Brothers Grimm. Fairy Tales

The edition includes one hundred and two German folk tales as retold by the famous linguists and folklorists brothers Jacob Grimm (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859). All fairy tales are presented in the translation by Grigory Nikolaevich Petnikov. At the end of the collection, a retelling of the legend about the Pied Piper by Prosper Mérimée is included, translated from French by Anatoly Vinogradov. The edition is adorned with magnificent black-and-white and color illustrations by the famous British artist Arthur Rackham, who is rightly considered an outstanding master of the Golden Age of British book illustration.

The Brothers Grimm - who hasn't heard of these remarkable advocates who made so much effort to record and process more than a hundred German folk tales? They introduced readers to the Bremen Town Musicians, the brave tailor, Hansel and Gretel, the Twelve Months, Little Thumb and other now-familiar characters. Jacob and Wilhelm were born in the last quarter of the 18th century into a modest bureaucratic family. The brothers lost their father early but managed to enroll in the law faculty of the University of Magdeburg. However, the study of law, which they pursued at their mother's insistence, did not captivate either Jacob or Wilhelm. They were more interested in history, especially related to the lives of ordinary people. The brothers were able to fully devote themselves to their favorite subject a few years after graduating from university: Jacob was fortunate to secure a position in the royal library. This well-paid position left them with plenty of free time, and the brothers enthusiastically dedicated themselves to scientific and literary work. Jacob and Wilhelm began recording German fairy tales in the very early 19th century; the book with their collected texts was published in 1816. In the preface to this edition, the brothers wrote that "a person receives from their homeland a guardian angel who accompanies them in life; this is an inexhaustible treasure of fairy tales, sagas, and stories." Now, thanks to the Brothers Grimm, the treasures of German folk tales have become the heritage of all humanity.

In this edition, the texts of the fairy tales are accompanied by works of the famous British artist Arthur Rackham, who is rightly considered an outstanding master of the Golden Age of British book illustration. The future artist was born in the autumn of 1867 into a large family. He started his independent life with a modest position as a clerk; however, the bureaucratic routine did not satisfy Arthur at all: he wanted to engage in more creative work and began taking drawing lessons. Not much time passed, and by the beginning of the 20th century, Rackham had earned a reputation as a recognized master of book illustrations. In particular, he created magnificent illustrations for a collection of myths and legends compiled by the popularizer of ancient Irish myths, James Stephens. By the age of fifty, Rackham entered a period of creative flourishing, and his illustrations often adorned luxurious expensive editions. The originals of these illustrations were frequently displayed at numerous exhibitions, including in the Louvre, and were sold at international art auctions.