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Belarus’ Father Frost orders border guards to ensure free cross-border travel for New Year

Belarus’ Father Frost has ordered border guards to ensure free travel across the border for New Year on the night between December 31, 2009 and January 1, 2010.

Father Frost also ordered the State Border Committee to open a special crossing point at the Belarusian-Polish border to welcome the guest.

The instructions were given at a Sunday ceremony held at the Belavezhskaya Pushcha National Park where Belarusian Father Frost resides.

Yury Pikalyuk, head of the State Border Committee’s ideology department, presented Father Frost with a border guard’s green beret and a certificate of initiation into the border guard ranks.

A pillar was installed at Father Frost’s residence so that children could leave their wish lists.

“Just like border guards, Father Frost defends the good and whisks the evil away with his staff,” Mr. Pikalyuk said.

Around 100 kids attended the Sunday ceremony. Among them were children cared for at the residential school for orphaned and abandoned children in Stankava near Minsk.

“The year of the tiger is approaching,” Father Frost said. “And the tiger is a willful beast. Border guards should be on the lookout on New Year's night. I like the tiger because it reminds me of our Belarusian winter that is striped by the snow and thaw periods. And the new year will be beautiful and will bring a lot of luck. I guarantee this.”