Who is the Snow Maiden and where are her parents? Who is the Snow Maiden Our divine Russian Snow Maiden originated as a literary character.

The young helper of Santa Claus, the granddaughter of the Snow Maiden, is a unique New Year's character found only in Russian culture. The incredibly sweet Snow Maiden easily finds a common language with forest animals and restless kids who see her as an intermediary when communicating with Santa Claus.

Each girl, choosing a costume for the New Year's carnival, dreams of being a Snow Maiden, as she is the embodiment of beauty, good nature and good breeding.

Come from a fairy tale

The eternally young and radiant Snow Maiden entered our reality from the pages of the book “Poetic Views of the Slavs on Nature”, authored by Russian folklorist Alexander Afanasiev. In 1869, he told a touching story about an old childless couple, Ivan and Marya, who needed only children in the house to be completely happy.

One winter, they fashioned for themselves a daughter, Snegurka, from the snow, who came to life and filled their lives with joy. However, the family idyll did not last long: with the advent of heat, the parents hid the Snow Maiden from the sun's rays, but still did not save her - disobeying the old people, she went with her friends to the Ivan Kupala holiday and, together with everyone, decided to jump over the fire.

Inspired by Afanasiev's story, the writer Alexander Ostrovsky decided to write his own play called "The Snow Maiden", in which the parents of the pale-faced New Year's beauty are Spring-Krasna and Santa Claus.

The playwright portrayed the Snow Maiden as a 15-year-old girl dressed in a fur coat with a fur collar, an elegant hat and warm mittens. According to the plot, the Snow Maiden lives in the forest and only once, under the supervision of Bakula-bobyl, goes to the Berendeevka settlement to the people who captivated her with their magical songs.

It was on this day that the residents of Sloboda celebrated the Day of the Spring Equinox, when the pagan god of the sun, Yarila, came into his legal rights, from the warmth of which the winter snowdrifts melted. The Snow Maiden could not resist the onslaught of burning rays, but melting in the spring, she was reborn again in the winter.

The image of the Snow Maiden in his work was addressed by the composer Rimsky-Korsakov, who wrote the opera of the same name, which was a huge success.

folklore roots

Perhaps the Snow Maiden leads her biography from Russian folklore, based on pagan beliefs. Fans of one version consider the Snow Maiden to be the embodiment of the goddess of winter - Morana, who symbolized snow, frosty purity and freshness. With the advent of spring and warmth, Morana, like the Snow Maiden, melted, but was reborn again with the first frosts.

Others see in the Snow Maiden the prototype of Kostroma - a stuffed animal burned during the celebration of Ivan Kupala. There is also an opinion that this is a snow nymph born with the advent of winter, which evaporates in the spring, taking with it the dreams of a good harvest of the villagers.

Paradoxically, the Snow Maiden is also compared with the goddess of spring - Lelei, seeing in her a symbol of the rebirth of nature: born from snow, she gives happiness to an elderly couple, defeats winter shackles, and turning into water, gives fertility to the soil.

It is not for nothing that the Snow Maiden is also considered the personification of river water, bound by powerful ice.

joint exit

When the New Year was officially celebrated in the USSR in 1935, Grandfather Frost and his granddaughter Snegurochka were identified as the main symbols of the celebration. By the way, it is still unknown with whose light hand such a generic connection arose between them.

Two years later, in the capital's House of Unions, at the first New Year's ball at the most important Christmas tree of the country, the debut joint appearance of these characters took place. Since then, the Snow Maiden has faithfully served her grandfather, helping him in communicating with children, in distributing gifts, organizing fun games and round dances.

They forgot a little about the Snow Maiden during the harsh years of the war, but in the reigning peacetime, she again shone with Santa Claus on all the Kremlin Christmas trees. By the way, the fascinating plots of the adventures of New Year's heroes came out from the pen of everyone's favorite children's writers Sergei Mikhalkov and Lev Kassil.

Birthplace of the Snow Maiden

Unlike Father Frost, who chose Veliky Ustyug as his fiefdom, the Snow Maiden settled in Kostroma, where she can send letters to two addresses at once - to st. Lagernaya 38, where her tower stands, and on the street. Lenina 3.

Although the inhabitants of the village of Berendeevka on the border of the Yaroslavl and Kostroma regions, consider Snegurochka their countrywoman.

Overseers of the Shchelykovo estate often argue with them on this issue, within the walls of which Ostrovsky created the play The Snow Maiden.

