{"id":2395,"date":"2011-10-26T08:00:01","date_gmt":"2011-10-26T08:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=2395"},"modified":"2011-10-27T15:51:29","modified_gmt":"2011-10-27T15:51:29","slug":"russian-scary-stories-for-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/russian-scary-stories-for-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Scary Stories to Read This Halloween"},"content":{"rendered":"

http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=h0wbHyNQRro<\/a><\/p>\n

Well, it\u2019s that time of the year again. Halloween is just a few days away. If you remember, last year we had a post<\/a> about \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u0434\u043d\u0443\u044e\u0442 <\/strong>\u043b\u0438 <\/strong>\u0425\u044d\u043b\u043b\u043e\u0443\u0438<\/span>\u043d <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0438 <\/strong>\u0438 <\/strong>\u0435<\/span><\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u0438 <\/strong>\u0434\u0430, <\/strong>\u0442\u043e <\/strong>\u043a\u0430\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [whether Halloween is celebrated in Russia and if yes, then how].<\/p>\n

Sure, Halloween does not have deep roots in Russia where it\u2019s a recent addition to the holiday lineup. But this doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t find some really good scary stories to enjoy on October 31.<\/p>\n

If you have enough time, you can read the story<\/a> of \u00ab<\/strong>\u0412\u0438\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [Viy] by Nikolai Gogol (also English translation<\/a>). I read it when I was about 10 or so and it made a huge impression on me. In fact, I tried carrying a small piece of \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u0435\u043b\u00bb<\/strong> [chalk] with me whenever possible for a couple of months afterwards. Of course, \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u0435\u043b\u00bb<\/strong> was \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u0435\u0444\u0438\u0446\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0442\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u00bb<\/strong> [a hard-to-find item] which only confirmed my belief in its magical protective powers.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, the spell disappeared just as soon as I watched \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0438\u043c\u0451<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0444\u0438\u043b\u044c\u043c\u00bb<\/strong> [a movie by the same name]. The \u201cViy\u201d movie<\/a> is worth watching not just because it\u2019s sort of scary-ish, but also because it\u2019s the only \u00ab<\/strong>\u0444\u0438\u043b\u044c\u043c <\/strong>\u0443<\/span><\/strong>\u0436\u0430\u0441\u043e\u0432\u00bb<\/strong> [scary movie] made in Soviet Union. Can you imagine, growing up not knowing what \u00ab<\/strong>\u0443\u0436\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0438\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [a scary movie] was?<\/p>\n

Besides, it wasn\u2019t really a scary movie at all. After all, it started off with the disclaimer, read calmly in a pleasant voice of a male narrator:<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0412\u0438\u0439 \u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c \u043a\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u0441\u043e\u0437\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043e\u043d\u0430\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e \u0432\u043e\u043e\u0431\u0440\u0430\u0436\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f. \u0412\u0441\u044f \u044d<\/span>\u0442\u0430 \u043f\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c \u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c \u043d\u0430\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435.\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n

[Viy is a colossal creation of popular imagination. This entire tale is a folk legend.]<\/p>\n

But if you are short on time or would like to read a simpler story, then Viy is not for you. Instead, I highly recommend \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0448\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u043a\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [bogeyman stories]. These are not found in books. Instead, they are part of an oral tradition, being passed from child to child, remaining practically unchanged for years.<\/p>\n

Told late at night, when all lights are out and no adults are present, these stories can be absolutely terrifying in their straightforwardness, abruptness, simple narrative and uncanny way of making everyday objects terrifying.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a sample:<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0427\u0451<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0437\u0430\u043d\u0430\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u043a\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [Black curtains]<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0416\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0438 \u043c\u0430\u0442\u044c, \u043e\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0446, \u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u043e\u0447\u043a\u0430 \u0438 \u0435\u0451<\/span> \u0431\u0440\u0430\u0442. \u041e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u043d \u0440\u0430\u0437 \u043c\u0430\u0442\u044c \u043f\u043e\u0441\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0430 \u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u043e\u0447\u043a\u0443 \u043a\u0443\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c \u0437\u0430\u043d\u0430\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u043a\u0438, \u043d\u043e \u0441\u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0430, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u043d\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u043a\u0443\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u0439 \u0447\u0451<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0437\u0430\u043d\u0430\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u043a\u0438. \u0414\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u043e\u0447\u043a\u0430 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0448\u043b\u0430<\/span> \u0432 \u043c\u0430\u0433\u0430\u0437\u0438<\/span>\u043d, \u0430 \u0442\u0430\u043c \u0431\u044b<\/span>\u043b\u0438 \u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043a\u043e \u0447\u0451<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0437\u0430\u043d\u0430\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u043a\u0438, \u0438 \u043e\u043d\u0430<\/span> \u043a\u0443\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0430 \u0447\u0451<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0435.\u00bb\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

