All my life I have been working for children. Each person has his own "age of the soul." For some, the soul ages early, they are disappointed. For others, despite their age, the soul remained young. I, it seems to me, generally remained in childhood. I am fascinated something that is interesting for children 8-10 years old. For example, I love fairy tales. Children are joyful and curious people. It is pleasant and interesting to work for them. And, as I know, they "like" my work.
From an interview with Leonid Vladimirsky:
Leonid Vladimirsky is 82 years old. But he is waiting for us at his workplace, in the workshop. The door opens and meets us on the threshold... Well, have you seen wizards? Do you know what they are? So, we met a real magician. Slender and strict, very tall - two meters tall, no less, with a lush mane of white hair, with a long gray beard and magic wand. Yes, of course, it was a brush, but who said that miracles do not work with it?
Ellie, Toto, Tin Woodman, Lion and Scarecrow. In the 1963 edition (publishing house "Soviet Russia" Moscow) this picture was used on the cover.
I have made three books in my life. What are you surprised? These are “The Adventures of Pinocchio”, “The Wizard of the Emerald City” and also “Ruslan and Lyudmila”. And the rest is all the same. And I continue to work on these three books until now, all my life. because I don't like something all the time. Here you can do Pushkin all your life. And I still fight Pinocchio, I keep trying to make him younger. Here, look: how old is he (shows the cover of the old edition)? Years 10-12. But here how much? Already 6-7 years. And I want him to become even younger, about five years old. This is very difficult to achieve.
“It was terrible in the cave of Gingema. There, under the ceiling, hung a stuffed animal of a huge crocodile. Large owls sat on high poles, bundles of dried mice hung from the ceiling... ...A long thick snake twisted around a pole...
... In a large smoky cauldron, Gingham brewed a magic potion. She threw mice into the cauldron, tearing one after another from the bundle.
“Gingema grabbed the cauldron by the “ears” and with an effort pulled it out of the cave. She dipped a large broom into the cauldron and began to splash her brew around.
- Break out, hurricane! Fly around the world like a rabid animal!”
“... the book began to grow, grow and turned into a huge volume. It was so heavy that the old woman laid it on a large stone.
Villina looked at the pages of the book, and they themselves turned over under her gaze.
Together with Alexander Volkov you have made six books about the Emerald City. How did you start?
- I read his book with good black-and-white drawings by Radlov, I liked it very much, and I found him. Volkov was thirty years older than me and lived in a neighboring house, as it turned out when we met. We made a color book, and they began to buy it even better than the first one. And then letters from children came in batches asking them to write a sequel, and we began to work together. Twenty years they worked in perfect harmony.
“A long pole stood near the fence, a straw effigy stuck out on it - to drive away birds ... ... the figure nodded its head with the most friendly look.
Ellie was frightened, and the brave Toto, barking, attacked the fence, behind which there was a pole with a stuffed animal.
“A man made entirely of iron stood by a chopped tree with an ax held high in his hands. His head, arms and legs were attached to the iron torso on hinges; instead of a hat, there was a copper funnel on his head, and an iron tie around his neck. The man stood motionless, eyes wide.
“The Ogre's castle stood on a hill. It was surrounded by a high wall that even a cat could not climb. In front of the wall was a moat filled with water. ...
... The Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow stood in perplexity in front of the moat ... "
“Tell me, please, do you ever fight with other lions?” asked Toto.
- Where can I .. I'm running from them like the plague, - Lev admitted.
- Fu! - mockingly snorted the dog. “Where are you good for after that!”
- Did you throw him plots for new books?
- No, but sometimes I asked him to remake the text for himself. For example, the manuscript of "The Twelve Underground Kings" was ready. I told him: “Kings live underground, everything is gray and gloomy there, how can I single them out? Let's make seven kings, according to the colors of the rainbow, and then everything will be bright." “You understand,” he says, “in order to remove the five kings with their retinue, I will have to redo the whole book!” He groaned, sat down - and redid everything. There was another case: in the first edition, I drew a Fish that sat on a throne in Goodwin's castle. My daughter looked and said: “Dad, can you draw a little mermaid?” We agreed with Volkov, and I drew a little mermaid - the Sea Maiden. By the way, my daughter posed for me for Ellie.
The Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow crossed their arms and put Ellie on them. They thrust Toto into the hands of a sleepy girl, who unconsciously clutched at the soft fur. The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman walked among the poppy field along the wide, flattened trail left by the Lion, and it seemed to them that the field would never end.
“It was not easy for two friends to load a heavy Lion onto a cart. But they still picked it up, and the mice, with the help of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, took the cart out of the poppy field.
“Above the gate hung a bell, and nearby, above the gate, another, smaller one ... The gate opened, and the travelers entered a vaulted room, on the walls of which many emeralds glittered.
The travelers were met by a small man dressed in green from head to toe; He had a green bag on his side.
“The evil Bastinda turned green with fear, seeing that the travelers were walking and moving forward and were already approaching her palace.
I had to use the last magic tool she had left. The Golden Cap was kept in the secret bottom of Bastinda's chest. ...
... And then Bastinda took out the Cap, put it on her head and began to conjure. She stamped her foot and loudly shouted magic words ... "
“Ellie was beside herself with grief and anger: she was so fond of silver slippers. In order to somehow repay Bastinde, Ellie grabbed a bucket of water, ran up to the old woman and doused her with water from head to toe.
The sorceress screamed in fright and tried to shake herself off. In vain: her face became spongy, like melting snow; steam poured from her; the figure began to settle and evaporate ... "
- So, your heroes have prototypes?
- There are always prototypes. When my daughter was small, five years old, I drew Pinocchio from her. I tied a cardboard nose to her on a string, and she posed for me. And when she was 9 years old, she turned into Ellie. And very proud of it. Now I draw Pinocchio from a childhood photo of my granddaughter and even from a great-grandson who is 5 years old.
“Restoring the Woodcutter was not as easy as it was for the Scarecrow. The most skillful master of the country, Lestar, worked for three days and four nights on his twisted complex mechanism. He and his assistants banged with hammers, sawed with files, riveted, soldered, polished ... "
“... from behind a green screen that merged with the wall, a little man jumped out screaming ...
... He was no taller than Ellie, but already old, with a large head and a wrinkled face. He wore a colorful waistcoat, striped trousers, and a long frock coat. He had a long mouthpiece in his hand, and he scaredly waved it away from Totoshka, who jumped out from behind the screen and tried to bite him on the leg.
“Having contrived, the Lion made a long jump and fell right on the back of the beast. Before the Spider came to his senses from sleep, the Lion broke his thin neck with a blow of a clawed paw ... "
“... and then we were led into a richly decorated pink hall, where the sorceress Stella sat on the throne. She seemed to Ellie very beautiful and kind and surprisingly young ...
- Your wish will come true. But you must give me the Golden Hat.
- Oh, with pleasure, madame! True, I was going to give it to the Scarecrow, but I am sure that you will dispose of it better than he does.
- And how did the Scarecrow appear?
- You know, artists are divided into two types: some, when they work, try not to look at other people's illustrations, but sit down and come up with their own. And others (including myself) try to watch everything they can. At first I will look into all the books, and then I myself begin to fantasize, and so something happens. When I was thinking about Volkov's heroes, I came across Baum's book The Wizard of Oz. There the Scarecrow was with a hole instead of a nose - he was a scarecrow! But I really wanted to make him cute, and I came up with a patch and rye sheaves of hair.
Oorfene Deuce and his faithful blockheads. In the 1987 edition (publishing house "Soviet Russia", Moscow), this picture was used on the cover
“..., Oorfene threw off his boots. Tiny sprouts were densely green on their soles. The sprouts peeked out from the seams of the clothes. The log for chopping firewood bristled all over with shoots.
The Invincible Army of Oorfene Deuce
“The general came out luxurious: beautiful multi-colored patterns went all over his torso, arms and legs, head and face, his whole body was polished and shiny. ...
...- I am General Lan Pirot, commander of Oorfene Juice's invincible army."
“Oorfene stepped back from the wall and sent Corporal Befar with his platoon to the nearest grove. There they felled a long tree, cleared it of knots and, under the leadership of Oorfene Deuce and the general, moved towards the wall. Lined up in two rows, the blockheads swung the pillar like a battering ram and hit the gate. The gates crackled."
Is it easier to draw scary sorceresses and evil heroes?
