations were already underway and that therefore, avoiding the useless shedding of blood, he proposed a truce. The Austrian general Count Nostitz, who was standing at the outposts, believed the words of Murat's truce and retreated, opening Bagration's detachment. Another truce went to the Russian chain to announce the same news of peace negotiations and offer a truce to the Russian troops for three days. Bagration replied that he could not accept or not accept a truce, and with a report on the proposal made to him, he sent his adjutant to Kutuzov.
A truce for Kutuzov was the only way to win time, to give Bagration's exhausted detachment a rest and to skip the wagon trains and loads (the movement of which was hidden from the French), although there was one extra transition to Znaim. The offer of a truce offered the only and unexpected opportunity to save the army. Having received this news, Kutuzov immediately sent Adjutant General Wintsengerode, who was with him, to the enemy camp. Winzengerode had not only to accept the armistice, but also to offer terms of surrender, and meanwhile Kutuzov sent his adjutants back to hurry the movement of the carts of the entire army along the Kremsko-Znaim road as much as possible. The exhausted, hungry detachment of Bagration alone had to, covering this movement of carts and the entire army, remain motionless in front of the enemy eight times stronger.
Kutuzov's expectations came true both that the non-binding offer of surrender could give time for some of the transports to pass, and that Murat's mistake should have been discovered very soon. As soon as Bonaparte, who was in Schönbrunn, 25 versts from Gollabrun, received Murat's report and the draft of a truce and surrender, he saw the deceit and wrote the following letter to Murat:
Au Prince Murat. Schoenbrunn, 25 brumaire en 1805 a huit heures du matin.
"II m" est impossible de trouver des termes pour vous exprimer mon mecontentement. Vous ne commandez que mon avant garde et vous n "avez pas le droit de faire d" armistice sans mon ordre. Vous me faites perdre le fruit d "une campagne . Rompez l "armistice sur le champ et Mariechez a l" ennemi. Vous lui ferez declarer, que le general qui a signe cette capitulation, n "avait pas le droit de le faire, qu" il n "y a que l" Empereur de Russie qui ait ce droit.
“Toutes les fois cependant que l" Empereur de Russie ratifierait la dite convention, je la ratifierai; mais ce n "est qu" une ruse. Mariechez, detruisez l "armee russe ... vous etes en position de prendre son bagage et son artiller.
“L "aide de camp de l" Empereur de Russie est un ... Les officiers ne sont rien quand ils n "ont pas de pouvoirs: celui ci n" en avait point ... Les Autriciens se sont laisse jouer pour le passage du pont de Vienne , vous vous laissez jouer par un aide de camp de l "Empereur. Napoleon".
[Prince Murat. Schönbrunn, 25 Brumaire 1805 8 o'clock in the morning.
I cannot find words to express my displeasure to you. You command only my vanguard and have no right to make a truce without my order. You make me lose the fruits of an entire campaign. Break the truce immediately and go against the enemy. You will announce to him that the general who signed this surrender had no right to do so, and no one has, except for the Russian emperor.
However, if the Russian emperor agrees to the mentioned condition, I will also agree; but this is nothing but a trick. Go, destroy the Russian army... You can take its carts and its artillery.
The adjutant general of the Russian emperor is a deceiver ... Officers mean nothing when they do not have authority; he also does not have it ... The Austrians allowed themselves to be deceived when crossing the Vienna bridge, and you allow yourself to be deceived by the emperor's adjutants.
Napoleon.]
Adjutant Bonaparte galloped at full speed with this formidable letter to Murat. Bonaparte himself, not trusting his generals, with all the guards moved to the battlefield, fearing to miss the ready victim, and the 4,000th detachment of Bagration, merrily laying out fires, dried, heated, cooked porridge for the first time after three days, and none of the people of the detachment did not knew and did not think about what lay ahead of him.

At four o'clock in the evening, Prince Andrei, insisting on his request from Kutuzov, arrived in Grunt and appeared to Bagration.
Bonaparte's adjutant had not yet arrived at Murat's detachment, and the battle had not yet begun. The Bagration detachment knew nothing about the general course of affairs, they talked about peace, but did not believe in its possibility. They talked about the battle and also did not believe in the proximity of the battle. Bagration, knowing Bolkonsky as a beloved and trusted adjutant, received him with special superior distinction and indulgence, explained to him that there would probably be a battle today or tomorrow, and gave him complete freedom to be with him during the battle or in the rear guard to observe the order of retreat , "which was also very important."
