For the third time before Christmas and New Year people in Chelyabinsk dress the 12-metres monument in a costume of Ded Moroz and make wishes.

      An idea to make the highest Ded Moroz (Russian version of Santa Claus) in Russia was suggested in 2009 by a common Chelyabinsk schoolgirl. She noticed that the Chelyabinsk's most well-known monument of a Ural blacksmith called "The Tale of the Urals" looked like the kind winter wizard, if to add him a long white beard, a fur coat and a fur cap.

      The idea pleased the Chelyabinsk people so much, that they made it a unique Christmas time tradition. This year the 7,5-metres-long red coat, which had been made of 100 metres of a red velvet, 150 metres of padding polyester and 50 metres of a faux fur, was dry-cleaned, and now it looks new again.

      Moreover, a new long beard will be prepared for Ded Moroz. Last year it was 74 metres long, and all comers could tie ribbons with their wishes written on it to the beard. This year Chelyabinsk officials call on the citizens to prepare new ribbons with wishes. After the 10th of January all them will be sent to the Veliky Ustug, the homeland of Russian Ded Moroz. He has already promised to fulfil all the wishes.

Sources: Lifenews Uralpress Image: Miass-Online