Soviet Union (USSR) New Year’s Postcards

During the Soviet years, Christmas celebrations were not allowed in Russia and the Soviet Union. New Year's celebrations that were similar to Christmas celebrations elsewhere began in the 1930s. Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) took the place of Santa Claus at children's parties. He was given a grandaughter, called Snegurochka (Snow Girl or Snow Maiden), to help him.

Russians began celebrating Christmas again in the 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union. However, the New Year holiday remains much more important.

The postcard style of New Year greeeting card was very popular. Most of the cards are dated and have the artist's name (художник) on the back. Many of the postcards have imprinted postage stamps on the back and © USSR Ministry of Communications (Министерство связи СССР). The postcard has preprinted postage and spaces for the postcode (on left side), address, addressee, and return address. The artist's name is in the upper left corner. Dangling from the scroll are the words "ПОЧТА СССР" or "POST USSR." Another type had a plain back with information and instructions at the bottom to "only send in an envelope" or "mail-open form can not be."