The Russian Stories That Stayed With Me

The Russian Stories That Stayed With Me

    In the 80s, translated Russian literature was such a big part of childhood reading, and my parents used to get me loads of these beautifully illustrated books. I still have most of them at my parents’ place, and each one holds a world of memories. 

    A few days ago, I found Teryosha tucked away on my shelf, and it instantly took me back to those days, walking into bookstores with wide-eyed excitement, picking out new titles, and spending afternoons lost in their pages. I must have read and reread this one so many times!

    The story, a Russian folk tale retold by Aleksey Tolstoy and translated by Olga Shartse, follows an elderly, childless couple who carve a wooden figure they name Teryosha, only for it to miraculously come to life.

    There are adventures, a witch, danger, escape, geese, and in the end, kindness, love, and home. The themes of caring, longing, and bravery always moved me as a child.

    With enchanting illustrations by Yulian Korovin and the signature charm of Progress Publishers’ editions, this book feels like a window to another world.

    Finding it again made me deeply nostalgic. I remembered how these stories used to transport me, full of magic, warmth, and lessons of courage and kindness. Books like Teryosha aren’t just stories; they’re pieces of childhood, holding tiny fragments of who we once were.

    In the background of this photo is another vintage treasure, a wooden doll of Vigri, one of those classic hand-painted toys that were so popular decades ago.Vigri is the seal mascot from the 1980 Moscow Olympics sailing events, crafted in Estonia during the USSR days.

It felt fitting to place it beside Teryosha, as both carry the same nostalgic warmth and artistry of a bygone time.

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This post is part of the Blogchatter Half Marathon 2026 – Version 2.0, where I'll share seven posts between September 15th and September 30th.

Until the next post…