Santa Claus now has a postal address: 162390, Vologda Oblast, Veliky Ustyug. You can send a letter there; on November 18, guests gather there for his birthday celebration; and if a child asks where Santa lives, the answer can be found on any map.
But it wasn't always like that. If you look through old Russian books, over the past two hundred years there have been several changes in the address of the old man in winter; each one is stranger than the last. And the first of them was at the bottom of a well.
At the bottom of the well
In 1841, Vladimir Odoyevsky published the fairy tale «Moroz Ivanovich». The plot is simple and very familiar. Two girls, one hardworking, the other lazy. The hardworking one, called the Handmaiden, drops a bucket into the well, goes to get it, and ends up in another world. There, in the icy house, lives an old man named Moroz Ivanovich.
He lives, it must be said, modestly. He sleeps on a perch, only his penis is made of fluffy snow. The needlewoman stirs the snowy perch. Underneath she notices green grass: Moroz Ivanovich explains that the snow covers the crops until spring. For his work he pays her silver. The leper then goes into the same well for the reward and receives a reward that melts at home: instead of a diamond, she has a lump of salt.
No bag of presents, no Christmas tree, no granddaughter. A strict winter master who lives in a well and checks who is working how.
In the forest with a lookout
In a little over twenty years, Nekrasov had another Moroz, a forest voivode. The famous lines in the poem «Moroz, Krasny Nos» are: «Moroz, voivode, keeps a watchful eye / He patrols his domain.» Here he no longer rewards anyone with silver. He is the owner of a huge winter forest, proud and rather dangerous, who admires his possessions, blocks the rivers with ice, and boasts of strength.
It’s hard to call him a good grandfather here. It’s interesting for older children to compare this to the same Frost, but with a completely different character.
The father instead of the grandfather
The most unexpected address appeared in 1873, in Alexander Ostrovsky’s play «Snow-Girl». There, Moroz lives in a fairy-tale kingdom of elves, and he has a family. A wife, Veshna-Krasna. And a daughter, Snegurochka.
The daughter is the one. Not a granddaughter. Ostrovsky's Snow Maiden is a girl who wants to live among people and learn what love is; her father, Moroz, fears for her and refuses to let her go. Later, he wrote the opera based on this play by Rimsky-Korsakov.
Santa Claus’ granddaughter, Snegurochka, came into being much later, at Soviet New Year’s parties. In early 1937, they went out to meet the children at a festival at the Moscow House of Unions together, and have been together ever since—grandfather and granddaughter.
Address with an index number
Santa Claus’ permanent residence came into being quite recently. In 1998, Moscow and the Vologda region launched a project under which Veliky Ustyug became his home. In 1999, a cottage was opened there, and in 2001 a post office was established. And in 2005, almost seven years after the start of the project, Santa Claus also celebrated his birthday: November 18th. The date was linked to the arrival of winter; in Ustyug, around this time, usually persistent snow falls.
Letter to Santa from America
The first two tasks are about the actual letter in Veliky Ustyug, the third is about the old addresses of Santa Claus from the books. Before sending the letter, check on the USPS website to see if they are currently accepting mail for Russia.
Sign the envelope
The child copies the address of Santa Claus according to the model. Under each Russian line is its English version, the country is written in the last line, in large letters. The child writes their address in the upper left corner, in full, with the country name.
123 Maple Street
Minneapolis, MN 55401
USA
Ded Moroz Post Office
Great Ustyug city
Veliky Ustyug
Vologda Region
Vologda Region
162390
Card to the birthday boy
The child writes a short birthday greeting in Russian on November 18. It consists of three parts: the greeting, a couple of lines about the weather at his home at the moment, and one question for Santa Claus. For example, is it true that he once lived at the bottom of a well?.
Where did Moroz live
The child connects the address and the book where Moroz lived: the bottom of a well, a winter forest, the realm of the Berendeyevs, Veliky Ustyug. The books and the years: Odёevsky’s fairy tale «Moroz Ivanovich» from 1841, Nekrasov’s poem «Moroz, Krasny Nos,» Ostrovsky’s play «Snegurochka» from 1873, a project from 1998.
How old was he, the organizers answered in a fairytale way at the time: more than two thousand. If we count by books, it turns out to be a more modest figure. Moroz Ivanovich appeared from the well in 1841.
You can still send a letter to Ust-Kut from the US. You should check the US postal rules for letters to Russia before sending them, and the English version of the address is required under the Russian text lines. For more information about all this, see the instructions above, next to the sample envelope.
And if the child asks, what does Santa Claus have to do with it? We have it. separate article about how Santa is called in different countries. Santa, by the way, also has a postal code, a Canadian one, H0H 0H0. But he is certainly a long way from the bottom of the well.
In literary reading classes at Palme School, children read Russian fairy tales and poems, from Odoevsky to Nekrasov, compare the characters, and learn to tell about what they have read in their own words.
You can start with two free lessons: an introductory session with a facilitator and a trial lesson in a group with a teacher.
Try the literary reading lessonFrequently Asked Questions About Santa's Birthday
When is Santa's birthday?
Santa Claus’s birthday is celebrated on November 18. The holiday was first celebrated in Veliky Ustyug in 2005.
Why is Santa Claus’ birthday on November 18th?
The date is linked to the arrival of winter: in Veliky Ustyug, persistent snow usually appears around mid-November. The weather in a particular year may not coincide with the holiday.
How old is Santa Claus?
There is no exact age. The organizers of the festival called the figure a fabulous two thousand years. In Russian literature, one of the first similar characters, Moroz Ivanovich from Odoevsky's fairy tale, appeared in 1841.
Where does Santa live and what is his address?
Since 1998, Veliky Ustyug has been considered the birthplace of Santa Claus; in 1999, his residence was opened there, and since 2001, a post office has been operating. The address for letters is: 162390, Vologda Oblast', Veliky Ustyug, Santa Claus Post Office.
How to send a letter to Santa Claus from the USA?
The letter is sent via regular international mail. The English version of the address is written under each Russian line, and the last line is the country, RUSSIA, and a mark AIRMAIL/PAR AVION is placed. A complete return address is required. Before sending, it is worth checking whether the USPS currently accepts mail for Russia.
Who does Snowman resemble the Santa Claus?
Now she is a granddaughter. But in Ostrovsky’s play «Snow-Girl» from 1873, she is the daughter of Moroz and Veshny-Krasnaya. Later, they began to present her as a granddaughter at Soviet New Year’s parties, where they appeared together for children in early 1937.
