Yury Iosifovich Koval facts for kids

Yury Iosifovich Koval (Russian: Юрий Иосифович Коваль, born February 9, 1938, in Moscow – died August 2, 1995, in Moscow) was a talented Russian author, artist, and screenplay writer. He is best known for his wonderful books for children and his creative work in many different art forms.

Who Was Yury Koval?

Yury Koval was born in Moscow in 1938. His parents were Iosif Yakovlevich Koval, who worked as a criminal investigator, and Olga Dmitrievna Kolybina, a psychiatrist.

Early Life and Education

In 1955, Yury began studying at the Moscow State Pedagogical Institute. He graduated in 1960. After finishing his studies, he started working as a drawing teacher in the countryside, in the Republic of Tatarstan.

After a year, he moved back to Moscow. There, he first worked as a schoolteacher. Later, he became an editor for the Detskaya Literatura magazine, which means "Children's Literature." By 1966, he decided to become a full-time writer and journalist.

How He Became a Writer

Yury Koval started publishing his writings even when he was a student. In 1967 and 1969, he released two books of poems for children. However, people really started to notice his work in 1968 when he published Aly, a short story about a dog.

He loved to explore different topics in his stories. He spent a lot of time in northern European Russia, especially in Vologda Oblast. In Arkhangelsk, Yury Koval met Boris Shergin, a Russian writer who told amazing stories. Yury became very interested in Russian folklore, which are traditional stories and beliefs.

Later, Yury Koval worked hard to share the stories of Boris Shergin and Stepan Pisakhov. He even wrote screenplays for animated films like The Magic Ring (Russian: Волшебное кольцо) and Laughter and Grief by the White Sea. These films were based on Shergin's fairy tales.

Famous Books for Young Readers

In the 1970s, Koval wrote many short stories and novels for children. One of his popular books, The Little Silver Fox (1975), tells the exciting story of an Arctic fox who escapes from a fur farm and tries to reach the North Pole.

In 1984, he published The lightest boat in the world. Another important book, Suyer-Vyyer, was published after he passed away in 1996. For Suyer-Vyyer, Koval received the Strannik Award, which is given for science fiction books. His books have been translated into many languages around the world, including Chinese and Japanese.

More Than Just a Writer

Besides writing and creating screenplays, Yury Koval was also a talented artist. He was a professional sculptor, painter, and even an icon painter. He also worked with enamel and was a skilled woodcarver. He knew many traditional Russian art styles. Yury also wrote songs and played the guitar.

What Are His Main Works?

Yury Koval wrote many novels, novellas, and collections of short stories and fairy tales. He wrote for both children and adults. He also wrote poems and songs. Here are some of his most important prose works:

• Алый (Aly, 1968): This story is named after a border guard dog.
• Приключения Васи Куролесова (The Adventures of Vasya Kurolesov, 1971): A funny detective story.
• Недопёсок (Young Polar Fox, 1975): About the adventures of an Arctic fox.
• Пять похищенных монахов (Five Abducted Monks, 1977): Another humorous detective story.
• От Красных Ворот (Starting from Red Gate, 1984): Named after a place in Moscow.
• Самая лёгкая лодка в мире (The Lightest Boat in the World, 1984): This was one of Koval's first major books written for adults.
• Полынные сказки (Wormwood Tales, 1987).
• Промах гражданина Лошакова (Citizen Loshakov's Failure, 1990): A humorous detective story.
• Шамайка (Shamayka, 1990): This story is about a stray cat and was inspired by Ernest Thompson Seton's story, The Slum Cat.
• Суер-Выер (Suyer-Vyyer, 1998): A fantasy novel about Captain Suyer-Vyyer's sea journey to find the Island of Verity.

Yury Koval also translated books for children from other languages into Russian. He translated works by writers like Rainis, Imants Ziedonis, Eduardas Mieželaitis, Spiridon Vangheli, Akhmedkhan Abu-Bakar, Michio Mado, and Yōko Sano.

Books Translated into English

Some of Yury Koval's books have been translated so English-speaking readers can enjoy them too:

• Yuri Koval. A Pig in a Poke. London: Abelard-Schuman, 1975. This book was illustrated by Janosch. It is a translation of Priklyucheniya Vasi Kurolesova.
• Yuri Koval. A purple bird / Translated by Fainna Solasko. Moscow: Raduga, 1983. This book includes 14 stories from his collection Pozdnim vecherom ranney vesnoy.

His Work in Movies and Cartoons

Many of Yury Koval's stories have been turned into movies and animated films.

Feature Films Based on His Works

• Border dog Alyi (1979)
• Nedopesok Napoleon III (1979) (based on his book Nedopesok)
• Pyat pokhishchennykh monakhov (1991) (based on his novel of the same name)
• Yavlenie prirody (2010) (based on several of his short stories)

Animated Films and Screenplays

Yury Koval wrote the screenplays for several short animated films. Many other animated films are also based on his works:

• Priklyucheniya Vasi Kurolesova (1981)
• Tigryonok na podsolnukhe (1981)
• Welcome (1986)
• Sunduk (1986)
• Laughter and Grief by the White Sea (1988)
• Yevstifeyka-volk (2001)
• Polynnaya skazka v tri blina dlinoy (2003)
• Pro barana i kozla (2004)
• Pro kozla i baraba (2005)
• Glupaya... (2008)
• Krugly god (2010)
• Shatalo (2010)

Yury Koval also appeared in small supporting roles in two movies. In both films, he sang his own songs while playing a guitar:

• Ulitsa Nyutona, dom 1 (1963)
• Marka strany Gondelupy (1978)

His Final Years

Yury Koval passed away in 1995 at the age of 57 after a serious heart attack. He was buried in the family tomb at the Lianozovskoe Cemetery. He was survived by his second wife, Natalia Alexandrovna Koval, his daughter Yulia (from his first marriage), his son Alexei (from his second marriage), and his elder brother Boris. Koval was a member of the Russian Orthodox Church.