A folk tale is a message from our ancestors, passed down from time immemorial. Through magical stories, sacred information about morality reaches us...

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A folk tale is a message from our ancestors, passed down from time immemorial. Through magical stories, sacred information about morality and spirituality, traditions and culture is conveyed to us. The heroes of Russian folk tales are very colorful. They live in peace full of wonders and dangers. There is a battle between light and dark forces, as a result of which goodness and justice always win.

Ivan the Fool

The main character of Russian fairy tales is a seeker. He goes to hard way to get a magic item or a bride, to deal with the monster. In this case, initially the character can occupy a low social status. As a rule, this is a peasant son, the most youngest child in family.

By the way, the word “fool” in ancient times did not have a negative meaning. Since the 14th century, it has served as a talismanic name, often given to the youngest son. He did not receive any inheritance from his parents. Older brothers in fairy tales are successful and practical. Ivan spends time on the stove, since he is not interested in living conditions. He does not seek money or fame, and patiently endures the ridicule of others.

However, it is Ivan the Fool who is ultimately lucky. He is unpredictable, capable of solving non-standard riddles, and defeats the enemy with cunning. The hero is characterized by mercy and kindness. He helps out those in trouble, releases the pike, for which he is awarded magical help. Having overcome all obstacles, Ivan the Fool marries the Tsar's daughter and becomes rich. Behind unsightly clothes hides the image of a sage serving good and wary of falsehood.

Bogatyr

This hero was borrowed from epics. He is handsome, brave, noble. It often grows “by leaps and bounds.” He has enormous strength and is able to saddle a heroic horse. There are many stories where a character fights a monster, dies, and then is resurrected.

The names of the heroes of Russian fairy tales can be different. We meet Ilya Muromets, Bova Korolevich, Alyosha Popovich, Nikita Kozhemyaka and other characters. Ivan Tsarevich can also be classified in this category. He enters into battle with the Serpent Gorynych or Koshchei, saddles Sivka-Burka, protects the weak, and rescues the princess.

It is significant that the hero sometimes makes mistakes (responds rudely to the grandmother he meets, burns the skin of a frog). Subsequently, he has to repent of this, ask for forgiveness, and correct the situation. By the end of the tale, he gains wisdom, finds the princess and receives half the kingdom as a reward for his exploits.

Wonder Bride

By the end of the story, an intelligent and beautiful girl becomes the wife of a fairy-tale hero. In Russian folk tales we meet Vasilisa the Wise, Marya Morevna, and Elena the Beautiful. They embody the popular idea of ​​a woman standing guard over her family.

The heroines are distinguished by their resourcefulness and intelligence. Thanks to their help, the hero solves ingenious riddles and defeats the enemy. Often a beautiful princess is subject to the forces of nature; she is able to turn into an animal (swan, frog) and create real miracles. The heroine uses powerful forces for the benefit of her lover.

There is also an image of a meek stepdaughter in fairy tales, who achieves success thanks to her hard work and kindness. Common qualities for all positive female images are loyalty, purity of aspirations and readiness to help.

Baba Yaga

Which hero of Russian fairy tales is the most beloved and popular among children and adults? The first place rightfully belongs to Baba Yaga. This is a very controversial character with a terrifying appearance, a hooked nose and a bone leg. In ancient times, “Baba” was the name given to the mother, the eldest woman in the family. "Yaga" may be related to the Old Russian words "yagat" ("to shout loudly, swear") or "yagaya" ("sick, angry").

An old witch lives in the forest, on the border of ours and other world. Her hut on chicken legs is surrounded by a fence made of human bones. Grandma flies on a mortar, makes friends with evil spirits, kidnaps children and keeps many magical objects from uninvited guests. According to scientists, it is associated with the kingdom of the dead. This is indicated by the loose hair that was unbraided for women before burial, the bone leg, and also the house. The Slavs made wooden huts for the dead, which they placed on stumps in the forest.

