Perm vs Santa

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Perm (Russian: Пермь, IPA: [pʲɛrmʲ]), previously known as Yagoshikha (Ягошиха) (1723–1781), and Molotov (Мо́лотов) (1940–1957), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Perm Krai, Russia. The city is located on the banks of the Kama River, near the Ural Mountains, covering an area of 799.68 square kilometres (308.76 square miles), with a population of over 1 million residents. Perm is the fourteenth-largest city in Russia, and the fifth-largest city in the Volga Federal District. In 1723, a copper-smelting works was founded at the village of Yagoshikha. In 1781 the settlement of Yagoshikha became the town of Perm. Perm's position on the navigable Kama River, leading to the Volga, and on the Siberian Route, across the Ural Mountains helped it become an important trade and manufacturing centre. It also lay along the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Perm grew considerably as industrialization proceeded in the Urals during the Soviet period, and was named Molotov in honour of Vyacheslav Molotov. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the city returned to its historical name, and became the administrative centre of Perm Krai. Modern Perm is still a major railway hub and one of the chief industrial centres of the Urals region. The city's diversified metallurgical and engineering industries produce equipment and machine tools for the petroleum and coal industries, as well as agricultural machinery. A major petroleum refinery uses oil transported by pipeline from the West Siberian oilfields, and the city’s large chemical industry makes fertilizers and dyes. The city’s institutions of higher education include the Perm A.M. Gorky State University, founded in 1916.

Source: Wikipedia

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Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary character originating in Western Christian culture who is said to make lists of children throughout the world, categorising them according to their behavior, and bringing gifts on Christmas Eve of toys and candy to well-behaved children, and coal to naughty children. He is said to accomplish this with the aid of his elves, who make the toys in his workshop at the North Pole, and flying reindeer who pull his sleigh through the air.The modern character of Santa Claus was based on traditions surrounding the historical Saint Nicholas (a fourth-century Greek bishop and gift-giver of Myra), the British figure of Father Christmas, and the Dutch figure of Sinterklaas (also based on Saint Nicholas). Like other gift-bearing figures of the season, Santa Claus also absorbed elements of the Germanic deity Wodan, who was associated with the pagan midwinter event of Yule and led the Wild Hunt through the sky.

Santa Claus is generally depicted as a portly, jolly, white-bearded man, often with spectacles, wearing a red coat with white fur collar and cuffs, white-fur-cuffed red trousers, red hat with white fur, and black leather belt and boots, carrying a bag full of gifts for children. He is commonly portrayed as laughing in a way that sounds like "ho ho ho". This image became popular in the United States and Canada in the 19th century due to the significant influence of the 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas." Caricaturist and political cartoonist Thomas Nast also played a role in the creation of Santa's image. This image has been maintained and reinforced through song, radio, television, children's books, films, and advertising.

Source: Wikipedia