Sadovnikov, Dmitrii

Born Apr. 25 (May 7), 1847, in Simbirsk, now Ul’ianovsk; died Dec. 19 (31), 1883, in St. Petersburg. Russian folklorist, ethnographer, and poet.

Sadovnikov compiled Riddles of the Russian People (1876), the most complete and scholarly collection of its kind. His anthology Tales and Legends of Samara Province (1884), based primarily on records of the storyteller A. K. Novopol’tsev, presents the folklore of the Volga Region. Sadovnikov’s best verses, which have become folk songs, were inspired by the legends about Stepan Razin. These works include “From the Island Into Midstream” and “Through the City Posad.” Sadovnikov also wrote books for primary schools and academies, such as Our Explorers (1874) and Pagan Dreams of the Russian People (1882).