“What a delight these fairy tales are! Each one is a poem!” wrote A. S. Pushkin. The poet was captivated by the creative imagination of the people, their fantasy, their artistic figurative thinking, and the raw power of their language. Pushkin did not simply rewrite Russian fairy tales in verse; rather, like a traditional storyteller, he altered plots and incorporated elements from other genres, such as songs, laments, incantations, and even details from foreign folklore. In his “Fairy Tales,” Pushkin experimented with form, but always aimed for one goal: to show the beauty of the Russian language, and through it, the Russian soul.
Vyacheslav Nazaruk’s illustrations in a fairy-tale “Russian style” help to capture this essence. Drawing not only on folklore but also on the traditions of domestic illustration, the artist created layered drawings, complex in their color palette and ornamentation.
Contents:
- The Tale of Tsar Saltan, of His Son the Renowned and Mighty Bogatyr Prince Gvidon Saltanovich, and of the Beautiful Princess Swan
- The Tale of the Golden Cockerel
- The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights
- The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish
- The Groom
- The Tale of the She-Bear
- The Tale of the Priest and of His Workman Balda
Author: Alexander Pushkin
Illustrations: Vyacheslav Nazaruk
Pages: 224 (coated paper). Hardcover
Dimensions: 210x267 mm