Another place on the map of Russia associated with the Snow Maiden is the estate of Savva Mamontov near Moscow - Abramtsevo, where the artist Vasnetsov painted the image of a winter beauty in a sundress, bast shoes and a ribbon rim on her head.

In addition, Ostrovsky's play dedicated to the Snow Maiden was staged for the first time on the stage of the Abramtsevo Theater and Rimsky-Korsakov's musical composition was performed.

The image of the Snow Maiden

In addition to Vasnetsov, the painters Vrubel and Roerich thought about the appearance of the Snow Maiden: the first depicted her in a snow-down coat trimmed with ermine fur, and the second, representing her as a symbol of Russia, painted the outfit with mysterious curls and ornaments.

In the modern look of the Snow Maiden, old ones are intertwined and new features are added: along with an 8-ray crown with silver and pearls, she can put on a hood, put on a suit, both white and blue.

Have you heard that Winter and the Snow Maiden became friends? And they got together in one fairy tale. In a fairy tale not simple, but snowy. Why in the snow? Yes, because both of these heroines are snowy, and the action takes place at the very snowy time ...

Listen to a fairy tale (4min46sec)

New Year's fairy tale about Winter and the Snow Maiden

Winter lived. She had already promised to come to the Emerald Forest for a long time, but some business kept delaying her. Either migratory birds had not yet flown away, or the south wind did not allow her to approach. But finally, Winter has arrived.

And the beautiful Winter had a girlfriend, the Snow Maiden, the one who, together with Santa Claus, congratulates children on the New Year. As soon as the forest shone in silver, the two girlfriends met.

Winter and the Snow Maiden listened to the melodies of a blizzard together, admired the snowy mountains, watched the dance of snowflakes. They were never bored.

On the white winter bedspread they stepped softly, inaudibly. Sometimes, when the children were sound asleep, Winter and the Snow Maiden rode a snowy wave from a high mountain, and at the same time they laughed merrily.

For the New Year holiday, animals and birds dressed up the Christmas tree that grew on the Blue Glade. This tree was just magical. Toy roosters that hung on the tree could easily jump off it, turn into real ones and pace around the tree. And when they got tired, they climbed onto the Christmas tree again and became toys. The dogs did the same.

Two beauties, Zima and Snegurochka, often had fun at the Christmas tree. They stamped their feet, shod in silver boots, played hide-and-seek with the animals, sang songs.

And once Winter lost the Snow Maiden. Winter sat on her snowy horses and searched for a friend throughout the forest. But the Snow Maiden was nowhere to be found. Winter sat on a stump and was ready to burst into tears, but in time she remembered that snow ladies do not cry. Otherwise, hot tears in the cold will turn into ice balls. And the Snow Maiden at that time was far, far away. From the very early morning, Santa Claus drove up to her house and took her to the children at the Christmas tree. That's why she didn't have time to warn Zima about her absence. But the little hare Snowball, who had already been skiing early in the morning, saw Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden go to the city. It was he who told the sad Winter about where the Snow Maiden was. Hare Snowball used to often see Winter and the Snow Maiden together.

And soon Winter and the Snow Maiden met, and again their silvery laughter was heard everywhere.

They became sad only when Spring began to send her messengers. A little more time will pass, and Winter will ride off on three white deer to her distant kingdom. And what about the Snow Maiden to do? After all, the Snow Maidens do not go far. Winter and the Snow Maiden thought.

Maybe you should go to the Snow Queen and wait out the warm season there? Winter asked the Snow Maiden.
“But I don’t know anyone there,” said the Snow Maiden.
- Maybe you should go to the homeland of Santa Claus? Winter asked.

But the Snow Maiden decided to wait out the warm season ... in Russian folk tales. There the Snowman lives, and the shaggy Blizzard, and Morozko hides from the summer sun there.

And you, Winter, will not lose me, - said the Snow Maiden.

Winter was glad that the Snow Maiden would not get lost and disappear over the summer.

Together, next winter will be more fun!

Questions for the fairy tale about Winter and the Snow Maiden

Why was Winter delayed in coming?

Which two snow beauties were friends?

How did Winter and the Snow Maiden have fun?

Where does Winter hide in the summer?

Where is the Snow Maiden waiting for the warm season?

The mystery of the origin of the Snow Maiden. History of the Snow Maiden. Who is she and where did she come from?

