Alyonushka, Alyonushka,
Alena gray-eyed,
tell me a fairy tale, Alyonushka
tell me, tell me.
With one flick of your eyelashes
Alena will tell me
about flocks of migratory birds
under a whitened sky.
Vasnetsov began work on the painting in 1880. It is based on the fairy tale “About Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka.”
At first he painted landscape sketches on the banks of the Vori in Abramtsevo, near the pond in Akhtyrka. Many sketches from this time have survived.
Sketch of a sitting girl
In Abramtsevo and its environs, with their oak, spruce, birch forests and groves characteristic of central Russia, the Vorey River, which is intricately winding with dark backwaters, ponds overgrown with sedge, blind ravines and cheerful lawns and hillocks, a type of national landscape was developed. 
Pond in Akhtyrka
Many of the artist’s works were conceived and realized in whole or in part here. “Alyonushka” was also painted here, a picture in which Vasnetsov most fully and soulfully embodied the lyrical poetry of his native people.
“Alyonushka,” the artist later said, “it was as if she had been living in my head for a long time, but in reality I saw her in Akhtyrka, when I met one simple-haired girl who captured my imagination. There was so much melancholy, loneliness and purely Russian sadness in her eyes... Some special Russian spirit wafted from her.”
Vasnetsov turned to the fairy tale about Alyonushka and her brother Ivanushka, in his own way, creatively translating it into painting. According to folk legends, nature comes to life at the end of the day, gaining the ability to feel in harmony with man.
Such sensations were to a large extent inherent in the artist himself, which is why in Alyonushka the state of nature was so organically coordinated with the feelings of the heroine. The figure of Alyonushka, pondering over her bitter fate, seems to be echoed by the pale gray sky, and the frighteningly dark surface of the pool with yellow leaves frozen on it, and the faded gray tones of the drooping foliage of aspen trees, and the dark deep green of fir trees. 
Alyonushkin Pond
"Alyonushka"...
Autumn. A cold dawn pierced the low cloudy sky like a thin arrow.
The black pool is motionless.
The dense forest is scary. On the shore, on a large gray stone - Alyonushka, an orphan.
Tender thin aspen trees timidly approached the water. Nelaskov whirlpool. Pegs green sedge arrows. The gray stone is cold and unwelcome.
Sedge
It’s bitter, bitter for the orphan in this thicket. The wilderness is silent.
Suddenly the wind ran through the spruce forest. The aspen leaves rustled and rang. The reeds began to sing, “little little birds—bitter little birds” began to chirp, and the sad sounds of melancholy and sadness began to flow.
Maybe Alyonushka heard Ivanushka’s cry or the wind carried the sound of high fires, the ringing of cast-iron cauldrons, the thin, evil laughter of the witch.
Sketch of "Alyonushka"
The image of Alyonushka is both real and fabulous at the same time. The sad appearance and shabby, poor clothes of the young heroine recreate in memory the artist’s full-scale sketch made of an orphan peasant girl in the year the picture was painted. The vitality of the image is combined here with fairy-tale and poetic symbolism. Above the head of Alyonushka, sitting on a gray cold stone, a thin branch with chirping swallows arched. According to the famous researcher of Russian folk tales A.N. Afanasyev, whom Vasnetsov knew through the Abramtsevo circle, the swallow brings good news, consolation in misfortune. In ancient beliefs, a dark forest, a pool and loose hair were identified with misfortune, danger and heavy thoughts, and a birch tree growing near the water was a sign of healing.
Even if the artist did not put such detailed symbolism into the canvas, it does not give the impression of hopelessness, perhaps because we remember a fairy tale with a happy ending. 
Alyonushka
This is the magical world of Vasnetsov’s painting - real and highly poetic, created by an artist who deeply believed from an early age in the wonderful and magical fabric of Russian fairy tales and with great innocence gave this faith to people.
Each of us from an early age became accustomed to the tender image of Alyonushka as something unusually close, firmly entrenched forever in our still childish imaginative world, and today it is difficult for us to believe that contemporaries overlooked the poetic qualities of “Alyonushka”, but saw how they it seemed that there were anatomical and other school errors in Vasnetsov’s painting...
Perhaps, to some extent, they had the right to this, like those pedants who measured the height of Surikov’s Menshikov by the inch.
It seems that art is difficult to measure by centimeter or inch. Here more complex categories come into play - poetry, musicality, nationality.
