What does Russia’s ‘Ded Moroz’ aka ‘Father Frost’ travel on? (PHOTOS)
He doesn't ride on a sleigh pulled by reindeer. He doesn't fly on a magic carpet. ‘Ded Moroz’ (‘Father Frost’) travels by… train. But a very special one. And he's already departed from his hometown of Veliky Ustyug.
There are about 20 ‘Ded Moroz’ residences in Russia. And one of them is mobile, so every child across the vast country has the opportunity to visit the bearded wizard.
Pretty much everyone knows about Father Frost's patrimony in Veliky Ustyug (Vologda Region). However, there are also estates in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Siberia, Sochi, Altai and Udmurtia. But, in addition to stationary residences, the wizard also has a mobile home or, more precisely, a house on rail tracks. For five years now, about a month before New Year's Eve, the magical express train ‘Poyezd Deda Moroza’ (‘Father Frost's Train’) has begun its journey. This year, it set off in mid-November. The express train departed from Veliky Ustyug and its official program began on November 19 in Vladivostok.
Father Frost and Snegurochka before the departure of a themed train at the station in Veliky Ustyug.
Over the course of nearly two months, until January 11, 2026, the fairy tale train will travel thousands of kilometers, stopping at more than 70 cities across the country. Key stops include Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Murmansk.
Santa Claus's train on the Moscow Central Circle
The train is a complex with themed carriages. In ‘Reception Room’, a personal encounter with ‘Ded Moroz’ and his granddaughter, ‘Snegurochka’ (‘Snow Maiden’), takes place. The theater carriage, meanwhile, presents puppet shows. While the ‘Fairytale Village’ invites children to participate in quests. The ‘Snow Queen Kingdom’ amazes with its icy decorations and amuses with its funhouse mirrors. There’s also a souvenir store with gifts from Veliky Ustyug, as well as a dining car.
