Russia - Kostroma Oblast - Snow Maiden (Snegurochka)

A woman who appears to be portraying Snehurochka, often translated as "Snow Maiden" or "Snow Princess," a character from Russian folklore.

Sent by Alexey from Kostroma, Russia.

Snegurochka is the granddaughter and assistant of “Ded Moroz” also known as Father Frost, Russia’s version of Santa Claus. While Santa Claus is rumored to have residences in Finland and the North Pole, Ded Moroz is a proud patriot and maintains a home in Veliky Ustyug in the Vologda Region. His estate is a major tourist attraction receiving more than 200,000 guests a year. See Veliky Ustyug: The Russian Santa's Home.

Snegurochka does not have roots in Slavic mythology and only came into being in the late 19th century. However, to many Snegurochka appears to be as eternal as Russia itself (read more)

Russia - Kostroma Oblast - Ipatiev Monastery

Ipatiev Monastery in Kostroma Oblast, Russia. The monastery is a significant historical and religious site in Russia, known for its role in the Romanov dynasty's history.

Sent by Alexey from Kostroma, Russia.

The Ipatiev Monastery (Russian: Ипатьевский монастырь; also Ipatievsky Monastery), sometimes translated into English as Hypatian Monastery, is a male monastery situated on the bank of the Kostroma River just opposite the city of Kostroma.

It was founded around 1330 by a Tatar convert, Prince Chet, whose male-line descendants included Solomonia Saburova and Tsar Boris Godunov, and is dedicated to St. Hypatios of Gangra.

The main theory considers Tatar Murza Chet, baptized as Zachary, to be the founder of the Ipatievsky Monastery. The legend says that he was miraculously cured from a disease by a vision of the Virgin Mary and St. Philip and St. Hypatius, and decided to build the monastery as a sign of gratitude.

Some historians state that the monastery was founded in 1275 by Yaroslavich, but declined together with the Kostroma Principality after his death. In this case, the monastery could be not entirely built but only revived by Murza Chet (read more).