“However, today, probably, there will be no business,” said Bagration, as if reassuring Prince Andrei.
“If this is one of the ordinary staff dandies sent to receive a cross, then he will receive an award in the rear guard, and if he wants to be with me, let him ... come in handy if he is a brave officer,” Bagration thought. Prince Andrei, without answering anything, asked the prince's permission to go around the position and find out the location of the troops so that, in case of instructions, he would know where to go. The duty officer of the detachment, a handsome man, smartly dressed and with a diamond ring on his index finger, speaking French badly but willingly, volunteered to see Prince Andrei off.
From all sides one could see wet officers with sad faces, as if looking for something, and soldiers dragging doors, benches and fences from the village.
“We can’t get rid of these people, prince,” said the staff officer, pointing to these people. - The commanders are disbanding. And here, - he pointed to the spread out tent of the shopper, - they will huddle and sit. This morning he kicked everyone out: look, it's full again. We must drive up, prince, to frighten them. One minute.
“Let’s go and I’ll take cheese and a roll from him,” said Prince Andrei, who had not yet had time to eat.
Why didn't you say, prince? I would offer my bread of salt.
They got off their horses and went under the marketer's tent. Several officers, with flushed and exhausted faces, were sitting at tables, drinking and eating.
“Well, what is it, gentlemen,” said the staff officer in a tone of reproach, like a man who has already repeated the same thing several times. “Because you can’t go away like that. The prince ordered that there be no one. Well, here you are, Mr. Staff Captain, ”he turned to a small, dirty, thin artillery officer, who, without boots (he gave them to the sutler to dry), in stockings, stood in front of the newcomers, smiling not quite naturally.
- Well, how are you, Captain Tushin, are you not ashamed? - continued the staff officer, - it seems to you, as an artilleryman, you need to show an example, and you are without boots. They will sound the alarm, and you will be very good without boots. (The staff officer smiled.) If you please, go to your places, gentlemen, everything, everything, ”he added bossily.
Prince Andrei smiled involuntarily, glancing at Captain Tushin's staff. Silently and smiling, Tushin, stepping from bare foot to foot, looked inquiringly with large, intelligent and kind eyes first at Prince Andrei, then at the officer's headquarters.
“The soldiers say: wiser more dexterously,” said Captain Tushin, smiling and shy, apparently wanting to go from his awkward position into a joking tone.
But he had not finished yet, when he felt that his joke was not accepted and did not come out. He was confused.
“Please leave,” said the staff officer, trying to keep his seriousness.
Prince Andrei glanced once more at the figure of the artilleryman. There was something special about her, not at all military, somewhat comical, but extremely attractive.
The staff officer and Prince Andrei mounted their horses and rode on.
Having left the village, constantly overtaking and meeting the marching soldiers, officers of different teams, they saw to the left the fortifications under construction, reddening with fresh, newly dug up clay. Several battalions of soldiers in only shirts, despite the cold wind, like white ants, swarm on these fortifications; shovels of red clay were constantly thrown out from behind the rampart by invisibly by someone. They drove up to the fortification, examined it and drove on. Behind the very fortification they stumbled upon several dozen soldiers, constantly changing, running away from the fortification. They had to pinch their noses and trot their horses to get out of this poisoned atmosphere.
- Voila l "agrement des camps, monsieur le prince, [Here is the pleasure of the camp, prince,] - said the officer on duty.
They went to the opposite mountain. The French were already visible from this mountain. Prince Andrei stopped and began to examine.
- Here is our battery, - said the staff officer, pointing to the highest point, - that same eccentric who was sitting without boots; From there you can see everything: let's go, prince.
“I humbly thank you, now I’ll pass alone,” said Prince Andrei, wanting to get rid of the officer’s headquarters, “please don’t worry.
The staff officer lagged behind, and Prince Andrei rode alone.
