Ded Moroz
Since the breakup of the USSR and especially in the recent years, there has been a shift from Ded Moroz, which came to be associated with the Soviet-era heritage, to more traditional Saint Nicholas (Святий Миколай, "Sviatyi Mykolai"), which used to be more popular in Western Ukraine. There were rumors that Ded Moroz imagery was discouraged by the authorities due to conflict with Russia. The Ukrainian Ministry of Culture refuted this.