Russia: an ultranationalist proposes banning Santa Claus, “foreign agent”

A Russian activist on a crusade against “Western values”. Vitaly Borodin, an ultranationalist who heads the “Federal Project for Security and Combating Corruption”, sent an official request in early December to the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation to request the classification of Santa Claus… as a “foreign agent”.

Borodin, who made himself known by denouncing figures supposedly hostile to the Moscow regime, believes that Santa Claus, so popular in Western countries, is likely to undermine traditional Russian values, notably accusing foreign companies of financing its image in the country. He recommends using another white-bearded character instead, the Ded Moroz, also responsible for bringing gifts to children during Orthodox celebrations.

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Skepticism in Russia

Russia passed a law on foreign agents in 2012, according to which citizens who receive foreign support must register and declare themselves as a “foreign agent” to the authorities. The text originally targeted Russian non-profit organizations, then expanded to include the media and all citizens who engage in political activity.

Vitaly Borodin's proposal caused a lot of reaction in Russia, with some media not hesitating to make fun of him. Russian MP Vitaly Milonov objected that there was no provision in Russian legislation allowing the status of foreigners to be assigned to fictional characters. He also recalled that Santa Claus has his origins in Saint Nicholas, one of the most venerated saints on Russian soil.

Santa Claus is not the only one in the ultranationalist's sights. The latter asked that the same fate be reserved for several emblems of Western culture, such as Spiderman, Batman and Captain America.

The entire chronicle can be found in the video at the top of this article.