January 04, 2024

My Fair Snow Maiden


My Fair Snow Maiden
1988 Soviet postage stamp depicting the two protagonists of "Well, Just You Wait!" Wikimedia Commons

Controversy arose after a recent New Year's celebration at a school in Nakhodka, a port city in Russia's Far East Primorsky Krai region.

According to local news outlets City N and Vladivostok Online, a male physical education teacher played the role of the Wolf dressed as the Snow Maiden, a humorous character from the Soviet cartoon “Well, Just You Wait!” (“Nu, Pogodi!”), during the school's holiday celebration. Following the event, some Nakhodka residents lodged complaints about the teacher's participation.

One comment from a resident of Nakhodka read: "I ask the prosecutor's office to pay attention to the celebration in School 26 of the Livadia village. What family values can we talk about if the overgrown Snow Maiden is played by a guy? The children came in shock... Please take action – the Ministry of Education of Primorye does not react, the Ministry of Culture, too. I'm waiting for an official response for further appeal.” News outlet “City N” notes that there were no complaints about the girl who dressed up as Santa Claus.

The school administration released a statement, explaining their traditions and apologizing: “Teachers and children on this day come in carnival costumes, New Year's music happens during all breaks, competitions and New Year's lottery are held, Santa Claus's workshops occur. Teachers and children always wait for this day because they know it will be a lot of fun! 

"Teachers dressed in costumes performed plots of Soviet cartoons. Our favorite cartoon 'Well, Just You Wait!' was no exception. The role of the Wolf in the Snow Maiden costume was performed by our physical education teacher, who congratulated the kids on the holiday. There was no limit to the joy, fun and delight of children!

"We did not pursue any subtext or malicious intent in the plot with the heroes of the event. Our only goal is to please, amuse children, and embellish our school life.”

According to Vladivostok Online, many Primorye residents defended the school, recalling their own primary school teachers dressed as characters like Koshchei or Santa Claus during their childhood celebrations.

You Might Also Like

Show and Shell
  • October 26, 2023

Show and Shell

A convicted murderer and Wagner mercenary was invited to talk to Russian students.
Snow Fright
  • December 21, 2021

Snow Fright

A granddaughter of Father Christmas who is blonde, slim, and very kind? This year’s Snow Maiden doesn’t seem to fit the bill.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955