Snegurochka (diminutive) or Snegurka ( rus, ''Снегу́рочка'' (diminutive), ''Снегу́рка'', p=sʲnʲɪˈɡurət͡ɕkə, sʲnʲɪˈɡurkə), or Snow Maiden, is a

Novy God ''Novy God'' or ''Noviy God'' () is a New Year celebration observed in Russia, in post-Soviet states, and globally by the diasporas of post-Soviet states. The holiday was promoted by the Soviet Union as a secular holiday that would supplant ...

character originating from

Russian fairy tales ''Russian Fairy Tales'' (, variously translated; English titles include also ''Russian Folk Tales'') is a collection of nearly 600 fairy and folktales, collected and published by Alexander Afanasyev between 1855 and 1863. The collection cont ...

. She has no apparent roots in traditional Slavic mythology and customs, having made her first appearance in Russian folklore in the 19th century. Since the mid-20th century under the

Soviet period The history of the Soviet Union (USSR) (1922–91) began with the ideals of the Russian Bolshevik Revolution and ended in dissolution amidst economic collapse and political disintegration. Established in 1922 following the Russian Civil War, ...

, Snegurochka is known for being depicted as the granddaughter and companion of

Ded Moroz Ded Moroz, or Morozko (), is a legendary figure similar to Father Christmas, and Santa Claus who has his roots in Slavic mythology. The tradition of Ded Moroz is mostly spread in East Slavs, East Slavic countries and is a significant part of Russi ...

during the New Year.

Classification

Tales of the Snegurochka type are Aarne–Thompson type 703* The Snow Maiden. The Snegurochka story compares to tales of type 1362, The Snow-child, where the child's appearance is attributed to the mother swallowing a snowflake, as a deception to explain away her pregnancy. D. L. Ashliman,
The Snow Child: folktales of type 1362
'

Folk tale versions and adaptations

A version of a folk tale about a girl made of snow and named Snegurka (Snezhevinochka; Снегурка (Снежевиночка)) was published in 1869 by

Alexander Afanasyev Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev (; – ) was a Russian Slavist and ethnographer best known for publishing nearly 600 East Slavic and Russian fairy and folk tales, one of the largest collections of folklore in the world. This collection was ...

in the second volume of his work ''The Poetic Outlook on Nature by the Slavs'', where he also mentions the German analog, ''Schneekind'' ("Snow Child"). In this version, childless Russian peasants Ivan and Marya made a snow doll, which came to life. This version was later included by

Louis Léger Louis Léger (15 January 1843 – 30 April 1923) was a French writer and pioneer in Slavic studies. He was honorary member of Bulgarian Literary Society (now Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, also member of Académie des inscriptions et belles-le ...

in ''Contes Populaires Slaves'' (1882).Andrew Lang, '' The Pink Fairy Book'',
Snowflake
Snegurka grows up quickly. A group of girls invite her for a walk in the woods, after which they make a small fire and take turns leaping over it; in some variants, this is on St. John's Day, and a St. John's Day tradition. When Snegurka's turn comes, she starts to jump, but only gets halfway before evaporating into a small cloud.

Andrew Lang Andrew Lang (31 March 1844 – 20 July 1912) was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a folkloristics, collector of folklore, folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectur ...

included this version as "Snowflake" in '' The Pink Fairy Book'' (1897). New Year in Kremlin 2017

In another story, she is the daughter of Spring the Beauty (Весна-Красна) and

, 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 Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

'' The Snow Maiden'' by Aleksandr Ostrovsky, with

incidental music Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as th ...

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular ...

in 1873. In 1878, the composer Ludwig Minkus and the Balletmaster

Marius Petipa Marius Ivanovich Petipa (; born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa; 11 March 1818) was a French and Russian ballet dancer, pedagogue and choreographer. He is considered one of the most influential ballet masters and choreographers in ballet history ...

staged a ballet adaptation of ''Snegurochka'' titled '' The Daughter of the Snows'' for the

Tsar Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...

's Imperial Ballet. The tale was also adapted into an

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov. At the time, his name was spelled , which he romanized as Nicolas Rimsky-Korsakow; the BGN/PCGN transliteration of Russian is used for his name here; ALA-LC system: , ISO 9 system: .. (18 March 1844 – 2 ...

titled '' The Snow Maiden: A Spring Fairy Tale'' (1880–1881). The story of Snegurochka was adapted into two Soviet films: an animated film with some of Rimsky-Korsakov's music, called '' The Snow Maiden'' (1952), and the live-action film '' The Snow Maiden'' (1968). Ruth Sanderson retold the story in the picture book ''The Snow Princess'', in which falling in love does not immediately kill the princess, but turns her into a mortal human, who will die. In February 2012, the Slovenian poet

Svetlana Makarovič Svetlana Makarovič (born 1 January 1939) is a Slovenian writer of prose, poetry, children's books, and picture books, and is also an actress, illustrator and chanteuse. She has been called "The First Lady of Slovenian poetry." She is also noted ...

published a

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

fairy tale, titled ''Sneguročka'' ("Snegurochka"), which was inspired by the Russian fairy tale character. Makarovič has had great passion for Russian tradition since childhood. Artist and author Jonathon Keats's short story "Ardour" is a modern adaptation of this fairy tale, featured in Kate Bernheimer's 2010 anthology of contemporary tales based on classic archetypes, '' My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me''.

Granddaughter of Ded Moroz

In the late

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

Snegurochka was part of Christmas celebrations, in the form of figurines to decorate the fir tree and as a character in children's pieces. In the early Soviet Union, the holiday of Christmas was banned, together with other Christian traditions, until it was reinstated as a holiday of newly-independent Russia in 1991. However, in 1935 the celebration of the New Year was allowed, which included, in part, the fir tree and

. At this time Snegurochka acquired a role of the granddaughter of Ded Moroz and his helper. In this role, she wears long silver-blue robes and a furry cap or a snowflake-like ''

kokoshnik The kokoshnik ( rus, коко́шник, p=kɐˈkoʂnʲɪk) is a traditional Russian headdress worn by women and girls to accompany the sarafan. The kokoshnik tradition has existed since the 10th century in the city of Veliky Novgorod. It sprea ...

''. During the usual scripts of New Year celebrations for children, Snegurochka's appearance is preceded by the audience screaming "Sne-gu-roch-ka" while waiting for her.

Modern Russia

Nowadays, Snegurochka is a strongly capitalized figure in

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, being an important part of the New Year's celebrations, culture and almost always used as the companion of the Ded Moroz. In 2020, a man from Russia tried to sue Coca Cola for bringing

Santa Claus Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...

into their Russian ad instead of Ded Moroz and Snegurochka.

References

External links