THE SNOW QUEEN IN THE ANTHOLOGY OF RUSSIAN ALIEN FAIRY TALES: AN OLD STORY IN A NEW WORLD

Abstract

Classical fairy tales exist in contemporary popular culture in different variants. They are quoted and reworked in TV shows, theatrical performances, video games, memes and different literary texts. The interest into old, well-known fairy tales is commonly explained by the omnipresent love of wonder and the eternal relevance of these stories. However, a careful study can reveal that contemporary adaptations question precisely the relevance of concrete canonical fables and the relevance of fairy tale as a phenomenon. In this article we are going to analyze Russian interpretations of Hans Christian Andersen’s story The Snow Queen in the anthology of Russian Alien Fairy Tales. The Snow Queen, first published by Hans Christian Andersen in 1844, which was initially translated into the Russian language in 1863. It has ever since remained one of the most cherished fairytale plots of the Russian audience. There are canonical interpretations of this Danish text in Russian poetry, cinematography and theater. Our interest lies on the contemporary short prose that belongs to popular culture and could be considered as a manifestation of the current literary process.