Russia
Materials from Russia
I-Know-Not-What, I-Know-Not-Where: A Russian Tale
A retelling of a Russian fairy tale in which an archer assigned many dangerous quests by the greedy, cruel czar wins a crown and the woman of his dreams.
The Frog Princess
Forced to marry an ugly frog, the youngest son of the Tsar is astounded to learn that the frog is really the beautiful princess Vasilisa the Wise.
The Chernobyl Disaster
Provides comprehensive information on the nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the differing perspectives accompanying it.
The Little Humpbacked Horse: A Russian Tale
A young peasant, with the help of his faithful horse, captures magical beasts, marries the woman he loves, and becomes Tsar of Russia.
The Tale Of Tsar Saltan
Betrayed by her jealous sisters, a Tsarina and her infant son are marooned on a barren island until a magical swan helps them regain their rightful heritage.
Varenka
Vassilisa The Wise
A clever and beautiful woman uses her wits to get her husband out of Prince Vladimir’s prison.
First Snow, Magic Snow
A little girl made from the magical first snow lives with a lonely man and his wife through the winter, and when she disappears in the spring, the couple set out in search of her.
Firebird
“In the shadow of King Vaslav’s Palace was a marvelous garden, and in the middle of that garden stood a tree that grew apples of solid gold, each one as dazzling as the sun.”Someone is stealing the king’s famous golden apples, and the culprit must be found. The palace gardener spots the luminous Firebird snatching the apples in the night. The king’s two oldest sons are sent to capture it but fail. So Ivan, the youngest son, must go on the dangerous quest, befriending a gray wolf, winning both the Firebird and the heart of the beautiful Princess Helen. Saviour Pirotta’s powerful retelling of this classic folktale plumbs the heart of human fears, courage, and love.