MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/. Russia’s main New Year tree has arrived in Moscow from Volokolamsk, a city about 120 kilometers northwest of the Russian capital, on a special motor convoy, which squeezed the spruce through the Kremlin’s main gate in the Spasskaya Tower, as the tree will be later installed on Cathedral Square.
In front of the Spasskaya Tower, the driver stopped and got out of the truck to hand a special ‘waybill’ to an officer of the Kremlin security service and report the arrival of the cargo.
"The journey went without incidents. And we have just brought the most beautiful and adorable New Year’s tree," the driver, dressed as Russia’s renowned New Year’s gift-bringer Grandfather Frost, told reporters.
The spruce arrived at the Kremlin at 10.00 p.m. sharp to the chimes of the Spasskaya Tower.
The search for the Kremlin’s "perfect fir tree" began this summer. This year’s spruce was chosen from more than 60 rival candidates. The perfect tree should be around 100 years of age, have a dark green hue, and be without any broken and dry branches. Another essential condition is that there should be direct access to the tree and nearby grounds to use for its transport to Moscow.
As a result, a festive tree was selected and cut down outside Volokolamsk. The spruce is 95 years old and is 27 meters tall, and the span of its lower branches is some ten meters. In addition, the diameter of its trunk is 56 centimeters.
For the first time, a real fir tree was installed on Cathedral Square within the Kremlin’s walls in 1996. Due to severe frosts in 2001-2005, which prevented the tree’s delivery, it was replaced with an artificial one.
In 2005-2006, fir trees were brought from Veliky Ustyug, the homeland of Grandfather Frost. Since 2007, these holiday fir trees have been delivered from the Moscow Region.