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Metro Campaign to Bring Holiday Cheer to Muscovites

These metro commuters look like they could use some holiday cheer. Vladimir Filonov

Starting Monday metro commuters could be in for a surprise when they are greeted with a "Happy holidays!" by Moscow metro's notoriously grumpy employees.

Train operators, station managers, cashiers and escalator attendants have all been instructed to welcome passengers in a festive manner, in a campaign launched to inspire holiday cheer among Muscovites over the holiday season.

Commuters will also be treated to traditional poetry and hear Santa's voice through loudspeakers, voice-acted by the metro's regular announcer Alexei Rossoshansky, as they make their way through the station, the metro's press service said.

Those who enjoy music can look forward to hearing popular songs and tunes from Soviet-era comedies and children's cartoons as well as several classical pieces including works by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Aram Khachaturyan and Georgy Sviridov, Interfax reported.

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