A Town in a Snuff Box. Stories

Vladimir Fyodorovich Odoevsky (1804-1869) - a Russian writer and philosopher, art critic. He was born in Moscow into the family of a prominent official and was the last representative of one of the oldest branches of the Rurikovich dynasty. His father descended directly from the Chernigov prince Mikhail Vsevolodovich. In 1816, V.F. Odoevsky entered the Moscow University Noble Boarding School, and during his studies, his first works were published in the magazine "Herald of Europe". In 1826, V.F. Odoevsky moved to St. Petersburg and got a job as an assistant director of the Petersburg Imperial Chancellery. During these years, he became interested in alchemy and wrote fairy tales for children.
His pen is credited with the first science fiction fairy tale "A Town in a Snuff Box" (1834). The main character - a boy named Misha - receives a musical snuff box as a gift. The boy's curiosity knows no bounds; he is very eager to understand how everything is arranged and interconnected. Misha's wish is granted, and he meets the fantastical inhabitants of the musical snuff box, finding himself inside it. From a scientific point of view, the mechanism is described very accurately, and the fairy-tale form makes the description extremely engaging. The fairy tale "Frost Ivanovich" was first published in the collection "Grandfather Irinei's Tales" in 1841. Its basis is the plot of the Russian folk tale "Morozko". Like any fairy tale, there is a hint here - "a lesson for good young men". The contrast between the kind and hardworking Rukodelnitsa and the impatient and selfish Lenivitsa repeatedly convinces the reader that evil and laziness must be punished, while diligence, modesty, and kindness should be rewarded.
V.F. Odoevsky believed that children's literature was an important element of education, developing "gracious" feelings in a child's soul, and he placed great importance on the combination of scientific accuracy and the captivating nature of storytelling.