Here are a few lines from the author’s memoirs, revealing the secret of the creation of “Alyonushka”:
“Critics and, finally, myself, since I have a sketch of an orphan girl from Akhtyrka, have established that my “Alyonushka” is a natural-genre piece! Don't know! May be.
But I won’t hide the fact that I really looked at the facial features, especially at the shine of Verusha Mamontova’s eyes when I wrote “Alyonushka.” These are the wonderful Russian eyes that looked at me and the whole world of God in Abramtsevo, and in Akhtyrka, and in the Vyatka villages , and on Moscow streets and bazaars and live forever in my soul and warm it!”
Alyonushka, Alyonushka,
Alena gray-eyed,
tell me a fairy tale, Alyonushka,
tell me, tell me,
about thirtieth countries,
that everything is in our native land,
I'll listen all my life
you, my Alenka.
Alyonushka
Igor Grabar, with his characteristic clarity, defines the qualities of the picture:
“In 1881, V. M. Vasnetsov created his masterpiece, “Alyonushka,” which is neither a genre nor a fairy tale, a charming lyrical poem about a wonderful Russian girl, one of the best paintings of the Russian school.”
Yes, indeed Vasnetsov is infinitely accessible and simple. But only at first glance, because at the heart of the birth of each of his canvases lies a poetic metaphor.
Secret secret...
(I. Dolgopolov "V. Vasnetsov")
Based on Vasnetsov’s painting “Alyonushka”, you can familiarize yourself with the biography of the author, find out the background to the creation of the masterpiece, and then study the description of the landscape and the heroine. Then the written work will be detailed and interesting.
Biography of the artist
Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov was born on May 3, 1848 in the village of Lopyal. From 1858 to 1862 he was educated at a theological school, then graduated from the Vyatka Theological Seminary. The boy learned the basics of artistic craft with the gymnasium’s fine arts teacher N. G. Chernyshev. Then, having moved to St. Petersburg, from 1867 to 1868, Victor took painting lessons from I. N. Kramskoy at the Drawing School. In 1868 he entered the Academy of Arts, which he graduated from in 1873.
In 1869, Vasnetsov began exhibiting his exhibitions; since 1893, Viktor Mikhailovich has been a full member of the Academy of Arts.
In his work, V. M. Vasnetsov uses different genres. He began as an artist of everyday subjects, creating the paintings “War Telegram”, “Booths in Paris”, “From Apartment to Apartment”, “Book Shop”. Then the main direction of his work became epic historical themes. In this genre, the artist painted the following paintings: “Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf”, “The Knight at the Crossroads”, “Bogatyrs”, “Alyonushka”.
If a schoolchild is asked to write Vasnetsov’s “Alyonushka,” you can start with a short biography of the author, then tell him when this picture was created. The artist painted it in 1881. It depicts Alyonushka; Vasnetsov drew not only the girl’s appearance, conveyed her state of mind, but also, with the help of natural landscapes, made the viewer understand the mood of the picture.
The history of writing a masterpiece
Victor Mikhailovich began work on the canvas in 1880. The painting “Alyonushka” by V. M. Vasnetsov began to be created in Abramtsevo, on the shore near the pond in Akhtyrka. If you compare the natural landscapes of Abramtsevo with an artistic painting on a fairy-tale theme, you can find many common features, such as the coastline, dark waters, trees, bushes.
It is in such conditions that the main character of the canvas is sad. The artist told how the idea of painting the painting was born. Since childhood, he knew the fairy tale “About sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka.” One day, while walking around Akhtyrka, the painter met a girl with her hair down. It struck the imagination of the creator, as Viktor Vasnetsov himself said. “Alyonushka,” he thought. The girl was full of melancholy and loneliness.
Impressed by this meeting, the artist painted a sketch. If you look closely at it, you can see that it was this girl who became the main character of the picture. The same big sad eyes, under them, which show that the young creature did not get enough sleep, since she had to get up early and work hard.
The storyline of the picture
An essay based on Vasnetsov’s painting “Alyonushka” can also begin with a story about the plot. As mentioned above, the canvas was created under the impression of a fairy tale, Abramtsevo landscapes and a meeting with a young peasant woman.
