This is no traditional Santa Claus. He performs magic tricks, climbs through windows and even strips, charging hourly rates for a modern dose of holiday cheer.
Russian Santa Claus, called Ded Moroz, is believed to deliver gifts on New Year's Eve, accompanied by a beautiful snow maiden named Snegurochka. But thanks to the booming services sector, the pair is now making house and office visits for nearly two straight months, starting in December.
"He pulled a real rooster out of a bag last year because [2005] was the year of the rooster; did a cool trick with knives and Snegurochka. The kids loved it!" said Irina Chernyak, recalling the Ded Moroz who entertained her daughter and other 8-year-olds last year.
Chernyak found this Ded Moroz through the Internet several years ago, while planning a New Year's party for 15 children. She said she browsed dozens of Ded Moroz-for-hire sites and just picked the one that seemed to be the most entertaining.
Although it was "a bit spooky" to invite strangers into her home, it worked out well, she said. The hour-long holiday visit several days before the New Year in 2005 cost 4,500 rubles (then $156), Chernyak said. While this price was slightly more expensive than in the previous year, she decided to continue booking Ded Moroz visits to make the holiday a "bright experience for the children."
New Year became the most widely celebrated holiday in Russia after the Communist Party turned it into a secularized version of the Orthodox Christmas festivities in the 1930s.
Chernyak's family has always made a big deal of the New Year, she said, recalling how her father put on holiday plays starring various family members when she was a child.
"Almost no one gets enthusiastic about putting on shows themselves anymore," said Sergei Garslyan, a teacher and historian by training, who has worked as a professional Ded Moroz for the past 15 years.
Hundreds of party-planning companies and theater studios advertise Ded Moroz and Snegurochka duos, promising professional entertainers at reasonable rates. There are no hard-and-fast rules for choosing among them, but some advise to be wary of bargains that seem too good to be true.
On average, a 30-minute house call by Ded Moroz and Snegurochka costs from 1,500 to 2,000 rubles ($57-$76) in the first weeks of December, with prices climbing to more than 3,000 rubles for a 30-minute greeting on New Year's Eve, according to Garslyan.
Anyone who promises 30 minutes of entertainment for less than 1,000 rubles is either going to send amateurs or, even worse, send over criminals to scout your house for valuables, he said.
Legitimate actors normally tell jokes and hand out gifts during house calls to children, but the entertainment they dish up for large New Year's corporate parties is more elaborate and several hours can cost thousands of dollars.
To make Ded Moroz more believable for children, some companies employ professional rock climbers to don his beard and robes and make a grand entrance through a window.
This service, followed by a traditional 30-minute greeting, costs 18,000 rubles ($684) at the Prazdnik Zhizni party planning firm (Prazdnik.ru). But residents of state-owned apartment buildings need to fork a few thousand rubles more, because even Ded Moroz is helpless when faced with Russia's notorious bureaucracy.
The climbers must acquire a permit from the building's administration, or DEZ, to be able to climb unobstructed, a representative of Prazdnik Zhizni said.
Actors from Dedmoroz-Na-Dom.ru, another Moscow-based party planning firm, make their entry through the door instead, and ask children to recite poems, solve riddles and sing along. These 30 minutes of fun cost 1,400 rubles before Dec. 21, rising to 2,100 rubles on Dec. 25 and a whopping 7,500 rubles from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. on New Year's Eve, the company's web site reported.
The entertainment program may be tailored for the audience, said a saleswoman at Dedmoroz-Na-Dom.ru, adding that corporate parties cost about twice the price of a house visit. Everything depends on the kind of show a company wants to book, she said, adding that a striptease started from $700.
Clients expect Ded Moroz and Snegurochka to be more avant-garde for adult parties, which often feature fireworks and other colorful displays.
Dedmorozzz.ru offers a long list of "extras," including belly dancers, magicians and animal tamers, intended to liven up a Ded Moroz appearance at corporate parties. Such shows normally last between four and six hours, the company's web site said. The site puts the fee at 4,500 rubles for an hour of group entertainment before Dec. 21, with the price tag doubling on New Year's Eve.
