Russian fairy tales in the USA: Alexander Alexeieff’s graphic interpretation and Roman Jacobson’s scientific comprehension

We analyze the graphic commentaries of Alexander Alexeieff, the illustrator and the first wave emigrant, made for The Russian Fairy tales published in the USA in 1946. We believe A. Alexeieff to have been the second to illustrate The Russian Fairy tales in the USA as Ivan Bilibin, the eminent Russian painter and book illustrator had preceded him. A. Alekseev brought his vision of artistic images to the illustration of The Russian Fairy tales, combining ancient Slavonic motives with Christian symbolism. We assume the publication also to be unique as Roman Jakobson, the well-known philologist an ancient Slavonic and Russian folklore explorer wrote the foreword to the book being cited in Russian for the first time. Having briefly considered R. Jakobson’s life and creative work, we presume it to be quite logical Jacobson to have been baptized according to the Russian Orthodox tradition, as well as to have backed up the theory of Eurasianism. From this point of view, the analyzed edition of The Russian Fairy tales is holistic in content, harmoniously combining the traditional values of the cultural heritage of the Russian world and the work of outstanding figures that developed and propagated its values and enduring significance through their works. 

1. Alekseyeva-Rokvell S.A. Zarisovki = Snapshots: istorii moyey yunosti [Sketches: Stories from My Youth]. Yaroslavl, Rybinsk Printing House, 2013, 301 p. (In Russian).

2. Starr C. Remembering Claire Parker. Alexeïeff. Itinéraire D’un Maître – Itinerary of a Master. Paris, Annecy Publ., 2001, p. 208-228. Trans. by Zvonarev O.V. (In French)

3. Tolstoy L. Stories and Legends. New York, Pantheon books Inc., 1948, 224 p.

4. Khamidullina V.P. Spetsifika khudozhestvennogo perevoda russkikh i tatarskikh literaturnykh skazok v kontekste dialoga kul’tur [Peculiarities of Russian and Tatar Fairy Tales Translation Considering Culture Dialogue]. Kazan, Editorial and Publishing Center “School”, 2020. (In Russian).

5. Zuyeva T.V. Skazki Pushkina [Fairy Tales by A. Pushkin]. Moscow, Prosveshchenie Publ., 1989, 159 p. (In Russian).

6. Zvonareva L.U. Ivan – Zheleznaya Ruka [Ivan the Iron Arm]. Serebryanyy vek Rene Gerra [René Guerra’s Silver Age]. St. Petersburg, Rostok Publ, 2012, 672 p. (In Russian).

7. Mayakovskiy V.V. Tovarishchu Nette, parokhodu i cheloveku [To comrade Nette, the ship and the man]. Puteshestviye v stranu poeziya: v 2 t. [Travel to the Poetry Land: in 2 vols.]. Leningrad, Lenizdat Publ., 1970, vol. 1, 416 p. (In Russian).

8. Bogatyreva S.I. Serebryanyy vek v nashem dome [The Silver Age at our Place]. Moscow, AST Publ., Elena Shubina Editorial Board, 2019, 512 p. (In Russian).

9. R.O. Yakobson – S.I. Kartsevskomu. September 20, 1948 [R.O. Jakobson – to S.I. Kartsevsky. September 20, 1948]. In: Yakobson R. Teksty, dokumenty, issledovaniya [Texts, Documents, Studies]. Moscow, Russian State University for the Humanities Publ., 1999, 918 p. (In Russian).

10. Struve G. Russkaya literatura v izgnanii [Russian Literature in Exile]. Paris, Moscow, Ymca-Press–Russkij put Publ., 1996, 448 p. (In Russian).

11. Danilevskiy N.Y. Rossiya i Evropa [Russia and Europe]. Moscow, Institute of Russian Civilization Publ., Blagoslovenie Publ., 2011, 816 p. (In Russian).