Russian Fairytales

Explore our collection of authentic Russian fairytales, passed down through generations. These tales feature brave heroes, clever maidens, fearsome villains, and magical creatures.

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20 tales found

Vasilisa the Beautiful
20 min

Vasilisa the Beautiful

A tale of a young girl who, with the help of a magical doll, survives the trials of Baba Yaga and becomes a queen.

Central Russia
The Frog Princess
10 min

The Frog Princess

A prince is forced to marry a frog, who turns out to be a beautiful princess under a spell.

Pan-Russian
Tsarevich Ivan, the Firebird, and the Gray Wolf
15 min

Tsarevich Ivan, the Firebird, and the Gray Wolf

A tale of Prince Ivan's quest for the Firebird, aided by a magical Gray Wolf, featuring three impossible tasks and true love.

East Slavic (widespread)
The Snow Maiden
12 min

The Snow Maiden

The story of a girl made of snow who comes to life but cannot survive the warmth of spring.

Northwestern Russia
The Little Round Bun
5 min

The Little Round Bun

A tale of a little round bun who runs away from home and meets various animals.

Pan-Russian
The Gigantic Turnip
5 min

The Gigantic Turnip

A cumulative tale about a family trying to pull up an enormous turnip.

Pan-Russian
Marya Morevna
20 min

Marya Morevna

The tale of a warrior princess and her husband Ivan who battles Koschei the Deathless.

Russian North
Father Frost
12 min

Father Frost

A tale of a kind stepdaughter who is rewarded by Father Frost, while her cruel stepsister is punished.

Northern Russia (Arkhangelsk)
The Feather of Finist the Bright Falcon
18 min

The Feather of Finist the Bright Falcon

A tale of a maiden who searches for her beloved, a prince who can transform into a falcon.

Russian North (Pomor)
The Magic Swan-Geese
10 min

The Magic Swan-Geese

A tale of a girl who must rescue her baby brother from Baba Yaga's swan-geese.

Kursk Province, Central Russia
The White Duck
15 min

The White Duck

A tale of a wicked witch stepmother who transforms the Tsar's children into ducks, but her evil plot is eventually exposed and justice prevails.

Northern Russia
Go I Know Not Whither and Fetch I Know Not What
14 min

Go I Know Not Whither and Fetch I Know Not What

A classic impossible quest tale about an archer who must complete an enigmatic task and discovers that love and wisdom are the greatest treasures.

Central Russia
The Bold Knight, the Apples of Youth, and the Water of Life
13 min

The Bold Knight, the Apples of Youth, and the Water of Life

A heroic quest tale of three brothers seeking magical apples and water to heal their father, where courage and honesty triumph over treachery.

Siberia
Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka
14 min

Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka

A tale of siblings whose love and loyalty triumph over a wicked witch's curse and deception.

Pan-Russian
By the Pike's Command
13 min

By the Pike's Command

A comic tale of lazy Emelya who gains magical powers from a pike and uses them to win a princess and become Tsar.

Siberia
The Princess Who Never Smiled
12 min

The Princess Who Never Smiled

A tale of a melancholy princess who has never smiled, and the kind peasant Ivan who wins her heart with magical gifts and gentle humor.

Central Russia
The Wise Little Girl
11 min

The Wise Little Girl

A tale of a seven-year-old girl whose wisdom and clever riddle-solving helps her poor father win justice from the Tsar.

Central Russia
The Sea Tsar and Vasilisa the Wise
16 min

The Sea Tsar and Vasilisa the Wise

An underwater adventure tale of a prince trapped by the Sea Tsar and rescued by the wise princess Vasilisa through love and cunning.

Volga Region
Sivka-Burka, the Magic Horse
14 min

Sivka-Burka, the Magic Horse

A tale of Ivan the Simpleton who receives a magical horse from his father's spirit and wins a princess through courage and loyalty.

Karelia
The Flying Ship
15 min

The Flying Ship

An upbeat tale of Ivan the Fool who builds a flying ship and wins a princess with the help of seven magical companions.

Ukraine & Russia