The Tale of Hodja Nasreddin

The book features the duology by Leonid Vasilyevich Solovyov (1906–1962) "The Tale of Hodja Nasreddin". In it, the famous hero of Turkic folklore appears as a brave and selfless defender of the downtrodden. Hodja Nasreddin skillfully outwits the enforcers of unjust judgment, performs feats in the name of love, and humorously reflects on life. Bright colorful illustrations, reflecting the originality of the story of the clever simpleton, were created by the artist Timur Irekovich Shagiahmedov (1984).

The prose writer and playwright Leonid Vasilyevich Solovyov (1906–1962) was born in Lebanon to the family of an inspector of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society. Soon after the boy's birth, his family returned to Russia: there in the Samara province, Leonid's parents were engaged in teaching. The young man was about fifteen years old when his family had to leave their home due to famine in the Volga region. They moved to Kokand, where the future writer became acquainted with the culture of Central Asia. Leonid, who loved reading about the amazing adventures of brave heroes from a young age, was enchanted by Eastern tales, bustling bazaars, colorful landscapes, and local national customs. In Kokand, he graduated from school and entered a mechanical technical school; however, the specialty he received did not interest him. Leonid began writing articles for the newspaper "Turkestan Truth" (later – "Truth of the East"), and then became a special correspondent for it. Solovyov spent much time traveling around Turkestan, collecting folklore of the Turkic peoples. The materials he gathered were used not only for publications in newspapers and magazines but also for writing his own stories, novellas, and novels. In 1932, he graduated from the literary-screenwriting faculty of the Institute of Cinematography in Moscow. Immersing himself in Moscow's literary life, Solovyov began to publish his first works; he wrote scripts and tried his hand at playwriting. However, Asian motifs still occupied an important place in the writer's life and frequently appeared in his works. In 1940, the first book about Hodja Nasreddin was published, bringing Solovyov enduring fame – "The Disturber of Calm". Its main character became a figure from Turkic tales, a great jester, a storyteller, and a wit who cannot remain indifferent to others' misfortune and tirelessly fights for justice. During the Great Patriotic War, Solovyov was a war correspondent in the Black Sea Fleet, and after the war, the writer was arrested and sent to a correctional camp. There, he wrote the second part of the duology – "The Enchanted Prince". This book was received with no less enthusiasm by readers than the first, and in 1956, already after his release, the writer managed to publish the entire duology in one edition. The story of the charming Bukhara wanderer, who saves oppressed poor people from the tyranny of wealthy men and mocks the vices of greedy emirs, circled the globe. It was adapted into films, translated into various languages, and repeatedly reissued. In this edition, the incredible adventures of the hero of Turkic legends and the beauty of Eastern traditions are captured in wonderful colorful illustrations by Timur Irekovich Shagiahmedov (1984).