Is the Russian Winter Still Russian?

I remember the good old times, when any winter was a real Russian snowy and frosty winter. These happened to be so snowy and frosty that you might still believe General Frost had really helped the Red Army to defend Moscow from Germans back in 1941.

I don't know who is to blame, either those sanctions against Russia, or that independent El-Niño, or whatever natural (or unnatural) phenomenon else. What I know (and see with my own eyes, and feel with my own body) for sure, our Russian winter is not what it used to be.

Supposedly the beginning of the Olympic year 1980.
Me and my sister, taken on ORWO slide film by our dear late father Vladimir T. Samarin.
I'm in an overcoat and my sister in a fur coat (and looks like both in felt boots, 'valenki'), because it's just COLD over there!

1975. Guess why my cheeks are red
just like the handle of my little shovel!

When a child, in winter I enjoyed plenty of snow! Since early childhood the most wanted toy for walks was a little shovel. Snow banks and piles were often full (grown-up) human length high. Snowballs were our outdoor game number one, and there were lots of snowmans (and snowwomen!) around there. And -20 centigrade was normal, while -30 was considered as quite a minor disaster ('cause sometimes temperature could fall to -35 and even lower), and schoolchildren were allowed to stay at home if it was -28 and lower.

Only trees and bushes look like in the good old times.

And what we have now? Now we have the first somewhat real snowfall in Moscow on December, 10, and the temperature about -2 centigrade!














That's hilarious and ridiculous! Give back our winter without that dark-brown muddy pap on the roads!