The historical basis of the legend about Boris and Gleb. Holy Martyrs Boris and Gleb

story princely dramatism psychology

“The Tale of Boris and Gleb” is one of the oldest hagiobiographical works of the so-called Boris-Gleb cycle about the holy princes Boris and Gleb, who were killed in a dynastic struggle on the orders of their elder brother Svyatopolk Vladimirovich. This is actually not a classical life, but a historical narrative with elements of a martyria, i.e. testimonies, a description of the martyrdom of the saints, with background and a final eulogy to the saints.

Some researchers of the manuscripts believe that the idea of the Tale is the assertion of the principle of subordination of the younger to the elders, on the basis of which tribal relations were built in Russia, others interpret this work as a glorification of voluntary suffering in imitation of Christ, affirming the idea of God-established princely power.

But one can always cite examples from the Old Testament and historical times of how the father's and God's blessing often rested on the younger children, which gave them the right to power over the elder. As for Prince Boris, personal piety, military prowess and the love of soldiers and people for him make the prince quite worthy of accepting the honor of the main ruler in Russia. He was offered this way out of the situation: the establishment of a pious government, but through violence and blood. Like any person endowed by God with freedom of choice, Boris had two options: to take power by the force and blood of others, or to give it away, to sacrifice himself voluntarily to establish peace in Russia. On this basis, a conflict arises, a dramatic situation. A person always carries in himself the instinct of self-preservation, which actually keeps life on earth (if no one was afraid of death, if no one loved to live, then life would stop), it is natural for a person to strive to protect his life, even when he enters into a struggle for his fatherland, their loved ones. Boris understands that he can listen to his squad, go against the elder Svyatopolk, but then the blood of innocent people and his own brother will be shed. As a human being, he does not want to die and is afraid of death, but loyalty to God, love for Him and His commandments, likening Him makes him choose in favor of his own death - this is the main dramatic feature in the created image of Boris. He accepts death consciously, as evidenced by the prayer before the icon of the Savior, “hearing his murderers”: “Lord, Jesus Christ! As You appeared on earth in this image, by your own will allowing yourself to be nailed to the Cross, accepted the suffering of sins for our sake, make me worthy to accept suffering! The author usually intensifies the tension with his own commentary: “... trembled, wept and said: “Glory to Thee, Lord, for deigning me to accept this bitter death out of envy” ”

In the "Tale" there are numerous allusions and reminiscences of prototypes from the Holy Scriptures: the theme of Cain and Abel, the sacrifice of Abraham, Joseph, as if sacrificed by the brothers in the name of the future salvation of the people of Israel, and, of course, the circumstances of death and the image of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, victim innocently for the sin of the world, which aggravates the emotional perception of the text. The monologues of Boris (weeping for his father and thinking about the coming suffering) and Gleb (to their murderers) are filled with special drama and lyricism.

In contrast to Boris, who is ready to rise in feat for Christ, Gleb, in his youth, gullibility and innocence, hurries to the call of Svyatopolk, not paying attention to warnings about the evil intent of his older brother. He does not believe until the last moment (because everyone judges by himself, and Gleb's piety made it impossible for him to create evil) in the proximity of his death, he goes with a brotherly kiss to the killers. Having discovered the evil intention of the envoys of Svyatopolk, Gleb turns to them tearfully so that they spare his youth, do not cut off the unripe ear: “Do not marry me, not ripe from life! Do not marry a class that is not already mature, but does not bear a milk of malice.

The imagery of words and the use of metaphors exacerbate the tension of the situation. The pious reflections of the brothers, prayers, cries, appeals to enemies serve as a means of revealing the inner world of the heroes, motivating actions. Along with this, as I said above, the author himself adds his own descriptions to show the psychological state of the characters. Thanks to the author's remarks, we better feel the change in the mood of Gleb, who saw his killers. If at first he “rejoiced in his soul”, wanting to greet the servants of Svyatopolk, “I would like to receive a kiss from them”, then, when he saw the swords in the hands of the murderers, everyone “fell out of fear and all died of fear” Gleb “with a plaintive look, humbly, ... often sighing, weakening in body, ”says, or rather, cries, turning to the messengers. We see that not only Gleb, but also his neighbors sympathize with him, are terrified along with him. Similarly, when Boris sheds "bitter", "compassionate" tears on the Alta River, the faithful people around him also begin to sympathize with him and cry and wail. In both episodes, the element of compassion from others intensifies the mournful atmosphere even more, intensifying the drama, inviting the reader to sympathize with the princes.

