A. N. Afanasyev

Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev was born in 1826 in Boguchar, Russia. A lawyer by training, he turned to folklore and literary history, publishing his monumental collection Russian Folktales in eight volumes between 1855 and 1863. Drawing from archives and oral sources, he gathered over 600 tales, including classics like 'Vasilisa the Beautiful' and 'The Frog Princess.' His work paralleled the Grimms' in Germany, providing a foundational text for Slavic folklore studies. Afanasyev also wrote on Slavic mythology and folk beliefs, though his career was hampered by censorship due to his liberal views. He died in 1871, leaving a legacy as the foremost collector of Russian oral tradition.