On November 11, Santa Claus will travel from Veliky Ustyug on a train specially prepared for him by JSC "Russian Railways". The tourist wizard will travel dozens of cities in 64 days, overcome over 32 thousand km and return to his residence on January 13, 2024. The Russian Railways company announced this on its website.
"We will go to the Far North, visit the Komi Republic and drive through the cities of BAM. We have a long way to go: there are more than 80 cities ahead! We will look into the beautiful Moscow, and we will stay in the Northern capital of St. Petersburg," said Santa Claus.
The Winter Wizard Train is a festively decorated mobile residence. Its composition is updated every year and replenished with new cars for the entertainment of children. This year it will include a "reception car", a "Fairy Village" car for games and quests, a "stage car" and a "puppet theater car" for performances, a "shop car" with northern souvenirs, a "buffet car" and a "restaurant car" for tea parties, as well as sleeping cars for the team of Santa Claus assistants, the company noted. At the head of the train is a steam locomotive decorated with garlands of hundreds of lanterns.
The "Santa Claus train" will arrive and depart by locomotive traction, during parking anyone will be able to climb into the cab of the locomotive and feel like a driver," said Dmitry Pegov, Deputy General Director of Russian Railways, whose words are quoted in the message.
During long train stops at stations in major cities, in addition to the entertainment part, a separate ticket program is planned, including a meeting with Santa Claus, a quest and a tea party on the train. Tickets for a puppet show can also be purchased separately.
"Santa Claus Train" is a joint project of JSC "Russian Railways" and the government of the Vologda region, in which Santa Claus travels to Russian cities with a New Year's program for those who themselves cannot go to visit him in Veliky Ustyug. The project was launched two years ago, and during this time more than 900 thousand people in more than 150 Russian cities have become its participants.
Every year the geography of the train is expanding, unique carriages are being added, new interactivity is being included.
A novelty this season will be a carriage, inside which a full-fledged "puppet theater" with velvet chairs, decorations, and stucco on the ceiling has been recreated, Russian Railways reported.
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