- Not always. I also suffered for a long time with Arachne, the evil sorceress from the Yellow Mist. A rude, primitive giantess who cast a yellow mist over Fairyland, well, where can she find a prototype? I rode the subway all day, sat at train stations, drew old women, but Volkov didn’t like anything. Late in the evening I return home tired, and my neighbor is walking towards me. I drew her. A book came out, and my friends say to me: “Communal is a terrible thing! Look, if she recognizes herself in the book, she will definitely pour poison on you!” I did not wait, I went to the kitchen and said: “Marya Alekseevna, you know, I have a book out, here it is.” And she: “Congratulations!” When I was already quite tired of waiting for the tragic denouement, I again went to her and immediately opened the picture with Arachne. She looked and said so calmly: “Looks like it! On a neighbor from the sixth apartment. Just as disgusting."
“But how then to be, ruler? asked Dean Gior.
“These wooden people must be afraid of the same thing that I am afraid of,” the Scarecrow said thoughtfully, “fire. And therefore it is necessary to prepare more straw on the wall and keep matches at hand.
“The Wise Scarecrow was sitting at that time in the palace basement. He was not so much tormented by regret for the lost power, but by the thought that the Tin Woodman, having come to his rescue, would get into trouble. And there was no way to warn a friend! Faramant and Din Gior, imprisoned in the same basement, tried in vain to console the former ruler.
“- We will not write a letter, but draw it!” - the Scarecrow guessed .... We need to draw me and you behind bars.
- That's right, - the Woodcutter was delighted. - Draw!
But the Scarecrow did nothing. ... The Tin Woodman took over.”
The travelers cautiously entered the underground gallery. Leo went first, then Ellie and Totoshka... The sailor Charlie brought up the rear, holding a lighted torch over his head...
...Charlie Black lit the second torch and handed it to Ellie. He walked forward and slowly advanced, feeling the soil with a road stick.
Do not think that Russian children now read only Harry Potter. Would you like to see how many drawings, dolls, handicrafts and e-mails the guys send to the Museum of the Emerald City, located in the Central City Children's Library. Gaidar! One boy, together with his dad, welded the Tin Woodman from metal in human growth. Only it has not yet been possible to transport it to Moscow. And how many Scarecrows, Goodwins, Gingham - do not count.
“A fierce battle has begun. The clubs hit the woodcutter's iron body, and they made dents on his back, chest, and arms. But these blows, though dangerous, were not fatal to the Woodcutter. But the blows of his terrible hammer crushed the oak heads of his opponents, smashed their pine bodies into pieces.
“All city carvers were imprisoned for urgent work. The Scarecrow instructed them to transform the ferocious physiognomies of the former blockheads of Oorfene Deuce into cheerful, friendly faces. ...
... When the corporals lined up their subordinates in a column, the audience was delighted. Cheerful hard-working workers looked at them from the ranks.
« And Oorfene Deuce, freed by the guards, went where his eyes looked under the whistling and hooting of the townspeople and farmers, ... "
Do you believe in a magical land?
How can I not believe in her? Here, listen to this story. Once upon a time there was a boy Vasya Boyko. He once read the book "The Wizard of the Emerald City" and decided that when he was big, he would definitely build the Emerald City. He grew up, became the president of a large investment and construction company, and is now building the Emerald City not far from the Kursk railway station. It will be a cultural and recreational complex. The Museum of the Emerald City will move there. There, at the entrance, Faramant will meet everyone with a proposal to immediately put on green glasses, there will be a throne room and many other miracles. How can I not believe in what is?
“The lackeys of the king of Ukonda, who ascended the throne after Asfeyo, with jokes and laughter, carried those who fell asleep to a special storeroom and laid them on shelves arranged in several tiers.”
“Ruf Bilan stopped. Voices faintly came from behind the partition. So, he was not mistaken, there are people here, and they will help him ... "
“The passage along which Reno led the prisoner, at times forked. Ruf Bilan noticed that the head of the guard always follows the directions of the arrows painted in red paint on the walls of the corridors.
“Two kings, Mentaho and Arbusto, met when Mentaho slept off and Arbusto completed his course of study. Both rulers have lived in the world for three hundred years, but have never met.
- You must be a happy person?