After this, you can move on to the story about who is depicted in the picture - Alyonushka. Vasnetsov painted a young girl sitting on a large stone on the shore of a pond. She looks at the water detachedly, her gaze is full of sadness and sadness. Perhaps she looks at the surface of the water and wonders when her beloved brother, turned into a little goat, will become a boy again. But the pond is silent, does not answer the innermost question.
Description of the main character
The girl is dressed in simple Russian clothes, she is barefoot. She is wearing a jacket with short sleeves and her undershirt is visible from underneath. This is exactly how peasant women dressed in Rus'. They went to bed in this shirt or sometimes swam in the heat. Alyonushka was dressed the same way; Vasnetsov portrayed the heroine of a famous fairy tale with slightly disheveled hair. Apparently, the girl spent quite a long time on the shore of the pond, looking into the watery abyss.
She looks ahead without looking up, submissively lowering her head into her hands. I would like for the evil spell to finally dissipate, for Alyonushka to soar in spirit and go home in a good mood. But the gloomy colors of the picture make it impossible to hope for this.
Scenery
The student can continue to create an essay based on Vasnetsov’s painting “Alyonushka” with a description of nature. She plays an important role in the plot and helps to understand its drama. The surrounding landscape, like the girl, is full of sadness and sadness, it is gloomy.
In the background we see a spruce forest, it is painted in dark green colors, which gives it a mysterious look.
The dark surface of the water breathes cold, it is clear that the pond is unkindly disposed towards the child. The green leaves of the reeds, which are located not far from the heroine, add some optimistic notes to the watery landscape. Alyonushka is surrounded by friendly aspen trees, they also add some rainbow colors. When a light breeze comes, their leaves rustle, as if telling the girl not to be sad, that everything will be fine. All this was conveyed using oil paints and canvas by V. M. Vasnetsov.
“Alyonushka”, essay, final part
If the essay is assigned to elementary school students, they will talk about their vision of the picture, and at the end of the work they will tell what will happen next. Let the conclusion be rosy, just like in a fairy tale. Alyonushka will eventually meet her loved one and marry him. The little goat will turn into Ivanushka again, and everyone will live in peace, love and harmony!
Viktor Vasnetsov is the most beautiful painter of the turn of the century; he successfully worked in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, so the genre he chooses was constantly changing. At first these were canvases in which their genre was more related to the everyday genre, then he moved on to portraits, and only then moved on to oral folk art, to which he devoted the rest of his life. This happened after the artist read epics and fairy tales, which impressed the artist so much that he decided to reproduce all this in his paintings.
It is known that the artist painted his painting “Alyonushka” in 1881, the plot of which was based on the events of a Russian folk tale, which is known to everyone. Viktor Vasnetsov was struck by the image of a young girl who was left alone, without parents, while continuing to raise her brother. He was struck by both her hard work and sense of responsibility. That’s why he decided to show the main character of the Russian folk tale “Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka.”
The artist placed the girl in the central place in his painting. Alyonushka is wearing a simple, light and colorful dress. A beautiful and sad heroine sits alone and sadly on a large gray stone. She wrapped her arms tightly around her legs. She has no shoes on her feet. The girl sadly lowered her head to her knees, her wavy and light hair had become disheveled and had come out of its braid. The expression on the face of the hardworking heroine is kind, but very sad, since the viewer sees how wide and sad her eyes are, and her mouth is slightly open, and her lips are trembling a little. The strongest melancholy and sadness can be read in all her charming image.
Most likely, at that moment all her thoughts were about her brother, who drank from a puddle without listening to his sister, and now he has turned into a small and snow-white kid. Because of this, she is so sad and sad, because the girl does not know how to help him. And the painter depicted this image of sadness and sadness against the backdrop of a beautiful and early autumn. The girl is sitting on the bank of the river, so in the foreground the darkish and still water of the river is depicted, along the calm surface of which small yellow leaves float. A girl sitting on a stone, right on the river bank, looks into the water and clearly sees her image.
Near Alyonushka, tall and slender reeds grow in the water, the leaves of which are thin and bright green. They stand in the water and everywhere you look, there are reeds everywhere. It can be seen that practically no people come to this river in the forest. And just a girl who is worried about her brother came here by chance.
In the background of the picture, behind the girl, a dark forest is visible. It contains low white-trunked birches and aspen trees with thin trunks. The leaves on the trees are already beginning to turn yellow and they, as if trying to hold the girl, are also sad and trembling from the light breeze. A flock of birds also perched on one stronger branch. But they are also sad: they sit quietly, do not jump or frolic, as birds usually do, and you cannot hear their cheerful and playful songs.
