The Snow Maiden (1952 film)
| The Snow Maiden | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Ivan Ivanov-Vano Aleksandra Snezhko-Blotskaya |
| Written by | Oleg Leonidov Aleksandra Snezhko-Blotskaya Ivan Ivanov-Vano Aleksandr Ostrovsky (play) |
| Starring | V. Shvetsov L. Ktitorov V. Borisenko Irina Maslennikova |
| Edited by | Nina Mayorova |
| Music by | Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov |
Release date |
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Running time | 70 minutes |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Language | Russian |
The Snow Maiden (Russian: Снегу́рочка; tr.:Snegurochka) is a 1952 Soviet/Russian traditionally animated feature film. It was produced at the Soyuzmultfilm studio in Moscow and is based on the 1873 Slavic-pagan play of the same name by Aleksandr Ostrovsky (itself largely based on traditional folk tales). Music from Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's 1882 opera The Snow Maiden is used, arranged for the film by L. Shvarts. The animated film was shown at movie theaters.
The film is listed as being in the public domain on the website of the Russian Federal Agency of Culture and Cinematography. The film also lapsed into the public domain in the United States when its US copyright expired, but the copyright was restored under the GATT treaty.
Snegurochka (the Snow Maiden), the daughter of Spring the Beauty (Весна-Красна) and Ded Moroz, yearns for the companionship of mortal humans. She grows to like the Slavic god-shepherd named Lel, but her heart is unable to know love. Her mother takes pity and gives her this ability, but as soon as she falls in love, her heart warms up and she melts.