Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, a brother and sister walked together down a long road.
The sister's name was Alyonushka, and her brother was called Ivanushka.
The two had been walking a long time when they came to a cow's hoof filled with water.
"May I drink form it sister?" little Ivanushka asked.
"No, or you will turn into a calf," Alyonushka answered.
Little Ivanushka was very thirsty, but obeyed his sister.
He obeyed her again when they came to a horse's hoof filled with water.
Alyonushka told him that if he drank from it, he would turn into a foal.
The brother and sister walked along further, and Ivanushka became increasingly thirsty.
Then they came upon a goat's hoof filled with water.
"May I drink from it?" Ivanushka asked.
Alyonushka once again was firm.
"No, if you do you will turn into a kid."
But this time the boy disobeyed his sister, and upon his first sip turned into a little goat.
Alyonushka sat on the rode crying when a merchant drove by and inquired about her trouble.
Alyonushka explained the situation to him, and he said that if she
married him they could live happily with the goat.
Alyonushka agreed, and so they lived happily this way for some time.
Then one day an evil witch tricked Alyonushka into going down to the river,
where she tied a stone around her neck and threw her in.
The witch then took on Alyonushka's form and lived as her for awhile.
Only poor Ivanushka knew the truth about his sister.
Little did he know that the witch had plans for him, too.
When witch overheard him one day talking to his sister in the lake,
she decided to ask the merchant to kill the little goat.
It was hard for the merchant to agree to kill Ivanushka,
as he loved the goat like a person.
But, being deceived by the witch, he felt his wife's wishes to be the most important.
Ivanushka asked the merchant if he could go to the river for one last drink before he died,
and the merchant agreed.
There at the river's edge the goat cried out to his sister,
and she answered him that she couldn't help him with a stone tied around her neck.
Neither the brother nor sister realized that this time a peasant had overheard their conversation,
and was on his way to stop the merchant from killing Ivanushka.
Upon hearing the peasant's story, the merchant ran to the river, found Alyonushka,
and took the stone from around her neck.
The witch was then tied to a horse, which was turned loose in an open field. The little goat was so happy that he turned three somersaults, and was changed back into a boy.
They lived happily ever after.
Жили-были старик да старуха, у них была дочка Аленушка да сынок Иванушка.
Старик со старухой умерли. Остались Аленушка да Иванушка одни - одинешеньки.
Пошла Аленушка на работу и братца с собой взяла. Идут они по дальнему пути, по широкому полю, и захотелось Иванушке пить.
- Сестрица Аленушка, я пить хочу!
- Подожди, братец, дойдем до колодца.
Шли-шли - солнце высоко, колодец далеко, жар донимает, пот выступает. Стоит коровье копытце полно водицы.
- Сестрица Аленушка, хлебну я из копытца!
- Не пей, братец, теленочком станешь!
Братец послушался, пошли дальше.
Солнце высоко, колодец далеко, жар донимает, пот выступает. Стоит лошадиное копытце полно водицы.
- Сестрица Аленушка, напьюсь я из копытца!
- Не пей, братец, жеребеночком станешь!
Вздохнул Иванушка, опять пошли дальше.
Идут, идут - солнце высоко, колодец далеко, жар донимает, пот выступает. Стоит козье копытце полно водицы.
У Иванушка говорит:
- Сестрица Аленушка, мочи нет: напьюсь я из копытца!
- Не пей, братец, козленочком станешь!
Не послушался Иванушка и напился из козьего копытца.
Напился и стал козленочком... Зовет Аленушка братца, а вместо Иванушки бежит за ней беленький козленочек.
Залилась Аленушка слезами, села под стожок - плачет, а козленочек возле нее скачет.
В ту пору ехал мимо купец:
- О чем, красная девица, плачешь?
Рассказала ему Аленушка про свою беду. Купец ей говорит:
- Поди за меня замуж. Я тебя наряжу в злато-серебро, и козленочек будет жить с нами.
Аленушка подумала, подумала и пошла за купца замуж.
Стали они жить-поживать, и козленочек с ними живет, ест-пьет с Аленушкой из одной чашки. Один раз купца не было дома. Откуда ни возьмись, приходит ведьма: стала под Аленушкино окошко и так-то ласково начала звать ее купаться на реку. Привела ведьма Аленушку на реку. Кинулась на нее, привязала Аленушке на шею камень и бросила ее в воду.
