Support The Moscow Times!

Austrian Girl Gets Unexpected Gift After Christmas Balloon Lands in Russian Village

Facebook

A nine-year-old Austrian girl called Sophia received an unexpected Christmas present after a helium balloon she sent to Santa Claus ended up in a remote mountain village in Russia’s North Caucasus.

Amin Adzhiev, a farmer in Russia’s republic of Karachay-Cherkess found the balloon with a letter attached to it on his land in mid-December. 

Sophia, from Oberndorf bei Salzburg on the outskirts of Salzburg, told Santa that she was hoping to receive a princess dress, a scarf and a scooter for Christmas, along with “lots of love for the whole world” so people “don’t argue” as much anymore.

Adzhiev told the Mash Telegram channel that after translating the letter, he decided to take on the role of Santa and started a fundraiser to buy Sophia a gift in time for Christmas.

“All my friends – from everywhere, including Moscow – quickly collected the money,” he said.

According to the Ren Tv television channel, Adzhiev managed to contact Sophia’s parents through social media and found a Santa in Austria to give her a hoverboard just in time for Christmas. 

Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more