by Alina from Kazan asks Santa where he is located, learns about the Volga River, and hears about Kazan’s blend of Islamic and Russian Orthodox heritage
Dear Santa, my name is Alina and I am nine years old. I live in Kazan, Russia, where my babushka says our own kremlin has both a great mosque and an old cathedral standing close together, each one respected in its own right.
Dear Alina, your babushka is entirely right, and I have real admiration for that particular respectful blend myself.
Santa, I have three questions.
My first question is, where is Santa located? My little brother wants to know exactly how far away my own town might be from your workshop.
I keep my exact workshop location a gentle mystery, Alina, though I promise your town, however far away, still gets exactly the same careful visit as anywhere else.
My second question is about our river. My teacher says the Volga River flows right past Kazan. Is that true?
It is, Alina. The Volga River flows past Kazan, the longest river in all of Europe, an important part of the region’s history and trade. Flying along its wide, frozen path each Christmas Eve is a genuinely beautiful part of my Russian route.
My third question is about the Kazan Kremlin. My teacher says it holds both a mosque and a cathedral together. Is that true?
It is true, Alina. The Kazan Kremlin is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to both the Qol Sharif Mosque and the Annunciation Cathedral standing close together, a genuine reflection of the region’s blended history. I think that kind of respectful coexistence is exactly the spirit Christmas hopes to inspire everywhere.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Alina Gabidullina
Kazan, Russia
P.S. Do you fly slower over the Kremlin to admire it?
Every year, Alina. It would be a shame to rush past it.