А сама оборотилась Аленушкой, нарядилась в ее платье и пришла в хоромы. Никто ведьму не распознал. Купец вернулся - и тот не распознал. Одному козленочку все было ведомо. Повесил он голову, не пьет, не ест. Утром и вечером ходит по бережку около воды и зовет:
- Аленушка, сестрица моя!.. Выплынь, выплынь на бережок...
Узнала об этом ведьма и стала просить мужа - зарежь да зарежь козленка...
Купцу жалко было козленочка, привык он к нему. А ведьма так пристает, так упрашивает, - делать нечего, купец согласился:
- Ну, зарежь его... Велела ведьма разложить костры высокие, греть котлы чугунные, точить ножи булатные.
Козленочек проведал, что ему недолго жить, и говорит названому отцу:
- Перед смертью пусти меня на речку сходить, водицы испить, кишочки прополоскать.
- Ну, сходи. Побежал козленочек на речку, стал на берегу и жалобнехонько закричал:
- Аленушка, сестрица моя!
Выплынь, выплынь на бережок.
Костры горят высокие,
Котлы кипят чугунные,
Ножи точат булатные,
Хотят меня зарезати!
Аленушка из реки ему отвечает:
- Ах, братец мой Иванушка!
Тяжел камень на дно тянет,
Шелкова трава ноги спутала,
Желты пески на груди легли.
А ведьма ищет козленочка, не может найти и посылает слугу:
- Пойди найди козленка, приведи его ко мне.
Пошел слуга на реку и видит: по берегу бегает козленочек и жалобнехонько зовет:
- Аленушка, сестрица моя!
Выплынь, выплынь на бережок.
Костры горят высокие,
Котлы кипят чугунные,
Ножи точат булатные,
Хотят меня зарезати!
А из реки ему отвечают:
- Ах, братец мои Иванушка?
Тяжел камень на дно тянет,
Шелкова трава ноги спутала,
Желты пески на груди легли.
Слуга побежал домой и рассказал купцу про то, что слышал на речке.
Собрали народ, пошли на реку, закинули сети шелковые и вытащили Аленушку на берег. Сняли камень с шеи, окунули ее в ключевую воду, одели ее в нарядное платье. Аленушка ожила и стала краше, чем была.
А козленочек от радости три раза перекинулся через голову и обернулся мальчиком Иванушкой. Ведьму привязали к лошадиному хвосту и пустили в чистое поле.
Russian storyteller: Russian folktales program video sample
RUSSIAN STORYTELLERS
Three performers proved to be the best readers of Russian folk tales: actor, singer and bayan player Vitali Baganov, balalaika virtuoso Alex Siniavski and Russian folk singer and garmoshka player Mikhail Smirnov.
Balalaika and Gypsy guitar virtuoso from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Alexey Vladimirovich Siniavski is one of most popular balalaika players in the world.
Alex (Alyosha) is a genuine balalaika YouTube sensation. He has had over 162 thousand (and counting) views on YouTube, placing him in the top 5 most-viewed balalaika videos of ALL TIME and the top 10 most-subscribed Russian folk musicians of all time. Mr. Siniavski is the musicial director of Barynya - the biggest Russian dance and music ensemble outside of Russia. His own compact disk Barynya Russian folk songs was well
recieved by Europian and American Russian folk music fans and professional musicians community.
Tune "Dorogoi Dlinnoyu" from repertoire of Alex Siniavski have been selected
for compact disk "Compilation of Russian Classic Folklore" released in Israel.
In March 2005 Alex Siniavski released BALALAIKA TUTORIAL ON DVD, the easy way to learn all balalaika techniques.
12 free video lessons are available to download from the website: scales, basic chords, Left Hand Position, learning a folk song, strumming, Thumb Pizzicato, Pizzicato Vibrato,
Double Pizzicato, Single Pizzicato, Tremolo and Rolls
Acclaimed balalaika virtuoso Alex Siniavsky arrived in the United States of America in 1992
from St. Petersburg, Russia. As a soloist and director of Barynya he performs around the world, composes and arranges all music
material for the concerts, compact disks and video of the ensemble.
