July 23, 2024

A Fairytale Trip around Russia


A Fairytale Trip around Russia
Imagine life in Russian folk landscapes.  Катуллина, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Izvestiya has assembled a list of destinations for the folklore-loving traveler, ranging from sites of natural beauty to the fabled homelands of characters from Russian mythological tradition. 

Many Russian folk heroes are associated with towns in Russia's "Golden Ring" of ancient cities encircling Moscow, including Baba Yaga, whose infamous chicken-leg hut is said to have been located in the town of Kukoboy in the Yaroslavl region. Hero of Kievan Rus myth Alyosha Popovich is also said to have been born in the Yaroslavl region. 

Nearby in the Vladimir region, one can visit ancestral home of the bogatyr Ilya Muromets, a warrior who defended the Rus alongside Alyosha Popovich. 

For the more literal tourist, in the city of Kostroma, visitors can see the "birthplace" of Snegurochka, the "Snow Maiden." Snegurochka is associated with this city because playwright Alexander Ostrovsky wrote his beloved play of the same name in Kostroma in 1873. Now, the city is home to all the props and sets from the film version from 1969

You Might Also Like

Russian Folklore
  • September 20, 2008

Russian Folklore

Editor's choice of books about Russian folklore and folktales.
Slavic-Style Spooks
  • November 02, 2017

Slavic-Style Spooks

Halloween or Hallowon't? The holiday is more trick than treat in Russia, so dive into the details and creep yourself out with some frightful tales while you're at it. 
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955