Ulyanovsk Ded Moroz on New Year work: Parents pickier, children want fairy tales

For many residents of Ulyanovsk, the New Year holidays are unthinkable without the traditional greetings from Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) and Snegurochka (Snow Maiden), fun contests, and gift-giving. It«s no surprise that most of the city»s event hosts, animators, and even professional actors don«t turn down such seasonal side jobs. As the famous Soviet actor Lev Durov joked: »A wolf is fed by its legs, but an actor by fir trees.«

A Month«s Salary for One Night

Requests for hosting fir tree parties and New Year corporate events start being accepted from the end of October. And the closer it gets to December 31, the higher the demand, and accordingly, the prices.

— The price for a greeting from Ded Moroz and Snegurochka starts from three thousand rubles (about $33 at current rates). On December 31, it increases by a thousand. And once, for a 40-minute performance at a corporate event on December 31, I was offered a full 30,000 rubles (about $330 at current rates) — practically a month«s salary in the city, — said host Andrei Ryazanov.

Andrei himself has been working part-time as Ded Moroz for ten years now, paired with actress Maria Pryskina, who plays the role of Snegurochka. Demand for the charming duo«s services is steadily increasing, but there is also competition.

— Competition doesn«t scare or irritate us; on the contrary, it»s one of the factors for development. We try to diversify our program, add interesting contests, magic tricks, flash mobs. First and foremost, we develop for the sake of the children. They are sincere, express emotions genuinely, believe in miracles, in fairy tales, and with them, you yourself start to believe in it. And our task as artists is to make children believe in the fairy tale as long as possible, so that in their adult lives they have warm memories, — Andrei continued his story.

The Ghost of a Drunk Ded Moroz

According to the artist, children have hardly changed in recent years, but parents have become much more picky.

— Many still remember the 1990s–2000s, beards made of cotton wool, drunk-to-the-gills Ded Morozes and disheveled Snegurochkas. Back then, no one really had proper programs. So adults are afraid that something similar will happen again, — explained Andrei Ryazanov.

As Andrei and Maria told, there are families whom they have been congratulating for 5–8 years already.

— Imagine, I came to the first child when I was still very young, and to the second and third, when I was already over 30. The family«s firstborn has already grown up, he»s an 18-year-old man, but he remembers me, smiles, we take photos together, — Andrei Ryazanov continued his story.

Sometimes it happens that with their talent, the artists «ignite» the parents, and they literally return to childhood.

— The order was made by the head of the family and, to put it mildly, he was not in a festive mood. We came, he says, like, all this is nonsense, nothing interesting, just give the children gifts and you can go. We started playing with the kids, he demonstratively left, but returned after about three minutes. He watched the children«s reaction to the games, quizzes, and then we show a magic trick (I don»t remember if it was mind reading or making snow appear in the apartment). And then dad started participating, he got excited, started laughing, his eyes popping out in surprise. At parting, he said that we are the real deal, and invited us for another four years in a row, until they moved away, — Snegurochka Maria Pryskina joined the conversation.

A Performance in the Stairwell

Sometimes, according to the artists, congratulations happen completely spontaneously.

— There was a case: we were changing in the stairwell, freshening up, and on the way to the apartment we met a family. They were lamenting that everyone was busy, didn«t have time to invite anyone, and the child was left without Ded Moroz and Snegurochka (and all this in front of the little one). We immediately stuffed our regular clothes into the bag and started working, like: »We«ve been waiting! Have you been good?» And it worked out. Everyone was happy, paid us five thousand with one bill, even though we usually charge two. Said no change needed, gave Snegurochka a bottle of champagne. It was very nice, — noted Andrei Ryazanov.

Recall that during the New Year holidays, residents of Ulyanovsk can see and communicate with Ded Moroz and Snegurochka for free in parks and squares, as well as at performances in city theaters, but with tickets. From December 20 to January 8, the Puppet Theater will stage the fairy tale «Ded Moroz». The Drama Theater will show the play «Snegurochka»s Birthday«. The Youth Theater will present the production »Once Upon a Time« about the incredible adventures of fairy-tale characters on New Year»s Eve.