Forbidden forest • Yoonmin •

Russian beasts and where to find them

This is not an update, but rather a mini educational chapter about Russian mythological creatures (which may be present/mentioned in this story)
Just as any other country, Russia has many old traditions, folk stories and myths which are all beautiful and underrated. I currently do not live in Russia, but it is my motherland and I will always love it. Sad that the country has such a bad reputation lately, the stereotypes being vodka, gangsters and Putin.
Here I will describe some (there are way to many of them to include in one chapter) mythical creatures and what role they play in stories, folks and cartoons. Disclamer not all these characters originated in Russia, but also in Slavic countries such as Ukraine, Belarus and other countries.

(Omg, I came back to edit the story, and I'm dying at the disclaimer😂😂 I won't change it, it's hilarious)

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Ded Moroz (Дед Мороз) is a Slavic fictional character similar to that of Father Christmas. The literal translation is "Old Man Frost". Ded Moroz brings presents to children and often delivers them in person on New Year's Eve.
Ded Moroz is accompanied by Snegurochka (снегурочка) his granddaughter and helper, who wears long silver-blue robes and a furry cap or a snowflake-like crown. She is a unique attribute of Ded Moroz, since similar characters in other cultures don't have a female companion.
Ded Moroz wears a heel-length fur coat, a semi-round fur hat, and valenki on his feet. He has a long white beard. He walks with a long magic staff and sometimes rides a troika (three horse sleigh)

Leshy (Ле́ший) (literally, "[he] from the forest") is a tutelary deity of the forests in Slavic mythology. The spirit rules over the forest and hunting
Leshy are masculine and humanoid in shape, are able to assume any likeness and can change in size and height. He is known by some to have a propensity to lead travelers astray and abduct children, which would lead some to believe he is an evil entity. He is however also known to have a more neutral disposition towards humans, dependent on the attitudes and behaviours of an individual person, or local population, towards the forest. Some would therefore describe him as more of a temperamental being like a fairy.