Alex plays museum-quality balalaika,
a three-stringed Russian instrument whose mandolin-like sound is perhaps best known in this country from the Dr. Zhivago soundtrack.
Alex was a leading member (balalaika prima) of The Andreev
State symphonic balalaika orchestra,
one of the most prestigious in former USSR.
Alex graduated with honors from the
Leningrad State Musical Conservatory. He have toured throughout the former
Soviet Union, Europe and America, appeared on
the television and radio in Russia, America
and Africa.
Mikhail Smirnov
Mikhail Victorovich Smirnov was born in Moscow, Russia in 1966. He has been in the business of Russian folk dance and music for more than 25 years. Mikhail (Ru: Михаил Смирнов) is an artistic director and founder of ensemble Barynya based in New York City, author of many articles about traditional Russian dance, music and instruments in English and Russian, owner of Barynya Entertainment - the biggest Russian talent booking agency outside of Russia.
Mikhail recieved his Master's degree from the Moscow State University of Culture and Arts. As a child, he was a member of the famous "Moscow Boys Chorus" - one of the most prestigious all-male choirs in Russia. Before coming to the United States in 1991, Mikhail was a soloist in a several Russian folk dance and music groups including the Moscow State Center for Russian song, "Russkaya Pesnya", under the direction of Nadezhda Babkina.
While studying in Moscow, Mikhail followed his passion for Russian folk culture by traveling to many different regions of Russia such as Tver, Smolensk, Belgorod, and Don River to collect Russian folklore at its sourse. He was surprised to find out that folk dances, songs, melodies, lyrics, and tunes change from village to village, even if those as close as a couple of miles apart.
In these folklore expeditions, Misha recorded over 100 hours of Russian folk music and dances, performances on folk instruments. Later he has incorporated much of this original material into repertoire of his ensemble "Barynya" - the biggest (and many believe the best) Russian dance and music ensemble outside of Mother Russia.
Mikhail is adept on a variety of Russian folk instruments including balalaika-contrabass, balalaika, and gusli. However, his favorite instrument remains the garmoshka, the small Russian folk button accordion used in Russian folk music and dancing.
In January 2009 Mikhail Smirnov and dancers of ensemble Barynya were featured on national TV, NBC's "SUPERSTARS OF DANCE" - breathtaking international dance competition led by executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Simon Fuller (American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance). This prestigious dance competition hosted by Michael Flatley ("Lord of the Dance") and Susie Castillo, a former Miss USA. Mikhail Smirnov was one of eight judges to decide which country will win. Of course, he can was not able to be judging Team of Russia... The show premiered on NBC network on January 4th and aired through January 26th, 2009.
Russian tale translated into English
"The tale of the golden cockerel"
Aleksandr Pushkin translated by Walter Arndt
WWW.BARYNYA.COM Barynya is the largest Russian dance and music ensemble outside of Russia (New York, USA). Russian, Gypsy, Cossack, Ukrainian dances, songs and music with live accompaniment of balalaika,
domra,
garmoshka, Gypsy guitar, bayan and contrabass balalaika. Artistic Director Mikhail Smirnov.
Rockaway (2007)-Sergei
Balalaika and Gypsy guitar virtuoso from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Alexey Vladimirovich Siniavski is one of most popular balalaika players in the world.
Alex (Alyosha) is a genuine balalaika YouTube sensation. He has had over 162 thousand (and counting) views on YouTube, placing him in the top 5 most-viewed balalaika videos of ALL TIME and the top 10 most-subscribed Russian folk musicians of all time. Mr. Siniavski is the musicial director of Barynya - the biggest Russian dance and music ensemble outside of Russia. His own compact disk Barynya Russian folk songs was well
recieved by Europian and American Russian folk music fans and professional musicians community.
Tune "Dorogoi Dlinnoyu" from repertoire of Alex Siniavski have been selected
for compact disk "Compilation of Russian Classic Folklore" released in Israel.
Mikhail recieved his Master's degree from the Moscow State University of Culture and Arts. As a child, he was a member of the famous "Moscow Boys Chorus" - one of the most prestigious all-male choirs in Russia. Before coming to the United States in 1991, Mikhail was a soloist in a several Russian folk dance and music groups including the Moscow State Center for Russian song, "Russkaya Pesnya", under the direction of Nadezhda Babkina.
"Alyonushka and her brother Ivanushka"