A little further you can see a dense and impenetrable forest. Spruce trees, which are always green, are nestled in this thicket. And their dark color adds even more sadness, sadness and even gloom to Viktor Vasnetsov’s picture. All forest nature is in a tense period of withering, as if it, like the heroine of the picture, is sad. But the forest in the painter’s painting is not only gloomy. The unsightly and gray sky frightens with its dark colors. The sun does not peek through it and even one small ray does not slip out and sparkle. The firmament is gloomy and sad.
The entire composition of Vasnetsov’s painting amazes with its unified concept and the color scheme the artist chooses to reflect the sadness and sadness in the girl’s life. All nature empathizes with her grief and tragedy. But then Viktor Mikhailovich also uses the technique of contrast, since against the backdrop of all this gloomy and dark nature, where various shades of green are mainly used, the girl stands out. To depict her face, bright and tender, the painter used only light colors.
The mood of the artist Vasnetsov himself is perfectly felt: he sympathizes with Alyonushka and worries about her fate. The entire picturesque Vasnetsov picture evokes in any viewer sympathy and compassion for the girl herself with a difficult fate. It’s sad and sad to look at the heroine of the film, who has found herself in such a tragic situation, so I want to help her somehow, to remove all the hardships and troubles from her life. The artist, using green colors, was able to bring realism to his canvas. It seems that in just one more moment everything in the picture will come to life: the forest will rustle and begin to tremble lightly with its leaves, and the girl will suddenly come to life, raise her head, look and ask for help. This painting by artist Viktor Vasnetsov was recognized as his best work.
Vasnetsov's painting "Alyonushka" is a work that most of our compatriots know today. An essay on it is included in the compulsory school curriculum. You may have also written a story based on Vasnetsov’s painting “Alyonushka” at one time. However, we will still recall the plot of this painting.
Vasnetsov's painting "Alyonushka" can be briefly described as follows. Tired of the useless search for her brother, the heroine sits on a large stone in a lonely pose by a gloomy pond. The head is bowed to the knees. Alyonushka is haunted by disturbing thoughts about his brother. She's sad - she didn't keep track of him. It seems that the surrounding nature around us shares these feelings... Vasnetsov’s painting “Alyonushka” will be described in more detail in this article.
How it all began?
The idea for this work was inspired by the author's image of the same name from a Russian fairy tale called "About Sister Alyonushka and Her Brother Ivanushka." The prototype for this picture was a real girl. The artist met her when he was at the Okhtyrka estate in the summer of 1880. Vasnetsov saw in a random girl, in his own words, a sea of loneliness, melancholy and purely Russian sadness. The first sketch was made from it. Vasnetsov almost immediately decided on the concept of his future work. Despite the fact that the plot was simple, Vasnetsov’s painting “Alyonushka” has an interesting history. The artist's self-portrait is presented below.
Stages of working on a painting
In 1880, Viktor Mikhailovich began work on this canvas. The history of the creation of the painting “Alyonushka” by Vasnetsov is as follows. Several sketches made by the author during this period, which preceded the creation of the work that interests us, have survived to this day. These are “Sedge”, “Alenushkin Pond”, “Pond in Okhtyrka”. Viktor Vasnetsov also made several full-scale sketches in paint, which depict a girl sitting on a stone.
The artist admitted that when creating the image of the main character on the canvas, he peered into the facial features of the daughter of Savva Mamontov, a famous philanthropist from Moscow. This girl's name was Vera Mamontova. In the winter of 1881, the work was completed, after which Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov sent it to the exhibition of Itinerant artists held in Moscow. The painting "Alyonushka", however, was not very popular at first. She acquired it a little later.
What was the original name of Vasnetsov’s painting “Alyonushka”?
The canvas was given a slightly different name - “Fool Alyonushka”. According to some sources, the word “fool” was used at that time to refer to holy fools or orphans. Vasnetsov did not immediately mention that his work has a fairy-tale plot.
How was the painting completed?