- Of course, because I do what I love, and even get some money for it. And I never draw what I don't like, even if there is absolutely no money. A friend says to me: “I drew 200 books.” So what? And in my fifty creative years, I have drawn only twenty books, but, seriously, only three. But their circulation is more than twenty million. And I do not feel at all like the outgoing nature of the last century. Do you know what is the best moment in life? Sit down at your desk.(c) Alla Anufrieva 2002
“After walking a few hundred more steps, Fred and Ellie saw a huge crowd of people in colorful clothes pour out of the city gates. Ellie's heart sank, but, coming close, she bravely addressed several people who stood out for the importance of posture ... "
“Having said goodbye to his wife and children, Leo went at the head of a company of tigers: this was his personal guard. The commander was accompanied by adjutant birds and secretary birds.
“Ellie broke the whole ceremony. With a squeal of delight, she ran out of the room and rushed headlong to the Scarecrow's stretcher. The blockheads instantly formed a staircase, and the girl found herself in the arms of her good old friend .. "
“The Scarecrow was taken to the workshop and set up in a secluded corner where he did not interfere with anyone and where he was not disturbed by the workers ... In the dry and hot factory air, thick steam poured from the Scarecrow in the first days, and then his health began to recover surprisingly quickly. His arms and legs filled with strength, and clarity appeared in his brain. »
“It was bad with the Woodcutter too... Fortunately, there was enough vegetable oil in the last transport of provisions, and the Tin Woodman was loaded there so that only a funnel was visible above the surface, replacing his hat. And so that the Woodcutter would not be bored, the Long-bearded Soldier sat on a chair next to him and told him various entertaining stories from his past, when he was still serving as a doorkeeper to Goodwin.
“Ellie waved her wand and began to say a spell: - Barramba, marramba, tariki, variki, vitriol, shaforos, bariki, balls! Terrible spirit, Great Mechanic, go to the deepest bowels of the earth and give us your treasure - Soporific water!
Ellie stamped her foot on the floor three times, and after the third blow, a dull noise and roar was heard somewhere in the depths ... A dazzling stream of water poured into the pool from a large pipe!
“In the clearing, among the parted crowd of mourners, Rougero appeared ... So, the sad hour of parting came. Ellie once again hugged and kissed her friends, Fred said goodbye to everyone ... "
This set is already in the "pending" status, the circulation is only 2000 copies, and there are much more collectors of postcards and admirers of the artist's talent.
I want to show 1962 postcard set, in it, with some exceptions, the illustrations are OTHERS.
THE WIZARD OF OZ Set of postcards
("Izogiz", 1962, ill. L. Vladimirsky)
The hurricane brought Ellie's house to the land of munchkins, and there the girl saw three funny little men and the good fairy Villina.
- How can I get back home, to my father and mother? Ellie asked.
- This is what is written in the magic book, - the fairy answered. - "The good sorcerer Goodwin will return Ellie to her homeland if she helps the three creatures achieve the fulfillment of their cherished desires." Go to Goodwin in the Emerald City. The road is long and dangerous, but courage will overcome everything. 
The Straw Man Scarecrow was tied to a stake in a wheat field to scare the birds. But he had such a good-natured appearance that the birds were not afraid of him. One smart crow even started talking to him.
“You would be like all people if you had brains,” she said.
“I would like to get off the stake, and I’ll get the brains already,” exclaimed the delighted Scarecrow. - Get them - my most cherished desire! 
Ellie took the Scarecrow off the stake and took it with her. On the way to the Emerald City, the travelers saw the Tin Woodman in the forest. It got caught in the rain, rusted, and couldn't move for a whole year. It turned out that the Woodcutter also had a cherished desire: to get a heart that the master who made it could not insert.
- I will oil you, and you will go with us to the great wizard Goodwin, - Ellie said. - Maybe he will give you a heart. 
It was not for nothing that the kind Villina warned Ellie about the dangers that lay in wait for her on the way to the Emerald City. The cruel Ogre ambushed the little girl on a forest path and took her to his fortified castle. But the Scarecrow and the Woodcutter did not long stand in perplexity in front of the moat with water that surrounded the cannibal's shelter. They found a way to get into the castle, killed the Ogre and saved Ellie from death. 