Of course, our most beloved characters of the New Year holiday are Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden. But if some similarities of our Russian pagan God Santa Claus under different names exist in many countries, then the Snow Maiden is our purely Russian heritage, the offspring of the great and generous truly Russian spirit.

We have long been accustomed to the annual appearance of this fabulously beautiful, eternally young, cheerful and infinitely kind Russian Goddess at New Year's celebrations and every time we chant with pleasure: “Snow Maiden! Snow Maiden! Snow Maiden!" And it is even hard to imagine that no one can respond to our call.

Until recently, the origin of the Snow Maiden was shrouded in deep mystery. Everyone knows that she is the granddaughter of Santa Claus, but who her father and mother were until recently was known very confusingly and vaguely. For this reason, the editors of SuperCook.ru conducted their own fundamental scientific and historical research, finally clarifying this great ancient secret.

Our omnipotent Russian pagan God Santa Claus is powerful and great in everything, including the ability to drink a lot in Russian - everything is in order with divine health, no illnesses and intoxications take him ...

Once upon a time, the God-Son Snowman was born to the great Russian God-Father Santa Claus and the divine Snow Blizzard-Metelitsa. Due to the conception in the state and strong New Year's drunkenness of his parents, he was born with a somewhat weak mind, but very kind and sympathetic. He did not take over the habit of drinking from his Father, therefore he does not drink at all, and prefers ice cream to any food.

At one fine moment, the daughter of the Snow Maiden was born to the winter God-Son of the Snowman and the Russian goddess of Spring-Red. Since the non-drinking Snowman with divine genetics is all right, his daughter was born to glory!

The Snow Maiden came out to everyone - and the unprecedented divine beauty adopted from Spring-Krasna, and the mind, and quick wit, and the kindness and disinclination to alcohol adopted from the Snowman.

The divine mothers of God the Son of the Snowman (the son of Father Frost and the Snow Blizzard-Metelitsa), and the Goddess-Granddaughter of the Snow Maiden (daughters of the Snowman and Spring-Red) quickly fled from this cheerful riotous New Year's company and appear there infrequently. The wise Spring-Krasna prefers to communicate with Santa Claus, the Snowman and the Snow Maiden only briefly, just before the onset of spring warmth, when our cheerful New Year's God-Father Santa Claus, God-Son the Snowman and Goddess-Granddaughter Snow Maiden are already going to leave for the whole summer in their fiefdom in the Wild Far North. But the more daring and resolute divine Snowstorm-Metelitsa occasionally visits her New Year's relatives throughout the winter, and in the summer she also sometimes drops by to visit them in the northern Land of Eternal Snows.

But what is known about the Snow Maiden from other, earlier sources.

The image of the Snow Maiden is not recorded in the Russian folk ritual. However, in Russian folklore, she appears as a character in a folk tale about a girl made of snow who came to life.

The tales of the Snow Maiden were studied by A. N. Afanasiev in the second volume of his work “Poetic Views of the Slavs on Nature” (1867).

In 1873, A. N. Ostrovsky, under the influence of Afanasiev's ideas, wrote the play "The Snow Maiden". In it, the Snow Maiden appears as the daughter of Father Frost and Spring-Red, who dies during the summer ritual of honoring the sun god Yarila. She has the appearance of a beautiful pale blonde girl. Dressed in white and blue clothes with fur trim (fur coat, fur hat, mittens). Initially, the play was not successful with the public.

In 1882, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov staged an opera of the same name based on the play, which was a huge success.

The image of the Snow Maiden was further developed in the works of teachers of the late 19th - early 20th centuries, who prepared scenarios for children's New Year trees. Even before the revolution, figures of the Snow Maiden were hung on a Christmas tree, girls dressed up in costumes of the Snow Maiden, fragments from fairy tales, Ostrovsky's play or opera were staged. At this time, the Snow Maiden did not act as a host.

The image of the Snow Maiden received its modern look in 1935 in the Soviet Union, after the official permission to celebrate the New Year. In books on organizing Christmas trees of this period, the Snow Maiden appears on a par with Santa Claus, as his granddaughter, assistant and mediator in communication between him and the children. At the beginning of 1937, Father Frost and the Snow Maiden first appeared together for the Christmas tree festival at the Moscow House of Unions (that is, at the most important Christmas tree of the Soviet Union).

History of the Snow Maiden.