In Rus' they always respected their ancestors and turned to them for advice. That’s why good fellows come to Baba Yaga, and she tests them. To those who pass the test, the witch gives a hint, points the way to Koshchei, gives a magic ball, as well as a towel, comb and other wonders. Baba Yaga doesn’t eat children either, but she puts them in the oven and performs the ancient ritual of “over-baking.” In Rus' it was believed that in this way a child could be healed of an illness.

Koschey

The name of this fairy-tale hero of Russian fairy tales could come from the Turkic “koschey”, which translates as “slave”. The character was chained and kept prisoner for three hundred years. He himself also likes to kidnap beautiful girls and hide them in prison. According to another version, the name comes from the Slavic “kostit” (to scold, to harm) or “bone”. Koschey is often depicted as a skinny old man, more like a skeleton.

He is a very powerful sorcerer, lives far from other people and owns countless treasures. The death of the hero is in a needle, which is securely hidden in objects and animals nested inside each other like a nesting doll. The prototype of Koshchei may be the winter deity Karachun, who was born from a golden egg. It covered the earth with ice and brought death with it, forcing our ancestors to move to warmer areas. In other myths, Koshchei was the name of the son of Chernobog. The latter could control time and commanded the army of the underworld.

Dragon

This is one of the most ancient images. The hero of Russian fairy tales differs from foreign dragons by having several heads. Usually their number is a multiple of three. The creature can fly, breathes fire and abducts people. It lives in caves, where it hides captives and treasures. Often appears in front of a positive hero after emerging from the water. The nickname “Gorynych” is associated either with the character’s habitat (mountain) or with the verb “to burn.”

The image of the terrible Serpent is borrowed from ancient myths about the dragon who guards the entrance to the underworld. To become a man, a teenager had to defeat him, i.e. accomplish a feat and then enter world of the dead and come back as an adult. According to another version, Zmey Gorynych - collective image steppe nomads who attacked Rus' in huge hordes. At the same time, they used fire shells that burned wooden cities.

Forces of nature

In ancient times, people personified the Sun, Wind, Moon, Thunder, Rain and other phenomena on which their lives depended. They often became heroes of Russian fairy tales, married princesses, and helped good heroes. There are also anthropomorphic rulers of certain elements: Moroz Ivanovich, goblin, water one. They can play the role of both positive and negative characters.

Nature is depicted as spiritual. The well-being of people largely depends on her actions. Thus, Morozko rewards the meek, hardworking daughter of an old man, whom her stepmother ordered to abandon in the forest, with gold and a fur coat. At the same time, her selfish stepsister dies from his spell. The Slavs worshiped the forces of nature and at the same time were wary of them, tried to appease them with the help of sacrifices, and made requests.

Grateful animals

In fairy tales we meet a talking wolf, a magical horse and a cow, goldfish, a wish-fulfilling pike. And also a bear, hare, hedgehog, raven, eagle, etc. They all understand human speech and have unusual abilities. The hero helps them out of trouble, gives them life, and in return they help defeat the enemy.

Traces of totemism are clearly visible here. The Slavs believed that each genus descended from a specific animal. After death, the soul of a person moves into the beast and vice versa. For example, in the fairy tale "Burenushka" the soul of a deceased mother is reborn in the form of a cow to help her orphaned daughter. Such an animal could not be killed, because it became a relative and protected from harm. Sometimes the heroes of a fairy tale can themselves turn into an animal or a bird.

Firebird

Many positive heroes of fairy tales try to take possession of it. The wonderful bird dazzles the eyes like the golden sun and lives behind a stone wall in rich lands. Freely floating in the sky, it is a symbol of the heavenly body, which bestows luck, abundance, and creative power. This is a representative of another world, who often turns into a kidnapper. The firebird steals rejuvenating apples that bestow beauty and immortality.

Only those who are pure in soul, believe in the dream and are closely connected with their deceased ancestors can catch it. Usually this younger son, who had to care for his old parents and spent a lot of time near the family hearth.

Thus, the heroes of Russian fairy tales teach us to respect our ancestors, listen to our hearts, overcome fear, pursue our dreams despite mistakes, and always help those asking for help. And then the divine radiance of the magical firebird will fall on a person, transforming him and bestowing happiness.

