Russian Myths English

Russia is the largest country in the world, with the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons. Over a thousand years this multifaceted nation of shifting borders has been known as Rus, Muscovy, the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. Thirty years ago, it was reinvented as the Russian Federation. Russia is not an enigma, but its past is violent, tragic, sometimes glorious, and certainly complicated. Like the rest of us, the Russians constantly rewrite their history. They too omit episodes of national disgrace in favour of patriotic anecdotes, sometimes more rooted in myth than reality.

The Russian fairy tale about Tsarevich Ivan and his wife, Vasilisa the Wise, who was enchanted to be a frog, was recorded by the renowned folklorist Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev (1826–1871), who collected and published more than 600 Russian folk tales in the middle 19th century.

Vasilisa the Beautiful is a Russian fairy tale collected by a Russian poet, writer, editor, ethnographer and translator Alexander Afanasyev. It tells the tale of a beautiful girl named Vasilisa. When her mother dies, she gives her a magic doll. Her father remarries, and she gains an evil stepmother and two stepsisters. Despite the stepmother's attempts to diminish Vasilisa's beauty, she continues to grow more beautiful.

Marya Morevna is a Russian fairy tale collected by Alexander Afanasyev in Narodnye russkie skazki. Marya was a warrior queen who ruled a small kingdom and for some 10 years, kept Koschei the Deathless a captive in her castle's tower. The character Koschei is an evil immortal man who menaces young women with his magic.She fell in love with Ivan Tsarevitch, and while she was away on a campaign, he accidentally released Koschei. The evil wizard then abducted the queen and Ivan Tsarevitch was forced to find some way to kill him. Ivan was successful and was reunited with Marya.

Sister Alenushka, brother Ivanushka is a Russian fairy tale collected by Russian Slavist and ethnographer Alexander Afanasyev. A classic Russian fairy tale about Alyonushka and her naughty brother turned into a goatling.

The Tale of Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf is a Russian fairy tale collected by a Russian Slavist and ethnographer Alexander Afanasyev. A king's apple tree bore golden apples, but every night, one was stolen. Guards reported that the Firebird stole them. The king told his two oldest sons that the one who caught the bird would receive half his kingdom and be his heir. They drew lots to see who would be first, but both fell asleep; they tried to claim it had not come, but it had stolen an apple. Finally Ivan Tsarevich, the youngest son, asked to try; his father was reluctant because of his youth but consented.

Finist Clear Falcon 's feather is a Russian fairy tale collected by Alexander Afanasyev in Narodnye russkie skazki (1855-1863). The story of a daughter who asks only for a scarlet flower when her father goes to market, instead of the luxuries her two sisters ask for. Two times her father forgets; the third time, he buys a scarlet flower from a mysterious old man as long as the daughter agrees to marry his son, Finist the Falcon. This sets in motion a tale of love, jealousy, and adventure as the two overcome many obstacles to their love.

Surviving the ill-fated expedition to Knnot, Valeria, Alik, and the others have found refuge in Valeria's village. Though Val should find comfort in reuniting with her family, everything has changed—including herself. For now, Val is the Pale God's chosen champion. And she is ready for revenge on the Czar.

The fifth and final installment of Russian Collection for Kids goes well and truly outside of the boundaries of Russia and all over the world. Folk tales and stories by foreign authors, narratives from various continents, fanciful and fascinating story lines, people, places, and animals - everything has been thrown in and mixed thoroughly in this comprehensive collection, bound to astonish and delight both children and grown-ups.

The fourth installment of Russian Collection for Kids features stories that begin in everyday life and end in magic. Their main characters are children - boys and girls thrown into tough circumstances and having to test the limits of their courage and ingenuity to solve problems without grown-up help.

Collection of funny animal tales. There is not a single child in the whole world who would not like fairy tales! Especially folk tales transmitted from generation to generation. The wise Russian people composed many fairy tales: funny and sad, magical and everyday, long and short, fairy tales for the youngest children and older children.