Snegurochka is a Russian New Year's character. She is a unique attribute of the image of Santa Claus. None of his younger or foreign counterparts have such a sweet escort.

The image of the Snow Maiden is a symbol of frozen waters. This is a girl (not a girl) - an eternally young and cheerful pagan Goddess, dressed only in white clothes. No other color is allowed in traditional symbolism, although from the middle of the 20th century blue tones were sometimes used in her clothes. Her headdress is an eight-pointed crown embroidered with silver and pearls. The modern costume of the Snow Maiden most often corresponds to the historical description. Violations of the color scheme are extremely rare and, as a rule, justified by the lack of the ability to make the “correct” suit.

The image of the Snow Maiden is not recorded in the ancient Russian folk ritual. The Snow Maiden is a relatively recent achievement in Russian culture.

Nowadays, there is often a deeply erroneous, anti-scientific opinion that the image of our Snow Maiden arose from the image of a certain pagan goddess of winter and death, Kostroma.

Here we recall that in historical science there is a term “armchair mythology”, in which known disparate facts are artificially “pulled by the ears”, powerfully supplemented by the “researcher’s” own fantasy, and as a result, a quasi-historical work in the fantasy style arises that has nothing to do with reality. . Often, such mythologists work under the order of the authorities - local or state.

In historical science, “armchair mythology” did not arise yesterday and will not disappear tomorrow. In all sciences there have always been and are lovers to compose gag that is not related to reality. The connection between the image of the Russian Snow Maiden and Kostroma was "found" by Kostroma local historians, when the authorities of Kostroma decided to declare their places the birthplace of the Snow Maiden.

Note that the supposedly "ancient" rite associated with the image of Kostroma was first noted and described only in the 19th century, so that the antiquity of information about it is very small. Much later, from these descriptions, local Kostroma "armchair mythologists" concluded that the myth of the Snow Maiden arose from the "ancient" Slavic ritual of the funeral of Kostroma, which was carried out by peasants in the areas around the city of Kostroma.

But consider who Kostroma is in this rite.

Mara

The word "Kostroma" has the same root as the word bonfire. According to the descriptions of researchers of the 19th century, at the end of winter, the effigy of Kostroma in different villages was buried by peasants in the vicinity of the city of Kostroma in different ways. The straw effigy, depicting Kostroma, joyfully, with hoots and jokes, was either drowned in the river or burned.

From conscientious descriptions by researchers of the 19th century, it can be seen that the rite of destruction of the effigy of Kostroma repeats to the smallest detail the rite of festive destruction in the spring of the effigy of the bored evil Winter-Marena, which in different places is also called Morena, Marana, Morana, Mara, Marukh, Marmara.

From the descriptions of the rite, it is clearly seen that the goddess of winter, Kostroma, is not a separate independent deity, but only the local (local) Kostroma name of the common Slavic Marena (Morana), the pagan goddess of death, winter and night.

Morana (Marana, Kostroma ...) was personified in a frightening image: relentless and ferocious, her teeth are more dangerous than the fangs of a wild beast, terrible, crooked claws on her hands; Death is black, gnashes its teeth, quickly rushes to war, grabs fallen warriors and, sticking its claws into the body, sucks the blood out of them.

Madder

The plurality of Morana-Kostroma names in Russian is not surprising. In the 19th century in Russia, there were still many local features of the Russian language, which by the middle of the 20th century had practically disappeared due to the introduction of a single standardized education. For example, the same ancient pagan harvest festival, traditionally celebrated on the day of the autumn equinox, was called Veresen, Tausen, Ovsen, Avsen, Usen, Autumn, Radogoshch in different parts of Russia.

Winter Madder

The burning of an effigy of Winter (Marena, Kostroma, etc.) is a farewell to a boring winter, practiced in the spring by all the peoples of Europe, including the Slavs, who in pre-Christian times had a common religion of druids / sorcerers (the Slavs called pagan priests-druids " Magi").

In pre-Christian times, the effigy of Winter was destroyed by drowning in water or by burning on the day of the vernal equinox during the pagan holiday of Komoyeditsy (see details). Later, when the victorious Christian church, under fear of heavy punishment, banned the pagan Komoyeditsa and introduced instead the Christian holiday Maslenitsa (in Europe called "carnival"), people began to destroy the effigy of Winter on the last day of Maslenitsa.