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Fairy tales are a treasure trove folk wisdom! You can learn a lot from seemingly simple stories. useful information: how to marry a prince, how to deceive Koshchei, or how to turn from a frog into a princess.

Nowadays fairy tales are read only to children, but it’s never too late to learn women’s wisdom! So, what can the heroines of fairy tales teach adult girls and women?

Princess Frog

What it teaches: the ability to control oneself in any situation and the ability to make ordinary man king.

The Frog Princess was not ashamed of her appearance, since she perceived herself exactly as she was. She understood that beauty is not the main thing, but the main thing is the ability to present oneself correctly. It was this skill that she showed at the king’s reception, when with a wave of her hand a lake and swans appeared from her sleeves. And thanks to her intelligence and wisdom, she was able to turn the loser Ivan Tsarevich into a successful man.

Princess on the Pea

What does it teach: healthy sleep is important for a woman, and no peas should interfere with this!

In a fairy tale, the Prince finds his Princess. It would seem that everything will end well, but it was not so! They decided to test the girl for the authenticity of her blue blood and placed a pea under her many mattresses and feather beds. In life modern woman there are a lot of “peas” that interfere with sleep - work, children, problems, household chores, trips, etc. But you should always remember that healthy sleep not only gives you the opportunity to rest, but also contributes to the preservation of beauty.

Vasilisa the Beautiful

What it teaches: follow your intuition.

One of a woman’s strong abilities is her intuition. But sometimes women simply don’t trust her, and want to do everything logically, like men. Vasilisa received a doll from her mother. It is she who helps her overcome difficulties in the future. The doll gave advice and helped with everything. This doll can be compared with intuition.

Nastenka from Morozko

What it teaches: be a woman to the core! Position yourself in such a way that a man feels needed, so that he wants to protect and take care of you.

A humble, patient, modest girl, Nastenka finds her happiness thanks to her kind, sympathetic character. The man next to her understands that such a fragile girl needs to be taken care of and does it without any questions.

Cinderella

What it teaches: They are greeted by their clothes and escorted by their intelligence.

It’s not for nothing that Marilyn Monroe said: “Give a woman a pair of good shoes and she will conquer the whole world!” The heroine Cinderella teaches neatness, beauty and harmonious appearance. What can we say - men like beautiful, well-groomed and stylishly dressed girls. Of course, the Prince fell in love with Cinderella not for her appearance, but for her kindness, talent and sincerity, but at first she made an impact with her dress, shoes and hairstyle!

Baba Yaga

What it teaches: hospitality and thriftiness.

Despite the fact that Baba Yaga is a negative character, you can also learn a lot from her. Remember how this grandmother greeted good fellows? And she heated the bathhouse, and treated her to tea, and put her to bed. And only after that she asked about business.

Alyonushka from the fairy tale “Geese-Swans”

What it teaches: do good and it will definitely come back to you.

When Alyonushka's brother was stolen, Alyonushka went in search of him. On the way she met different characters who asked for help, but the girl did not help. When she herself needed help, those who crossed her path also refused to help her. And only when Alyonushka herself began to help those around her, they also came to her aid.

The Snow Queen

What it teaches: never hold a grudge to yourself, otherwise your heart will become cold as an ice floe.

Apparently the Snow Queen had a hard time in life, since she imprisoned herself in an ice castle and stole the innocent boy Kai. Callous, evil and cold heart Snow Queen does not accept the joy of others, nor love, nor mercy. And all from resentment towards the whole world, which ultimately destroyed her.

Live in reality, but don't forget about good fairy tales- take from them all the brightest and best that is missing in modern world. And remember that all fairy tales end with a happy ending! We wish you good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

Fairy tales have their own special structure - stable plots and motifs are constantly used in its composition, fairy tale heroes are encountered with their unchanged functions and abilities. We all remember popular folk tales with their triple repetitions, with the repeating formulas “Once upon a time...”, “In a certain kingdom, in a certain state...”, “A fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it...”. The space in a fairy tale is conditional and distant from reality.

