An element in Tsarevich Ivan and the Grey Wolf, Vasilisa the Beautiful, and The Frog Tsarevna that struck me was the similarities to West European fairytales. Take The Frog Tsarevna. This story is very similar (almost the same) as the Princess and the Frog. Vasilisa the Beautiful is identical to the story of Cinderella, what with her having an evil stepmother and stepsisters. These folktales spread across Western Europe, and Russia created twists on these stories to fit their culture. All three of these are old oral tales transcribed in the mid-1800s to early 1900s. The similarities of these old folk stories to other Western European folk stories seemed to indicate to me that Europe was influencing Russia (and Russia was influencing Europe) much more than it ever had before.

Because of the similarities to other European folklore stories, focusing on what makes these distinctly Russian provides an insight into the values of Russia at the time. I found the incorporation of Russian legend Baba-Yaga important in making the stories part of Russia’s beliefs rather than the generic European take. In The Frog Tzarevna and Vasilisa the Beautiful, Baba-Yaga’s influence is prominent. She seems to be two-fold: an evil witch, on the one hand, and a wild but wise figure on the other. In The Frog Tzarevna, she exemplifies the standard of the wise old crone, offering advice to the hero. In earlier Russian history, older women were guardians of wisdom, often benevolent. When Ivan finds Baba-Yaga’s hut in this story, she gives advice freely, serving the role of wise advisor. In Vasilisa the Beautiful, Baba-Yaga shows her other side: a witch that forces Vasilisa to suffer through tribulations and threatening to eat her. This version of Baba-Yaga plays an important role, forcing Vasilisa to depend on herself and develop into womanhood. However, this Baba-Yaga is not benevolent but quite dark.