A children’s book about iconic landmarks of the Kaliningrad region was presented at the "Book of Fairy Tales" exposition

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A presentation of a children’s book and an animated film titled "The Adventures of Nedo the Mouse in Kaliningrad, or the Mouse King’s Quest" was held on 14 January at the National Centre RUSSIA as part of the Kaliningrad region’s themed week. The children’s geographical fairy tale tells the story of the region’s key landmarks.

The plot of the book focuses on Nedo the Mouse, who lives in a library. He is very curious, loves reading, and enjoys travelling. One day, he gets the chance to visit Kaliningrad. There, the main character and his companion, a girl named Arina, are in for a series of adventures. They must find an amber stone, climb the Efa Dune, search for forty cats in Zelenogradsk, make their way to an old lighthouse, find out whether marzipan is edible, and much more.

Children were able to learn more about the most iconic places by watching the animated film "The Adventures of Nedo the Mouse in Kaliningrad". It is the first local-history and educational animated film about the region. Its aim is to spark children’s interest in the history of the region.

According to the Minister for Culture and Tourism of the Kaliningrad Region, Andrei Yermak, Russia’s westernmost region is traditionally visited by large numbers of tourists. Many of them are children, who needed to be engaged through a fairy-tale character of their own and his story.

"A child needs not just impressions, but also the opportunity to take part in games and contests. We spent a long time thinking about what this character could be like. We already have several such characters, but we decided to choose a mouse who, like a real tourist, comes to the Kaliningrad region and has to complete a number of tasks. This is always interesting for children — whether the hero will cope with the challenges or not. They themselves are happy to follow the same path and complete the same tasks: to see something, touch something, and learn something new. This is how the children’s tourist route took shape. Eventually, adults also began to enjoy travelling along it. It turned out to be very much in demand. The story of Nedo the Mouse has become a kind of brand of the Kaliningrad region," Andrei Yermak said.

According to the Minister, the mouse has already become a popular character. Andrei Yermak suggested that, after some time, the fairy-tale hero may return to the Kaliningrad region with friends, explore other locations across the region, and create new interesting routes.

After the presentation, children received a copy of the book as a gift and, together with their parents, went on a tour of the "Book of Fairy Tales" exposition. One of the eight stands is dedicated to the Kaliningrad region and presents its distinctive features, symbols, and legends. Anyone can visit the exposition free of charge by registering on the website of the National Centre RUSSIA and selecting a convenient time in the "Events" section.