[A 1913 illustration from Russian folk tale ‘At the Pike’s Behest,’ also known as ‘Emelyan the Fool.’ В. Курдюмов]
One thing about the current war that has surprised much of the world is how well the smaller and outgunned Ukrainian army has fared against the massive and well-armed Russian force since the latter invaded in February.
But two scholars who were not quite so surprised both happen to be experts on the psychology of children’s literature and how such stories influence our behavior as adults, especially in times of crisis.
Social scientists Sophia Moskalenko and Mia Bloom published an article called “How fairy tales shape fighting spirit” in an academic journal called The Conversation that compares the differences in Ukrainian and Russian folklore as reflected in their respective children’s fairy tales.
Their conclusions are provocative:
The master narratives that Ukrainian children grow up with – which serve as the dominant cultural script – are radically different from the ones Russian children absorb.
Traditional Ukrainian bedtime stories, such as “Kotygoroshko,” “Kyrylo Kozhumyaka” and “Ivasyk Telesyk,” all portray unassuming characters persevering against insurmountable odds.
In Ukrainian children’s bedtime stories, the main characters often start out as unlikely heroes, but their courage, cleverness and grit help them succeed against the odds.
In contrast, Russian children’s stories often revolve around a central character named Ivan Durak – Ivan the Stupid.
In Russian fairy tales such as “By the Pike’s Wish,” “Princess Frog” and “Sivka Burka,” the main character eventually prevails. He doesn’t win through his own virtues, though, but through the intervention of a magical being – a fish, a frog, a horse – that does all the hard work while the main character claims credit.
These Russian folk tales seem to suggest that the recipe for success is not to be too smart or work too hard, but to sit tight in hope that magic will take care of everything.
Nobody would suggest that the entire explanation for the Ukrainians’ surprising success against the Russians will boil down to which fairy tales they learned as children, of course, and the authors of this article are suitably modest in their claims.
But they may be on to something extremely significant here.
[Thanks to my friend Laurie Sigillito, founder and CEO of Local News Network, for alerting me to the fairy tales article.]
Today’s News (65):
How fairy tales shape fighting spirit: Ukraine’s children hear bedtime stories of underdog heroes, while Russian children hear tales of magical success (The Conversation)
One month into the Ukraine war, a defiant nation is forever changed but adapting (WP)
Biden promises new Ukraine aid, warns Russia on chem weapons (AP)
U.S. announces new Russian sanctions, plans to admit thousands of Ukrainian refugees (NBC)
Ukraine Strikes Russian Navy as War Enters Second Month (WSJ)
As Biden Visits Europe Over Crisis, NATO Says It’s Doubling Eastern Flank Forces (NYT)
Nato Has Never Been More United - Biden (BBC)
Putin Doesn’t Realize How Much Warfare Has Changed — The Russian president’s obsession with World War II is hindering his invasion of Ukraine. (Atlantic)
Reporter describes an astounding amount of military hardware going in to help Ukraine (NPR)
Biden Calls for Russia to Be Expelled From G-20 (WSJ)
Defiant Ukrainian troops tell Russians: 'Go home while you're still alive' (BBC)
Biden warns Russia of ‘response’ if it uses chemical weapons (Financial Times)
US To Welcome 100,000 Ukrainian Refugees (CBS)
Western leaders meeting in Brussels will agree to strengthen their forces in Eastern Europe and increase military aid to Ukraine as the Russian assault on its neighbor entered its second month. (Reuters)
For Years, Poland Warned of the Russian Threat. Now, the West Is Listening. (WSJ)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the world to remain steadfast in its support one month after Russia began its invasion. “Come from your offices, your homes, your schools and universities, come in the name of peace, come with Ukrainian symbols to support Ukraine, to support freedom, to support life," he said in a video message. Biden is in Europe this week for a summit with NATO allies and the European Union to hash out new sanctions against Russia and discuss further military aid. [HuffPost]
Zelenskiy urged world leaders for a no-fly zone over his country, where thousands of people have been killed, millions become refugees, and cities pulverized since Putin unleashed his invasion on February 24. (Reuters)
What Türkiye can teach Europe about handling a refugee crisis (Al Jazeera)
Russian military ship destroyed in Berdyansk, Ukrainian Navy claims (CNN)
Fed Up With Deadly Propaganda, Some Russian Journalists Quit (NYT)