The further he moved forward, closer to the enemy, the more decent and cheerful the appearance of the troops became. The strongest confusion and despondency were in that wagon train in front of Znaim, which Prince Andrei circled in the morning and which was ten miles from the French. Some anxiety and fear of something was also felt in Grunt. But the closer Prince Andrei drove up to the chain of the French, the more self-confident the appearance of our troops became. Lined up in a row, soldiers in overcoats stood, and the sergeant major and the company commander counted people, poking a finger in the chest of the last soldier in the squad and ordering him to raise his hand; scattered throughout the space, the soldiers dragged firewood and brushwood and built booths, laughing merrily and talking to each other; clothed and naked sat around the fires, drying their shirts, undershirts, or mending boots and overcoats, crowding around the boilers and cookers. In one company, dinner was ready, and the soldiers with greedy faces looked at the smoking cauldrons and waited for the sample, which was brought in a wooden cup by the captain of the officer, who was sitting on a log opposite his booth. In another, happier company, since not everyone had vodka, the soldiers, crowding, stood near a pockmarked, broad-shouldered sergeant major, who, bending a keg, poured into the lids of the manners, which were alternately substituted. Soldiers with pious faces brought the manners to their mouths, knocked them over and, rinsing their mouths and wiping themselves with the sleeves of their overcoats, with cheerful faces, moved away from the sergeant major. All the faces were so calm, as if everything was happening not in the mind of the enemy, before the case, where at least half of the detachment was supposed to remain in place, but as if somewhere in their homeland, waiting for a quiet stop. Having passed the chasseur regiment, in the ranks of the Kiev grenadiers, valiant people engaged in the same peaceful affairs, Prince Andrei, not far from the regimental commander's tall, different booth, ran into the front of a platoon of grenadiers, in front of which lay a naked man. Two soldiers held him, and two waved flexible rods and rhythmically hit his bare back. The punished man screamed unnaturally. The fat major walked in front of the front and, without ceasing and paying no attention to the cry, said:
- It is shameful for a soldier to steal, a soldier must be honest, noble and brave; and if he stole from his brother, there is no honor in him; this is a bastard. More more!
And all the flexible blows and a desperate, but feigned cry were heard.
“More, more,” said the major.
The young officer, with an expression of bewilderment and suffering on his face, moved away from the punished man, looking inquiringly at the passing adjutant.
Prince Andrei, having left for the front line, rode along the front. Our chain and the enemy's were on the left and on the right flank far apart, but in the middle, in the place where the truce passed in the morning, the chains came together so close that they could see each other's faces and talk among themselves. In addition to the soldiers who occupied the chain in this place, on both sides stood many curious people who, chuckling, looked at strange and alien enemies.
From early morning, despite the prohibition to approach the chain, the chiefs could not fight off the curious. The soldiers standing in chains, like people showing something rare, no longer looked at the French, but made their observations of those who came and, bored, waited for a change. Prince Andrei stopped to examine the French.
“Look, look,” one soldier said to a comrade, pointing to a Russian musketeer soldier who, with an officer, approached the chain and talked something often and passionately with the French grenadier. “Look, he mutters so cleverly! Already the guardian does not keep up with him. Well, what are you, Sidorov!
- Wait, listen. Look, smart! - answered Sidorov, who was considered a master of speaking French.
The soldier pointed out by the laughers was Dolokhov. Prince Andrei recognized him and listened to his conversation. Dolokhov, together with his company commander, entered the chain from the left flank, on which their regiment stood.
- Well, more, more! the company commander incited, leaning forward and trying not to utter a single word he did not understand. – Please, more often. What he?
Dolokhov did not answer the company commander; he was involved in a heated argument with a French grenadier. They talked, as they should have, about the campaign. The Frenchman argued, confusing the Austrians with the Russians, that the Russians had surrendered and fled from Ulm itself; Dolokhov argued that the Russians did not give up, but beat the French.
“Here they order to drive you away and drive you away,” Dolokhov said.
“Just try not to be taken away with all your Cossacks,” said the French grenadier.
The French spectators and listeners laughed.
- You will be forced to dance, as you danced under Suvorov (on vous fera danser [you will be forced to dance]), - said Dolokhov.
- Qu "est ce qu" il chante? [What is he singing there?] - said one Frenchman.
