Introduction to Russia's extraordinary fairy tales and their rich legacy in modern Russian literature, music, visual and performing arts, and handicrafts. Reflects on the genesis of the Russian fairy tale; samples thematic groups of tales (e.g., the 'foolish' third son, stepmother-stepdaughter tales); reads tales as expressions of folk belief, works of oral art, explorations of the human psyche and human relations, and stylized reflections of their sociopolitical context. Also traces how certain tales have been reworked into other art forms. All texts in English translation.
SLAVIC & EURASIAN STUDIES