The Scarlet Flower (Russian: Аленький цветочек), also known as The Little Scarlet Flower 1858
It is an adaptation of traditional fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. In Russia, Beauty and the Beast story is known mostly via Aksakov's retelling. In a letter to his son of November 23, 1856 Aksakov wrote: "I am writing a story which in my childhood I knew by heart". Aksakov had been told that story as a child. He recalled that he was ill and suffered from insomnia. Then a housekeeper named Pelagia, who was well known for telling great fairy tales, sat by the stove and began to tell him the story of Scarlet Flower. Aksakov added that he did not feel sleepy at all, on the contrary, couldn't fall asleep until the very end. The Scarlet Flower was first published in 1858.
Plus a more “modern” movie:
The Scarlet Flower (Russian: Аленький цветочек, romanized: Alenkiy tsvetochek) is a 1977 Soviet fantasy film directed by Irina Povolotskaya based on the fairy tale of the same name by Sergey Aksakov. Plot: One merchant is about to go on a trip and promises to bring his daughters the gifts they want. Two older daughters wished beautiful fabrics, and the youngest wanted the scarlet flower, which she dreamed about.
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I have not read either the Russian story or seen the Russian movie.
But my Russian escort back in 2019 told me about both.
She also recited Pushkin poetry to me while we sat in the idyllic gardens of Catherine's Palace.
How sad that our world is now so very different today. However, I'm sure she isn't different than when I knew her. She was a free thinker and a truly good person. Unfortunately, my days with her are now moments in time that will never again be able to be recaptured. I feel blessed to have gotten to know her and have an understanding that "people" and "governments" are not always the same thing.
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