- De l "histoire ancienne, [Ancient history,] - said another, guessing that it was about previous wars. - L" Empereur va lui faire voir a votre Souvara, comme aux autres ... [The Emperor will show your Suvar, as well as others …]
“Bonaparte…” began Dolokhov, but the Frenchman interrupted him.
- No Bonaparte. There is an emperor! Sacre nom… [Damn it…] he shouted angrily.
“Damn him to your emperor!”
And Dolokhov cursed in Russian, rudely, like a soldier, and, throwing up his gun, walked away.
"Let's go, Ivan Lukich," he said to the company commander.
“That’s how it is in the guardian style,” the soldiers in the chain began to speak. - Come on, Sidorov!
Sidorov winked and, turning to the French, began to babble incomprehensible words often, often:
“Kari, mala, tafa, safi, muder, kaska,” he muttered, trying to give expressive intonations to his voice.
- Go Go go! ha ha, ha, ha! Wow! Wow! - there was a roar of such healthy and cheerful laughter between the soldiers, involuntarily communicated to the French through the chain, that after that it seemed necessary to unload their guns, blow up the charges and disperse as soon as possible to everyone's homes.
But the guns remained loaded, the loopholes in the houses and fortifications looked forward just as menacingly, and just as before, the cannons turned against each other, removed from the limbers.

Having traveled around the entire line of troops from the right to the left flank, Prince Andrei climbed the battery from which, according to the officer’s headquarters, the entire field was visible. Here he got off his horse and stopped at the last of the four guns removed from the limbers. A sentry gunner walked ahead of the guns, stretched out in front of the officer, but at the sign made to him resumed his even, boring walk. Behind the guns were the limbers, still behind the hitching post and fires of the artillerymen. To the left, not far from the last gun, was a new wicker hut, from which animated officer voices were heard.
Indeed, from the battery, a view of almost the entire disposition of Russian troops and most of the enemy was opened. Directly opposite the battery, on the horizon of the opposite hillock, the village of Shengraben could be seen; to the left and to the right, in three places, among the smoke of their fires, masses of French troops could be distinguished, of which, obviously, most of them were in the village itself and behind the mountain. To the left of the village, in the smoke, it seemed that something like a battery, but with a simple eye it was impossible to see it well. Our right flank was located on a rather steep hill, which dominated the position of the French. Our infantry was stationed along it, and dragoons were visible at the very edge. In the center, where Tushin's battery was located, from which Prince Andrei examined the position, there was the most gentle and direct descent and ascent to the stream that separated us from Shengraben. To the left, our troops adjoined the forest, where the fires of our infantry chopping firewood smoked. The French line was wider than ours, and it was clear that the French could easily outflank us on both sides. Behind our position was a steep and deep ravine, along which it was difficult for artillery and cavalry to retreat. Prince Andrei, leaning on the cannon and taking out his wallet, drew for himself a plan for the disposition of the troops. In two places he made notes with a pencil, intending to communicate them to Bagration. He intended, firstly, to concentrate all the artillery in the center and, secondly, to transfer the cavalry back to the other side of the ravine. Prince Andrei, constantly being with the commander-in-chief, following the movements of the masses and general orders, and constantly engaged in historical descriptions of battles, in this upcoming business involuntarily thought about the future course of hostilities only in general terms. He imagined only the following kind of major accidents: “If the enemy leads an attack on the right flank,” he said to himself, “the Kiev grenadier and Podolsk chasseurs will have to hold their position until the reserves of the center approach them. In this case, the dragoons can hit the flank and knock them over. In the event of an attack on the center, we set up the central battery on this hill and, under its cover, pull the left flank and retreat to the ravine in echelons, ”he reasoned to himself ...
All the time that he was on the battery at the gun, he, as often happens, without ceasing, heard the sounds of the voices of the officers speaking in the booth, but did not understand a single word of what they said. Suddenly the sound of voices from the booth struck him with such an intimate tone that he involuntarily began to listen.
“No, my dear,” said a pleasant and seemingly familiar voice to Prince Andrei, “I say that if it were possible to know what would happen after death, then none of us would be afraid of death. So, dove.
Another, younger voice interrupted him:
“Yes, be afraid, don’t be afraid, it doesn’t matter, you won’t pass it.”
- You're still afraid! Eh, you learned people,” said a third courageous voice, interrupting both of them. - Then you, artillerymen, are very learned because you can bring everything with you, both vodka and snacks.