On the way to the Emerald City, Ellie and her friends met the Lion. The lion had a formidable appearance and growled very loudly, but in his soul he was a great coward, and this made him extremely upset. He wanted to become the king of beasts, but he lacked the courage to do so. And Leo went to Goodwin for courage.
- Now there are three of you, and you have three cherished desires, - Ellie said.
- When Goodwin fulfills them, I will return home.
Travelers cheerfully walked along the road paved with yellow bricks. 
A new adventure awaited travelers. When they crossed the river, on the raft at the Scarecrow a pole got stuck in the swampy bottom, he did not think of letting it out of his hands in time and remained hanging in the middle of the river. The lion was about to swim after his friend, although he did not like water. But the Stork, who lived on the shore, came to the rescue. He brought the Scarecrow to his friends who were waiting for him, and they warmly thanked the helpful bird. 
Beyond the river was a vast field of poppies. Crossing it, Ellie, Totoshka and Lev inhaled intoxicating fumes and fell asleep. This dream threatened them with death. The Scarecrow and the Woodcutter carried Ellie and the dog out into the fresh air, but the Lion was too heavy for them. The queen of field mice helped in trouble. She summoned thousands of her subjects. The woodcutter hastily made a cart, and the nimble mice took the mighty beast out of the treacherous poppy field. 
A new and most terrible danger awaited the travelers ahead. To get to Goodwin, one had to cross the country of Bastinda, and the evil sorceress did not let anyone pass through her possessions. She sent 40 dire wolves and 40 iron-beaked ravens. A terrible battle ensued. The woodcutter cut down all the wolves with a huge ax, and the Scarecrow twisted the necks of the crows that flew at him. 
The evil sorceress Bastinda did not wash her face or brush her teeth for five hundred years because she was afraid of water. It is even impossible to imagine how much dirt has grown on it!
And it so happened that, offended by the sorceress, Ellie doused her with a bucket of water, and the sorceress melted. 
The funny people of Miguna who inhabited the country of Bastinda were skillful craftsmen. They repaired the Woodcutter, who had been injured in the battle with the wolves, polished it again, attached a golden handle to the axe. They stuffed the Scarecrow with fresh straw, cleaned and sewed up the tattered dress. It was possible to go further. 
Even nature took up arms against Ellie and her friends. Thunderstorms were rare in the magical land, but they were unusually strong. The storm caught the travelers on a river island, where it was impossible to find shelter from the downpour. The water was rising rapidly, flooding the island.
The woodcutter stuck the ax into the ground and, holding on to the handle, stood indestructibly. The Lion, the Scarecrow, Ellie with Totoshka in her arms clung to their friend. The wind raged, the rain poured down, the waves raged, but the daredevils did not lose heart. 
And now all the troubles and misfortunes are left behind. Faithful companion of a long journey, the road, paved with yellow brick, led Ellie and her dear friends to the gates of the Emerald City. Its walls and towers were adorned with huge emeralds, which emitted an unbearable radiance to the eyes. Grief was helped by the Gatekeeper: he put green glasses on all the travelers.
"You must not take them off day or night," said the Guardian. - Such is the order of the Great Goodwin! 
In the Emerald City, everything was green, and even the sun shone with green light. Goodwin's palace was guarded by a soldier whose beard hung below his knees. The soldier was terribly proud of his beard, admired it in the mirror for whole days, combed it with a golden comb.
The travelers made noise for a long time before they managed to attract the attention of an absent-minded soldier. And then he led them to Goodwin's palace. 
I'm not a magician, Goodwin admitted to disappointed travelers. - I was brought here by the wind in a balloon. The inhabitants took me for a sorcerer, and I did not dissuade them. I appeared to them in the form of a monster, a living head, and in many other forms.
- So, you will not fulfill our cherished desires? - upset friends.
- No, why should I try, - smiled Goodwin. “After all, I have pretended to be a wizard for so many years that I have learned something. 
It was easy for Goodwin to fulfill the cherished desires of Ellie's three friends, because, without suspecting it, during the long and dangerous journey to the Emerald City, they developed in themselves those spiritual qualities that they dreamed of. The Scarecrow has become smart, the Woodcutter is kind, and the Lion is bold.
The next day, Goodwin led the guests to the table, on which lay the brains for the Scarecrow, the heart for the Woodcutter, a large bowl of courage for the Lion.
