Professional informant Vitaly Borodin appealed to the Prosecutor General's Office with a demand to recognize Santa Claus as a 'foreign agent' due to his popularity in 'unfriendly' countries, reported the pro-government channel Shot. In his opinion, he replaces the image of the 'traditional Ded Moroz'.
Santa Claus is used by many foreign companies, including Father Christmas Ltd, which owns the trademarks Santa Claus, Father Christmas and Cyber Santa. According to Borodin, the trademark is valued at $1.6 trillion, and 'there is a high probability that foreign companies may finance the image of Santa in Russia with the aim of destroying traditional Russian values'.
Vitaly Borodin regularly complains to various state bodies about cultural figures: Liya Akhedzhakova, Alla Pugacheva, Laima Vaikule, Semyon Slepakov*, Diana Arbenina. He also searches for 'foreign agents' among public figures and has repeatedly attributed himself to the latest updates of the Ministry of Justice's registry. Actor Danila Kozlovsky won a court case against Borodin this year for the protection of honor and dignity after he filed a complaint against him with the Prosecutor General's Office.
* Recognized as a 'foreign agent' in Russia.