The heroes of fairy tales are distinguished by such bright human qualities as nobility, kindness, courage, resourcefulness, and good forces in fairy tales they always win. Among the positive heroes of Russian folk tales there are brave princes, epic heroes, simple peasants, and a whole range of female characters.

Bogatyrs were originally heroes of Russian epics, but over time they penetrated into folk tales. The most famous hero of fairy tales is Ilya Muromets. He embodies the ideal of a warrior hero, who is famous not only for his remarkable physical strength, but also with special moral qualities inherent in a real hero: calmness, perseverance, good nature. In epics and fairy tales, this hero is the people's protector. Let us recall, for example, such a work as “Ilya Muromets and the Nightingale the Robber.” Also worthy of mention is the noble but little-known ancient hero of Russian fairy tales, Ruslan Lazarevich. The plots and adventures in which he appears are close to the famous plots with Ilya Muromets.

Dobrynya Nikitich, like the hero of fairy tales, acts as a reliable assistant to the prince, whom he faithfully serves for many years. He carries out personal assignments for the prince, for example, to save his daughter or niece. Dobrynya is particularly brave - he himself decides to carry out tasks that other heroes refuse. Often this is the hero of a fairy tale about snake fighting, as well as Alyosha Popovich. Their adventures and the plots of the fairy tales in which they appear are extremely similar to each other. Let us recall, for example, such stories as “Dobrynya Nikitich and the Serpent Gorynych” and “Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin the Serpent.”

All these three epic hero are in close interaction with each other, and in different fairy tales They show their strong and noble qualities in different ways. Everyone is familiar with these names of heroes of folk tales. Alyosha Popovich is a collective image of a hero in Russian folklore. In the character of this fairy tale hero we see a mixture of a variety of traits. First of all, Alyosha is distinguished by his courage, but he is also very perky and cunning. His image reflected the entire breadth of the soul of the Russian person, all its versatility.

Favorite hero of folk tales is Ivan Tsarevich. This is a positive character known to everyone, who fights evil, helps the weak and offended. Often this is the youngest of the king's three sons. In some stories, Ivan does not even know about his royal origin, but, nevertheless, personifies the nobility and good qualities of his soul. For example, he fights Koshchei, defeats him, saves his wife or a beautiful princess. And for his heroic behavior and good deeds, this hero of folk tales receives his due kingdom or half of other people’s kingdoms, and the king’s daughter, and other magical skills.

Ivanushka the Fool is also a very important hero of fairy tales, standing on the side of good and the forces of light. Ivan the Fool is just a peasant son and he does not at all resemble a noble fairy-tale hero. His peculiarity is that outwardly he is not at all like other positive heroes of Russian fairy tales. He does not shine with intelligence, but it is thanks to his irrational behavior and non-standard thinking that he passes all the fabulous tests, defeats his opponent and gains wealth.

It is important to note that Ivan the Fool has a special creative skill - he plays musical instruments (harp or pipe), and fairy tales often attach great importance to his wonderful singing. This is its peculiarity, because the positive heroes of fairy tales are not always able to create something beautiful on their own, without resorting to the help of magical animals or objects.

Among female fairy-tale images, the type of the Wonderful Bride is especially outstanding. This extraordinary hero of fairy tales is distinguished by his intelligence and special feminine cunning. She often owns some magical objects or knows how to use miraculous powers. We all know heroines who correspond to this type: Vasilisa the Beautiful, Vasilisa the Wise and the Frog Princess. This is the female version of the strong hero of folk tales.

This kind heroine is a reflection of the bright side, the personification of goodness and peace, but at the same time, in many stories, the wonderful bride is the daughter of the enemy of the main character of the fairy tale. The good hero of folk tales goes through severe trials and solves complex riddles, and a wonderful bride helps him with these tasks. Thus, sometimes in one fairy tale we meet not one, but two, or even three characters who help each other in the fight against evil.

