Magical craft: Ded Moroz from the Ryazan region taught guests of the National Centre RUSSIA how to give kindness and believe in miracles

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A colourful legend-style performance about the origins of New Year magic in the Ryazan region was presented to young guests of the National Centre RUSSIA and their parents on 27 December as part of the "Winter Wizards" festival. The audience set off on a journey into the world of folk tales and traditional crafts of the region and even learned how the Ryazan Ded Moroz himself came into being.

As it turned out, the region’s main winter wizard was once an ordinary craftsman named Ivan, renowned for his golden hands. His life changed when Alyonushka, the daughter of a kind Boyar, asked him to make a casket to hold a winter fairy tale — not one adorned with emeralds, as her father suggested, but a simple wooden one.

"I want a casket where a winter fairy tale can live," the girl shared her heartfelt wish, and this desire marked the beginning of a magical story.

While searching for the right tree, Ivan encountered the wise Magic Fir Tree in the Meshchera forest. It revealed his true calling — to give people kindness and faith in miracles. And so the talented craftsman Ivan became Ded Moroz.

"I returned to the Boyar and Alyonushka, but at first they did not even recognise me. The Fir Tree had not deceived me: my axe turned into a magical staff, my clothes became a fur coat, my hair turned grey, and my voice grew deep. They recognised me only by the casket I brought — the most beautiful and fairy-tale-like of all. I remained the same craftsman I had always been, but my heart became new. Since then, I have travelled across the Ryazan land, giving children gifts and the most precious thing of all — faith in miracles," the former craftsman told the children.

The performance was rich in interactive elements: children helped Ivan prepare for his journey into the forest, made a "magic promise" to protect nature, and joined the characters in a traditional circle dance. Through the story of the craftsman’s transformation into Ded Moroz, the audience also learned about the value of Ryazan’s traditional crafts — from Skopin ceramics and Mikhailov lace to Kadom venise lace. This reflected the central idea of the story: true magic is born not only through unity in standing up to evil, but also through love for one’s homeland and respect for its culture, history, and traditions.

At the end of the performance, Ded Moroz offered parting words to the young audience: to become a kind wizard, one should help their parents, read good books, and make handmade gifts for friends.

The "Winter Wizards" festival is organised by the National Centre RUSSIA with the support of the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives. The theatrical performances for Moscow residents and visitors to the capital have been held on weekends since 15 November. The final performance will take place on 28 December, when guests will see a theatrical production based on the legend of Kysh Babay from the Republic of Tatarstan.