The history of Vasnetsov's painting "Alyonushka" includes several modifications. It is known that the artist corrected it several times, changing some details. Experts took x-rays of this work. As a result, it was possible to establish that the girl’s shoulder, neck and face, as well as the overall color scheme of the picture, were redesigned. In the first version, apparently, “Alyonushka” provoked many critical comments from the artist’s colleagues and acquaintances. Kuindzhi's portrait of Vasnetsov is presented below.
Where is "Alyonushka" (artist Vasnetsov) kept?
The painting "Alyonushka" is currently on display at the Tretyakov Gallery. But Tretyakov, during the first exhibition at which this work was presented, did not honor it, despite Vasnetsov’s efforts, with attention. Mamontov bought this painting for five hundred rubles.
The general mood of the canvas
Today, one of Vasnetsov’s most famous works, written based on a folk tale, is this one. A reproduction of Vasnetsov’s painting “Alyonushka” is presented below.
A young girl sitting on a stone on the river bank is attracted by her natural beauty and simplicity. In the sad eyes of the heroine you can read deep emotions. This is sadness, but at the same time it is also a dream about that happy time that will come someday, girlish dreams and, of course, longing for the missing younger brother. The artist masterfully managed to convey the general mood in the picture, sad and peaceful, enhanced by images of nature - clouds floating slowly overhead, motionless trees.
The role of canvas fragments
The master in his work perfectly reflects the relationship that exists between ordinary Russian people and nature. She seems to be as sad as the girl in the painting. Not a single fragment of the canvas distracts the viewer from the main plot. On the contrary, it emphasizes and strengthens it. Viktor Vasnetsov's painting "Alyonushka" is completely focused on the image of a girl. Every detail of this painting evokes sad reflections.
What was Vasnetsov’s merit?
Many fairy tales, passed down from generation to generation, were written by Russian writers and the Russian people. Vasnetsov's merit lies in the fact that he created, using the means of painting, convincing images that are imbued with the Russian spirit.
The artist, working on the plot of his painting, decided to place the young defenseless girl in a truly perilous place. Apparently, Vasnetsov in this way sought to cause a lasting pang in the hearts of the audience. The artist successfully used a fairy tale plot. Painting by V.M. Vasnetsov's "Alyonushka" is not accidentally based on him. Although Vasnetsov does not literally follow the plot - in the fairy tale on which the picture was written, there is no description of a barefoot girl yearning by the forest pool. Viktor Mikhailovich in his work sought to reveal the emotional character and meaning of the folklore image. This plot serves to fully reveal the complex and ambiguous Russian character.
Alyonushka's image
A child with a difficult fate is revealed by the appearance of the girl shown in the picture. She has red unkempt hair, a plump scarlet mouth and dark eyes. In fact, the appearance of this girl completely lacks the fantastic and fabulous. The only detail in the composition emphasizes the fabulousness of the plot - a group of swallows sitting above Alyonushka’s head. It is known that these birds have long been a symbol of hope. The artist used this unusual technique to balance the image of the main character, full of melancholy, and to bring into the plot the hope that the fairy tale will end happily.
It seems that Alyonushka finds solace by the pond. She seems to dissolve in the colors of the picture, becoming part of the landscape. The heroine's humility and her wounded legs attract and fascinate. This is a pure girlish image. This girl has very adult sadness. In her eyes, sadness borders on despair.
The forest surrounded her on all sides and did not want to let her out of captivity. Alyonushka's tears fall straight into the pond. What did the artist want to say with this? Most likely, this is a warning about a danger that may happen or has already happened to Ivanushka. Alyonushka thinks that Baba Yaga could turn her brother into a little goat. Every detail of this picture provides rich food for thought...
Landscape painting by Vasnetsov
The surrounding nature is especially important in the picture. Basically it is natural, also created in Abramtsevo. Reeds, stones, birch trunks, autumn leaves falling into the water seem to be animated by the author. It’s as if nature echoes the heroine’s sad complaints. Thin branches of aspens bent over the girl, the leaves of the water grass drooped in the same rhythm with her figure. The dark surface of the pool is full of alarming secrets; the forest is wary in the darkness. The swallows touchingly perched on a branch above Alyonushka’s head, as if conferring on how to help her. This landscape is real, but at the same time filled with soft sincerity and mysterious alertness. Vasnetsov here anticipates the “landscape of mood” of M.V. Nesterov and I.I. Levitan.
