Mini crash course in Russian fairy tale characters

by on with 5 Comments

Last year Chelyabinsk opened a fairy tale trail (тропа “Лесные сказки”) in one of the city’s most popular parks.

Парк Гагарина.
Начало тропы.

How well do you know Russian fairy tale characters? I recognized a couple of them but still had to do a fair amount of research for this post. Let me know if there’s anything I missed!

#1. Леший

A forest deity who roams the woods. Can be evil but not necessarily. Married according to some.

#2. Кощей Бессмертный

Creepy old immortal dude who always trying to steal young women from their boyfriends.

#3. Баба-Яга

The famous Slavic witch who lives in a house on chicken legs. Don’t get on her bad side!

#4. Сестрица Аленушка и братец Иванушка

A younger brother doesn’t listen to his sister, drinks out of a puddle, turns into a goat, and is kidnapped by Баба-Яга.

#5. Хозяйка Медной Горы

The Mistress of the Copper Mountain, a beautiful young woman often symbolized by lizards and malachite. (Now I understand the green lizard magnet a student gave me.)

Have you seen Последний богатырь, the Disney movie about Russian fairy tales? I’m hoping to watch it this month and learn about a few more famous faces. Until then, what other Russian fairy tale characters do you know? Who should I keep an eye out for in the forest? 🙂

5 Responses

  1. Pippa Foreman
    | Reply

    Funnily enough I have just started re-reading an old childhood book that I have – “Old Peter’s Russian Tales” by Arthur Ransome. A well known English children’s author who spent several years living and working in Russia.

    • Katherine
      | Reply

      Wow, that looks like a really cool book, Pippa! Thank you for mentioning it! 🙂 I just added it to my to-read list. Do you have a favorite tale?

  2. gencha
    | Reply

    я бы не тратила время на последнего богатыря – он скучный, лучше посмотрите советские фильмы сказки, они и сняты лучше и истории гораздо интереснее. например, https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D0%B0%D0%BC,_%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%BC%D1%8B%D1%85_%D0%B4%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%85%E2%80%A6 – этот фильм вообще как введение (introduction to) в русские сказки
    https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B5_%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%B4%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%B2_%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B3 – осовремененное изложение
    остальное – классические сказки
    https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B7%D0%BA%D0%BE_(%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BC)
    https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8C%D1%8F-%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BA%D1%83%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B0
    https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0-%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%B0,_%D0%B4%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%B0

    • Katherine
      | Reply

      Класс!! Спасибо, Gencha – все новые для меня, я не смотрела но сейчас хочу посмотреть! 👍👍👍

      • gencha
        |

        не за что, поделитесь потом впечатлениями, если что то особенно зацепит

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