Russian's brother. His name is Zyuzya. According to legend, grandfather lives in the forest, and this is true! The possessions of the Belarusian Father Frost are located on the territory of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park.
It is located in the depths of the Pushcha, surrounded by a protected forest, on a former bison nursery, where bison used to come to feed in winter. The total area of the estate is 15 hectares.
On the territory of the residence, as stated in the national park, grows the tallest forty-meter natural spruce in Europe, which is 120 years old. On New Year's Day it is the main attraction of the residence.
At the entrance, guests are greeted by two wooden knights - Dub-Dubovich and Elm-Vyazovich. Not far from the tree there are sculptural groups and compositions made of wood based on the fairy tales “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and “12 Months”. Each month has an image of its corresponding horoscope sign. According to legend, if you touch your month and make a wish, it will definitely come true.
A windmill, a magic well and a number of other fairy-tale objects were built on the territory of the residence. There is a pond in which the Frog Princess swims. The residence is decorated with numerous sculptures of fairy tale heroes - Pinocchio, pike, goat, hare, bear and others.
", 31.12.2011
Since Soviet times, on New Year's Eve we have become accustomed to expecting gifts from Santa Claus. But not everyone knows that traditionally Belarusians are closer to the pagan god of winter Zyuzya or the good-natured Saint Nicholas. The Salidarnasts correspondent found out what place each of the famous winter characters occupies in our culture.
Father Frost, Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Zyuzya. First of all, it is worth noting that all of these heroes are older men, and the history of each of them, to one degree or another, originates in paganism or the Christian religion. At the same time, not all of them gave gifts; the characters had different characters, wore different clothes, lived in different geographical locations, and were even divided into secular and religious.
The most Belarusian of them can be considered Zyuzya, a mythological character who represents the winter cold and the entire calendar period from Kolyad to the spring equinox. True, already on February 2, the God of winter and frost is trying to drive away “Tsotsya-Gramaunitsa”, which shows Zyuz that the time of his reign is not eternal, writes the regional public organization “Irkutsk Partnership of Belarusian Culture named after. Yan Chersky." Zyuzya lives in the forest, but occasionally visits the village - according to some legends, to bring severe frosts there; according to others, on the contrary, to help the poor, old people and children not to freeze. All beliefs agree that the Belarusians respected Zyuzya and tried in every possible way to appease him so that he would be less fierce: during Kolyads, Zyuzya was either left a plate of kutya, or at the beginning of the holiday week the owner threw a spoonful of porridge out of the window, inviting: “Maroz, hadzi kutstyu estsi!” "
According to the information presented in the dictionary “Belarusian Mythology”, Zyuzya lives on the territory of Belarus, but is also known to Polesie Ukrainians.
According to sources from the 19th century, Zyuzya looked like this: he was a short, fat old man in a white fur coat, probably bald. The winter pagan god wore a long beard and had bare feet. Zyuzia didn’t have a hat, but she had to have an iron staff. He hit trees and stumps with it when he was angry with people, from which, as follows from legends, even the earth could split.
The folklore image of Zyuzey was recently recreated, and now the hero, called Zyuzey Poozersky, lives in Postavy. Tourists are often brought to his estate. One of the Minsk travel agencies, for example, this year offers one-day excursions to the estate of the folklore winter god for 165 thousand rubles.
St Nicholas known to both Christians and Muslims, and is revered to this day. However, in winter it brings gifts mainly to Catholics.
All the good deeds of St. Nicholas mentioned in Belarusian folklore notes are countless: he helped peasants, took orphans under his care, was a miracle worker and freed captives and prisoners. The prototype of St. Nicholas - the Archbishop of Myra - lived in the western part of Asia Minor, in the city of Myra in the 4th century AD, folklorist Leah Solovey said in an interview with Radio Svaboda.
The feast of St. Nicholas is celebrated twice a year - in summer and winter. In winter it is December 6 (for Catholics and Protestants) and December 19 for Orthodox Christians. And it is on December 6 that the generous saint brings gifts to children.