The dying prayers of the martyrs are not only full of sorrow and awe, but they show how to behave in a mournful situation, they not only exalt, idealize the images of martyrs, but also indicate that it is impossible to endure anything without God's help. For a Christian, this is especially valuable, because. the humanly impossible is possible with God. Acting according to faith, trusting in God, is beyond human judgment, and therefore is often associated with pain, sorrow, and psychological tension.

The episodes of the death of Boris and Gleb combine human sadness about death with the joy of a future eternal life after accepting a mournful martyr's crown.

The antagonist to the princes is their brother Svyatopolk, whose characterization is given by the author in complete contrast to the virtues of the brothers. The “second Cain”, the “cursed one”, also suffers animal fear after the atrocity committed on his orders, but this fear is terrible, because. associated with total hopelessness. If the "earthly angels" Boris and Gleb were comforted by the hope of a future heavenly life, then Svyatopolk had nothing to count on after his crime and lack of repentance, he ruined not only his body, but also his soul. Even from his grave emanates "a stench to be shown to people," as the author notes.

Multiple biblical prototypes in describing the deeds of the saints suggest that just as the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross is a guarantee of the life and salvation of all who believe in Him and keep His commandments, so the voluntary sacrifice of princes is a guarantee of salvation, life and blessing not only for Russia, but also of all mankind, because the sins of the world are washed away by the Blood of the Divine Lamb of Christ, and Christians pray for the departed, so that "by the prayers of the innocent sufferers, the blood of the martyrs, the sins of people who have sinned on earth, died, but did not have time to repent" are forgiven.

For me personally, what is important in the "Tale" is not the element of preaching the feat of subordination or sacrifice for the sake of ending civil strife, but the psychological aspect of the deeds of the saints. A person, having the opportunity to answer, stand up for himself, use force, makes a choice in favor of humility and truth, realizing that with God there is nothing accidental. A person accepts the call of God, reasoning in such a way that if the Lord so arranges that I must accept death, then I should not resist the will of God, no matter how sad it may seem to me. We are not eternal on earth, the death of the body is inevitable, and Christianity claims that the Lord takes a person out of this life when he is ready for this according to the judgment of God, but the person himself cannot assess whether his soul is ready for death or not. It takes great courage, faith, love for God to accept death or sorrow at a time when you do not expect it and, it seems, are not ready for it. The feat of the passion-bearers is, first of all, the feat of humility, the main Christian virtue, the courageous acceptance of the will of God, it is in this sense that it is so important and will always be relevant for every Christian.

Boris and his brother, Gleb, were the sons of Prince Vladimir. In total, he had 12 sons. He planted Boris in Rostov to reign, and Gleb in Murom.

The news came about the attack of the Pechenegs on Russian lands. Vladimir sent Boris with an army against them. He did not find the enemy. And began to return.

Meanwhile, Vladimir died. And another of his sons, Svyatopolk, decided to hide this news, kill all his heirs and take over the throne alone.

Boris had already heard the news of his father's death and his brother's insidious plans. He stopped on the river Alta. He received a letter from Svyatopolk. In anticipation of his imminent death, Boris prayed all night in the tent. And in the morning he ordered to serve matins. At this time, the killers sent by the brother arrived in time.

It was July 24th. Boris was killed. The sent and his servants did not spare. Most of them also perished with their master. They buried the young prince near the church of St. Basil in Vyshgorod.

And Svyatopolk continues fratricide. He writes a letter to Gleb. He deceives him, saying that his father is calling them. After reading about that, Gleb goes to Kyiv.

Another brother of them reigned at that time in the Novgorod land - Yaroslav. The news reached him both about the death of his father, and about the atrocities of the terrible Svyatopolk. He decided to warn Gleb about that.

Gleb received this news while near the Smyadyn River. At that moment, the killers caught up with him. Gleb sailed in a boat along the river. But, he was caught up. They jumped with naked swords into the boat of his servant Svyatopolk. He begged them not to kill him. Then, he began to pray. His prayers were for his brothers, and for his father, and even for the fratricide Svyatopolk. Then, Gleb's cook slaughtered him. The body was thrown into the wasteland. It lay there until it was found by Yaroslav. Passers-by saw that a pillar of fire appeared in that place and angelic singing was heard.

Meanwhile, Yaroslav gathered an army. And he moved to Svyatopolk. The battle took place on the Alta River. At the place where Boris was killed, Yaroslav turned to the Lord with prayers for victory. And, Svyatopolk fled, as if mad. During his flight, he died.

