Leonid Viktorovich Vladimirsky (1920–2015) was a Russian graphic artist and illustrator. He gained wide recognition for his illustrations to Aleksey Tolstoy’s “The Golden Key, or the Adventures of Buratino” and Alexander Volkov’s “Emerald City” series.
Born in Moscow, Vladimirsky studied at the Moscow Institute of Civil Engineering, but was drafted into the army at the beginning of World War II. After the war he graduated with honors from VGIK (the All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography). His graduation project — the first slide film ever created at the institute — earned him an invitation to work at the Diafilm studio, where he became the chief artist.
In 1953, Vladimirsky created the now-classic image of Buratino — the wooden boy in a striped cap — for the Diafilm adaptation of The Adventures of Buratino. Three years later, in 1956, the book edition illustrated by him was published by Iskusstvo Publishers. From that time on, he devoted himself entirely to children’s book illustration.
In 1959, he illustrated the first of six fairy tales by Alexander Volkov, The Wizard of the Emerald City. Among his other notable works are illustrations for Pushkin’s Ruslan and Ludmila, Olesha’s Three Fat Men, Fadeeva and Smirnov’s The Adventures of Petrushka, Rodari’s The Journey of the Blue Arrow, and Russian Fairy Tales.
Leonid Vladimirsky illustrated Cipollino in his recognizable, lively style. His drawings are full of movement and humor, turning the story into a vivid and engaging visual tale. The familiar warmth of his characters makes this version one of the most beloved among his works.