According to Leah Solovey, there was no tradition of giving gifts in the Belarusian lands. If in Germany, on St. Nicholas Day, schoolchildren were traditionally given sweets, then Belarusian children had to beg for these sweets during caroling:
- I am a small zhachak, God's servant, I run across the sky, Yazusa bachy, I gill, gill, I demand the gift. Daitse blіnets, Kilbasi kanets, Yes y y datku Kіntse ladku, are just one of the variants of volochob songs.
In Western Europe, Saint Nicholas always comes at night, and in the morning children look for their gifts in shoes, big socks or boots, and Ukrainian children look for them under their pillows. By the way, there are a large number of myths about why children receive gifts on St. Nicholas Day, and why a surprise should be looked for in a sock, stocking or shoe. The Germans of the Catholic faith, for example, have a legend, according to the portal germania-online.ru, which tells about three sisters who were so poor that no one would marry them. Their poor father, driven to despair, was ready to make his daughters harlots, but Saint Nicholas came to the rescue. A good-natured old man lowered three bags of gold coins into the chimney, which accidentally fell into three stockings drying by the fire.
However, “Saint Nicholas” did not always bring only joy. The records of the priest and church historian who lived at the end of the 19th century, Friedrich-Iosophat Giskard, were preserved about the celebration of St. Nicholas Day - “Mikolshchyna” - by Orthodox Christians in one of the villages that belonged to the Chechersk parish. In his book “Our Churches,” he described how, on the day of the saint’s memory, people gathered with a candle and walked around their fellow villagers. At the same time, in each hut they had to pour a glass and drink with the guests. As a result, such celebrations often ended in mass drinking and fights.
There are no descriptions of St. Nicholas, and if he is described somewhere, then more often his image is very similar in appearance to the image of Santa. If you pay attention to the image of St. Nicholas in temples and churches, he is represented as an elderly man with a beard. There is a belief that a donkey accompanies him everywhere.
Name Santa Claus, with which Belarusians are familiar thanks to Coca Cola labels and American films, comes from Sinter Klass, as St. Nicholas was called in Holland. The first Dutch settlers brought with them to America the tradition of venerating the saint, but the children of settlers from other countries could only say “Santa Claus,” which later became Santa Claus. In 1773 the hero first appeared in the press as St A. Claus. And after Clement Moore's poem "The Night Before Christmas", Santeclaus, represented as a cheerful elf bringing gifts and entering the house through the fireplace chimney, became widely known in Western Europe and began to displace the religious Saint Nicholas.
In the 1920s, Santa Claus acquired his modern appearance - a fat, cheerful, bearded man dressed in a red suit. And since 1931, Santa began to “moonlight” in the field of advertising: illustrator Gaddon Sunblom created a series of images for the Coca Cola drink, on the winter labels of which we can still see the smiling hero of the winter holiday.
And here Father Frost- our Soviet heritage, and the basis for creating this image was Russian pagan mythology and winter gods, who were worshiped in Russia. Among them are Treskun, Studenets or the fabulous Frost-Red Nose. Russian winter gods, like Belarusian ones, had a bad character, and the owners had to appease their Treskun (or Frost) in the same way as our ancestors, the domestic Zyuzya. The pagan past, great respect and veneration of St. Nicholas, together with Soviet anti-religious propaganda, gave rise to the image of the secular good-natured Father Frost, who gives gifts to children on New Year's Eve. But Saint Nicholas could not only not bring a gift for bad behavior in the past year, but also use the rod.
The main difference between Father Frost and other children's favorites is his granddaughter Snegurochka, who accompanies the old man everywhere. The pagans did not have the character of the Snow Maiden, but she became famous thanks to fairy tales, in particular, the fairy tale play by Alexander Ostrovsky, written in 1873. Today, the All-Russian Father Frost is officially “registered” in the city of Veliky Ustyug in the Vologda region. And Belarus has its own Santa Claus, who has lived in the city since 2003. Belovezhskaya Pushcha, on an estate in which there are the Snow Maiden, and deer, and a tall ancient spruce. On New Year's Eve, Belarusian Father Frost receives up to 10 thousand tourists daily.