"Our phones are ringing off the hook," said a woman answering the phone at Dedmorozzz.ru party planning company. "It's a really crazy time for us, so if you're not placing an order, I can't talk."
Russian Santa Claus, called Ded Moroz, is believed to deliver gifts on New Year's Eve, accompanied by a beautiful snow maiden named Snegurochka. But thanks to the booming services sector, the pair is now making house and office visits for nearly two straight months, starting in December.
"He pulled a real rooster out of a bag last year because [2005] was the year of the rooster; did a cool trick with knives and Snegurochka. The kids loved it!" said Irina Chernyak, recalling the Ded Moroz who entertained her daughter and other 8-year-olds last year.
Chernyak found this Ded Moroz through the Internet several years ago, while planning a New Year's party for 15 children. She said she browsed dozens of Ded Moroz-for-hire sites and just picked the one that seemed to be the most entertaining.
Although it was "a bit spooky" to invite strangers into her home, it worked out well, she said. The hour-long holiday visit several days before the New Year in 2005 cost 4,500 rubles (then $156), Chernyak said. While this price was slightly more expensive than in the previous year, she decided to continue booking Ded Moroz visits to make the holiday a "bright experience for the children."
New Year became the most widely celebrated holiday in Russia after the Communist Party turned it into a secularized version of the Orthodox Christmas festivities in the 1930s.
Chernyak's family has always made a big deal of the New Year, she said, recalling how her father put on holiday plays starring various family members when she was a child.
"Almost no one gets enthusiastic about putting on shows themselves anymore," said Sergei Garslyan, a teacher and historian by training, who has worked as a professional Ded Moroz for the past 15 years.
Hundreds of party-planning companies and theater studios advertise Ded Moroz and Snegurochka duos, promising professional entertainers at reasonable rates. There are no hard-and-fast rules for choosing among them, but some advise to be wary of bargains that seem too good to be true.
On average, a 30-minute house call by Ded Moroz and Snegurochka costs from 1,500 to 2,000 rubles ($57-$76) in the first weeks of December, with prices climbing to more than 3,000 rubles for a 30-minute greeting on New Year's Eve, according to Garslyan.
 Vladimir Filonov / MT Behind the scenes: snow maiden Snegurochka getting ready to put on a show. |  |
| |
Legitimate actors normally tell jokes and hand out gifts during house calls to children, but the entertainment they dish up for large New Year's corporate parties is more elaborate and several hours can cost thousands of dollars.
To make Ded Moroz more believable for children, some companies employ professional rock climbers to don his beard and robes and make a grand entrance through a window.
This service, followed by a traditional 30-minute greeting, costs 18,000 rubles ($684) at the Prazdnik Zhizni party planning firm (Prazdnik.ru). But residents of state-owned apartment buildings need to fork a few thousand rubles more, because even Ded Moroz is helpless when faced with Russia's notorious bureaucracy.
The climbers must acquire a permit from the building's administration, or DEZ, to be able to climb unobstructed, a representative of Prazdnik Zhizni said.
Actors from Dedmoroz-Na-Dom.ru, another Moscow-based party planning firm, make their entry through the door instead, and ask children to recite poems, solve riddles and sing along. These 30 minutes of fun cost 1,400 rubles before Dec. 21, rising to 2,100 rubles on Dec. 25 and a whopping 7,500 rubles from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. on New Year's Eve, the company's web site reported.
 Vladimir Filonov / MT Ded Moroz putting on his makeup before dressing up. | |
| |
Clients expect Ded Moroz and Snegurochka to be more avant-garde for adult parties, which often feature fireworks and other colorful displays.
Dedmorozzz.ru offers a long list of "extras," including belly dancers, magicians and animal tamers, intended to liven up a Ded Moroz appearance at corporate parties. Such shows normally last between four and six hours, the company's web site said. The site puts the fee at 4,500 rubles for an hour of group entertainment before Dec. 21, with the price tag doubling on New Year's Eve.
"Our phones are ringing off the hook," said a woman answering the phone at Dedmorozzz.ru party planning company. "It's a really crazy time for us, so if you're not placing an order, I can't talk."
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