This groundbreaking anthology presents a century of Russian writing for children—from the Soviet era to the present—bringing together classic and contemporary works, many translated into English for the first time, in a richly curated volume that is both academically informed and fully accessible to children, parents, and adult readers alike.

A Hundred Years of Childhood: An Anthology of Russian Writing for Children, 1917-2017 is the first of two volumes featuring works for children and teens in English translation, many for the first time. Volume One focuses on literature for younger children; it includes short pieces and excerpts from longer works, combining poetic and prose texts written by thirty-six renowned children’s authors from the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Eighteen translators contributed to the anthology, bringing a rich range of voices to the English-language texts. This book will appeal to a wide range of readers, including teachers and students of Slavic studies, childhood studies, caregivers and parents of young children, and anyone interested in Russian children’s literature and culture.

Olga Bukhina is a translator, writer, and children’s literature specialist who has translated over forty books for children and teens. In addition, she is the co-author of Growing Out of Communism: Russian Literature for Children and Teens, 1991–2017 (Brill-Schøningh 2022, Russian translation by Bukhina, 2024), as well as the author of Zhizn’ i smert’: Samye vaznye voprosy detskoi literatury (Life and Death: The Most Important Issues in Children’s Literature, KompasGid 2024).

Kelly Herold is a professor of Russian at Grinnell College, where she teaches courses on Tolstoy, Nabokov, the Russian novel and short story, fairy tales, children’s literature, as well as the Russian language. She is the co-author of Growing Out of Communism: Russian Literature for Children and Teens, 1991–2017 (English, 2022; Russian translation by Olga Bukhina, 2024).

Andrea Lanoux holds the Elizabeth S. Kruidenier ’48 endowed professorship in Slavic Studies at Connecticut College. Her research focuses on Russian children’s literature (Growing Out of Communism: Russian Literature for Children and Teens, 1991–2017, co-authored with Olga Bukhina and Kelly Herold), as well as women and gender in Slavic cultures (Gender and National Identity in Russian Culture, co-edited with Helena Goscilo, 2006). She teaches Russian language at all levels, as well as courses in Slavic studies, global studies, and an undergraduate research seminar on Ukraine.

“A Hundred Years of Childhood is a unique anthology of Russian children’s literature both in its temporal scope and in its selection of poetic and prose texts. High-quality translation considers all of the nuances the English-speaking reader will encounter as they become familiar with these texts. The editors of this collection were able to show what tasks—genre, aesthetic, and social—the literature set for itself throughout the centuries. The anthology is a priceless resource for researchers—historians, cultural studies scholars, and literary scholars—but it is equally interesting to a wide circle of readers, for whom the translation serves as a bridge to understanding another culture.”

—Dr. Marina Balina, Isaac Funk Professor Emerita of Russian Studies. Illinois Wesleyan University

“Despite its academic appeal, this anthology of the last one hundred years of Russian children’s literature has a very good chance of becoming a book that you will read to your children and grandchildren before bedtime, and that they will secretly read after you put them to bed. There are three reasons for this. It is filled with true gems handpicked by editors from the rich legacy of Soviet children’s literature. It is enhanced by the best examples of post-Soviet writings for children. It is conveyed into English by truly congenial translations. All in all, these texts will make you and your kids laugh and think about the most interesting and serious things in the world—from games and toys to revolutions, nature, family, school, friends, history and the future. Teaching classes with this book will be a sheer pleasure for students and professors alike. I envy them already.”

—Dr. Mark Lipovetsky, Professor and Chair, Department of Slavic Languages. Columbia University

“Across the one-hundred-year period that began with the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, children’s literature written in Russian has encapsulated the hopes and aspirations of a far-flung society caught in a maelstrom of social and political change. This thoughtfully curated treasury of writings in translation by thirty-six notable authors for young people immerses readers in a deeply serious and often exhilarating literary tradition that, in all its many moods and permutations, has continually homed in on the core concerns that fuel children’s imaginations.” 

—Dr. Leonard S. Marcus, Children’s book historian and critic

“A Hundred Years of Childhood: An Anthology of Russian Writing for Children, 1917-2017 is an insightfully framed collection of charming stories and poems from the Russian-speaking world that bring moments from one hundred tumultuous years of history into sharp focus through the lens of children’s literature. The array of poems and stories selected for the collection speak powerfully for themselves through varied, charming, and inspired new translations that grant access to these stories for contemporary English-speaking audiences. At the same time, the carefully curated anthology richly situates authors and illustrators within their own complex contexts and also includes imagery from original book publications in a variety of styles. This anthology will appeal to popular audiences of all ages and will prove a useful tool for teaching Russian-language children’s literature and culture in English-speaking contexts.”

—Dr. Sara Pankenier Weld, Professor, Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies. University of California, Santa Barbara

“Thanks to this new book, one hundred years of Russian children’s literature comes alive in sparkling English translation. Olga Bukhina, Kelly Herold, and Andrea Lanoux contextualize Soviet and post-Soviet texts with helpful and intelligent introductions. Beloved classics and exciting new voices in Russian children’s literature can all be found here—and enjoyed by parents, children, teachers, and students.”

—Dr. Megan Swift, Professor of Russian Studies. University of Victoria