And the owner of the manly voice, apparently an infantry officer, laughed.
“But you’re still afraid,” continued the first familiar voice. You're afraid of the unknown, that's what. No matter how you say that the soul will go to heaven... after all, we know that there is no sky, but only one sphere.
Again the courageous voice interrupted the gunner.
“Well, treat yourself to your herbalist, Tushin,” he said.
“Ah, this is the same captain who stood at the sutler without boots,” thought Prince Andrei, recognizing with pleasure the pleasant philosophizing voice.
“You can get a herbalist,” said Tushin, “but still comprehend the future life ...
He did not agree. At this time, a whistle was heard in the air; closer, closer, faster and more audible, more audible and faster, and the core, as if not having finished everything that was needed, exploding spray with inhuman force, plopped into the ground not far from the booth. The earth seemed to gasp from a terrible blow.
At the same instant, little Tushin jumped out of the booth, first of all, with his pipe bitten on his side; his kind, intelligent face was somewhat pale. Behind him came the owner of a courageous voice, a dashing infantry officer, and ran to his company, buttoning up as he ran.

Prince Andrei stopped on horseback on the battery, looking at the smoke of the gun from which the cannonball flew out. His eyes darted across the vast expanse. He only saw that the hitherto motionless masses of the French were swaying, and that there really was a battery to the left. It hasn't blown smoke yet. Two French cavalry, probably adjutants, galloped up the mountain. Downhill, probably to strengthen the chain, a clearly visible small column of the enemy was moving. The smoke of the first shot had not yet dissipated, when another smoke and a shot appeared. The battle has begun. Prince Andrei turned his horse around and galloped back to Grunt to look for Prince Bagration. Behind him he heard the cannonade becoming more frequent and louder. Apparently, ours began to respond. Below, in the place where the parliamentarians were passing, rifle shots were heard.
Lemarrois (Le Marierois) with Bonaparte's formidable letter had just galloped to Murat, and the ashamed Murat, wanting to make amends for his mistake, immediately moved his troops to the center and bypassing both flanks, hoping to crush the insignificant one who stood in front of him before evening and before the arrival of the emperor. him, squad.
"Began! Here it is!" thought Prince Andrei, feeling how the blood began to rush to his heart more often. “But where? How will my Toulon be expressed? he thought.
Passing between the same companies that ate porridge and drank vodka a quarter of an hour ago, he everywhere saw the same quick movements of soldiers lining up and dismantling their guns, and on all faces he recognized the feeling of animation that was in his heart. "Began! Here it is! Scary and fun! the face of every soldier and officer spoke.
Before he even reached the fortification under construction, he saw in the evening light of a cloudy autumn day horsemen advancing towards him. The front man, in a cloak and cap with fur coats, rode a white horse. It was Prince Bagration. Prince Andrei stopped, waiting for him. Prince Bagration stopped his horse and, recognizing Prince Andrei, nodded his head to him. He continued to look ahead while Prince Andrei told him what he had seen.
Expression: "It has begun! here it is!" it was even on the strong brown face of Prince Bagration with half-closed, cloudy, as if sleepy eyes. Prince Andrei peered into this motionless face with restless curiosity, and he wanted to know whether he was thinking and feeling, and what he thought, what this man felt at that moment? "Is there anything at all behind that motionless face?" Prince Andrei asked himself, looking at him. Prince Bagration bowed his head, in agreement with the words of Prince Andrei, and said: “Good,” with such an expression, as if everything that happened and that he was told was exactly what he had already foreseen. Prince Andrei, shoved from the speed of the ride, spoke quickly. Prince Bagration uttered the words with his oriental accent especially slowly, as if suggesting that there was nowhere to hurry. However, he trotted his horse in the direction of Tushin's battery. Prince Andrei, together with his retinue, went after him. Prince Bagration was followed by: an officer of the retinue, the prince's personal adjutant, Zherkov, an orderly, an officer on duty on a beautiful english horse, and a state official, an auditor, who, out of curiosity, asked to go to battle. The auditor, a stout man with a full face, looked around with a naive smile of joy, shaking on his horse, imagining a strange sight in his camlot overcoat on a furshtat saddle among hussars, Cossacks and adjutants.