The specificity of folklore and mythological motifs in the novel “Tsar Maiden” by Vsevolod Solovyov

The article deals with folklore motifs in the novel by Vsevolod Solovyov “Tsar-maiden”, and reveals the link between this work and a magic tale. The author comes to the conclusion that the appeal to the image of the Tsar-maiden due to the desire of the writer to show the irrational spirit of pre-Petrine Russia, judgment of the people of the rulers of Imperial power. In the popular view of the nation the fact that the woman has become a monarch it was beyond their comprehension and considered a miracle akin to a fairy tale. Therefore, from Vsevolod Solovyov’s viewpoint, a fabulous image of the Tsar-maiden in the minds of the people coincided with the image of Princess Sophia.