The rite of burning on Komoyeditsa on the day of the vernal equinox (later in Christian times - on the last day of Maslenitsa) the effigy of the annoying Winter-Marena (and not Maslenitsa, as some mistakenly believe) was intended to ensure the fertility of the land.

Of course, there is no reason to associate the image of our Russian Snow Maiden with the image of the ancient evil and cruel goddess of winter, death and night Morana (Kostroma) - these are just ridiculous anti-scientific exaggerations of overly witty Kostroma local historians who acted under the order of local authorities.

Attempts to look for the roots of the relationship of the Snow Maiden in the pre-Christian mythology of the Slavs, which by the 13th century was completely and irretrievably destroyed by churchmen, and about which practically nothing is known today, are also senseless.

In the cruel medieval times of the introduction of Christianity in Russia, conquered and enslaved by the newcomer Scandinavian bandits-Varangians (Vikings), the Russian people lost both their mythology and the ancient Slavic runic writing, and together with the runic writing, all their historical chronicles, which were led by the Magi. It was then that the history, beliefs and customs of the Slavs of pre-Christian times were carefully destroyed for several centuries by churchmen and Varangian authorities and became unknown.

Let us turn to the real story of the origin of our Russian Snow Maiden.

It is known that the gods will be born sometime, live for some time in the minds of people, and then die, being erased from memory.

In the great Russian culture of the 19th century, the miracle of the birth of a new Goddess took place, which will never disappear from the memory of the Russian people, as long as our Russian people exist.

To understand this Russian cultural phenomenon, one should not mistakenly believe that only the cunning Jewish people are capable of creating new gods, while other peoples in their creativity and traditions must certainly dance to the tune of only Jewish religious fantasies. As the history of culture of the 19th and 20th centuries shows, Russian people are also not born with a bast. It would be nice if Russians did not forget about this even in the current 21st century.

Since ancient times, people have been making likenesses of a person from different materials (i.e., sculptures), sometimes imagining their sculptures come to life (recall the ancient myth of Pygmalion and Galatea).

The image of a revived ice girl is often found in northern fairy tales. In the Russian folklore of the 19th century recorded by researchers, the Snow Maiden also appears as a character in a folk tale about a girl made of snow who came to life.

Most likely, the Russian folk tale about the Snow Maiden was composed somewhere in the middle of the 18th century, possibly under the influence of northern legends that came through Russian northern Pomors, and then interpreted in the oral work of various storytellers. So in Russia there were variants of this fairy tale.

In Russian folk tales, the Snow Maiden miraculously emerges from the snow just like a living person. The Slavic Goddess Snegurochka was made in 1873 by the great Russian playwright A.N. Ostrovsky, giving her the Slavic gods Father Frost and Spring-Krasna as her parents. And the gods, as you know, gods are born.

Snow Maiden Ostrovsky

The Russian fairy-tale Snow Maiden is a surprisingly kind character. In Russian folklore there is not even a hint of something negative in the character of the Snow Maiden. On the contrary, in Russian fairy tales, the Snow Maiden appears as an absolutely positive character, but who has fallen into unfortunate environmental conditions. Even while suffering, the fabulous Snow Maiden does not show a single negative trait.

The fairy tale about the Snow Maiden, generated by the creativity of the Russian people, is a unique phenomenon in all the world's fairy-tale creativity. In the Russian folk tale "The Snow Maiden" there is not a single negative character! This is not in any other Russian fairy tale and in the fairy tales of other peoples of the world.

The amazing Russian culture of the 19th century gave rise to another similar unique work - the opera Iolanta, in which there is not a single negative character either, and the whole plot is also based on the struggle of good noble heroes with unfavorable natural circumstances. But in the opera “Iolanta” the heroes (with the help of the achievements of science) win, and in the folk tale “The Snow Maiden” the heroine dies under the influence of the irresistible force of earthly nature.

The modern image of the pagan Goddess Snegurochka, whose name has the same root as the words "snowman" and "snow", is a relatively recent creation of the great Russian culture of the 19th century.

Our divine Russian Snow Maiden originated as a literary character.

The initial study of folk tales about the Snow Maiden was carried out by A. N. Afanasiev (see the second volume of his work “Poetic Views of the Slavs on Nature”, 1867).

Under the influence of information about the fabulous snow girl received from Afanasyev, in 1873 A. N. Ostrovsky wrote the poetic play "The Snow Maiden". In it, the Snow Maiden appears as the daughter of the Slavic gods Father Frost and Spring-Red, who dies during a festive ritual of honoring the Slavic god of the spring sun Yarila, who comes into her own, on the Day of the vernal equinox (on the day the astronomical spring began, which our ancient pagan ancestors had and the first day of the New Year).

