It is said that the writer Korney Chukovsky came up with his fairy tale villain during a walk through St. Petersburg with artist Mstislav Dobuzhinsky. The two friends were strolling along Barmaleeva Street in the Petrogradsky District. The name caught their attention, and they began speculating about its origin. One theory suggested it might have been named after an English barber. However, they ultimately decided that the name could only belong to an African bandit. Reportedly, Dobuzhinsky immediately sketched a portrait of a man with a mustache and a sinister grin right on his knee. Later, Chukovsky brought Barmaley to life in the pages of his story.