"Fairy tales are the best thing we have": honourary guests visited the "Book of Fairy Tales" exposition

The First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of Russia, Sergei Kiriyenko, and the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Tatyana Golikova, took a guided tour of the "Book of Fairy Tales" exposition at the National Centre RUSSIA. The exposition was presented to the guests by participants of the project "School of Young Tour Guides of Russia", 12-year-old Anastasia Zolina and Lev Tishchenko.

"Fairy tales are our gold, our diamonds — the best thing we have. And when we talk about them in simple language, when children speak about fairy tales, it is wonderful. Most importantly, it is emotional, it stays with you, and you want to carry it forward," said Tatyana Golikova.

The travelling exposition "Book of Fairy Tales" introduces visitors to the culture, traditions and myths of eight regions of the country. The journey takes place through portals dedicated to regional fairy tales and epic stories. It brings together museum exhibits, interactive zones and artistic installations, immersing visitors in an atmosphere of magic and folk creativity. The visual style features the image of the Firebird’s feather — a heavenly bird with wondrous plumage from the fairy tale "The Little Humpbacked Horse". The feather symbolises light, hope and the fulfilment of wishes. The exposition draws on the ideas of the outstanding folklorist Vladimir Propp, who viewed the fairy tale as a special form of thinking that brings order to chaos and leads the hero towards goodness and light.

"I have learned not to worry, to prepare properly for tours and to structure my texts so that they are interesting not only for children but also for adults, so that everyone can remember themselves as a child and enjoy our exposition. It is very interesting to watch how visitors are surprised that such young children conduct tours, although in fact we are not doing anything extraordinary," Anastasia Zolina shared.

According to Lev Tishchenko, he has already become accustomed to giving tours for adults: "The hardest part is not an adult who asks many questions, but a child who may not be engaged, and the guide’s task is to spark their interest and involve them in the process."

The tour for Sergei Kiriyenko and Tatyana Golikova took place as part of the educational marathon "Russia — a Family of Families" organised by the Russian society Znanie. The event is dedicated to the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia and aims to demonstrate the strength, potential and harmony of the country’s peoples.

The exposition opened on 13 December 2025 and will run until 1 March 2026. Since its opening, more than 30,000 people have visited the exposition.