Later, writers and poets turned the Snow Maiden into a granddaughter - the gods are not born as a result of a single creative act of an individual, but always cumulate in themselves many ideas of the people.

Many liked the lyrical, beautiful story about the Snow Maiden. The well-known philanthropist Savva Ivanovich Mamontov wanted to put it on the home stage of the Abramtsevo circle in Moscow. The premiere took place on January 6, 1882.

Costume designs for her were made by V.M. Vasnetsov (in a light sundress with a hoop or bandage on his head), and three years later the famous artist makes new sketches already for the production of the opera of the same name by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, created on the basis of the play by N.A. Ostrovsky.

Two more well-known artists were involved in creating the appearance of the Snow Maiden. M.A. Vrubel in 1898 created the image of the Snow Maiden for a decorative panel in the house of A.V. Morozov (in white clothes woven from snow and down, lined with ermine fur). Later, in 1912, N.K. presented his vision of the Snow Maiden. Roerich (in a fur coat), who participated in the production of a dramatic play about the Snow Maiden in St. Petersburg.

Snow Maiden

The image of the Snow Maiden was further developed in the works of teachers of the late 19th - early 20th centuries, who prepared scenarios for children's New Year trees. The story of a girl from the snow who came to people became more and more popular and very well "fit" into the programs of the city's Christmas trees.

Even before the revolution, figures of the Snow Maiden were hung on a Christmas tree, girls dressed up in costumes of the Snow Maiden, fragments from fairy tales, Ostrovsky's play or opera were staged. At this time, the Snow Maiden did not act as a host.

During the period of repressions of 1927-1935, the Snow Maiden suddenly disappeared.

The image of the Snow Maiden received its modern look in 1935 in the Soviet Union, after the official permission to celebrate the New Year. In books on organizing Christmas trees of this period, the Snow Maiden appears on a par with Santa Claus, as his granddaughter, assistant and mediator in communication between him and the children.

At the beginning of 1937, Father Frost and the Snow Maiden first appeared together at the Christmas tree festival at the Moscow House of Unions. It is curious that in early Soviet images the Snow Maiden is more often depicted as a little girl; later, they began to represent her in the form of a girl. Why is still unknown.

During the war period, the Snow Maiden was again forgotten. As an obligatory constant companion of Santa Claus, she was revived only in the early 1950s thanks to the efforts of children's classics Lev Kassil and Sergei Mikhalkov, who wrote scripts for the Kremlin Christmas trees.

Father Frost and the Snow Maiden entered the public life of the country as obligatory attributes of the meeting of the upcoming New Year. Since then, every New Year, the Snow Maiden has been shifted to the duties that Santa Claus successfully copes with on the American and Western European Christmas tree. And on New Year's Eve, theater students and actresses often worked as Snow Maidens. In amateur productions, older girls and young women, often fair-haired, were chosen for the role of Snow Maidens.

Following our wonderful Russian New Year's tradition, now a beautiful granddaughter has also begun to accompany the European New Year's Grandfather.

The residence of our Santa Claus, as everyone knows, is located in the Vologda region, in Veliky Ustyug. The Snow Maiden does not live with him. Where is it?

Two places claim the title of "family nest" of the daughter of Frost and Spring. In the Shchelykovo estate in the Kostroma region, Ostrovsky came up with his play based on an old fairy tale - this, it seems, is the birthplace of the Snow Maiden.

But on the other hand, in the village of Abramtsevo near Moscow, Viktor Vasnetsov gave birth to the image of an icy beauty. Here the artist created the scenery for the first theatrical production based on Ostrovsky's play and, again in Abramtsevo, Rimsky-Korsakov's opera was performed for the first time on the stage of Savva Mamontov's home theater.

The Snow Maiden is mysteriously silent and does not reveal the address of her residence. Probably afraid of annoying reporters.

However, two of the Snow Maiden's secret addresses are already known.: Russia, 156000, Kostroma, st. Lenina 3, Snegurochka and Russia, 156000, Kostroma, st. Lagernaya, 38. Terem Snegurochka You can send letters to the Snow Maiden in the hope of getting an answer from the Snow Maiden or from her good helpers.

