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SANTA CLAUS ACADEMY OPENS IN MOSCOW

MOSCOW, November 19, 2001 /Irina Tumilovich, RIA Novosti/ -- An unusual institution opened in Moscow on Monday. It is the Santa Claus Academy, the official residency of the so-called master of the Russian winter. Lyudmila Komarova, the director of the School of Arts named after Balakirev, which will host the academy, said that the new educational establishment will train professionals to work with children, such as theatre directors, event organizers, managers of children's entertainment establishments, psychologists, and so forth. The academy will focus on training experts and developing and promoting practical methods and techniques of working with children. The philosophy of the academy will be based on characters from fairy-tales, folk stories, and literature. It will also develop and prepare programs for children's events. The main goal of the academy is to revive Russian traditions of celebrating New Year and Christmas and use the Santa Claus character as the tool to develop in children such qualities as kindness, compassion, and empathy.