July 3, 1977
Writer Alexander Volkov, author of the "Wizard of the Emerald City" series, has died.
Speak briefly. Remember, where there are many words, there is very little wisdom.
Born in 1891 in Ust-Kamenogorsk, he graduated from the city school at age 12, ranking first in his class. At 16, he entered the Tomsk Teachers' Training Institute. Two years later, he earned the right to teach all subjects except theology.
- Brains don't make a person happy, and happiness is the best thing on earth.
He worked in Siberia and was a school principal in Yaroslavl. In 1929, he moved to Moscow. He graduated from the Physics and Mathematics Department of Moscow State University. He taught in the Department of Higher Mathematics at the Moscow Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals and Gold. He possessed encyclopedic knowledge and spoke several languages.
- Why are there needles sticking out of your brain?
- This is proof of the sharpness of the mind.
He wrote his first novel at the age of 12. In the 1920s, his plays were performed in provincial theaters. In 1941, he became a member of the Writers' Union. He wrote on historical themes. He gained worldwide fame after creating The Wizard of the Emerald City.
The heart makes a lot of people unhappy. It's not a very big advantage to have a heart.
I wrote my first fairy tale based on Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." I took on the translation to practice my English. Along the way, I slightly altered the plot and sent the characters on new adventures. In 1939, "The Wizard..." was published as a standalone book, and has since been translated into 13 languages and reprinted 46 times.
"Aren't you ashamed of yourself for fooling people?" asked the Scarecrow.
— At first I was ashamed, but then I got used to it.
Volkov was criticized for appropriating someone else's story. However, the title page of "The Magician" indicated that it was a reworking of Baum's fairy tale. Under Soviet law at the time, authorial consent for translation or reworking was not required.
Urfin Jus devoted a lot of time to training the corporals. The corporals were supposed to understand that, compared to their master, they were nothing.
Volkov wrote five more books in the series. Despite their millions of copies sold, they were a scarce commodity in the USSR.
