Turkmenistan the Golden Age

By the time Ded Moroz (the Russian Father Frost) and Snegurochka (Snow Flake, from a Russian fairy tale) — the stock characters of the secularized Soviet-made New Year holiday based on Russian culture — find their way to Ashgabat, well, they've changed.

Ded Moroz dons a big bushy traditional sheepskin telpek hat turned snow-white.

And Snegurochka looks like she has is adorned in one of those Berdymukhamedov-approved Turkmen traditional-style women's costumes with hair ornaments based on the ancient Turkmen designs.

No matter, as long as the kids get some presents out of this.