Atmosphere of silence and sadness
A description of Viktor Vasnetsov’s painting “Alyonushka” would be incomplete if we did not note the general atmosphere of the canvas. The artist masterfully filled the landscape with silence and sadness. In his work, Vasnetsov perfectly succeeded in depicting the motionless water surface of a pond, spruce and sedge. Calm and silence are present in everything - even the pond only barely reflects the main character. The young trees tremble slightly, the sky frowns a little. The dark green shades of the surrounding landscape contrast with the gentle blush on the girl’s face, and the autumn sadness contrasts with the bright flowers painted by the artist on Alyonushka’s old sundress. According to the legends of the Russian people, at the end of the day nature comes to life and acquires an amazing ability to experience in sync with humans. Such a magical talent to exist in resonance with her was inherent in Vasnetsov himself. That’s why Alyonushka’s feelings in the picture are so consistent with the state of the forest surrounding her. The viewer peering at the canvas has the feeling that the fairy tale will continue in a moment... This is the description of Vasnetsov’s painting “Alyonushka”, based on the general impression of the painting.
"Alyonushka" today
The artist was inspired to create this masterpiece by the lyrical image of a Russian girl from the people with a sad look. This work is distinguished by its simplicity and sincerity. Today she is very famous. In 2013, the Google search engine on the main page in honor of Vasnetsov’s anniversary (165 years) changed its usual logo to a doodle, which is based on the plot of “Alyonushka”. In the background, the bushes were transformed in such a way that the company name was made up of them.
Vasnetsov’s painting “Alyonushka” is familiar to every Russian child from childhood: it is the one most often used to illustrate the fairy tale about brother Ivanushka and sister Alyonushka. It is interesting that initially the artist himself called his painting not “Alyonushka”, but “Fool”. Probably, if the picture had retained its name to this day, it would hardly have been studied in school during a speech development lesson. But the artist, fortunately, changed his mind: he renamed the painting, although the word “Fool” at that time only meant “holy fool” or “orphan.” What is the story of Vasnetsov “Alyonushka” did not appear by chance. In 1880, he was engaged in landscape paintings in Akhtyrka, but the image of a fairy-tale girl lived in his head: sad, big-eyed, mournful. The image did not want to come together until one day the artist met a bare-haired unknown girl. Vasnetsov was struck by how Russian she was, what a Russian spirit she exuded.
A meeting with a stranger led to the long-nurtured image finally being embodied in a picture. In 1881, Vasnetsov’s painting “Alyonushka” was first presented at the Traveling Exhibition. There she received the highest, most enthusiastic reviews.
Painting “Alyonushka” by Vasnetsov. Description
Today it is included in the Russian language program. Using her example, schoolchildren become familiar with the concepts of “painting,” “composition,” and some other terms, learn to express their thoughts, and choose the right words. What did V.M. Vasnetsov depict? Alyonushka, bare-haired and barefoot, sits on a stone by the water. The girl is probably cold, because autumn has already arrived. This can be seen in the black water, several yellow leaves on its surface, and the tree branches beginning to turn yellow in the background.
The girl’s hands with thin, tightly clenched fingers lie on her knees. Alyonushka put her head on them and looks longingly into the pond. What is she thinking about? Does he long to see his brother? Does she think about what awaits her? The artist reflected the grief and hopelessness in the girl’s eyes with such force that even the viewers’ eyes well up with tears. Alyonushka’s loneliness, her confusion and defenselessness are emphasized by the landscape: behind her is an impenetrable forest wilderness, beginning immediately beyond the clearing. Ahead is a black, eye-catching pool. Both the forest thicket and the pool seem especially black against the background of greening spruces, sedges, and trees beginning to turn yellow. But it is these trees that fence off, as if protecting Alyonushka from the dark forces of the forest. Even from the black pool green sedge grows. Vasnetsov’s painting “Alyonushka” evokes a slight feeling of sadness, but it is not sad at all. After all, if the trees turn green and the grass grows, does that mean life goes on? And sad Alyonushka can also become happy? Isn't this what she dreams of? At one time, Igor Grabar called the painting one of the best in the entire Russian school of painting. Perhaps precisely because Vasnetsov was able to convey in the image of Alyonushka not only the image of a Russian girl, but also the soul of a Russian man, capable of being sad, but not capable of despair. Some people think the picture is gloomy, sad and hopeless. Others, looking at it, experience a slight sadness, because the end of the fairy tale is well known. How do you feel?
