Works of Russian writer Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin include the verse novel Eugene Onegin (1831), the play Boris Godunov (1831), and many narrative and lyrical poems and short stories.
People consider this author the greatest poet and the founder of modern literature. Pushkin pioneered the use of vernacular speech in his poems, creating a style of storytelling—mixing drama, romance, and satire—associated ever with greatly influential later literature.
Pushkin published his first poem at the age of 15 years in 1814, and the literary establishment widely recognized him before the time of his graduation from the imperial lyceum in Tsarskoe Selo. Social reform gradually committed Pushkin, who emerged as a spokesman for literary radicals and in the early 1820s clashed with the government, which sent him into exile in southern Russia. Under the strict surveillance of government censors and unable to travel or publish at will, he wrote his most famous drama but ably published it not until years later. People published his verse serially from 1825 to 1832.
Pushkin and his wife Natalya Goncharova, whom he married in 1831, later became regulars of court society. In 1837, while falling into ever greater debt amidst rumors that his wife started conducting a scandalous affair, Pushkin challenged her alleged lover, Georges d'Anthès, to a duel. Pushkin was mortally wounded and died two days later.
Because of his liberal political views and influence on generations of Russian rebels, Pushkin was portrayed by Bolsheviks as an opponent to bourgeois literature and culture and a predecessor of Soviet literature and poetry. Tsarskoe Selo was renamed after him.
There are many variants, worldwide, of the tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, although western readers will probably be most familiar with the version collected by the Brothers Grimm. Some of these stories feature seven robbers, rather than seven dwarves, and others show the wicked stepmother consulting the moon, rather than an enchanted mirror.
The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights is not a genuine folk-variant however, as it does not spring (to the best of my knowledge) from the Russian culture. Rather, it is a borrowing of the German version by the celebrated Russian author, Alexander Pushkin, who apparently owned a translation of the Brothers Grimm. Many of the details are changed to suit the audience: the King and Queen become the Tsar and Tsaritsa, the seven dwarves are transformed into the Seven Knights, a rather involved quest is dreamt up for the rescuing prince, who is in fact the princess' fiance.
But despite these changes, the tale of Snow White is still readily apparent, and this cross-cultural creation is very much a literary fairy-tale. It is also a poem, and therein lies the trouble, at least in this translation by Peter Tempest. Although I love the story, and am fascinated by the idea of Pushkin creating a Russian poem from a German tale, the form simply does not translate that well into English. The rhyming couplet scheme (I assume that this is how the original Russian reads) is terribly awkward, the language often contrived and hackneyed. Unfortunately, the illustrations by V. Konashevich are no more inspiring.
All in all, I would say that this short poem offers an interesting footnote to the study of fairy-tales, but is probably not worth seeking out for its own sake, unless a better translation can be found.
Милая вариация сказки о Белоснежке с гномами. Сказка душевная, реалистичная - это более детский вариант (никаких поцелуев). Хотя вряд ли современные маленькие дети поймут этот язык, уж через чур много архаизмов. Хотя , сказка от этого только приобретает шарм и красоту!
A rewriting of a folk tale in the Snow White theme. There is a beautiful Russian animated picture based on this story that my children loved to watch much more than the Disney version
Almost the same as "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". There were some minor differences in the story, and the fairytale itself was written in rhyme. I liked it.
Kad lasīju šo pasaku, ik pa brīdim likās: oj, kaut kas kaut kur dzirdēts, bet pilnīgi neuztvēru līdzību ar Sniegbaltīti, kaut gan bērnībā (padomju laiku) Sniegbaltītes bilžu grāmata bija viena no manām mīļākajām. Tagad vnk likās: aj, nu tie ir tie episkie momenti, kas pāriet no pasakas pasakā - ļaunā pamāte, saindētais ābols u.t.t. Savukārt beigās es apstājos pie tā, ka princese guļ stikla zārkā stikla kalnā - līdzīgi kā Zelta zirgs, tikai šeit nebija 3 zirgi, bet Saule, Mēness un Vējš. Laikam MK Ultra programma bija izdarījusi savu lietu ar Disneja pilnmetrāžas filmu, ko skatījos uz lielā ekrāna kino "Pionieris" - 7 ķēmīgie rūķi kalnrači man nekādi nesaslēdzās ar 7 богатыри uz zirgiem. Pēc tam noskatījos arī padomju multfilmu pēc šī Puškina darba un 100%, ka arī to bērnībā biju redzējusi, starp citu - daudzkārt skaistāk nekā Disneja studijas varianti. Ziniet, tā kā dzēriens Baikāls neliekas kā viens no kokakolas variantiem. Vārdu sakot - vispār negribas domāt, ka šī ir Sniegbaltītes adaptācija, jo Puškinam tas ir atsevišķs darbs ar daudzpakāpju metaforām, kas liek domāt par tādām lietām kā valstiskuma zaudēšana/atgūšana u.c. Bet šobrīd mani visvairāk mulsina tas, kā mans prāts uztver un atceras/ir aizmirsis pasakas. Laikam tiešām galva pilna ar "svarīgajām" pieaugušo muļķībām. Ziemā būs jāuztaisa kāds pasaku rehabs.
Помнится, в детстве мне очень нравилось читать сказки Пушкина в стихах, эта сказка нравилась почему-то особенно. Стихи читается легко, а рифма и образы у Александра Сергеевича настолько полны, емки и объёмны что находят отклик во всякой русскоговорящей душе. Сказка очень похожа на «Спящую красавицу» и «Белоснежку», что в прочем не удивительно сказочные сюжеты путешествуют не только от автора к автору, от страны к стране, но как это иногда бывает повторяются в мелочах. Но такую переработку сказочного сюжета я готов и принять и с удовольствием читать, когда текст знакомой сказки переработан мастером под национальный колорит, это очень интересно читать.
Было очень приятно перечитать классику с такими знакомыми наизусть стихами и фразами. Читается на одном дыхании. Пушкин - гений не только стихосложения, но и вообще того, как он адаптировал сказку про Белоснежку, добавив русский средневековый антураж с теремами, дубовыми столами, царевичами и богатырями. А окончания "Сказка ложь, да в ней намёк, добрым молодцам урок" и "Я там был, мёд-пиво пил, по усам текло да в рот не попало" настолько знакомы с детства, что я и забыла, что их Пушкин сочинил.