Polish Fairy Tales

The book includes eighteen Polish folk tales. Some of them are reminiscent of well-known Russian fairy tales, others are quite unique; there are also fairy tales with mystical overtones. All texts are translated by Z. Karabanova. The edition is decorated with illustrations by Valery Nikolayevich Kurdyumov, a famous Russian artist who worked at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and made a notable contribution to the development of Russian Art Nouveau. An important role in shaping the culture of each nation is played by its folklore: bylinas, sagas, fairy tales. This book familiarizes readers with fairy tales of old Poland. They reflect the peculiarities of everyday life of Poles of the past centuries, their everyday life, way of thinking, beliefs. And of course, as in the fairy tales of other peoples of the world, these tales have a lot of magic, mysterious, mystical, and sometimes frightening. The plots of some Polish fairy tales resemble Russian stories or fairy tales in their construction, while others do not resemble them at all. For example, the plot of the fairy tale "The Invisible Cloak" reminds a little of Gogol's "Viy", and the fairy tale "The Wonder Ring" in some places resembles Shergin's famous story in which a dog and a cat help their savior. On the other hand, the plot of the fairy tale "The Crimson House" is completely original. Comparing the Polish fairy tales included in this collection with the fairy tales you already know is an interesting exercise. It will certainly give you pleasure. The eighteen Polish fairy tales that make up this book were first printed by the famous Moscow publisher Ivan Dmitrievich Sytin in 1914. He had a fantastic career from a handyman in a bookstore to a prominent book publisher and owner of a large chain of bookstores and stores. Ivan Dmitrievich tried to make books inexpensive and attractive to readers. For this purpose he attracted the best artists of Russia to design his products. Such masters of painting as Ilya Repin and Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin cooperated with Sytin. To illustrate a collection of Polish fairy tales Sytin attracted the talented artist Valery Nikolayevich Kurdyumov. His drawings decorate this modern edition as well. It is enough to look at any of his illustrations to immediately realize - this is the work of a true master. Kurdyumov perfectly mastered composition and the technique of stroke drawing. With the help of fine lines he perfectly conveyed the fur of a bear, the folds of clothing or the play of light and shadow on the rocks in the forest. In his manner one can feel the influence of both the unique Bilibinsky style and the fashionable artistic trends of the early twentieth century. It is interesting to note that Kurdyumov was the founder of the famous Moscow house-commune in Lefortovo, where many artists of various directions lived and painted. In 1905 Kazimir Malevich, who had warm friendly relations with Kurdyumov, lived there. Unfortunately, history has preserved little information about the life of V. N. Kurdyumov; the best monument to the artist remain his timeless drawings.