Wizard of Oz Museum · Museum History · Story 2
Long before rare Oz books, movie memorabilia, or a museum in Florida, there was a classroom in the Soviet Union—and a story worth waiting for.
When I was a child growing up in the Soviet Union, one of the stories that stayed with me was The Wizard of the Emerald City. I first heard it when I was about seven years old, as our teacher read it aloud to the class. Instead of hearing the whole adventure at once, we discovered it a little at a time.
That made the story feel special. We had to wait to learn what happened next. The Emerald City, the travelers, and the strange world beyond ordinary life existed first in our imaginations, shaped by the words our teacher read to us.
Discovering a Story One Reading at a Time
I remember looking forward to the next installment. The teacher's readings gave us something to anticipate. We couldn't simply search the internet to find out how the adventure ended.
Hearing a story in a classroom is different from reading it alone. Everyone follows the same journey, but each child imagines the characters and places differently. The pauses between readings leave room for curiosity.
What I remember most is not a particular illustration or edition. It is the excitement of waiting for the story to continue.
Alexander Volkov and the Soviet Emerald City
The story familiar to many Soviet children was Alexander Volkov's The Wizard of the Emerald City, first published in 1939. It was inspired by L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in the United States in 1900.
Volkov's version introduced Russian-speaking readers to a world with important similarities to Baum's Oz, but it also developed its own identity. The books belong to related but distinct literary traditions.
As a child, I did not understand those publishing connections. I knew only that the adventure was memorable. The American origins of Oz were something I would discover much later.
Why Childhood Stories Stay With Us
A childhood story can remain with you even when you are not actively thinking about it. Years pass. You move to another country, build a family, and develop new interests. Then something brings the old story back.
For me, that rediscovery happened in the United States through my children. It eventually led me to explore Baum's original books, the history of Oz publishing, and the world of rare-book collecting.
But the beginning was much simpler: a teacher, a classroom, and children eager to hear what happened next.
From a Classroom Memory to Museum History
Today, the Wizard of Oz Museum in Cocoa Beach, Florida, shares Oz history through rare books, collectibles, movie memorabilia, and immersive experiences.
The museum did not begin as a business plan. Its roots reach back to moments like that classroom reading—when a story first captured my imagination.
Explore the World Behind the Story
Visit the Wizard of Oz Museum in Cocoa Beach, Florida, to discover rare Oz books, historical memorabilia, and the stories behind the collection.
Explore the Museum