The influence of Walt Disney has been seen all across the world, as you all know. Disneyland opened in 1955. The Magic Kingdom followed in 1971. There are Disney theme parks in Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and soon even Shanghai! Then there is all of the Disney Cruise Line ports of call!
All of us that are Disney fans know that the influence of Walt has been phenomenal, and the Disney name is one that is known across the globe. In fact, Mickey Mouse has even been seen in space!
So I shouldn’t have been surprised when my friend Bonnie at work showed me a book she found when she was studying abroad. I looked at it, and I was instantly fascinated! It was Beauty and the Beast as we all know and love — but the typeface was in Cyrillic, the official language of Russia!
I immediately stopped what I was doing and asked if I could look at it. The artwork is incredible; it may be that there is even more artwork in the Russian version of the book then there is in the American version!
At this point in my life, I shouldn’t really be surprised at the worldwide influence that Walt Disney has had on all of us. Greatness such as his only comes once in a lifetime I think, and once it is exposed for part of us to experience, it is only natural that it be shared across the globe.
My friend Bonnie also purchased the Russian version of The Jungle Book, and she is going to let me take a look at it also! As she explained it, in Russia, when you see something you realize is special, you have to get it right then because the market in Russia is so vastly different from that in the United States. There won’t be 20 or 30 copies of something when you are looking to purchase — the one you see is likely the only one they have, so jump at the chance! As for this book, the price tag indicated it was either 9500 Rubles, or maybe it is 95.00 Rubles, so either about $300 or $3. I’ll get clarification from Bonnie tomorrow! Still, at either price, this is a piece of Disney that you don’t see very often!
I hope you have enjoyed this journey into the exploration of how broad an influence Walt Disney has had on all of the world! Thanks for stopping by!
