Welcome to Firebirds in Cow Country, a portal to the weird and wonderful world of Russian fairy tales, myths, and folklore. This publication features newsletters, blog posts, and podcast episodes curated by Nicholas Kotar, award-winning author of fantasy inspired by Russian fairy tales.

We hope you’re here because you’ve heard the call to adventure. Maybe you need consolation from the weariness and dreariness of the “real world.” Come on in and find your consolation! And, who knows, maybe you’ll come back home with a heart transformed by these stories.

As Russian philosopher Ivan Ilyin wrote,

Fairy tales are not fabrications or tall tales, but poetic illumination, essential reality, even the beginning of all philosophy. Fairy tales don’t become obsolete if we lose the wisdom to live by it. No, it is we who have perverted our emotional and spiritual culture. And we will dissipate and die off if we lose our access to these tales.

But don’t worry, this isn’t a stuffy outfit. Here we have idiots that are wiser than kings, cunning dragons who like to riddle as much as they like to wreak havoc, and of course everyone’s favorite villain—the pestle-riding hag herself, Baba Yaga.

(Baba Yaga does make occasional visits here in the Substack. You’ve been warned!)

Meet the Author

I come from a family of Russian immigrants who moved from Russia after the Revolution, and I grew up in what was essentially a Russian ghetto in San Francisco. Even though I’m a third-generation American, I spoke Russian before I spoke English.

At the core of all of my work is a fervent belief that telling, writing, watching, listening to, and reading good stories may be the most important thing you do with your life.

To that end, I have authored 7 fantasy books, 3 non-fiction books, an award-winning TV script that was looked at by Netflix, and a full-length classical music libretto. I’ve also translated and published three volumes of Russian fairy tales.

I write for readers who love classic fantasy like The Lord of the Rings but who aren’t afraid of a little darkness and honesty about the human condition. I also write for seekers after truth and beauty (like myself), and for those who feel trapped by modernity, with a fresh take on traditional values and storytelling.

I’m writing to you from cow country in central New York, where I conduct a seminary choir and pretend to homestead with my wife and four children.

So if you’d like to hang out with me as I tell you stories and blab a bit about those stories, then subscribe today!

What you can expect in this publication

This is the home base for all Russian fairy tale-related content that I put out, as well as my regular author newsletter.

• The blog posts you’ll read here are mostly research for my novels and me thinking out loud about the transformative power of stories.

• “In a Certain Land,” my storytelling podcast, featuring original music by Natalie Wilson, will appear here first, before it goes out to podcast players.

• My twice-a-month regular author newsletter will drop here, featuring curated news from the world of fantasy and fairy tales, updates about my books and other projects, and occasional surprises and gifts.

• I will also feature new material translated from Russian that will eventually become published books. You’ll be able to read them here first!

Anyway, welcome to the weird and wonderful world of Russian folklore and myth. I hope you stay for a while!