Photo Gallery of Orthodox Christmas

By James Kimer | Published: January 7, 2008

Today Orthodox Christians celebrated Christmas – and here are some photos from the festivities in Russia.

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Russia’s President Vladimir Putin meets children as he visits Father Frost’s palace in Veliky Ustyug in the Vologda region, about 650 km (400 miles) north of Moscow, January 7, 2008. REUTERS/Pool/Misha Japaridze (RUSSIA)

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Cleaners in front of an Orthodox church clear snow from one of the central streets in the main regional Chechen city of Grozny January 7, 2008. REUTERS/Said Tsarnayev (RUSSIA)

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REUTERS/Misha Japaridze/Pool (RUSSIA)

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Russia’s President Vladimir Putin attends a Christmas Eve service at a church in the ancient Russian town of Veliky Ustyug, in the Vologda region, about 500 km (311 miles) north of Moscow, late January 6, 2008. REUTERS/Misha Japaridze/Pool (RUSSIA)