[There once lived a mother, a father, a little girl and her brother. Once mother sent the girl to buy curtains, but said not to buy black ones. The girl went to the story, which only had black curtains and so she bought them.]<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u041c\u0430<\/span>\u043c\u0430 \u043f\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0438\u043b\u0430 \u0438\u0445 \u043d\u0430 \u043e\u043a\u043d\u043e<\/span>. \u041d\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u044c\u044e \u0447\u0451<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0437\u0430\u043d\u0430\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u043a\u0438 \u0437\u0430\u0434\u0443\u0448\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0438 \u043e\u0442\u0446\u0430<\/span>. \u041e\u0442\u0446\u0430<\/span> \u043f\u043e\u0445\u043e\u0440\u043e\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0438. \u041d\u0430 \u0441\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0434\u0443\u044e\u0449\u0443\u044e \u043d\u043e\u0447\u044c \u0437\u0430\u043d\u0430\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u043a\u0438 \u0437\u0430\u0434\u0443\u0448\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0438 \u043c\u0430\u0442\u044c. \u0415\u0451<\/span> \u0442\u043e\u0436\u0435<\/a> \u043f\u043e\u0445\u043e\u0440\u043e\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0438. \u041d\u0430 \u0441\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0434\u0443\u044e\u0449\u0443\u044e \u043d\u043e\u0447\u044c \u0437\u0430\u043d\u0430\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u043a\u0438 \u0437\u0430\u0434\u0443\u0448\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0438 \u0431\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0430.\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n

[Mother put them on the window. At night the curtains choked the father to death. So the father was buried. Next night the curtains choked the mother to death. So she too was buried. The night after that the curtains choked the brother.]<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0422\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430<\/span> <\/strong>\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u043e\u0447\u043a\u0430 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0448\u043b\u0430<\/span> <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u043c\u0438\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0446\u0438\u044e <\/strong>\u0438 <\/strong>\u0432\u0441\u0451 <\/strong>\u0440\u0430\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0430 <\/strong>\u043c\u0438\u043b\u0438\u0446\u0438\u043e\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0430\u043c. <\/strong>\u041e\u043d\u0438<\/span> <\/strong>\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u044c\u044e <\/strong>\u0441\u043f\u0440\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u0430\u043b\u0438\u0441\u044c <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434 <\/strong>\u043a\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u044e, \u0430 \u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u043e\u0447\u043a\u0430 \u043b\u0435\u0433\u043b\u0430<\/span> \u0432 \u043a\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c. \u041a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430<\/span> \u0437\u0430\u043d\u0430\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u043a\u0438 \u0437\u0430\u0445\u043e\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u0438 \u0437\u0430\u0434\u0443\u0448\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c \u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u043e\u0447\u043a\u0443, \u043c\u0438\u043b\u0438\u0446\u0438\u043e\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u044b \u0432\u044b<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0435\u043b\u0438\u043b\u0438 \u0432 \u043d\u0438\u0445. \u0417\u0430\u043d\u0430\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u043a\u0438 \u0437\u0430\u043a\u0440\u0438\u0447\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0438, \u0443 \u043d\u0438\u0445 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0438\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u044c \u0447\u0451<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u0430\u044f \u043a\u0440\u043e\u0432\u044c, \u0438 \u043e\u043d\u0438<\/span> \u0443<\/span>\u043c\u0435\u0440\u043b\u0438.\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n

[The the girl went to the police and told everything to policemen. They hid under her bed at night and the girl laid in bed. When the curtains wanted to choke the girl, policemen shot at them. The curtains screamed, black blood poured out of them and they died.]<\/p>\n

Morbid? For sure! Interestingly, of all the lessons that could be learned for this little tale – listening to one\u2019s parents, calling the police right away, not waiting until the last moment – the only lesson that really stuck in my mind was the one about not buying black curtains.<\/p>\n

After a few trips to summer camps, a couple of sleepovers and a very short stay at a children\u2019s hospital, I also learned to avoid the following objects:<\/p>\n