U.S. intelligence shows that Russia has committed war crimes in its assault on Ukraine, harming civilians and violating international law, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Blinken highlighted a Russian attack on a maternity hospital in Mariupol and a United Nations estimate that the war has killed at least 2,500 Ukrainian civilians, and likely many more. [HuffPost]
Ukrainian authorities in besieged Mariupol said about 15,000 civilians had been illegally deported to Russia since Russian forces seized parts of the southern port city. (Reuters)
Top Russian military leaders repeatedly decline calls from U.S. (WP)
VIDEO: NATO Boosts Presence in Eastern Europe Ahead of Ukraine Summits (Reuters)
U.S. to sanction over 300 Russian elites and block Russian central bank gold (CNBC)
Madeleine Albright had a lot to say about Putin — and she didn't mince words (NPR)
Ukraine is using facial recognition software to identify the bodies of Russian soldiers killed in combat and to trace their families to inform them of their deaths, says Ukraine's vice prime minister (Reuters)
Zelensky Doesn’t Know the End of His Story. Churchill Didn’t Either. (NYT)
Russian journalist Oksana Baulina killed in shelling incident in Kyiv (CNN)
BlackRock's chief executive, Larry Fink, said that the Russia-Ukraine war could end up accelerating digital currencies as a tool to settle international transactions, as the conflict upends the globalization drive of the last three decades. (Reuters)
G-7 leaders pledge action to address food shortages caused by war (Politico)
Ukraine says Moscow is forcibly taking civilians to Russia (AP)
Britain sanctioned another wave of Russia's banks, critical industries and a host of members of its elite, including Gazprombank, Alfa Bank, and a woman they said was the stepdaughter of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. (Reuters)
How Russia and Right-Wing Americans Converged on War in Ukraine (NYT)
Russia state media turn to Rumble to get out their word (Politico)
The Biden administration warned Beijing not to take advantage of business opportunities created by sanctions, help Moscow evade export controls or process its banned financial transactions. But Washington may put down its sanctions bazooka when it comes to China, says Breakingviews columnist Gina Chon. (Reuters)
Ukraine refugees’ hopes of return wane after a month of war (AP)
How the Ukraine war could go nuclear (Politico)
A Town on Ukraine’s Edge, Determined to Escape Its Past (NYT)
Uber Reaches Deal to List All New York City Taxis on Its App (WSJ)
Snake Island sailors are freed as Ukraine and Russia conduct a prisoner exchange (NPR)
Russian spies indicted in worldwide hacks of energy industry, including Kansas nuclear plant (Politico)
GOP senators grilling Ketanji Brown Jackson this week have been critical of what they deem to be her "activist" tendencies. But they are also advocating for the Supreme Court to reverse historic decisions to shift the country back decades in a more conservative direction. It starts with Roe v. Wade, but there are many other rights that Republicans would like to see taken away from Americans, writes Amanda Terkel. Today is the last day of Jackson's confirmation hearing. [HuffPost]
House Republican Says Trump Asked Him to Illegally ‘Rescind’ 2020 Election (NYT)
Prosecutor who resigned over stalled Trump probe says ex-president committed felonies (WP)
Why Trump Is Losing His Grip on the GOP (Politico)
Jobless claims fall to lowest level since 1969 (The Hill)
Many baffled by Taliban reneging pledge on girls’ education (AP)
The toll of the COVID-19 pandemic was reflected in a natural decrease last year in the population of nearly three-quarters of U.S. countiesversus the two previous years, the census bureau said. (Reuters)
Do you need a second booster for the BA.2 variant? It’s complicated, says UCSF’s Monica Gandhi (SFC)
Rich countries getting new COVID vaccine before poorer ones (AP)
U.S. alcohol-related deaths hit highest rate in decades during coronavirus pandemic, study shows (WP)
Wall Street Has Been Betting Billions on Crypto. Here’s Why. (WSJ)
Comet Leonard has broken into pieces as it rounds the sun: report (Space.com)
Dense Bones Allowed Spinosaurus – The Biggest Carnivorous Dinosaur Ever Discovered – To Hunt Underwater (SciTechDaily)
Dinosaurs: Jurassic giants emerge from Wyoming badlands (BBC)
This trick keeps snakes from suffocating as they squeeze and swallow their prey (NPR)
Mysterious 'odd radio circles' seen in space, new image shows (CNN)
Spacewalking astronauts restore radiator, replace space station camera after wardrobe malfunction (Space.com)
The California State University system is dropping its SAT and ACT admissions requirement (Associated Press)
A new report finds that Los Angeles has the worst air quality of any major U.S. city (LAist)
Foreign internet entrepreneurs are profiting off U.S. political divides (SFC)
Study Finds Suspicious Circumstances Still Leading Cause Of Death In Russia (The Onion)
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