Russia: Fir tree razor wire 'ruins festive cheer'

Drastic steps had to be taken to deter fir tree thieves

A botanical garden in south Russia is using razor wire to prevent trees from being stolen ahead of New Year's Eve.

It is usually lights and other decorations that are put on trees as the winter holidays approach, but the Southern Federal University's garden in Rostov-on-Don had to take extraordinary measures after thieves chopped down several of its fir trees last year.

The wire will stay wrapped around the trees until the holiday season is over, says Andrey Savechnikov, a spokesman for the university. "It will protect the trees without doing any damage to them," he tells the Don News website.

But some locals argue that the move has ruined the festive cheer. The Green Union, a local garden centre whose employees spotted the wire on the trees and posted pictures of them online, wonders: "Have you seen anything like this in any other botanical garden or anywhere else, for that matter?"

Another resident of Rostov-on-Don says razor wire on trees reminds him of the grim legacy of Gulag labour camps. "They might as well have put up gun towers," he says.

New Year's Eve is hugely important to Russians, most of whom are Orthodox Christians and celebrate Christmas in January. The traditional Russian family dinner on 31 December is never complete without a lavishly decorated fir tree in the living room, often referred to as "the New Year beauty". Some, however, are unwilling to pay for their trees, leaving gaps where fir trees used to grow in public parks.

Thieves sometimes steal whole trees, or just chop off their tops

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