Yaroslav, after defeating the fratricide, found the corpse of Gleb and buried it near Boris. Churches were erected on the places of their murders. And people came to the graves of the saints for healing. After their death, the martyrs performed miracles. Their relics were healing.

One of the worst sins is fratricide. You need to live with your loved ones in the world. This is what the story teaches. Boris and Gleb had meek hearts and they loved their neighbors. Their prayers were also for the one through whose fault they had to accept death. And the killer got what he deserved. Evil, especially terrible, must be punished.

Picture or drawing The legend of Boris and Gleb

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Old Russian literature

THE LEGEND ABOUT BORIS AND GLEB

STORY AND SUFFERING AND PRAISE

TO THE HOLY MARTYRS BORIS AND GLEB

Lord, bless, father!

“The generation of the righteous will be blessed,” says the prophet, “and their descendants will be blessed.”

So it happened shortly before our days under the autocrat of the whole Russian land, Vladimir, the son of Svyatoslav, the grandson of Igor, who enlightened the whole Russian land with holy baptism. About his other virtues we will tell in another place, but now is not the time. We will talk about the same that we started in order. Vladimir had 12 sons, and not from one wife: their mothers were different. The eldest son is Vysheslav, after Izyaslav, the third is Svyatopolk, who planned this evil murder. His mother is Greek, formerly a nun. Vladimir's brother Yaropolk, seduced by the beauty of her face, cut her hair, and took her as his wife, and conceived from her the accursed Svyatopolk. Vladimir, at that time still a pagan, having killed Yaropolk, took possession of his pregnant wife. So she gave birth to this accursed Svyatopolk, the son of two fathers-brothers. Therefore, Vladimir did not love him, because he was not from him. And from Rogneda Vladimir had four sons: Izyaslav, and Mstislav, and Yaroslav, and Vsevolod. From another wife were Svyatoslav and Mstislav, and from a Bulgarian wife - Boris and Gleb. And Vladimir put them all in different lands to reign, which we will say in another place, but here we will tell about those about whom this story is.

Vladimir put the accursed Svyatopolk to reign in Pinsk, and Yaroslav in Novgorod, and Boris in Rostov, and Gleb in Murom. However, I will not go into too much explanation, so as not to forget the main thing in verbosity, but about whom I started, we will tell this. A lot of time passed, and when 28 years had passed after holy baptism, the days of Vladimir came to an end - he fell into a serious illness. At the same time, Boris came from Rostov, and the Pechenegs again moved the army to Russia, and great sorrow seized Vladimir, because he could not oppose them, and this greatly saddened him. Then he called to himself Boris, who was named Roman in holy baptism, blessed and quick to obey, and, having given him many soldiers under his command, sent him against the godless Pechenegs. Boris went with joy, saying: “I am ready to do before your eyes what the will of your heart commands.” About such Pritochnik said: "There was a son obedient to his father and beloved by his mother."

When Boris, having set out on a campaign and not meeting the enemy, returned back, a messenger came to him and told him about the death of his father. He told how his father Vasily had died (this name was given to Vladimir in holy baptism) and how Svyatopolk, concealing the death of his father, dismantled the platform in Berestovo at night and, wrapping the body in a carpet, lowered him on ropes to the ground, took him on a sleigh and set him up. in the Church of the Holy Virgin. And when Saint Boris heard this, his body began to weaken, and his whole face was wet with tears, shedding tears, unable to speak. Only in his heart did he think like this: “Alas for me, my light, the radiance and dawn of my face, the bridle of my youth, the mentor of my inexperience! Alas, my father and my lord! To whom shall I resort, to whom shall I turn my gaze? Where else can I find such wisdom and how can I manage without the instructions of your mind? Alas for me, alas for me! How did you go down, my sun, and I was not there! If I were there, I would remove your honest body with my own hands and betray it to the grave. But I did not carry your valiant body, I was not honored to kiss your beautiful gray hairs. O blessed one, remember me at your resting place! My heart burns, my soul confuses my mind, and I don’t know who to turn to, who to tell this bitter sadness? Brother, whom I revered as a father? But he, I feel, cares about worldly fuss and plots my murder. If he sheds my blood and decides to kill me, I will be a martyr before my Lord. I will not resist, for it is written: "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." And in the epistle of the apostle it is said: "Whoever says, 'I love God,' but hates his brother, is a liar." And again: "There is no fear in love; perfect love casts out fear." So what will I say, what will I do? Here I will go to my brother and say: “Be my father - after all, you are my elder brother. What will you command me, my lord?

