The shops are full of Souvenirs and new year decorations, we don’t know what gifts to surprise children, and preparing for the New year turned into stress – how is it that life is gone Christmas magic, and whether it is in the lives of our parents.
Copper Kettle /flickr.com
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“Stalin remembers the children” and the shoes 42 size
My father was born in 1935. In that year, Stalin returned the children to the tree.
A witness to the conversation between the second Secretary of the Communist party(Bolsheviks) of Ukraine Pavel Postyshev and leader of the people was Khrushchev. In his memoirs, Postyshev complained that was the people have a good tradition – Christmas tree – everyone loved it. And now clerical prejudice is forbidden, and the feast for children has come up. The word, offered to return the children to the tree. Stalin, strangely enough, agreed.
28 Dec 1935, on one of the turns of “Truth” between someone’s report at the Plenum of the Central Committee and telegram a delegation of American Armenians is the note in paragraph three: “Let’s organize for the New year children a good Christmas tree!” The author has called “to put an end to the wrong tree condemnation” and to arrange “cheerful New year party for children and a good Soviet tree in all cities and farms”.
Note the Soviet leader Paul Postysheva in the newspaper “Pravda”
As far as my own father, he does not remember from childhood, it seems that no one tree. In the thirties it was too small. Then came the war, and the occupation was not to the trees.
“The main thing was not hungry, – he says. – When the city of Starodub was released, it was at the end of 1943, the school gave us gifts. 50 grams of black bread and a matchbox of sugar handed with the words: “Stalin remembers the children.”
That same winter, the city formed the regiment to send to the front. The soldiers were given uniforms, and mom managed to exchange a bottle of vodka on new military boots 42 size and windings. It was chic in all respects a gift, although the shoes I was seriously high. In these windings, and they were about three yards in length, and soldier’s shoes, I would run to the end of primary school through the snow and puddles and not get wet.
Of course, for the New year with the brothers we were making homemade Christmas tree decorations. It was up to the ceiling. We cut out cardboard figures, paper garlands, accordion, flashlights. Mom would hang the Christmas tree chocolates. And froze in the molds colored water and frozen these toys decorated the tree in the yard. Differently celebrated”.
Sing, dance and listen to the chimes
Along with the revived tree in the country was built on a new tradition. They were especially imprinted in the memory of the younger generation through the stories of Gaidar. In 1939 was published in the journal “Krasnaya Nov” “Chuk and GEK”. The genre of the “Chuk and GEK” is reminiscent of a Christmas story. It has the typical twists and turns of heroes, and miracles, and triumph.
The story describes the celebration of the New year ordinary Soviet geologists:
“The day was cleaned, shaved, and bathed. And in the evening was for all the tree, and all together met New year. When there was a table, extinguished the lamp and lit candles. But since, in addition to Chuck the dog, the rest were all adults, of course, they didn’t know what now to do. Well, that one person was the accordion and he played a merry dance. Then all the others rose excitedly and stared, and all wanted to dance… Then dance was over, and people are asked to Huck sang the song. Huck did not break…
New year’s in officer family, village of Murmashi, Murmanskaya oblast (1956) /siberiantimes.com
– Now sit down– glancing at his watch, his father said.– Now begins the most important thing. He went and turned on the radio. All sit down and shut up. At first it was quiet. But there was a noise, rumble, beeps. Then something turned, hissed, and from somewhere far away came the jingle… It’s in a far-away Moscow, under the red star of the Spassky tower of the Kremlin called the Golden hours. And this ringing – before the New year – now I listen to people in the cities and in the mountains, in the plains, in the forest, in the blue sea… And then all the people stood up, congratulated each other a happy New year and wished everyone happiness. That such happiness is everyone understands in own way. But all along the people knew and understood that to live honestly, to work hard and to love and cherish this huge happy land called the Soviet country”.
The pig, I remember all my life
Until the fifties of the Kremlin was closed to the public. The main new year tree was held in the House of Unions, and only in 1954 the children’s Christmas presentation moved into the Great hall of the Kremlin Palace. Clearly, what was on these holidays children party workers and leaders of manufacture, the pioneer honors. Adults were not allowed.
My father was then the nineteenth year. He was in Lesteh and new year holidays came from Moscow to his parents in a small town near Tula.
“Gifts I have not brought, – he says. – Money is not there. My friend and even train riding ticketless. Ran of supervisors. Remember the half-empty wagons, in trains, even no light, and we sit with him, facing each other, thrusting his legs under the fifth point. The cold was terrible.
Holiday at home is not particularly prepared. No salads were served.
The time was hungry. One joy – a holiday. But that year, I remember, grandfather suddenly brought from the market of the suckling pig. In those days it was a luxury incredible. Such pigs I a hungry student is only seen in the showcase of dietary Gastronome on Gorky street.
In the meat Department was a pig with a bunch of parsley in its mouth. Exactly how Shmeleva in the “Summer of the Lord” a pig for Christmas.
Front fly-leaf “Books about tasty and healthy food”, 1952 – the Soviet Banquet table
Grandfather didn’t tell you then how much cost this wonder-hog, but I was sure not cheap. Grandmother grandfather did not scold, however, and not praised for the gift. Just baked pig in the Russian oven and served to the holiday table. Fat three millimeters, and instead seed the hryaschik. The pig, I remember all my life…
Generally, in those years, New year, no gifts were given. Some of my friends for sure. Well, what gifts could be in the then poverty?