He has many names and guises. In Japan his name is Oji-san, in Romania - Mosh Jarile, in Estonia - Jyuluvana, in Uzbekistan - Kerbobo, in Italy - Bubbe Natale, in Finland - Joulupukki... Mordovian Nishke, for example, is a beekeeper, Dutch Sinter Klaas is a chimney sweeper , and the Yakut Chizkhan is horned like a bull! I have no doubt, dear readers, that you have long guessed that we are talking about the magical New Year’s old man, whom in our area we are accustomed to calling Santa Claus. However, we also have one more New Year’s character. So to speak, the deputy and brother of Father Frost in the Vitebsk region. Meet Zyuzya! This regional “lord of the cold” lives near the village of Prudniki, Postavy district. Last week he opened his fabulous residence and began performing his festive duties.
Our ancestors represented Zyuzya, or the God of Winter, in the image of a grandfather with a long beard who lives in the forest, walks barefoot and, according to legend, causes a blizzard, blizzard, and cold. When there is severe frost, it is believed that he hits the trees with his mace, which seem to crack as a result. From time to time Zyuzya wanders into the village to warn the peasants about the approaching bitter frosts, to save some poor family from the cold, or to give them plenty to eat from kutya. It’s not for nothing that there is a saying: “Zyuzya is in the yard - kutya is on the table.” And today you can often hear: “I'm frozen like a zyuzya!” Last year, the Postavy Tourist Services Center decided to “reanimate” this folklore character. “After the route “Land of Lakes, Churches, Parks” started operating at full capacity, I wondered: did the Belarusians have their own legend that anticipated the appearance of Father Frost? - recalls the director of the center Yegor Shushkevich. - And such a character was found! And “Zyuzya turned out to be so popular that already in the first season it received more than one and a half thousand visitors.”
Buses from Minsk, Vitebsk arrive at Zyuzi’s property, which is located in the Starodvorsky forestry... Guests are greeted at the gate by the housekeeper and led to warm up with herbal tea brewed in a rare 40-liter samovar, which is heated with wood. Olya and Masha Lasotsky, who came from Osipovichi, have already received a “treat from Zyuzi” (a huge gingerbread in the shape of a snowman) and now, together with their parents, they can’t wait for the fabulous performance. And then the music sounds, a messenger appears on the bridge across the pond... According to the script, the insidious and greedy woman Misfortune, together with the raging Ognevik, plots against Zyuzin’s grandson, the Iceman. However, the good sorceress Aunt Zaveya re-educates the “evil spirits” who have escaped the hands, who then, together with the lord of the cold and the children, begin to dance, play and dance in circles.
Zyuzya Poozersky (because he lives in the Belarusian Poozerie), of course, looks like the traditional Father Frost, but the Postavy mysteries also have their own unique flavor. “Our text and action are more tied to Kolyada and Christmas,” says Lyudmila Chetovich, an employee of the organizational and methodological center of the regional department of culture and part-time scriptwriter for Zyuzin’s performance. “Recently our Grandfather (his role is played by a musician of the folk club of national cuisine, games and rituals" Tradition" Yaroslav Zemchenok) updated his wardrobe.
First, he comes out in a ceremonial fur coat, trimmed with Belarusian ornaments, and then changes into a casual jacket, runs barefoot, dances and plays with children, like a simple old man, absolutely devoid of pride." The performance ends with a grandiose fireworks display. Before heading home, in the "Tavern Zyuzi" you can taste potato pancakes. Here, a colorful folk craftsman, member of the Union of Craftsmen of Belarus Sergei Shcherbo will teach you how to make clay whistles and offer a commemorative ceramic medal. “Soon,” the organizers promise, “we will issue an official certificate of visiting Zyuzi’s residence!” Today The Postavy Tourist Services Center cooperates with many companies and agencies. This means that children and adults from almost all regions of the country will be able to visit Zyuzi Poozersky. A ticket to the unusual forest performance, the price of which includes refreshments, will cost 12 thousand rubles.
