Father Frost’s Winter Wonderland is Booming With New Guests and New Year’s Spirit!

Veliky Ustyug awaits his guests. The Federal Agency for Tourism says the flow of tourists to Father Frost's homeland will increase twofold this year. Now you can get there by train or by bus, but soon the airport will also service flights.

Veliky Ustyug awaits his guests. The Federal Agency for Tourism says the flow of tourists to Father Frost's homeland will increase twofold this year. Now you can get there by train or by bus, but soon the airport will also service flights. How has Veliky Ustyug changed? Where will the guests be accommodated? How much will the New Year fairy tale vacation cost?

Elshan Kurbanov reports.

Some two years ago the road to Veliky Ustyug left much to be desired. There were pits and bumps, but now it's all in the past. Today, it's an ideal highway many kilometers long. Now nothing will keep the guests from enjoying the beauties of the northern region.

 

The distance from Vologda to Father Frost's homeland is 450 km, 915 km from Moscow, and 1100 from Saint-Petersburg. Those who don't want to tire themselves by driving can take the train until Kotlas station. Then, 1,5 hours by bus and you're in a fairy tale.

Don't forget that there is also a possibility to visit Father Frost by plane from Cherepovets.

Elf: Jump, hands up high. Jump, hands down low!

Elshan: Already now, there is an incredible atmosphere in Father Frost's domain, magic is everywhere. Not only fairy tale heroes come alive, but also simple objects. As if by magic the stove comes straight at me.

The guests ride on the stove to Father Frost's terem. Its 12 rooms are always open for visitors: an observatory, a lab, a wardrobe, and a bedroom, but most important is the postroom, of course.

Elshan: What's in your bag? I see it's very heavy.

Postman: "Inside are letters to Father Frost, about 15 kilos, and it's not even the biggest one".

Bags full of letters are delivered to Father Frost. The post assures that not a single letter gets lost. Father Frost gets about 200,000 letters annually. They are written by children, as well as adults, not only from Russia, from various countries, for example, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan. Russia's Father Frost receives letters even from China. The simple wishes contain a timid hope for a miracle. Here they try to fulfill it.

Father Frost: "My name is Vanya Chuprov, I am 10 years old, I am a good student in the 3rd grade. I would like a meccano and peace on earth".

This is the ice kingdom of the winter wizard. It remains icy the whole year round. A carriage, snowmen, swans, and Father Frost's huge throne, the sculptures seem to be crystal.

Tourist: "It was 15 degrees at home, the weather was great, here we can feel the New Year spirit".

From the ice house to the tropics, Father Frost even has a winter garden. A greenhouse on the banks of a river, there is room for a miracle here too.

Natalya Vershanskaya, Father Frost's assistant: "We have hibiscus growing in the garden. In spring and summer it blooms every day, it shouldn't be blooming in winter, but here it miraculously blooms every day even in winter".

The whole city seems to be helping Father Frost in receiving guests. The cafes and restaurants of Ustyug are like in a fairy tale too. They serve food that Father Frost himself loves to eat.

Pavel Fedotov, chief cook: "We will be cooking the favorite dish of Father Frost, a mushroom soup. The main ingredient is the mushrooms picked in the woods behind Father Frost's house".

The hotels are also unconventional here. Here is a mini-hotel with 12 small houses, like the number of months in a year.

Hotel host: "The "12 Months" cottage, this is February, you see, the walls show blizzards typical for this month, so the guests feel they are living in February".

The hotel service in Veliky Ustyug has seen a miraculous improvement. For example, these houses are made of laminated log, so it's warm in winter and cool in summer. You can stay at a hostel or a premium-class hotel. Some rooms for the New Year holidays were already booked in May.

Tatyana Korshunova, tourist representative: "The high season in Veliky Ustyug is the New Year. The minimum price of a package tour for three people will be around 30,000 rubles".

Tourists from the whole world come to Veliky Ustyug to celebrate. One can't imagine New Year without the fairy tale figure of Father Frost. It seems like he was here forever. His granddaughter, the Snow Maiden, sends him greetings from Kostroma and hopes to meet him soon.

Snow Maiden: "Happy holidays, grandpa!"

Elshan Kurbanov, Vladimir Gushin for Vesti from the Vologda region.