The Image of Petrushka in Russian Children’s Books of the 1920s — Early 1930s

The image of Russian puppet theater’s main character, Petrushka, played an important role in the history of Russian culture and embodied some important features of the national character. His images are quite widely and variously represented on the pages of children’s books. At the beginning of the 20th century and in the first post-revolutionary years, publications about the adventures of Petrushka fulfilled an important mission: they recorded characteristic examples of folk art, preserved the memory of farcical performances, and supported the tradition of the art of “Petrushka makers”. The books served as manuals for novice puppeteers.

In the 1920s — early 1930s, Petrushka continued to be one of the most popular characters of children’s books and aroused interest of many Russian writers and graphic artists. This indicates their desire to find a basis and support in the popular laughter culture, to continue its traditions, to bring elements of theatrical aesthetics into books.

Using a complex of methods of book, art and source studies, the article aims to consider the transformation of the image of Petrushka in children’s books of the 1920s — early 1930s.

The author draws attention to the significant differences between the literary component of such publications and their visual range. Writers, as a rule, sought to “re-educate” the areal joker and brawler, to ennoble his manners, modernize his appearance, and involve the popular character in solving actual ideological and pedagogical problems. Artists were more careful about the canonical, historically formed image of Petrushka, resisted too radical reinterpretation of it. Of particular interest in this regard are the illustrative cycles of I.S. Efimov, A.I. Sokolov-Asi, A.A. Radakov, V.M Konashevich, L.V. Popova, F.F. Kondratov.

The best writers and artists of those years managed to preserve the most essential features of the character, breathe new life into him, save him from oblivion, from complete loss of identity, and pass him on to new generations of creators and readers of children’s books.

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4. Slutsky F. New Masks (Revolutionary and Everyday Design of “Petrushka”), Sovetskoe iskusstvo [Soviet Art], 1925, no. 6, pp. 32—38 (in Russ.).

5. Petrushka: lyubimyi narodnyi kukol’nyi geroi [Petrushka: The Favorite Folk Puppet Character]. Moscow, Torgovyi Dom E. Konovalova i K° Publ., 1910, 24 p.

6. Ryumin E. The Red Petrushka, Sovetskoe iskusstvo [Soviet Art], 1925, no. 4—5, pp. 29—31 (in Russ.).

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12. Sokolov-Asi. Petrushka. Moscow, G.F. Mirimanova Publ., 1927 (in Russ.).

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16. Shvarts E. Voina Petrushki i Stepki Rastrepki [The War between Petrushka and Styopka Rastryopka], Raduga Publ., 1925, 24 p.

17. Marshak S. Petrushka inostranets [Petrushka the Foreigner], Raduga Publ., 1927, 11 p.

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19. Konashevich V.M. O sebe i svoem dele. Vospominaniya. Stat’i. Pis’ma: s prilozheniem vospominanii o khudozhnike [About Me and my Work. Memories. Articles. Letters: with memories of the artist attached]. Moscow, 495 p.

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21. Fedorchenko S., Kondratov F. Petrushka-radist: v 3 kartinakh [Petrushka the Radio Operator: in 3 pictures], Gosudarstvennoe Publ., 1930, 22 p.

22. Fedorchenko S. Kak za Pervoe maya Petrushku zamayali: v 3 kartinakh [How Petrushka Was Fatigued for the First of May: in 3 pictures]. Leningrad, Gosudarstvennoe Publ., 1930, 18 p.

23. Sakonskaya N. Kukly i knigi [Puppets and Books], OGIZ Publ., Molodaya Gvardiya Publ., 1932, 24 p.