As we can see, the positive heroes of folk tales are very diverse. They reveal different sides of the people's character: here there is nobility, and selflessness, and ingenuity, and cunning, and special heroism, straightforwardness, and feminine wisdom. The heroes of fairy tales overcome all obstacles on their way thanks to these positive qualities. After all, in Russian folklore, fairy-tale heroes strive for light, and good forces always prevail.

Fairy tales play a significant role in a person’s life. This is one of the first things he hears after birth; she also accompanies him in the next stages of growing up. Not only children, but also adults love fairy tales. Their deep philosophical meaning gives you the opportunity to look at ordinary things differently; understand the principles of good and evil; learn to believe in miracles and not forget about your own role.

Moral values ​​are conveyed through characteristic characters, each of which has its own folk prototype.

Hare

Runaway bunny, gray bunny, scythe - as they name the animal in Russian folk tales. He is endowed with a cowardly, but at the same time friendly character. The fairytale hare has cunning, dexterity and resourcefulness. A striking example is the fairy tale “The Fox and the Hare,” where a small animal turns from a cowardly animal into a savvy hero who managed to deceive even the evil wolf and help his friends.

In nature, hares do have cautious habits that help them avoid the teeth of predators. Our ancestors also knew this feature of the animal.

Fox

Cunning, resourceful, smart, insidious, vindictive...What traits are not given to a fox in fairy tales? She deceives animals, seeks profit everywhere, and is not afraid of people. The fox makes friends with the strong, but only for its own benefit.

The image of the animal embodies cunning. The folk prototype can be considered dishonest, thieving, but at the same time smart person. The fox is feared, despised and respected at the same time. This is evidenced by the appeal to her in fairy tales as Fox Patrikeevna, Little Fox-Sister.

Wolf

The wolf in Russian fairy tales embodies anger. He preys on weaker animals; doesn't always act cunningly. Other characters take advantage of the wolf's shortsightedness. In the fairy tale “Little Fox and Sister Gray wolf“The formidable predator was deceived by a red-haired cheat, and in “The Three Little Pigs”

He was tricked by harmless pigs.

Our ancestors also associated the wolf with death. Indeed, in nature, this predator is considered a kind of forest orderly who hunts weak and sick animals. And the human prototype of a wolf can be considered one who is too angry, greedy and vindictive.

Bear

The fairytale bear is the owner of the forest. He is strong, rude, clumsy and not entirely smart. It is believed that the common people wanted to show the landowners in the image of a bear. Therefore, in fairy tales this animal is often deceived by weaker animals with which ordinary people are associated.

At the same time, in fairy tales you can find another image of a bear: kind, calm, honest and freedom-loving. It is enough to remember how the bear helped the lost girl Masha in the work of the same name.

Man (peasant)

The image of a man in fairy tales has different meaning. In some works, he appears as the personification of the working people: he is somewhat simple-minded, works all the time, does not put up with the injustice of rich employers. On the other hand, traits such as wisdom and cunning were embodied in the man. He is hardworking, not rich, but much more cunning and resourceful than the landowners and generals.

Baba Yaga

A hut on chicken legs, a black cat, a mortar and a broom are the main attributes of any fairytale Baba Yaga. This old woman is both evil (her threats are worth it) and kind (she helps in difficult situations). She is wise, strong-willed, purposeful. She can be an advisor, or she can be a threat.

The image of Baba Yaga in Russian fairy tales is one of the most controversial and controversial. She personifies matriarchal traits. Among our ancestors, Baba Yaga was closely connected with the clan.

Koschei the Deathless

In fairy tales, his image can be seen in three forms: a sorcerer with special powers, the king of the underworld, and an old man who may be the husband of the Snake or a friend of Baba Yaga. Has unusual abilities: turns heroes into animals and birds. You can defeat him only through certain rituals (using a magic horse, a club, burning). Despite his name, he is not at all immortal, because his death is at the tip of a needle (or, as an option, in an egg), which are securely hidden.

The folk prototype of Koshchei is a powerful, evil, cunning and vile person endowed with magical properties.