If I had brought as a gift for parents, it’s probably oranges. They were sold in stores by the piece, wrapped in paper. Holiday – he’s not in the gifts were. Students on the New year, we danced up a storm and walked around Moscow.”
Expensive and need: the bear, the portfolio and tights
The main family holiday of the New year was not without the help of cinema. In 1956 released tape of Eldar Ryazanov’s “carnival night” became the leader of Soviet film distribution. Marking the beginning of the thaw, the film became the clearest example of how to celebrate the New year, and at the same time set the tone for the “Blue lights” of Soviet television.
Multipliers competed in creating images of Santa Claus, snow Maiden, snowmen. They are replicated in children’s books and scattered millions of greeting cards throughout the country. Even a narrow strip telegrams often were delivered on the card with Christmas symbols. And although on all the postcards of Santa Claus with bag of gifts, life was different – gifts to children was presented by the parents.
The first gift that remembers mom, and she in 1957, was nine years old, was a big, tightly Packed sawdust bear. Brown fur, black bead eyes and brown nose the cold. Where parents got a bear, nobody knows, but the toy was expensive.
Generally, the word “produce” is the key at that time.
Children tried for the New year to give something exclusive, and usually expensive. Once my mom gave the dress that she went to the first Christmas tree in the Kremlin. The event required a special outfit.
Mom does not remember the plot presentation, but the final remark of the main characters still makes her laugh: “before Leaving, extinguish the light. The power is in yogurt!” She laughs and remembers her dress. With such trees, by the way, the children took gifts. Usually it was candy best Soviet factories in the plastic of the Kremlin towers or round the clock, which stopped at “five minutes to midnight”.
Left: mechanical Medved, USSR, 1950-60. to the Right: “storefront”, 1961 Photo: Galina Sanko, the archive of the journal Ogonek
“One day the younger brother received a model of the French plane “Caravel” – says the mother. – Our grandfather was a civil aviation pilot, flying abroad, cooperate with foreign companies. Some gave specially for Ann model passenger jet “Caravel”. The plane was slow. If his roll, he started to make noise and move.
Brother was so happy that we even captured his camera. With the plane he did not leave. Thanks to this gift and finally decided to become a pilot like my father. And became him.
We lived in a communal apartment, and want to play on the plane was a lot. Although the grandmother tried precious gift to cherish and even hid the plane in the closet, to save him failed. Once a brother with his same age of six or seven with the words “let’s See what’s inside” dismantled the model.
I can’t remember at what point does a gift from parents suddenly turned into a gift from Santa Claus. Maybe when younger brother was born? Our Santa Claus was a q-tip covered with tissue paper, with a stick and a red cap. It appeared under the tree before the New year, and immediately after the holiday its cleaned.
“New year”, 1953 Photograph from the archive of the “Ogoniok”magazine
The gifts have stopped giving toward the end of the school. If something appeared under the tree, expensive and badly needed: nylon tights, fountain pen. When I entered the University, the New year under the tree found a luxurious leather briefcase. I took several courses with him”.
Of course, a gift for the New year depended on the family income and were often utilitarian. So, one friend recalls the saddest New year. It was in the late eighties. She studied at the school of music string Department. On the morning of 1 January, looking under the tree, found there a large box, tightly wrapped in tinsel, and inside lay a violin ¾ size. The girl sobbed: “Well, how Santa Claus found out that I need a new violin?”
Parents are not without pleasure, said that Santa Claus was a real magician and can not know that an old violin was small. And they themselves could hardly buy such an expensive thing. In response came the sound of sobbing daughter, who did not believe that the hated violin can be called a gift.
Santa Claus, take a lot of money to the hospice
Riasanovsky steam Soviet citizens saw that women put on in the New year to give perfume, and men shavers, and “Sorcerers” heard about the watch. Foreign movies, gushing stream after the restructuring, brought such a variety of ideas for gifts that is not enough space to list them.
From there it’s lots of traditions and songs. Everyone knows Jingle bells, written in the late NINETEENTH century, by the way, Thanksgiving, or the “holidays are coming” ads from the nineties? But if in the forties was not gifts, and in the eighties has become something desired, after in our country a new tradition.
The belief of children not only in the omnipotence of Santa Claus, but in the fact that he brings gifts “custom” was the most unexpected transformation of the holiday. Arguing among themselves about who is behind the figure of Santa Claus, children write letters to him. For some time he could call.
But even the belief that Santa Claus is mom and dad in one person, the children may desire the most incredible things: from the latest models advanced phone before the wand of Harry Potter or the sonic screwdriver of Doctor Who. Parents postmen, opening children’s letters, usually clutching his head…
Fortunately, traditions are still being formed, and sometimes the parents are just proud of their children and their children’s letters to the chief magician:
“Dear Grandfather Frost! This year I’m not very well behaved. I’ll work on it. With a violin. Ballet becomes more and more difficult, but I’ll manage (I hope). I thought long what to ask for as a gift. I have a lot of things. And I came up with! Take a lot (as you want) money to the Children’s hospice and say Hello. Thanks in advance. Bobreneva Barbarian”.
An eleven year old girl, Barbara, have waived their Christmas gift to help other children /fb.com
So an eleven year old girl refused his Christmas gift to help terminally ill children. In December, it purchased the tube, without which the children’s hospice can’t breathe and eat.