- Fulfilled our cherished desires! friends exclaimed in delight. 
Now Ellie could return to her homeland. It turned out that for this it was enough to knock the heels of the silver shoes that the girl found in a magical land.
- Carry me home, to dad and mom! Ellie ordered the shoes.
A violent whirlwind swirled the girl and the baby, and as soon as she had time to catch it, she found herself in her native steppe in front of her father's new house. 
Envelope in high resolution (clickable)
Alexander Melentievich Volkov (1891-1977)
to 125th anniversary of the birth of the Russian children's writer
We are in the city of Emerald
I'm walking the hard road
I'm walking the hard road
Dear indirect
Cherished three wishes
Performed by the wise Goodwin
And Ellie will return
Home with Totoshka.
Who does not remember this song from the old Soviet cartoon! Remembered? Of course, this is the "Wizard of the Emerald City".
June 14 marked the 125th anniversary of the birth of the author of the book on which the cartoon was made, the wonderful children's writer Alexander Melentievich Volkov.
He was a very talented person: at the age of three he learned to read, at eight he bound books for his neighbors in order to be able to read new book, inFor six years he immediately entered the second grade of the city school and at twelve he graduated as the best student. He graduated from the Tomsk Teacher's Institute, worked as a teacherin the ancient Altai city of Kolyvan, and then in his native city of Ust-Kamenogorsk, at the school where he began his education.He studied French and German on his own.
In the 1920s, Volkov moved to Yaroslavl, worked as a school director, and at the same time passed exams at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the Pedagogical Institute as an external student. In 1929 he moved to Moscow.
At the age of 40, the father of the family (he has a beloved wife and two sons) entered Moscow State University, in seven months he mastered a five-year course in the Faculty of Mathematics and taught higher mathematics at the Moscow Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals and Gold for twenty years. And along the way, he led an elective for students in literature, studied literature, history, geography, astronomy, and was actively involved in translations.
But it was not mathematics that brought worldwide fame to Alexander Melentievich Volkov. Big connoisseur foreign languages He decided to study English as well. He was offered to practice on the book by Lyman Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The book captivated Volkov so much that the result was not a translation, but an arrangement of the American writer's book. Alexander Melentievich altered something, added something. He came up with a meeting with a cannibal, a flood and other adventures. The girl began to be called Ellie, the dog Totoshka spoke, and the Wise Man from the Land of Oz turned into the Great and Terrible Wizard Goodwin. A lot of cute, funny, sometimes almost imperceptible changes have turned the American fairy tale into a wonderful new book. The writer worked on the manuscript for a year and called it "The Wizard of the Emerald City" with the subtitle "Reworkings of the fairy tale by the American writer Frank Baum." The famous children's writer Samuil Marshak, having read the manuscript, approved it and submitted it to the publishing house, strongly advising Volkov to take up literature professionally.
The book was published in 1939 with a circulation of twenty-five thousand copies with black-and-white illustrations by the artist Nikolai Radlov. The readers were delighted. Therefore, the following year, its second edition appeared, in the "school series", the circulation of which was 170 thousand copies.
In 1959, Alexander Volkov met the novice artist Leonid Vladimirsky, this acquaintance grew into a long collaboration and great friendship. And The Wizard of the Emerald City was published with new illustrations, later recognized as classics. Since then, the book has been constantly reprinted, enjoying the same success.
Young readers fell in love with the heroes of the Emerald City so much that they literally flooded the author with letters, insistently demanding to continue the tale of the adventures of Ellie and her true friends - the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Cowardly lion and dog Totoshka. Volkov responded to the letters with the books UrfinJuice and His Wooden Soldiers and Seven Underground Kings. Readers' letters continued to arrive, and the good wizard Volkov wrote three more fairy tales - "The Fiery God of the Marrans", "Yellow Fog" and "The Secret of the Abandoned Castle". The books were no longer directly related to the works of L. F. Baum, only sometimes partial borrowings and alterations flashed in them.
The creative collaboration between Volkov and Vladimirsky turned out to be long and very fruitful. Working side by side for twenty years, they practically became co-authors of books - continuations of The Wizard. Leonid Vladimirsky became the "court painter" of the Emerald City, created by Volkov. He illustrated all five sequels to The Wizard.
