Dunno

"Neznaika and his Friends" book cover

Neznaika (Template:Lang-ru, from "не знаю", or "I don't know") is the famous anti-hero created by the Soviet children's writer Nikolai Nosov. In English, Neznaika's name has been been translated as "Dunno" and "Know-Nothing".

Neznaika, recognized by his bright blue hat, canary-yellow trousers, orange shirt, and green tie, is the title character of Nosov's world-famous trilogy, The Adventures of Neznaika and his Friends (1954), Neznaika in Sun City (1958), and Neznaika on the Moon (1966). The three fairy tale novels follow the adventures of the little fictional children-like people living in "Flower City" (Цветочный город). They are described to be sized like "medium cucumbers", a quality that has earned them the name "shorties" or "mites" (Template:Lang-ru). In Nosov's universe, each shorty occupies his/her own niche in the community and is named accordingly. The "three apple tall" Smurfs of the Belgian illustrator Peyo are based on a similar concept. However, unlike in the world that Peyo created, anything unrealistic in Nosov's universe, save his characters' small size, owes itself to science-fiction rather than fantasy or magic.

Another important characteristic of the Neznaika trilogy is its heavily didactic nature. Nosov describes this as an effort to teach "honesty, bravery, comradery, willpower, and persistence" and discourage "jealousy, cowardice, mendacity, arrogance, and effrontery." Strong political undertones are also present. In addition to general egalitarianism and feminism, communist tendencies dominate the works. The first book takes the reader into a typical soviet-like town, the second into a communist utopia, and the third into a capitalistic satire . Nosov's captivating and humorous literary style has made his ideologies accessible to children and adults alike.

Characters

Flower City Dwellers

Named for its abundance of flowers, all streets are named after flowers as well. The Flower City is located by the Cucumber River, on the shore of which many cucumbers grow. Here boy-shorties and girl-shorties live together, but often have trouble getting along.

• Neznaika (from Russian "I don't know") - the title character of the trilogy and the most infamous personality in Flower City. As an anti-hero he is both ignorant, lazy, rude, and conceited and at the same time curious, kind, enterprising, and unbelievably lucky. He is highly reminiscent of the popular Russian folk hero Ivan the Fool.
• Gun'ka - Neznaika's best friend
• Znaika (from "I know") - the smartest of the shorties, often adopts the leadership role
• Vintik (from "bolt") and Shpuntik - mechanics
• Guslya - a musician
• Tyubik (from "tube") - a painter
• Knopochka (from "button") - a girl-shorty
• Toropyzhka (from "to hurry") - always in a hurry, likes to be first
• Rasteryayka (from "to lose") - always loses things
• Doctor Pilyulkin - a physician
• Ponchik (from "doughnut") - very chubby, likes to eat sweets
• Siropchik (from "little syrup") - very chubby, likes to drink carbonated water with syrup
• Pul'ka (from "bullet") - a hunter
• Bul'ka - Pul'ka's dog
• Tsvetik (from "bloomer") - a poet
• Pachkulya Pyostrenky (from "dirty piebald") - always gets dirty
• Tsirkul (from "compass") - a bicyclist
• Vorchun (from "to grumble") - always grumbles and complains
• Molchun (from "to be silent") - always very quiet

Green City Dwellers

Named for its abundance of trees. Only girl-shorties live here.

• Medunitsa - a doctor girl-shorty, head of the Green City hospital
• Sineglazka (from "blue eyes") - a pretty blue-eyed girl-shorty
• Snezhinka (from "snowflake") - a pretty fair-skinned girl-shorty
• Samotsvetik (from "self-bloomer"), a poet girl-shorty
• Zain'ka (from "little rabbit") and Belochka (from "little squirrel") - girl-shorties with animals embroidered on their dresses
• Lastochka - a girl-shorty

Kite City Dwellers

Named for its abundance of decorative kites. Only boy-shorties live here.

• Gvozdik (from Russian "nail") - a troublemaker
• Bublik (from Russian "bagel") - a car driver
• Shurupchik (from Russian "screw") - an inventor
• Smekaylo - a writer

External links

• A 1996 article In memoriam: Nikolay Nosov (1908-1976)
• Nikolai Nosov THE ADVENTURES OF DUNNO AND HIS FRIENDS (Text)
• [english.russ.ru/krug/20010410.html Nikolai Nosov Forever, Russian Journal]