THE PLOT EVOLUTION OF THE FAIRY TALE “SEVEN UNDERGROUND KINGS” BY ALEKSANDR VOLKOV IN 1963–1967

Abstract

The article is devoted to the work of Aleksandr Melentevich Volkov on the text of the fairy tale “Seven Underground Kings” (1967), which is part of the cycle of stories about the Emerald City (1939–1982). The author of the study, referring to the correspondence and diaries of Aleksandr Volkov, revealed that the fairy tale was created in close cooperation with the illustrator Leonid Viktorovich Vladimirsky, and shows how, under the influence of Vladimirsky, the author’s idea was transformed and the text of the work was remastered. An important factor that influenced the evolution of the fairy tale was the requirements of the publishing house “Soviet Russia”, where the manuscript was submitted. The first version of the manuscript was rejected, so Volkov radically revised the text, significantly changing the plot. Vladimirsky’s ideas and advice led to a change in the title of the book and influenced Volkov’s choice of a new storyline. The article compares different versions of the text, and traces the changes made to the manuscript. The author of the article hypothesizes that the reworking of the fairy tale’ text reflected new trends that gained strength in the Soviet children’s literature of the 1960s, including the humanization of values, de-ideologization, and a decrease of class antagonism.

Keywords: Soviet children’s literature, Aleksandr M. Volkov, “Seven Underground Kings”, textology, Leonid V. Vladimirsky, illustration in a children’s book, literary fairy tale