A Little Horse Enchants Russia…and the World

Based on information from the Ershov Foundation website.

Peter Pavlovich Ershov

In 1834, at the Imperial University of St. Petersburg, a 19-year old student named Peter Ershov read his fairy tale in literature class. Urged on by his professor and classmates, Ershov published the story in parts and then as a complete book. The Little Humpbacked Horse took Russia by storm. Readers instantly loved the tale for its clear verse, colloquial language, humor and cheerful images. It received high praise from authors Zhukovsky and Pletnev. The highest acknowledgement came from Alexander Pushkin, who told Ershov "now I can leave this kind of writing to you."

"Теперь этот род сочинений мне можно и оставить." - Александр Пушкин

A Stubborn Little Horse

One may think the book’s popularity and instant success is its strong suit, but the most fascinating aspect of the tale may be its staying power. During Ershov’s lifetime, the book was censored as satire and then banned during the reign of Nicholas 1. Nine years later, close family friend Dmitri Mendeleev ("Father of the Periodic Table,") successfully backed a new release of the book. The tale survived condemnation as propaganda during the revolution, and its folk optimism and common sense prevailed during and after WWII. In the 20th century, Russian refugees and emigrants throughout Europe and China shared their favorite fairy tales and put out Russian and foreign language versions of the tale, even while in displaced persons camps. Since its first translation into Czech in 1854, just 9 years after its first publication, The Humpbacked Horsebook has been translated into 80 different languages, demonstrating its enduring hold over an international audience of readers.

A Journey From Literature to Theatre

Another striking claim to fame is the book’s transformation into theatre and film. The tale had its theatrical debut during Ershov’s lifetime, when The Little Humpbacked Horse ballet premiered at the Imperial Theatre in St. Petersburg. In the 1940’s, the Little Humpbacked Horse was produced as a movie and cartoon, receiving numerous international accolades and prizes. In 1992, with the help of Mikhail Baryshnikov, actor Oleg Vidov produced an anthology of Russian animation, including “The Little Humpbacked Horse.” Nowadays, with just a simple online search, anyone can see how far and wide the tale’s films, cartoons, videos, book releases and illustrations are distributed. 

190 Years at a Gallop

The Little Humpbacked Horse celebrated its 190th anniversary in 2024, with a presentation and exhibit featuring texts, illustrations and historical material about the fairy tale. Ershov’s fabulous tale lives on through the Pyotr Pavlovich Ershov Foundation, a nonprofit cultural and educational organization spearheaded by his great-great-granddaughter, Alla Ranskaya. The website is chock full of details about Ershov’s life and the book’s history.

December 13: San Francisco Exhibit

The Ershov Foundation will be showcasing materials from the 190th anniversary exhibit of The Little Humpbacked Horse on Saturday, December 13 at the Children’s Winter Holiday Fair at Russian Center. Visit the exhibit, read (or re-read!) the tale, and take part in Ershov’s dearest hope for his beloved book: “My little horse... entertains honest people, old and young, and will continue to entertain them as long as the Russian word finds an echo in the Russian soul, that is, until the end of time."

“Конёк мой… тешит люд честной, старых и малых, будет тешить их, пока русское слово будет находить отголоски в русской душе, то есть, до скончания века." - Петр Павлович Ершов