Jan

14

Cold Reality: New Year smiles are only for the camera for Vanadzor’s Snow Maiden

Filed Under ArmeniaNow Weekly 

In the real world this Snow Maiden’s life is far from a fairytale.It is the sixth New Year night Mariam spent at the central square of Vanadzor – out of the warm atmosphere of home.

Transforming into a Snow Maiden she waits under the New Year tree at the Hayq Square beginning the New Year night up until the Old New Year [January 13] for those who wish to eternalize themselves in photographs and also those who spend their holidays in the company of Santa Claus and his Snow Maiden.

Many of the residents of Vanadzor know Mariam, 21, and the photos with her decorate many of their albums. Every morning she puts on her Snow Maiden clothes and gets to Hayq Square accompanied by her mother.

Mariam Ayvazyan is the only Snow Maiden in Vanadzor, who earns money along with the photographers, Santa Claus and characters embodying fairy tale heroes gathering by the New Year tree.

“They are not there to get cold,” says the Snow Maiden. “I don’t go there to show off. I do it to earn some 200 drams (about 60 cents, per photo). The sum to me is money for another loaf of bread.”

Mariam has no permanent work. She lives in the temporary house district of the chemical factory in Vanadzor. The two-room house is not fit for life any more, although mother and daughter have given it a proper look and have made it comfortable for the guests.

Four years ago, the mother lost her permanent job and, tired of looking for work to provide for her daughter, relied on occasional jobs.

The job of a Snow Maiden found Mariam itself. She was 16 years of age, when on a New Year night crossing Hayq Square they came across a photographer acquaintance.

“He knew well of our social situation and offered Mariam to work as a Snow Maiden,” says her mother Karine.

“It was me who needed it. I could refuse, because it is not a good thing to go there and get cold, but [there is no choice] when you have to provide for the family,” the Snow Maiden adds to her mother’s words.

They transformed her white gown in a night, made a crown and the mother accompanied the daughter to the square the next morning. Even the sporting shoes, so unfitting to the Snow Maiden’s dress instead of winter boots, do not diminish their enthusiasm either.

“It is different when you are well off and you work. If I had no need in anything, I might not work. But when you feel your parent is jobless, you won’t do a work like this for ‘pleasure’, because the consequences of the ‘pleasure’ are bad – it hurts your health.”

Her feet and hands are frozen the most and she goes sometimes to her uncle’s or to the municipality building nearby for a couple of minutes to warm them up.

Mariam feels the results of six years out in the cold. “I become more and more unable to wear light clothes year after year. Even in summer months, I shiver at the slightest breeze making people by my side wonder.”

She spends the New Year night either by the New Year tree or under someone’s roof celebrating the holidays up until the 5 o’clock in the morning. She then returns home and congratulates her mother. And while others gather around full tables in the New Year night, the table in Mariam’s home stays empty unless she gets her first money. “The year before the last, for instance, we had nothing bought on 31st. I worked at night, made the shopping on January 1st and laid the table.”

Unlike the 100 drams (about 30 cents) she got the previous years besides the price for being photographed with the Snow Maiden, this year the sum has grown to 300 drams (about $1).

Mariam works on her own. Photographers don’t charge her. She has made friends with the photographers and the Santa Claus. When necessary, they defend the Snow Maiden. She recalls a group of young men trying to invite the Snow Maiden for a party alone without Santa Claus. Mariam’s Santa Claus and photographer friends had explained to them that the Snow Maiden does not attend parties without a Santa Claus.

“It’s risky,” says Mariam, who has become a professional at her seasonal job. At the beginning she was serious on the photos and they turned uninteresting, but now she knows how to make the picture bright. “The important thing is to wear a modest dress.”

Apart from earning money on photos, Mariam also accept invitations from families or organizations and performs for a fee. The Snow Maiden likes attending military units the most, where she gets 5,000 drams ($16). Through the beginning of this New Year week, managed to visit 10 families getting an average from 3,000drams ($10) from each family.

The number of those who get photographed drops year to year. While in previous years she used to earn 30,000 – 40,000 drams ($100-130) by the New Year night, her four day income this year has been only 40,000 ($132). Las year her income was not more than $300 – still not bad for two weeks work in Armenia, brutal though it is.

Mariam wears several warm clothes under her snow-white gown. Four years ago she got her Snow Maiden dress. She bought it for $100.

But apart from her character accessories, Mariam spends her earnings on getting necessary things. She bought fire wood last year to heat their house, and had spent part paying for utility services and doing everyday shopping. “The day takes what it brings,” Mariam’s mother mentions.

Mariam will spend the money of this year to cover the family needs again. She dreams of her own house and a stable work, which is possible only after getting an education that she cannot now afford.

So, she is forced to celebrate the holiday at Hayq Square. “I can’t celebrate the New Year. Every one has to celebrate it at home,” the Snow Maiden of Vanadzor grumbles.

By Naira Bulghadaryan
ArmeniaNow Vanadzor reporter
Source: http://www.armenianow.com

Permanent link:  http://www.armpress.com/armenianow/2008/01/14/793/

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