This is Strasheela, the Scarecrow character in the Russian series of Oz books. I'm not a collector of foreign editions of the Oz series, but I couldn't resist this postcard.Oz is known as Magic Land in Russia, and the series is popular - but the characters and stories might take an American by surprise!
Alexander Volkov published The Wizard of the Emerald City in 1939. This was a loose translation of L. Frank Baum's Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with various changes, additions and omissions. In the 1960's, Volkov began publishing sequels to his book, creating an alternative Ozian universe. Magic Land has its own unique characters and stories, quite different from the original Baum series. Volkov wrote six Magic Land books, and other authors have continued his series.
I don't read Russian, and have no idea what the back of the postcard says. But it's always fun to see a different version of a familiar character!
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Here is the translation, courtesy of translator extraordinare Peter Blystone:
2. They attached the straw man Strasheela to a pole in a wheat field, to scare away the birds. But he had such a kindly manner that birds weren't afraid of him. One wise crow even drew him into a conversation.
"You'd be like all people if you only had brains," she said.
"Let me climb down from this pole, and I'll acquire brains in no time," exclaimed the delighted Strasheela. "Receiving them -- that's my fondest wish!"
The "2." indicates that this card was pronbably part of a series.
Thanks! It's always nice to know what something says. I imagine there are cards for other characters as well - I'll have to keep an eye open!
Very cute
They were issued in 1962, someone posted them in 2019. You can see all 16 collection cards here: https://fishki.net/3031765-a-m-volkov---volshebnik-izumrudnogo-goroda.html
You can find some of them on eBay, search for 1962, card and Vladimirsky (name of the artist).
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