- Title: Tree-mendous! Divers in Crimea take festivities to new depths
- Date: 23rd December 2019
- Summary: NOVIY SVIT, CRIMEA (DECEMBER 22, 2019) (REUTERS) DIVERS SWIMMING AT SURFACE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DIVER, ILYA CHACHUA, SAYING: "According to the programme, we put on a small performance on the shore. Then, we submerge the tree underwater like we do every year, meet Father Frost, maybe have a snack underwater, which is important, and then a New Year dance of course." VARIOUS OF VOLSHEBNIK DIVE CLUB MANAGER VALERY PIVOVAROV AND YOUNG MAN DECORATING CHRISTMAS TREE LEAD WEIGHTS VARIOUS OF PIVOVAROV ATTACHING LEAD WEIGHTS TO BASE OF CHRISTMAS TREE MOTORBOAT SAILING ACROSS BAY (SOUNDBITE) (Russia) VOLSHEBNIK DIVE CLUB MANAGER, VALERY PIVOVAROV, SAYING: "The Christmas tree is plastic, it's strong, so it doesn't fall apart. The baubles are plastic, they aren't fragile and don't leave anything underwater and are firmly attached, so we don't leave anything behind us in the water after we've left, the same goes for the tinsel. You have to have weights at the bottom to stop the tree from floating up and to keep our sea clean." CHACHUA BEING CARRIED ON THRONE TOWARDS SEA DIVERS GETTING READY DIVER GETTING BUCKLED UP MAN PUTTING SANTA HAT ON DIVER DIVERS DRESSED AS DEER AND SANTA CLAUS RUNNING INTO WATER SUPPORT BOAT WITH CHRISTMAS TREE SAILING AWAY FROM SHORE
- Embargoed: 6th January 2020 09:25
- Keywords: Christmas tree crimea festive season new year scuba diving
- Location: NOVY SVET, CRIMEA
- City: NOVY SVET, CRIMEA
- Country: Crimea
- Topics: Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA002BB74TA1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Divers in Crimea took festive celebrations to new depths on Sunday (December 22) by holding a fancy-dress party around a fully-decorated Christmas tree on the seabed.
Several dozen divers gathered in the town of Noviy Svit for the event, which was being held for the third time. Lead weights were attached to the base of the artificial Christmas tree to keep it in place, while the baubles and tinsel were attached with cable ties to prevent them from floating away.
In Soviet times, New Year was celebrated instead of Christmas and the tradition continues to this day. Orthodox Christians traditionally mark Christmas on January 7, but celebrations are normally more modest.
Crimea was annexed by Russian from Ukraine in 2014.
(Production: Peter Scott) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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