As I was heading home, two more full buses passed me. Although this winter has not yet spoiled us with snow or frost, Zyuzya, apparently, is not without work. And he will have to work hard until Baptism.
Santa Claus is the favorite of all children and many adults. This is not only a fairy tale, but also a real character in almost every country who has his own residences. Not only children, but also adults strive to visit it every year. Many people ask the question: “What is the name of the Belarusian Santa Claus?” His name is Zyuzya. This will be discussed in this article.
How did he appear?
The history of the appearance of Santa Claus dates back to ancient times. According to one version, in the third century a boy, Nikolai (Ugodnik), was born, who later became a bishop. As an adult, he always helped children and gave them gifts.
Over time, the image of the good bishop became associated with the New Year and Christmas holidays. He began to be considered the patron saint of children. Centuries passed, and his image was replenished with many additions. Gradually, Nikolai Ugodnik began to be called nothing less than Father Frost.
It is found in almost every country. They just call it differently. He is also distinguished by his attire. The history of the Belarusian Father Frost dates back to 2002. It was then that President Lukashenko decided to get his own Santa Claus and “settle” him in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Construction of the Zyuzi residence began.
Where does Belarusian Santa Claus live?
The estate of the Belarusian Father Frost was built in 2003. It is located in the national park in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. This is a cultural and tourist complex. It is called the residence (or estate) of the Belarusian Father Frost.
The complex includes not only the house where the legendary fairy-tale character lives. It has hotels with rooms and separate houses for tourists, ecological trails, and entertainment programs. And not only on New Year's, but at any time of the year. True, his estate itself is open only during the New Year and Christmas holidays.
What is the name of Father Frost in Belarus?
Many people are interested: since the fairy-tale character is called differently in each country, what is the name of the Belarusian Santa Claus? And the answer will be simple: Zyuzya. This is a brother of the Russian fairy-tale grandfather. He's just as much a wizard. Patronizes children, gives them gifts and makes their dreams come true. As expected, he has a granddaughter, Snegurochka. And they live on their estate in Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
Estate of the Belarusian Father Frost
Father Frost in Belarusian language is Dzed Maroz. His property is located on the territory of a former bison nursery. Previously, they fed there in winter. The area of the former nursery, and now the domain of Father Frost, is 15 hectares.
The residence contains his estate with a throne room. In the center stands a carved wooden throne. It is made from several types of wood. On the top of the back are two martens. The armrests are made in the shape of horses' heads.
On the ground floor there is a study room. There, the Belarusian Father Frost is drying his felt boots by the fire. On the second floor there is a bedroom with a large carved bed and a stack of pillows. There is also a small balcony. The Belarusian wizard meets guests on the porch of his estate together with the Snow Maiden.
How is Zyuzya dressed?
Zyuzya is the Belarusian Santa Claus. He dresses like his Russian counterpart. In winter - in a red fur coat and felt boots. But in summer his attire is different. Zyuzya puts on a shirt embroidered with Belarusian ornaments. On his head is a straw hat. Zyuzya carries the magic staff with him constantly, at any time of the year, and does not let go of his hands.
Where does the Snow Maiden live?
The Snow Maiden's house is located next to the estate of Father Frost, a little to the side. It is one-story. It has a “treasure box”. This is a repository for children's gifts, letters, photographs, drawings and crafts that were sent to Santa Claus. His museum is located in the Snow Maiden's house. It contains many antique items.
Attractions of the residence
Only the Belarusian Father Frost could boast of the largest Christmas tree that grew on the territory of his estate. It was the tallest spruce in all of Europe. Her age is 120 years. According to some sources, even 150. This spruce was the main attraction in the residence during the New Year and Christmas holidays.
