P. P. Bazhov. The Malachite Box [Malakhitovaya shkatulka]: A scholarly edition

Abstract

A review of the first scholarly edition of The Malachite Box [ Malakhitovaya shkatulka], a famous collection of tales (skazy) by the Russian writer Pavel Bazhov. Bazhov created his distinctive artistic world, which provided the basis for the subsequent emergence of the unique mythology of the Urals. Bazhov’s skazy are an example of stylised folklore, yet the stylisation is itself rooted in folklore tradition. This scholarly edition of The Malachite Box includes a comprehensive historical, literary and philological commentary. The editors examine the differences between all nine editions of The Malachite Box published in Bazhov’s lifetime and the first publications of the tales and their holographs and discover a number of minor textual discrepancies across all publications in question. The book has the tales arranged chronologically, which offers a chance to follow Bazhov’s creative evolution and get a better understanding of his connection with his time.