"The Highlander's Wife" — an Avar parable about love worth more than gold — in a new episode of "The Faraway Kingdom"

The National Centre RUSSIA presents a new episode of the animated project "The Book of Russian Fairy Tales: The Faraway Kingdom" ("The Thrice-Ninth Tsardom") — the Avar parable "The Highlander's Wife". The episode takes viewers to the Republic of Daghestan and introduces a touching story about trust and a loving heart that proves more precious than any riches.

Trying to bring home at least something for his family, a highlander trades his horse for a cow, the cow for a donkey, the donkey for a pair of boots, and the boots for a white papakha (traditional hat). But through carelessness, even the papakha is lost in a mountain river. The merchants are certain that his wife will not let him through the door when he returns without either the horse or the money. The highlander, however, is convinced that he will be welcomed home without reproach. How will the dispute end when one hundred gold coins are at stake?

The episode's visual style captures the rugged beauty of the mountains of Daghestan: the sharp lines of the gorges, the warm lights of mountain homes, and the expressive silhouettes of horsemen and market stalls. Ornaments and details of everyday life introduce viewers to Avar traditions and emphasise the distinctive atmosphere of a home where one is loved and awaited.

Watch the new episode on the National Centre RUSSIA's social media accounts on MAX, Telegram or VK, and discover how someone returning home empty-handed is welcomed — and why the highlander's greatest prize is not gold.