Russian Folk Tales
Artist Ivan Bilibin's picture of Baba Yaga from the story "Vasilisa the Beautiful".
Some of the extraordinary characters you will meet in Russian folk tales
These appear in The White Birds which you can read on the next page:
Baba Yaga
Baba Yaga could easily be mistaken for a witch, but she isn’t, and in some stories she is even kind. She is very controversial; often she is depicted as a symbol of evil and leads travellers to their doom, but in other stories she helps them find their way. She flies in a mortar (a tall wooden tub), sweeping her way through the sky with a broom and pushing bushes and trees away with a stout stick or pestle, and lives in a hut which stands on two old chicken legs in the middle of a forest.
More about Baba Yaga:
Baba Yaga
Baba Yaga could easily be mistaken for a witch, but she isn’t, and in some stories she is even kind. She is very controversial; often she is depicted as a symbol of evil and leads travellers to their doom, but in other stories she helps them find their way. She flies in a mortar (a tall wooden tub), sweeping her way through the sky with a broom and pushing bushes and trees away with a stout stick or pestle, and lives in a hut which stands on two old chicken legs in the middle of a forest.
More about Baba Yaga:
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The Russian composer Peter Tchaikovsky wrote some piano music about Baba Yaga - "The Witch", no. 20 in his "Album for the Young" (Op.39) |
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A short animation, with Tchaikovsky's music |
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A mechanical Baba Yaga from Cabaret Mechanical Theatre (London). Watch out for their tour in 2017! |
And the E2BN Myths and Legends website has information about the story of Baba Yaga and Vasilisa as well as a cartoon version.
Swan-Geese
In our story they are referred to as the white birds and help Baba Yaga. As their name suggests, they are a cross between swans and geese; incorporating the elegance of swans and the harsh red beaks from geese.
Masha
Masha wants to look after her brother, but finds it hard to stay with him when her friends go swimming. She changes a lot between the beginning and end of the story, and feels very guilty about what happened to Vanya.
Others:
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Koschei the Immortal (pronounced kashei) Although sometimes depicted as a comical character in films, Koschei is pure evil and in most stories he abducts the leading lady. He can’t be killed by being physically injured; instead his death is in the form of a needle which is hidden in an egg which is inside a duck, which is inside a hare, which is deep within an oak on the Island of Buyan. The latter is a mysterious place in the ocean which appears and disappears, where three brothers; the Northern, Southern and Eastern winds live. |
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The Fox The Fox relies on her slyness to get her food and anything she desires. She always cheats when playing games and tricks other animals. |
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Firebird Emitting a bright orange and red glow, a single Firebird feather is sufficient to light up a whole room. It is usually the object of a quest, and although it sometimes gets the main character what they want, it symbolises greed, desire and selfishness. |
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You can find Russian folk tales in: |
"Old Peter's Russian Tales" by Arthur Ransome. The Echo Library, ISBN 9781406837445.
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"Why the Bear Has No Tail" by Elena Polenova.Translated by Netta Peacock and edited by Louise Hardiman: a collection of beautifully illustrated Russian folk tales. Fontanka, 2014.
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"Russian Fairy Tales" by Gillian Avery. Illustrated by Bilibin. Everyman's Library Children's Classics.
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The Russian poet Alexander Pushkin wrote several folk tales - you will find his Tale about a Fisherman and a Fish, and information about his other tales on the Pushkin's world page of this website
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