Kostroma. Terem Snegurochka in winter.

But Santa Claus has several official residences at once.

In 2006, another residence of Father Frost was opened in Moscow's Kuzminki Park. A two-story house was also built here for his granddaughter. The wooden tower is made in the "onion" style according to the project of Kostroma craftsmen. They say that the Snow Maiden also likes it very much.

If you want to send a letter or postcard to Santa Claus by regular mail, write to a very simple address: Where: North To: Santa Claus (you don’t need an index - everyone knows this address in the mail, and the letter will definitely reach, you can be sure)

Letters to Santa Claus

Or you can write on a letter the full mailing address of Santa Claus: Russia, 162390, Vologda region, Veliky Ustyug, Santa Claus

In Russia, not a single New Year is complete without the Snow Maiden. This fabulous beauty is the embodiment of purity, youth, fun and makes the winter holiday brighter and more joyful.

Since childhood, we have been accustomed to seeing her next to Santa Claus at all New Year's events, but few of us have thought about where the Snow Maiden's parents are. Let's try to figure it out!

Folklore has long mentioned three fairy-tale characters who are directly involved in the New Year's festivities - Father Frost, the Snowman and the Snow Maiden. And if a kind old man has his prototypes in many other countries of the world, then such a prototype does not exist for a cute fair-haired girl either in mythology or in the legends and fairy tales of other peoples.

The Snow Maiden is an original Russian treasure, a kind of angel who can persuade even a shy child and tell a poem or sing a song.

There are several versions of the origin of the Snow Maiden. One of them is connected with the ancient Slavic rite of burial of Kostroma, a ritual character symbolizing fertility. According to another version, the origins of the appearance of the snow beauty go back to pagan beliefs about the mythological god of the waters and the night sky - Varun, who in some legends is the prototype of Santa Claus.

It is believed that the Snow Maiden is the embodiment of ice-bound river waters, concealing the onset of warm spring days.

Although the Snow Maiden was known in folklore back in pagan times, she was first talked about throughout the country in the second half of the 19th century, when a fairy tale about a girl Snegurka, or Snezhevinochka, fashioned from snow, was published in Russia. According to this story, a peasant Ivan and his wife Marya once lived in a Russian village. Peace and love always reigned in their house, but they lived together until old age, never being able to have children.

One winter, a lot of snow fell in their village. Ivan and Marya went out into the yard and began to sculpt a snow doll. Suddenly, the Snow Maiden stirred, as if alive, and the couple accepted this miracle as a blessing from God, who sent them a child. The tale has a sad ending: jumping with her friends over the fire, the snow girl melted.

However, over time, her image took root in the popular mind, and from the end of the 19th century it began to be actively used in scenarios on New Year trees. Since Ivan and Marya were ordinary people, having grown old, they died, so the Snow Maiden is now an orphan.

For the first time, the fairy tale about the Snow Maiden and her elderly parents was recorded in 1869 in his works “Poetic Views of the Slavs on Nature” by the outstanding Russian folklore collector Alexander Afanasyev.

The author also has a pagan version of the appearance of the winter heroine, according to which the Snow Maiden is a snow nymph. It is born at the beginning of winter from snow, and with the advent of spring days it evaporates and takes with it the desires of the villagers.

In 1873, the playwright Alexander Ostrovsky, impressed by Afanasiev's stories, created the play The Snow Maiden, in which he described the winter beauty as a pale-faced girl with blond hair, dressed in a fur-trimmed fur coat, hat and mittens. In this work, the author presented Snegurka as the 15-year-old daughter of Father Frost and Spring-Krasna, who let her go to the people in the suburb of Berendeevka under the supervision of Bakula-bobyl.

As in the legend of Afanasyev, in Ostrovsky's play the Snow Maiden melted, but for a different reason - from the bright sunbeam that the vengeful and evil god of fertility Yarilo brought upon her.

If you believe Ostrovsky's play, then Santa Claus is the father of the Snow Maiden, but in 1935, after they were officially allowed in the USSR, they began to be mistaken for grandfather and granddaughter. In the teaching aids for holding New Year's events, the young beauty acts as an old man's assistant and his intermediary in playing with the kids on the Christmas tree.

Who came up with the idea of ​​calling the Snow Maiden the granddaughter of Frost is still unknown, but their first joint appearance took place in 1937 in the House of Unions in Moscow, and since then it has just so happened that the good old man is the girl’s grandfather.