Alexei Navalny, aka @navalny, has finally been located.
1/9 I am your new Santa Claus.
Well, I now have a sheepskin coat, an ushanka hat (a fur hat with ear-covering flaps), and soon I will get valenki (a traditional Russian winter footwear). I have grown a beard for the 20 days of my transportation.
2/9 Unfortunately, there are no reindeer, but there are huge fluffy, and very beautiful shepherd dogs.
And the most important thing: I now live above the Arctic Circle. In the village of Kharp on Yamal. The nearest town has the beautiful name of Labytnangi.
3/9 I don't say "Ho-ho-ho", but I do say "Oh-oh-oh" when I look out of the window, where I can see a night, then the evening, and then the night again.
The 20 days of my transportation were pretty exhausting, but I'm still in a good mood, as befits a Santa Claus.
4/9 They brought me here on Saturday night. And I was transported with such precaution and on such a strange route (Vladimir - Moscow - Chelyabinsk - Ekaterinburg - Kirov - Vorkuta - Kharp) that I didn't expect anyone to find me here before mid-January.
5/9 That's why I was very surprised when the cell door was opened yesterday with the words: "A lawyer is here to see you". He told me that you had lost me, and some of you were even worried. Thanks very much for your support!
6/9 I can't entertain you with stories about polar exotics yet because I haven't seen anything outside of the camera. And outside the camera window, I can only see the fence, which is very close.
7/9 I also went for a walk. The yard is a neighboring cell, a bit bigger, with snow on the ground. And I saw a convoy, not like in central Russia, but like in the movies - with machine guns, warm mittens, and felt boots. And with the same beautiful fluffy shepherd dogs.
8/9 Anyway, don't worry about me. I'm fine. I'm totally relieved that I've finally made it.
Thanks again to everyone for your support. And happy holidays!
9/9 Since I'm Santa Claus, you're probably wondering about the presents. But I am a special-regime Santa Claus, so only those who have behaved very badly get presents 😉