Ivan the Fool

Despite the ambiguous name, Ivan is not at all the personification of stupidity, even if he is called a fool in the work. In fairy tales, he is the youngest of the sons, who often does nothing, is lazy, but achieves a lot in life, thanks to cunning and luck. This positive hero, embodying the characteristics of something people would like to have. A kind of dream where, without much effort, by chance, everything works out: to become rich and to marry a princess. Our ancestors, in the image of Ivan the Fool, wanted to show a successful person.

Ivan Tsarevich

Unlike Ivan the Fool, who gets everything simply and effortlessly, Ivan Tsarevich, in order to achieve his goal, must overcome many obstacles, showing his strength, intelligence and skills. He becomes a prince not only by the fact of birth, which he is not even aware of, but by merit. Like Ivan the Fool, he is most often the youngest of the brothers, only of royal blood.

Kikimora

Kikimora in fairy tales can appear in the form of an ugly creature of indeterminate age (this is a girl, an old woman, and even a man). Is the personification of evil spirits. She tries to hide from people, but lives near residential buildings or in a swamp. Her job is to cause mischief and frighten.

The mythological meaning of kikimora among our ancestors is a person who died in an unrighteous way. Therefore, his soul finds no peace.

Water

The merman is the master of water. This is half old man, half fish. Lives near mills, in pools and wormwood. Scares people and drags them to the bottom; breaks mills and drowns cattle. But a merman can be deceived and defeated by cunning.

Characters invented in Russia are symbols of the childhood of each of us, while different countries world they are perceived completely differently. For example, if in Russian mythology Baba Yaga is an evil spirit, then among the Scandinavians a similar character is the goddess of the kingdom of the dead, Hel.

Female images: “my light, mirror, tell me...”

Vasilisa the Wise, Elena the Beautiful, Marya the Mistress, Frog Princess, Snow Maiden, Alyonushka - female images who possessed not only stunning female logic, but also kindness, wisdom, beauty, and sincerity. The most striking of them are:

1 A fragile little girl, Santa Claus's assistant - a favorite New Year's guest, a role model for naughty children. Since the mid-19th century, the image of a little granddaughter has been replaced by a young beauty, with the obligatory kokoshnik or fur hat, the preferred clothing of Russian women.

No country in the world can boast of such magical and romantic biography like the Russian Snow Maiden. In Italy, this is the fairy Befana, an old woman with a hooked nose who flies to children on a broom, giving gifts. A kind of “Santa Claus” in a skirt. The Mongols call their Snow Maiden Zazan Okhin, the girl Snow. The heroine traditionally asks riddles and gives gifts only after hearing the answer. In the USA, Santa has only reindeer as his assistants, but there is no Snow Maiden.

It is curious that if you try to translate the word Snow Maiden into English using the Google Translate service, the result will always be different. Yesterday Snegurochka was translated as “Snow - boy” (literally - snow boy). Today, Snegurochka in the service database is translated as Snow-maiden (Made from snow).

2 Masha, the Bear's restless companion, a naughty character in the record-breaking 3D cartoon.

The green-eyed fidget is fluent in hand-to-hand combat techniques, loves to be capricious and mischievous, and asks questions that are difficult to answer. The prototype of the animated series was the folklore heroine of the Russian folk tale. Director O. Kuznetsov borrowed character traits from the hero of O. Henry’s story “The Leader of the Redskins.” The team behind the series does not adapt native Russian characters for broadcast in different countries.

3 Baba Yaga- witch, heroine Slavic mythology, endowed magical power. A negative character lures good fellows into his hut on chicken legs, in mandatory gives the heroes a fairy-tale horse and a magical navigator of those times - a ball of thread. The Russian witch is not always friendly, but if you have the gift of eloquence, she can help.

4 Firebird, a fabulous bird that heals the sick and restores sight to the blind, has to sister the Western European bird Phoenix, which knew how to revive from the ashes. The father of the two fiery heroines was most likely Peacock.

Each heroine is an individual, embodying good or evil, her actions and actions are directly related to her character and mission.

