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As bonus trivia, depiction of Bilbo was based on the "short, round stature, expressive eyes, broad and open face" of the famous Soviet actor Yevgeniy Leonov (ht

As bonus trivia, depiction of Bilbo was based on the "short, round stature, expressive eyes, broad and open face" of the famous Soviet actor Yevgeniy Leonov (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yevgeny_Leonov https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yevgeny_Leonov). In this video Leonov mentions this fact before reading an excerpt from the book: https://youtu.be/z7hEJxTBsTs https://youtu.be/z7hEJxTBsTs

Raztuf 1y ago
That's the most Hobbit-looking man I ever seen.
- abcd_f 1y ago
  He actually says just that! Basically, he says that he was approached by some random person and was gifted a copy of The Hobbit. This person turned out to be an illustrator of translated edition (same as at the OP's link) and he made Bilbo look like Leonov (the guy in the video). As a footnote, Leonov famously voiced Soviet version of Winnie The Pooh in all its glorious 3 episodes: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnie-the-Pooh_(1969_film) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnie-the-Pooh_(1969_film) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQmGXzNMw0E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQmGXzNMw0E
davidw 1y ago
George Costanza is looking at those stamps and thinking he coulda been someone in the USSR
Thorrez 1y ago
I'm assuming you're not saying Tolkien based his description of Bilbo on that Leonov. Are you saying the illustrator based the illustrations on Leonov? Does Leonov actually say that? Or just that the description and illustrations are similar to him?
- demaga 1y ago
  In the video, Leonov says Belomlinskij (artist who made illustrations for this edition) himself gifted him this book and explained that he based Bilbo looks on Leonov.
  - Thorrez 1y ago
    Thanks. Youtube's auto caption + translate wasn't super understandable for me.
pelasaco 1y ago
He and Danny Devito would be such great Hobbits
RyanOD 1y ago
Inconceivable!
- pineaux 1y ago
  I can’t compete with you physically, and you’re no match for my brains.
- dekhn 1y ago
  Wallace Shawn, another hobbit (also a great, if not the best, Ferengi).
culebron21 1y ago
Here's that video in much better quality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvNzEkS2B9U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvNzEkS2B9U

Raztuf 1y ago

That's the most Hobbit-looking man I ever seen.

abcd_f 1y ago
He actually says just that! Basically, he says that he was approached by some random person and was gifted a copy of The Hobbit. This person turned out to be an illustrator of translated edition (same as at the OP's link) and he made Bilbo look like Leonov (the guy in the video). As a footnote, Leonov famously voiced Soviet version of Winnie The Pooh in all its glorious 3 episodes: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnie-the-Pooh_(1969_film) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnie-the-Pooh_(1969_film) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQmGXzNMw0E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQmGXzNMw0E

davidw 1y ago

George Costanza is looking at those stamps and thinking he coulda been someone in the USSR

Thorrez 1y ago

I'm assuming you're not saying Tolkien based his description of Bilbo on that Leonov. Are you saying the illustrator based the illustrations on Leonov? Does Leonov actually say that? Or just that the description and illustrations are similar to him?

demaga 1y ago
In the video, Leonov says Belomlinskij (artist who made illustrations for this edition) himself gifted him this book and explained that he based Bilbo looks on Leonov.
- Thorrez 1y ago
  Thanks. Youtube's auto caption + translate wasn't super understandable for me.

pelasaco 1y ago

He and Danny Devito would be such great Hobbits

RyanOD 1y ago

Inconceivable!

pineaux 1y ago
I can’t compete with you physically, and you’re no match for my brains.
dekhn 1y ago
Wallace Shawn, another hobbit (also a great, if not the best, Ferengi).

culebron21 1y ago

Here's that video in much better quality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvNzEkS2B9U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvNzEkS2B9U