January 05, 2022

Dead Morose: Never Too Late for the New Year


Dead Morose: Never Too Late for the New Year

“We answer each of them individually. There are a lot of letters. We didn’t expect that there would be so many. There is no negative at all. Thank God no one is writing any filth. Everything somehow really worked out very soulfully. This kind of thing is a sincere message to the other. We have not regretted a single thing."

– Representative of the Omsk ritual company “Heritage”

This year, a deceased Father Christmas by the name of Dead Morose will deliver personalized New Year’s letters to departed loved ones through a service offered through the Russia-based company “Heritage.”

According to the company’s advertisement on Instagram, the service is intended to help individuals grieve the loss of loved ones. “Writing a letter is a way to continue a relationship with the deceased person and tell him what you were unable to say during his life.”

Interested customers can order delivery of the letters, which are written by individuals and not bots, until January 14. No letters will be published publicly.

For this, all customers should be grateful. No one will ever know how much Uncle Misha hated watching the New Year’s classic “The Irony of Fate” at babushka’s every year – but babushka can now!

 

 

 

 

 

You Might Also Like

Ringing in the New Year
  • January 01, 1998

Ringing in the New Year

New Year's is Russia's best celebrated national holiday. We look at the traditions, old and new, surrounding this annual event.
The Irony of Fate
  • January 01, 1996

The Irony of Fate

A profile of Russians' favorite holiday movie, "The Irony of Fate."
Of Soviet Santas & Snegurochkas
  • January 01, 2000

Of Soviet Santas & Snegurochkas

This time of year, many Russians pine for the calmer, friendlier New Year's celebrations of decades past, and struggle to preserve family holiday traditions
Bringing in the New Year
  • November 01, 2004

Bringing in the New Year

From her village in the Bryansk region, Laura Williams offers a distinctly rural picture of the New Year's holidays in Russia.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955