Male images: “there are still no shortage of heroes on the Russian land!”

No less colorful is the top positive male images, vividly conveying the spirit of the Russian people. The main images are always antagonistic: in contrast to the beautiful, there is always something bad. Without which male characters are Russian fairy tales unthinkable?

1 Father Frost.

In the Russian version - Morozko, Studenets, the mighty lord of the winter blizzard. The character adored by children rides three horses, binds ponds and rivers with the sound of a staff, and sweeps away cities and villages with his cold breath. IN New Year together with the Snow Maiden gives gifts. During the Soviet era, Grandfather was dressed in a red fur coat, the color of the country’s flag. The image of the popular Grandfather, who “wanders through forests and meadows” is played out differently in different countries: Santa Claus, Joulupuki, Jouluvana.

This is interesting:

According to the most conservative estimates of scientists, Santa Claus is already more than 2000 years old. For two thousand years, Santa Claus has appeared in different images. First - in the guise of the pagan god Zimnik: an old man of small stature, with white hair and a long gray beard, with his head uncovered, in warm white clothes and with an iron mace in his hands. And in the fourth century, Santa Claus was reminded of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, who lived in Asia Minor in the city of Patara.

Grandfather began coming to the house with gifts with the beginning of the New Year celebration in Rus'. Previously, he gave gifts to the obedient and smart, and beat the mischievous ones with a stick. But the years have made Santa Claus more compassionate: he replaced the stick with a magic staff.

By the way, Father Frost first appeared on the pages of books in 1840, when Vladimir Odoevsky’s “Children’s Tales of Grandfather Irenaeus” was published. In the book, the name and patronymic of the winter magician became known - Moroz Ivanovich.

In the twentieth century, Santa Claus almost disappeared. After the revolution, it was considered that celebrating Christmas was harmful for the people, because it was a real “priestly” holiday. However, in 1935, the disgrace was finally lifted, and soon Father Frost and the Snow Maiden appeared together for the first time at the Christmas tree celebration in the Moscow House of Unions.

2 Three heroes. Strong, brave, cheerful heroes have long become a symbol of Russia, thanks to a series of full-length adventures by Alyosha Popovich, Dobrynya Nikitich and Ilya Muromets. In fact, the brave fellows never met in life; according to epics, they even lived in different centuries.

This is interesting:

In 2015, the 6th part of the saga, “Three Heroes: Knight's Move,” released on screens, collected 962,961,596 rubles. Almost 1 billion rubles! Thus, the film became the highest-grossing animated film of the year. Although it all started modestly: the box office of the first part - “Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin the Serpent” (2004) - amounted to 48,376,440 rubles. Then the fees grew steadily.

3 Ivan the Fool(third son) is a character who embodies a special “magic strategy”: the hero acts contrary to common sense and always succeeds! The fool excels at solving riddles and wins evil spirits and valiantly saves the main character.

Pinocchio, Crocodile Gena, Doctor Aibolit, Barmaley, Winnie the Pooh, Leopold the Cat and Matroskin the Cat are also among the most popular and beloved heroes of Russian cinema, who rightfully occupy high positions in the ranking of fairy-tale characters.

Evil spirits: guardians of forests, swamps and houses

Most large group Russian folk epic are mythical creatures. Vodyanoy, Kikimora, Leshy, mermaids, Brownie, Baba Yaga - magical images that appeared along with the inexplicable forces of nature. In their actions and character, these are more negative characters, but at the same time, they are charming and charismatic in modern films and cartoons, these include:

1 Koschei the Deathless. A character who has supernatural power. According to legends, he is a treacherous old man who kills domestic animals. The sorcerer often kidnaps the protagonist's fiancee in the hope of "mutual love."

This is interesting:

In Soviet cinema, Koshei was brilliantly played by actor Georgy Millyar. Basically, he played all sorts of evil spirits and he had to apply complex makeup. But for the role of Koshchei the Immortal, makeup was practically not needed, since the actor himself resembled a living skeleton (after contracting malaria, the actor’s weight was only 45 kg).

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