Father Christmas: Pro-Putin activist demands Kremlin recognises Santa Claus as an enemy of Russia

Super nationalist Vitaly Borodin claims the growing popularity of the West's Santa Claus is a threat to Russia's grim traditional winter figure, Father Frost.

Both wear long robes and use sleighs to hand out gifts. But in the gruesome Russian version, Father Frost entombs a girl in ice because she is rude to him.

Now Borodin has written to Russia's Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov urging him to declare Santa Claus an enemy of the state. Borodin claims Santa's global $1.6 trillion commercial value means Western-controlled corporations are wiping out a vital piece of traditional Russian culture.

He said: "There is a high probability that foreign companies might fund the image of Santa in Russia to undermine traditional Russian values."

He claims the Santa ploy is part of an organised plot to eradicate Russian culture and increase the West's influence. Father Frost, or Ded Moroz, became a key part of winter celebrations in Soviet-era Russia.

With his granddaughter Snowflake he is said to travel on a sleigh handing out gifts to good children but freezing others with the tip of his magic staff.

However, with the collapse of communism and the spread of capitalism Santa has become a growing presence in Russian life.

Earlier this year Borodin called for a crackdown on Western-influenced rappers. He said: "These are the scum our children are watching today, this is LGBT propaganda."

Regional MP Mikhail Ivanov has also called for lawmakers to ban Santa Claus from store shelves saying he is a symbol of the West's greed.

Story: NewsX