Malachite casket

Malachite casket - Pavel Bazhov

The Malachite Casket, a delightful collection of tales is being re-published for the centenary of the birth of the author, Pavel Bazhov (1879-1950). Bazhov spent many years collecting the legends, traditions and sayings which he later wove into the collection which well merits the description "something different". In the music of Urals speech, characters- real and fantastic -come to life: The Mistress of The Copper Mountain who guards its wealth, the Great Serpent with its trail of gold, and skillful artist-craftsmen to whom the secrets of the mountain depths and of their craft are open.  The Malachite Casket is rightly regarded as a classic. It has served as the theme for sculptured groups, Sergei Prokofiev drew from it inspiration for his ballet "The Flower of Stone", and it has provided the theme for operas, symphonies, and films.  In the present collection we offer twenty of the best stories, taking the reader back to the times of old, the joy of craftsmanship and the rich colours of folk fantasy.