Figure 1.-- A character in Vladislav Krapivin's book "Ostrova i kapitany / Islands and Captains" is Shurka. He wears H-bar shorts and long stockings. |
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A Russian reader tells us that he enjoyed Krapivin's book Ostrova i kapitany / Islands and Captains. It was illustrated by Evgenia Sterligova. It was written right after a World War II (1946-47). The central character in the book is Tolik (a boy 10-11 years old). He joins a boys' club--the "Red Robinhoods". The book used the term squad. Probably "gang: is a better translation, but the word today has such sinister implicatiins thsat it is probably best to translate it as club. It was just a children game, not a formal organization like young pioneers or other organizations. The club was where boys of 10-12 years old played together, wrote stories, performances, made forts, or took lake trips, invented a coat-of-arms, ect. The illustrations show how children dressed at the time. There are also useful references in the text.
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"After swimming Shurka [name of a boy] always got dressed slower than others. In particular he spent a lot of time to deal with his flanelette brassier, to which ribbons for stockings were attached. Its buttons were on the backside, and Shurka for a long time tried to throw hands behind his back and to catch buttons. Sometimes somebody helped him, but Oleg [a boy, leader of the squad] didn't like that and told, that Shurka must learn to live without nannies. And Mishka [boy from the squad] told that it is a time to say goodbye to a kindergarden harness. Tolik [main hero of a novel] didn't like all those teasings. When they were just a bit smaller all they wore such a harness, so there's nothing to laugh about. It is not Shurka's guilt that at home he is treated as a small boy."
"Шурка всегда после купанья одевался дольше всех. Особенно много возни было у него с бумазейным лифчиком, к которому прицеплялись резинки для чулок. Застегивался лифчик на спине, и Шурка сопел, закидывая назад руки и пытаясь дотянуться до пуговиц. Иногда ему помогали, но Олег не одобрял этого. Говорил, что Ревскому надо приучаться жить без нянек. А Мишка добавлял, что пора уже расстаться с детсадовской сбруей. Толику эти дразнилки не нравились. Когда были помладше, все такую сбрую носили, чего смеяться-то? Шурка не виноват, что дома его до сих пор считают за маленького."
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