But in 2014 it had to be cut down due to drying out. Previously, it was decorated with 5,000 light bulbs, and the height of the tree was 40 m. No less gorgeous forest coniferous beauties grow nearby; a worthy replacement was found for the cut down spruce.
Zyuzya is the Belarusian Father Frost, who is guarded at the entrance by two knights made of wood. Their names are Elm Vyazovich and Oak Dubovich. Near the main fir tree there are compositions and sculptural groups created based on the famous fairy tales about Snow White with the dwarves and the 12 months. Moreover, each of the latter depicts a specific horoscope sign. There is a legend that when people touch their month, walk around it and make a wish in a whisper, it will certainly come true.
The residence of the Belarusian Father Frost is full of surprises. There is a magic well in it. At the bottom there are fragments of the mirror that Snow White's stepmother broke. If a person who has not done anything wrong in his life comes up, bows and asks for a drink of water, then the fragments of the mirror will unite at the bottom. It will float to the top and answer the questions asked of it. Simple water will become “living” and will heal any, even the most complex and painful wound.
They say that it was in this well that the talking Pike lived, which Emelya once caught. In honor of these fairy-tale heroes, there is a sculpture nearby that depicts them. There are many other objects created according to descriptions from fairy tales. For example, a small pond. The Frog Princess lives in it. She is waiting for her prince. But married men and even grooms should not approach this pond, otherwise they may turn green.
The Belarusian Father Frost, just like his brothers, is a wizard. Accordingly, on its territory there are many amazing inanimate objects. For example, a small one. Thanks to it, you can get rid of the mistakes that have been made in life. If they are small, then you need to rub small pebbles at the base of the mill. And if they are large, then choose the largest cobblestones. If a person has messed things up in life, then in this case the mill needs to be embraced.
Zyuzya is the Belarusian Father Frost, who, like his brothers in other countries, has his own residence. It is decorated with numerous fabulous sculptures. There is Buratino, Pike and many other characters. The path that leads to the magical lake is accompanied along its entire length by benches, next to which there are small figures of gnomes. They help guests not to get lost in the forest, find edible mushrooms, and tell them which ones are false and poisonous.
On the territory of the residence there are trading shops where you can buy souvenirs or gifts for family, friends and relatives. There are also entertainment complexes there. Garlands and colorful light bulbs hang on the trees. They light up at night and sparkle like jewels, creating the feeling that those present are in a fairy tale.
By visiting the Belarusian Zyuzya, you can not only enjoy a fairy tale, but also try traditional cuisine. You are invited to visit Zima’s workshop, where you can make your own jewelry not only for yourself, but also for your loved ones. For example, a doll-amulet. Or take a look at the Museum of Ice Life.
For vacationers, throughout the residence of the Belarusian Zyuzi there are gazebos and terraces, tables and benches. In summer, they protect from the sun, being under the canopy of trees. The New Year's border crossing ceremony is interesting and surprising.
When can you visit Belarusian Zyuzya?
The Zyuzi residence is open all year round, seven days a week. It is open at the same time when the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park is open - from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There are children's and adult entrance tickets. The first ones are twice cheaper.
How to get there?
The address of the Belarusian Father Frost is as follows: Belovezhskaya Pushcha, residence of Zyuzi. It's easy to get to. First you need to get to the village of Kamenoki. The central entrance to the park is located on its territory. Then - on transport that runs specifically for tourists.
Departure to Santa Claus's residence occurs every time a group of 10 people is formed. If you get there on your own, then in this case you will need to spend the night in a hotel or camp site. Entry to the park is only possible by tourist buses. You won't be allowed in by private transport.
How to get to the residence of Father Frost?
At the main entrance gate of the park, visitors are greeted by Vasilisa the storyteller. She will show all the sights, tell legends and interesting facts, and answer all questions. He will introduce you to all the fairy-tale characters and show where and how the Belarusian Santa Claus lives with his granddaughter.
In the summer, the Snow Maiden is not at the residence - she goes to the North Pole so as not to melt. But her guest house is always open. To enter the territory of Father Frost's residence, which is guarded at the entrance by two wooden knights, you need to say special phrases. Vasilisa the storyteller will help you do this.
