Alexey Bobrinsky. The Hermits: A St. Petersburg Fairytale

A family-friendly book that fosters young St. Petersburg residents' interest in the history, architecture, and cultural heritage of their home city.

Alexey Bobrinsky's fairytale is not a textbook, but it contains a wealth of information and facts that broaden the reader's horizons and spark interest in the past, present, and future of St. Petersburg. "The Hermits: A St. Petersburg Fairytale" is a heartwarming book that not only lifts the spirits but also creates an incentive to explore the city, visit the Hermitage and other museums, and, most importantly, fosters a respectful attitude toward traditions.

The main characters are the Hermits, tiny creatures who have lived in the depths of St. Petersburg's palaces and museums since the city's founding. Their ancestors once arrived from Europe with Peter the Great and interbred with the local house spirits.

In the book, familiar corners of central St. Petersburg, while retaining their authentic features, are transformed into the backdrop of a fairytale. In this tale, city statues come to life, the Hermitage cats talk, old buildings reveal their secrets, and their guardians, the Hermites, possess a wealth of magical powers. By a twist of fate, the protagonist, Fedya, meets the Hermites and becomes involved in extraordinary adventures, during which he discovers a magical St. Petersburg whose existence he never knew existed.

The book is distinguished by its original concept of a St. Petersburg fairy tale, a gripping adventure-detective story presented in the form of a fascinating and educational tour of the city. Trying to unravel the secret of the ancient core, the heroes battle evil, personified by a snake that escaped the Bronze Horseman, and save the city from great danger: if the dark forces prevail, there will be no more White Nights in St. Petersburg.

Illustrations by renowned artists Olga Popugaeva and Dmitry Nepomnyashchy convey the content of each chapter and reflect its emotional tone, and St. Petersburg appears not only as a backdrop for an adventure story but also as a living organism, constantly changing and yet unchanging. Combining an original interpretation of the plot, unusual compositional solutions, unexpected angles, attention to the smallest details, sparkling humor, and vibrant colors, the illustrations possess that magical quality that allows the imagination to recreate a captivating world and allow the imagination to soar far beyond the visible.