Different countries have their own New Year characters: in the USA - Santa Claus, in France - Père Noel, in England - Father Christmas, etc. However, the Russian Santa Claus is the only one who has a companion - the beautiful granddaughter of the Snow Maiden.
Instructions
Step 1
The biography of the Snow Maiden looks rather modest. She was born only in 1873, when Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky wrote his poetic tale "The Snow Maiden". True, initially the Snow Maiden was the daughter of Santa Claus and Spring Red, only later she turned into his granddaughter. But now it became completely incomprehensible who her parents were. I must say that Ostrovsky's tale is tragic: in it the cold Snow Maiden dies when the flame of true love penetrates into her heart.
Step 2
True, after leaving the pages of the famous play, the Snow Maiden resurrected and became a constant companion of Santa Claus, helping him to amuse children and adults and distribute New Year's gifts. However, the innocent girl for some reason did not come to the court of the Soviet government. From 1927 to 1935, the fairytale beauty fell under an unspoken ban, and Grandfather Frost was again left alone. Only in the 50s did the Snegurochka regain the status of a permanent character in New Year's performances. A large role in her return was played by children's writers Sergei Mikhalkov and Lev Kassil, who at that time wrote scripts for Christmas trees in the Kremlin.
Step 3
For a long time, the Snow Maiden costume was being developed. Today she is usually depicted wearing a blue fur coat and hat. This color is associated with bluish ice. In fact, in the Russian folk tradition, the color of ice is considered to be white. Accordingly, the Snow Maiden should also be dressed in a white suit. On her head she should wear a crown richly embroidered with pearls and silver threads.
Step 4
As you know, the residence of Father Frost is located in Veliky Ustyug. However, the young beauty Snegurochka lives separately from her grandfather. Two places claim the role of her home at once: the Shchelykovo estate in the Kostroma region, where Ostrovsky composed his "spring tale", and Abramtsevo near Moscow, where Viktor Vasnetsov created a picturesque image of the Snow Maiden.
Step 5
The Snow Maiden has repeatedly appeared on the movie screen. In 1968 Pavel Kadochnikov filmed Ostrovsky's play at Lenfilm. The role of the Snow Maiden was played by Evgenia Filonova - a fragile beauty with a sad fate. In 1971, director Yuri Tsvetkov shot the film "Spring Tale" at the "Belarusfilm" studio. Here Natalya Bogunova starred in the role of the Snow Maiden, also known for her roles as Daisy in the film "Running on the Waves" and, of course, Svetlana Afanasyevna in the famous "Big Change".
Step 6
In 1975, a wonderful musical tale "New Year's Adventures of Masha and Viti", filmed by Igor Usov and Gennady Kazansky, appeared on the television screen. One of her heroines was the kind and beautiful Snow Maiden, kidnapped by Koshchey the Immortal. She was played by a very charming but unprofessional actress Irina Borisova. It is interesting that all the actresses who played the Snow Maiden quickly stopped acting in films. Perhaps the image of the fragile Snow Maiden, capable of melting at any moment, left its mark on the creative destiny of each of them.
