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Russia is probably the only country where for children the acronym "DM" stands not for the famed British rock band Depeche Mode, but for Ded Moroz, which literally means Grandfather Frost, the Russian analogue of the Western Santa Claus.
Artem, 8, who seems to know nearly everything about Ded Moroz, has not lost a belief in his existence as a real person.
Artem, along with his parents, was among 7,000 visitors attending daily the official "embassy" of Ded Moroz, a fenced building in Moscow's Kuzminky Park. The little boy participated in a quiz where the old red-clad man with long white beard asked questions about Ded Moroz's life, including where he lives, how he travels and his family members.
Artem gave no chance for other children to reply, answering even before the host finished asking.
"You live in the town of Veliki Ustyug! You travel on troika-driven sleigh! You have a granddaughter called Snegurochka (Snow Girl)," Artem replied with a rapid-fire speed.
After the quiz, DM's embassy spokeswoman Nina Kazanskaya started answering questions from visitors.
This is true. The DM's embassy, like any diplomatic institution, has its own press service and about 40 people on the payroll.
"Official Ded Moroz actually enjoys a diplomatic status, because part of his job is to develop humanitarian cooperation between Russia and other countries," Kazanskaya told Xinhua.
Just recently, Ded Moroz has met with his visiting counterparts from Finland and Norway. They discussed programs of children entertainment and tourism, as few children abroad were aware of this Russian tradition.
Ded Moroz's official residence was founded in 2000 in the remote town of Veliki Ustyug in northern Vologda region where, according to the legend, Grandfather Frost lives. In 2003, DM's embassy in Moscow, which is also the winter residence of Ded Moroz, was opened, Kazanskaya said.
About the same time, the Snow Girl's official residence was established in the city of Kostroma on Upper Volga river, again in accordance with the legend.
Both official and winter homes of Ded Moroz have been funded by the federal government, the spokeswoman said. In the off-season, which lasts for 11 months, they function as ethnographic museums and make room for children education.
From mid-December to mid-January, it is a busy time for Ded Moroz. He and his colleagues answer children's letters from across Russia.
"Of course, one person, even one who possesses mystical abilities, cannot be present everywhere. So the official Ded Moroz entrusts thousands of his deputies with his duties throughout the country," Kazanskaya said.
"Thus, each clone of him obtains a legal right to give New Year a start."
How much does Ded Moroz make during that month of hard work?
This question from Artem remains unanswered.
"For sure, he does not complain," DM's spokeswoman simply said. "Fairy tale must go on." Enditem
