Ded Moroz, or Morozko in Russian, is a legendary figure similar to Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, and Santa Claus who has his roots in Slavic mythology.

The tradition of Ded Moroz is mostly spread in East Slavic countries and is a significant part of Russian culture. At the beginning of the Soviet era, communist authorities banned Ded Moroz. However, the ban was lifted and he soon became a significant part of Soviet culture. The literal translation of Ded Moroz is Grandfather Frost or Old Man Frost, but traditionally the name is translated as Father Frost.

Ded Moroz wears a heel-length fur coat, in red or blue, a semi-round fur hat, and valenki on his feet. He has a long white beard. He walks with a long magic stick and often rides a troika. He is often depicted bringing presents to well-mannered children, often delivering them in person in the days of December and secretly under the New Year Tree over night on New Year's Eve. He drives a sleigh pulled by a team of six white horses.

The residence of Ded Moroz in Russia is considered to be the town of Veliky Ustyug, Vologda Oblast. The residence of the Belarusian Dzyed Maroz is said to be in Belavezhskaya Pushcha.

In the most famous tale told of him, he acts more like Jack Frost or the Frost King. In the story, A woman has a daughter, whom she loves, and a step-daughter, whom she hates. One day, the woman orders her husband to take her stepdaughter out into the winter wilderness and to leave her there to die, and he obeys, leaving her at the foot of a tree in the forest. Father Frost finds her there, and because the girl is polite and kind to him, he gives her a chest full of beautiful jewels and fine garments. Some time later, the stepmother sends the girl's father to retrieve her body for burial, and is enraged when he instead brings the girl back alive and happy and dressed in finery. Consumed by greed and envy, the woman orders her husband to take her own daughter to the same place, but when found by Father Frost the woman's daughter is rude and unkind to him, and he is inclined to punish rather than reward her. The father finds her frozen to death at the foot of the tree and carries her body back to her grief-stricken mother.

In the Grimm version, the girl is covered with gold and silver coins while the rude child is covered with cement, mud, flour, and pitch.

In a Russian story, the Snow Maiden is the daughter of Spring the Beauty and Father Frost, and yearns for the companionship of mortal humans. She grows to like a shepherd named Lel, but her heart is unable to know love. Her mother takes pity and gives her this ability, but as soon as she falls in love, her heart warms and she melts. This version of the story was made into a play The Snow Maiden by Aleksandr Ostrovsky, with incidental music by Tchaikovsky in 1873.

All published appearances of Father Frost from before January 1, )-(95)}} are public domain in the US.

Some notable appearances are listed below:
* Russian Fairy Tales (1855–63)
* “The Story of King Frost,” The Yellow Fairy Book (1894)
* The Snow Maiden (play), by Alexander Ostrovsky (1873)
* The Snow Maiden (opera), by Nikolai Rimsky‐Korsakov (1882)
* “The Frost King,” by Helen Keller, The Mentor (1892)
* “King Frost,” by Valery Carrick (1914)

Contes de l'isba (1931) - Le Froid 3.jpg
Дед Мороз.jpg
Anti Did Moroz soviet propaganda.jpg

* The film Morozko was based on the fairy tale of Father Frost. The English-dubbed Jack Frost version was featured on the movie-mocking television show Mystery Science Theater 3000.

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_Frost_(fairy_tale) Father Frost (Fairy Tale) at Wikipedia]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ded_Moroz Ded Moroz at Wikipedia]
*[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/ded-moroz/4005-95330/ ComicVine]
*[https://myths-in-media.fandom.com/wiki/Ded_moroz Myths in Media Wiki]
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