The Christmas Visit (Russian title: New Year's Trip) is a 1959 Soviet cartoon. It is in the public domain.
Under the atheistic Soviet regime, the celebration of Christmas was outlawed in Russia and its associated traditions were transferred to New Year's. Thus, the original Russian version of the cartoon takes place on New Year's Eve rather than Christmas Eve. A Russian picture book version was published in 1964.
The English version changes the holiday from New Year's to Christmas, but keeps the Russian setting. It also adds a narrator and retains all of the onscreen cyrillic writing. The ENG version was released on VHS as part of the "Christmas Classics" series, and has also been included in a number of anthology DVD's dedicated to old Christmas specials.
Synopsis[]
In Moscow, a boy named Koyla is decorating a tree for Christmas. He is sad that his father is stationed in Antarctica, where there are no trees. Therefore, Koyla decides to take a Christmas tree to his father.
He pulls over a taxi and tells the driver that he wants to go to Antarctica. The driver points him in the direction of Ded Moroz, who is flying through the air in a magical jet plane. Ded gives Koyla his plane, but says that he will have to make it to his father before midnight. Koyla flies through outer space, over Europe and then Africa. Over Africa, a sandstorm forms and destroys the plane.
Koyla lands in Africa, where he meets a friendly lion. The lion takes him to the African coast, where a group of monkeys build him a raft. Koyla sets sail on the raft, but it's destroyed by a big wave. He's rescued by a whale, who brings him to the coast of Antarctica. He then meets a group of penguins, who help him take the tree the rest of the way. Just as the weather station where his father works comes into view, the chimes of midnight sound. It's too late and Koyla is back in Moscow.
However, a man arrives to deliver a cable to Koyla and his mother. It says that Koyla's father received a big Christmas tree by plane.
Voices[]
Original Russian[]
| Voice actress/actor | Character(s) |
|---|---|
| Galina Ivanova | Kolya |
| Irina Pototskaya | Penguin |
English Adaptation[]
| Voice actress/actor | Character(s) |
|---|---|
| Ginny Tyler | Kolya |
| Gilbert Mack | Narrator |
| Hal Smith | Taxi Driver Santa Claus Lion Whale |