In the West, kids believe in Santa Claus. In the former Soviet Union, however, they believe a similarly jolly, white-bearded fellow named Ded Moroz (Father Frost) travels from house to house bearing a giant sack of gifts.
Children in both cultures eventually grow up and discover that the portly man of their dreams is but a myth.
But there are those who never stop believing. Take Kyivan Rostislav Vyatkin, for example. Vyatkin is one of a couple-hundred men in Kyiv who dress up as Ded Moroz and entertain kids over the holidays. He works for the state-owned service Svitanok, which rents out Ded Morozy to schools, organizations and private households.
Wearing a red suit, white wig, white beard and other accessories, Vyatkin can be seen at the entrance to TsUM, Kyiv’s central department store, and in kindergartens, schools and private homes. When he walks down the street in full garb or takes public transportation, kids stop him and ask for a present or shout a Christmas greeting.
‘These days, I am Ded Moroz around the clock,’ Vyatkin said. During the holiday season, his schedule is packed.
‘On Dec. 31, my working day will start at 10 a.m. and go late into the night, perhaps ending the next morning,’ Vyatkin said.
Vyatkin, 26, came across his seasonal vocation quite suddenly.
‘Three years ago, I came across an advertisement for a two-week Ded Moroz course and signed up for it,’ he said. ‘Having done intensive studying, I developed my artistic skills and learned a wealth of riddles, games and songs. I have committed myself to becoming a real Ded Moroz.’
Finding the ad was a stroke of luck for Vyatkin, who just happens to love working closely with and meeting lots of people.
‘What is most pleasant about my job is that I bring joy to kids and put smiles on their faces,’ he said, adding that his only regret is that the job isn’t year round.
Vyatkin tells kids that Ded Moroz is 150 years old. In reality, however, the old man has been around a lot longer than that. According to Vyatkin, Peter the Great, who initiated the celebration of New Year’s in the Russian Empire, brought Ded Moroz to the Empire some 300 years ago.
Apparently, the emperor never specified where he lived. While it is well known that Moroz’s Western counterpart Santa Claus hails from the North Pole, few know where Ded Mozoz himself comes from. Vyatkin simply tells kids he’s from ‘somewhere cold.’ A few sharp kids think they know better, however.
‘Once I visited Anatoly, a 2 year old who was convinced the Ded Moroz lived in the refrigerator. When I rang the bell, Anatoly’s father answered the door and let me sneak in the kitchen. As the boy rushed to the kitchen summoned by his parents, I stuck my head out from the fridge without ruining the kid’s assumption in my icy place of residence.’
Then there are the ones that all Ded Moroz and Santa Claus impersonators dread the most: the non-believers.
‘It is common knowledge that there is only one Ded Moroz. When kids see a few Ded Morozy strolling through the streets of the city, they (kids) question my authenticity,’ Vyatkin said.
Sometimes kids are not happy with the gift Ded Moroz gives them. Usually parents buy a present for their child, but the parents’ choice does not necessarily coincide with their child’s expectations.
‘Once Serezha, a five-year old, was about to reject my present – a Teddy bear. He insisted on having a sword and pointed out that he had clearly expressed his wish in his letter to Ded Moroz. So I have to explain to the dejected kid that I (Ded Moroz) mixed him up with another boy, called Serezha, who asked for a Teddy bear. I also assured the boy that he would get his sought-after toy next year.’
All kids – from energetic, healthy tykes to the terminally ill – expect Ded Moroz to work magic in their lives.
‘The memories of visiting with kids who are ill with leukemia stays fresh in my mind. A little 2-year-old girl believed that Ded Moroz could ease her suffering and cure her disease. So her father brought me to the hospital ward filled with ill kids. My mission was to send a tiny ray of hope into their lives and make them smile.’ Mission accomplished.
