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[quote=Anonymous]Nicholas is greatly revered in Russia as the protector of the weak from the strong, the oppressed from the oppressor, and the poor from the rich— he is the Russian champion of the disadvantaged.

St. Nicholas is prominent in Russian Orthodox liturgy as Thursday prayers are dedicated to him as representative of all the saints. Nicholas is the only saint shown in three-dimensional statuary in the Russian Orthodox Church.

Saint Nicholas is the Orthodox tradition's Wonder or Miracle Worker. As such he is Russia's most beloved—the most venerated—saint; his icon often appearing on triptychs with Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Numerous Russian cathedrals, monasteries, and churches have been dedicated to St. Nicholas. In villages, St. Nicholas was revered as merciful intercessor for working people. Merchants and others revere St. Nicholas the Miracle-worker as the patron of all who travel on land or sea, and have dedicated marketplace churches to him. Ship captains carry St. Nicholas icons on board ship. Long-haul truck drivers keep his icon on the dashboard, hoping for protection from accident. Metropolitan Hilario has noted that St. Nicholas unites the West and the East, coming to the aid of all those who turn to him in sincere and ardent prayer. His icons have been prized gifts for weddings and birthdays. The beloved saint's name is also very popular for Russian boys.

Russian cosmonaut Sergey Volkov installed an icon of Saint Nicholas on the ISS (International Space Station) in November 2011. The ISS is a joint project of US NASA with the space agencies in Japan, Russia, Canada and Europe.

Christmas came to be celebrated late in Russia, as Easter was the primary festival in the Orthodox calendar. Tsar Nicolas I's Prussian princess wife, brought German customs along with her in 1817. She introduced Christmas trees and gifts were brought by St. Nicholas. Father Frost was gaining ground by the end of the 19th century and Communist rule saw him totally supplanted as gift giver by Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) who came at the New Year. Grandfather Frost often came with the Snow Maiden and the New Year's Boy. Christmas itself was banned, people selling Christmas trees arrested and others supporting Christmas programs punished.

As Communism spread in Eastern Europe their traditional gift-givers, the Christ Child, St. Nicholas and angels, were also discouraged. Christmas has made a comeback since 1991 and is celebrated by religious Russians. New Year's is still the primary festival.

When St. Nicholas relic visited Russia in 2017 many regarded it as a miracle worth witnessing. Two and a half million venerated the relic in Moscow and St. Petersburg. As one pilgrim said, "It's important to be close to the grace of St. Nicholas. All saints are special, but this is the one most dear to us." As the head of the Russian Orthodox Church media center for special events said, "For 930 years, no one has seen them. This is as though Saint Nicholas himself has come to Moscow."

https://www.stnicholascenter.org/around-the-world/customs/russia[/quote]

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