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In A Certain LandFairy tales of Russia Author: Nicholas Kotar
You know The Brothers Grimm, but do you know the weird and whimsical fairy tales of Russia? Nicholas Kotar brings you Russias most beloved fairy tales as you would have heard them from a grandparent sitting near the hearth on a cozy winter evening, the wind howling outside and the courage of these heroic stories lighting a flame in your heart. Enter the world of Baba Yaga, the mysterious hag who can be both friend and foe, and follow Ivan the Idiot as he faces off against a cunning dragon with six heads. These are not stuffy, academic translations, but vividly enacted retellings from Nicholas Kotars 3-volume fairy tale collection, accompanied by the original music of composer Natalie Wilson.Dont be fooled: these are not just tales for children. As Russian philosopher Ivan Ilyin reminds us, the spiritual meaning of the fairy tale is like refined and sweet-smelling honey. If you drip it on your tongue, youll taste all the ineffable essence of Russias naturethe smell of the earth, the heat of the sun, the fragrance of flowers, and something else that is subtle and rich, something eternally youthful and yet eternally ancient Only he who worships at the altar of facts and has lost the ability to contemplate a state of being ignores fairy tales. Only the one who wants to see with his physical eyes alone, plucking out his spiritual eyes in the process, considers the fairy tale to be dead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Language: en Genres: Arts, Books, Kids & Family, Stories for Kids Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The Tale of Ivan the Bull’s Son
Episode 21
Thursday, 2 April, 2026
A miraculous birth gives a kingdom not one Ivan, but three! Yet among prince, cook’s son, and bull’s son, only one rises first among equals: Ivan the Bull’s son, whose strength can topple boulders, outmatch dragons, and recover kingdoms lost to monsters.When the brothers ride into the deep forest and find Baba Yaga’s hut turning on chicken feet, their journey opens onto a darker path: the River Currant, the arrow-wood bridge, and a night watch haunted by monstrous foes from another world. But some battles are won not only by strength, but by vigilance, cunning, and the willingness to stand vigil when others sleep.A sweeping tale of dragon-slayers, enchanted traps, brotherhood, and the perilous road home, this episode follows one of the great wonder-tales of the Russian tradition—where every victory hides another test, and the sharpest sword is often wisdom itself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
