The History of the Creation and Publication of the Book Italian Fairy Tales Translated by Maria Andreeva and Edited by Maxim Gorky

The article is devoted to the history of the creation and publication of Italian Fairy Tales, translated by M.F. Andreeva in 1911. A letter by E.I. Vashkov to M. Gorky, letters and telegrams by Andreeva addressed to E.I. Vashkov, written in the period from 1911 to 1912 and relating to the history of the origin and publication of translations of fairy tales by the Italian writer Luigi Capuan from the collection Il Raccontafiabe, seguito al C’era una volta (1894) are introduced into scientific circulation. For Andreeva, who knew several European languages, the artistic translation of literary fairy tales was a test of the pen. Gorky, while preparing the book, proved himself to be an interested editor of children’s literature, representing the interests of the translator. Thanks to the intermediary activity of the artist and poet Vashkov, who felt the commercial benefits of cooperation with Gorky, the writer’s surname appeared on the cover of the publication. The book Italian Fairy Tales is a vivid example of Gorky’s participation in the history of “poor” Russian children’s literature. The funds of the Gorky Archive of the IWL RAS and the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art contain documents that complement our understanding of the episodes of the creative biography of Andreeva and Gorky, and add interesting touches to the picture of events and destinies. The Appendix presents the correspondence of Andreeva, Vashkov, and Gorky, which relates to the topic of the article. Unknown memoirs of V.V. Vashkova (wife of E.I. Vashkov) about Gorky and Andreeva in Capri are also published.