I would like to note that the book was illustrated by many well-known artists, and often publications with new illustrations became a big event, the book took on a new image.
In 1989, the publishing house "Children's Literature" published a book with illustrations by the wonderful artist Viktor Chizhikov. The work of this master can not be confused with anyone else. And the publication turned out to be very interesting, lively.
Volkov's cycle had an incredible success. All six fairy tales about the Emerald City were translated into many languages of the world with a total circulation of several tens of millions of copies.
In our country, this cycle became so popular that in the 1990s, its continuations began to be created. This was started by Yuri Kuznetsov, who decided to continue the epic and wrote a new story - "Emerald Rain" in 1992. Children's writer Sergei Sukhinov, since 1997, has already published more than 12 books in the Emerald City series. In 1996, Leonid Vladimirsky, illustrator of the books by A. Volkov and A. Tolstoy, connected two of his favorite characters in the book Pinocchio in the Emerald City.
Based on The Wizard of the Emerald City, the writer wrote a play of the same name in 1940, which was staged in puppet theaters in Moscow, Leningrad, and other cities. In the sixties, a new version of the play for theaters of the young spectator was held in many theaters of the country.
The tales of the writer and filmmakers did not ignore. The Moscow Filmstrip Studio created filmstrips based on the fairy tales The Wizard of the Emerald City and Oorfene Deuce and His Wooden Soldiers. In 1973, the Ekran association made a puppet film from ten episodes based on the fairy tales of A. M. Volkov "The Wizard of the Emerald City", "Ourfin Deuce and His Wooden Soldiers" and "Seven Underground Kings".
Tomsk State Pedagogical University has created a unique children's museum "Magic Land", named after the writer. This is not a simple museum; children can run, jump and even touch the exhibits here. The museum is located in the old building of the university, where Alexander Melentievich once studied. Among the exhibits of the museum is a collection of A. Volkov's things, donated by his granddaughter Kaleria Vivianovna. There are a lot of books in the museum - various editions of the writer's works, manuscripts and photographs, official and personal documents, business notes and notes, and, of course, letters from Alexander Melentyevich himself, letters and postcards from readers, publishers, relatives and friends.
In 2014, in the city of Tomsk, where A. Volkov studied, a monument was erected to the heroes of The Wizard of the Emerald City. Its author is the sculptor Martin Pala.
“It is possible that, finishing the last story about his heroes, A. Volkov would have given the floor to his favorite Scarecrow. And he would probably say: “We are sad to part with you, dear girls and boys. Remember that we taught you the most precious thing in the world - friendship!These words were written artist Leonid Vladimirsky in an afterword to latest book cycle - "The Secret of the Abandoned Castle", and we completely agree with him. Therefore, we suggest that you visit the library, take the books of Alexander Volkov and again set off on a journey along the yellow brick road.
It all started with the fact that Alexander Melentievich Volkov, a great connoisseur of foreign languages, decided to learn English. And for practice I tried to translate the fairy tale of the American writer Frank Baum "The Wise Man of Oz". He liked the book. He began to retell it to his two sons. At the same time, altering something, adding something. The girl was named Ellie. Totoshka, once in the Magic Land, spoke. And the Wise Man of Oz acquired a name and title - the Great and Terrible Wizard Goodwin ... There were many other cute, funny, sometimes almost imperceptible changes. And when the translation or, more precisely, the retelling was completed, it suddenly became clear that this was not quite Baum's "Sage". The American fairy tale has become just a fairy tale. And her characters spoke Russian as naturally and cheerfully as they spoke English half a century before.
Samuil Yakovlevich Marshak soon got acquainted with the manuscript of The Wizard, and then with the translator, and strongly advised him to take up literature professionally. Volkov listened to the advice. The Magician was published in 1939. The "Wizard of the Emerald City" fell into the hands of our generation only in the early 60s, already in a revised form, with wonderful pictures by the artist L. Vladimirsky. Since then, it has been reprinted almost every year and has enjoyed constant success. And young readers again set off on a journey along the road paved with yellow bricks ...
The incredible success of the Volkov cycle, which made the author a modern classic of children's literature, largely delayed the "penetration" of F. Baum's original works on the domestic market; nevertheless, with the exception of the first story, Volkov's cycle is the fruit of his independent fantasy.