She will also conduct a tour of the possessions of Santa Claus. He will show you a fairy-tale apiary where bears and elk come for honey. It is on it that Santa Claus comes to visit the children in winter.
In general, of course, he is not Santa Claus. He is Zyuzya. I didn’t know about this before my trip to Belarus.
Zyuzya lives not in the North Pole, not in a fairy tale, but in a very specific place - in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. From Brest to Belovezhskaya Pushcha it is 65 kilometers, you can get there by your own car or by bus or minibus.
Zyuzya intimidated me all December. Like, there will be so many people that you won’t see anything, take a step forward, step back and they’ll kick you out. It’s a disastrous thing to go to Santa Claus during the New Year holidays... They intimidated me, yes. I even thought about giving up and limiting myself to Belarus in general without going deeper in particular. They didn’t promise Tanya Santa Claus, they just went to “look for” it. Whether we would find it, no one knew (or rather, was not sure).
And, you know, Belarusians are great. I didn't expect such an excellent organization. If the Belarusian residence of Father Frost is so nice during the high season, then I can imagine how cozy it is here when the crowds of tourists decrease and only Belarusians themselves go to see Father Frost.
About how to get acquainted with the Belarusian Santa Claus. Ugh, Zyuzey...:
Tourists are ordered to leave their cars in the parking lot. In front of the main entrance, at the box office, you need to buy tickets. They are sold separately to the museum of nature, to Grandfather's residence, to the nursery. You can pay separately for a lot of additional entertainment. Skis, bicycles, coal for barbecue..... See the full price list on the Belovezhskaya Pushcha website.
On holidays and New Year's days, buses run every half hour, two at a time. And they can accommodate 100 people. This is the amount that makes up one tour group allowed to see Grandfather’s body. 111 people won’t be allowed in, no matter what.
The bus travels 12 kilometers through the forest and stops almost in front of the residence. In the parking lot, tourists (including us) spill out of the bus like peas and continue walking under the guidance of Snowflake, who is waiting by the bus.
We don’t go for long, just a few dozen meters. On the way, Snezhinka conducts an educational program on a Grandfather Frost theme.
We are handed over from hand to hand to the second assistant (I forgot her name). She leads you to the main gate, tells stories, asks riddles and entertains in every possible way.
If Grandfather is busy, tourists will not be allowed inside the residence (outside the gate), so as not to provoke a crowd. But it’s not boring with assistants. The gate is guarded from particularly annoying tourists by Oak Dubovich and Elm Vyazovich. And there is also a bear walking around begging tourists for candy.
And so, when all the riddles (“Three rams, how many legs?”) were guessed, the gates opened and we entered the residence. Along the alley lined with wooden sculptures of various Grandfathers, we go to the tower. On the way, we stop at a sign indicating the distance to the homes of all kinds of fairy-tale villains and goodies.
You can photograph the palace up close, but Grandfather Moroz’s porch is never empty on holidays. So just like this:
We listen to the congratulations of Santa Claus standing on the porch.
Group photo, first with Russian tourists, then with the rest.
Then, after saying goodbye to Zyuzya, we were given free time to explore the territory. Glade of 12 months, Wishing Trees, signs of the Zodiac, round dance... Everywhere you can take pictures, make wishes and have New Year's fun.
Glade of 12 Months:
On it you need to find a hug for your month.
Fairy tale characters:
A magical Christmas tree around which there are round dances:
And those who want to take pictures:
Alley of zodiac signs. The monkey is Anya (the eldest), but all the girls wanted to take a photo. The Wooden Monkey is practically invisible behind the models.
The Monkey didn’t even go near the Tigresses, he left them alone:
But one of the Tigresses decided to take a photo with me, the Horse:
Gifts are given out in Skarbnitsa. It is impossible to photograph Skarbnitsa without tourists in the frame.
In addition to gifts, letters and drawings that Grandfather receives are stored there.