And thinking so in his mind, he went to his brother and said in his heart: “Will I even see my younger brother Gleb, like Joseph Benjamin?” And he decided in his heart: “Let your will be done, Lord!” I thought to myself: “If I go to my father’s house, then many people will persuade me to drive my brother away, as I did, for the sake of glory and reign in this world, my father until holy baptism. And all this is transient and fragile, like a web. Where will I go after my departure from this world? Where will I be then? What answer will I get? Where will I hide my many sins? What did my father's brothers or my father gain? Where is their life and the glory of this world, and scarlet, and feasts, silver and gold, wine and honey, plentiful dishes, and frisky horses, and decorated mansions, and great, and many riches, and countless tributes and honors, and boasting of their boyars . All this seemed to have never happened: everything with them disappeared, and there is no help from anything - neither from wealth, nor from many slaves, nor from the glory of this world. So Solomon, having experienced everything, having seen everything, mastering everything and gathering everything, said about everything: “Vanity of vanities - all is vanity!” Salvation is only in good deeds, in true faith and in unfeigned love.”

Going his own way, Boris thought about his beauty and youth, and shed tears all over. And he wanted to hold back, but he couldn't. And all who saw him also mourned his youth and his physical and spiritual beauty. And each in his soul groaned from the sorrow of his heart, and all were seized with sorrow.

Who will not mourn, presenting this pernicious death before the eyes of his heart?

His whole appearance was dull, and his holy heart was contrite, for the blessed one was truthful and generous, quiet, meek, humble, he pitied everyone and helped everyone.

This is how the blessed Boris thought in his heart and said: “I knew that evil people were inciting my brother to kill me and he would destroy me, and when he sheds my blood, I will be a martyr before my Lord, and the lord will receive my soul.” Then, forgetting mortal sorrow, he began to console his heart with God's word: "He who sacrifices his soul for me and my teaching will find and keep it in eternal life." And he went with a joyful heart, saying: “Lord, merciful, do not reject me, who trusts in you, but save my soul!”

Svyatopolk, having sat down to reign in Kyiv after the death of his father, called the people of Kiev to him and, having generously endowed them, let them go. He sent the following message to Boris: “Brother, I want to live with you in love and I will add more to the possession received from my father.” But there was no truth in his words. Svyatopolk, having come to Vyshgorod at night, secretly summoned Putsha and the Vyshgorod husbands to him and said to them: “Confess to me without hiding - are you devoted to me?” Putsha replied: "We are all ready to lay down our heads for you."

When the devil, the primordial enemy of everything good in people, saw that Saint Boris placed all his hope in God, he began to intrigue and, as in ancient times, Cain, plotting fratricide, caught Svyatopolk. He guessed the thoughts of Svyatopolk, truly the second Cain: after all, he wanted to kill all the heirs of his father in order to seize all power alone.

Then the accursed accursed Svyatopolk called to himself accomplices of atrocity and instigators of all untruth, opened his filthy lips and cried out in an evil voice to Putsha's squad: “Since you promised to lay down your heads for me, then go secretly, my brothers, and where you will meet my brother Boris, having improved the time is right, kill him." And they promised him to do it.

The prophet said about such people: “They are quick to kill. Defiled by bloodshed, they bring misfortune upon themselves. Such are the ways of all those who commit iniquity - with wickedness they destroy their souls.

Blessed Boris returned and spread his camp on Alta. And the squad told him: "Go, sit in Kyiv on your father's princely table - after all, all the soldiers are in your hands." He answered them: “I cannot raise my hand against my brother, besides, also the oldest, whom I honor as a father.” Hearing this, the soldiers dispersed, and he was left only with his youths. And it was the Sabbath. In anguish and sadness, with a dejected heart, he entered his tent and wept in contrition of heart, but with an enlightened soul, plaintively exclaiming: “Do not reject my tears, lord, for I trust in you! May I be rewarded with the fate of your servants and share the lot with all your saints, you are a merciful God, and we praise you forever! Amen".

He remembered the torment and sufferings of the holy martyr Nikita and saint Vyacheslav, who were killed in the same way, and how her own father was the murderer of Saint Barbara. And he remembered the words of the wise Solomon: "The righteous live forever, and from the Lord their reward and adornment from the Almighty." And only these words comforted and rejoiced.

Meanwhile, evening came, and Boris ordered Vespers to be sung, and he himself entered his tent and began to perform the evening prayer with bitter tears, frequent sighing and continuous lamentations. Then he went to bed, and his sleep was disturbed by dreary thoughts and sadness, bitter, and heavy, and terrible: how to endure torment and suffering, and end life, and save faith, and accept the prepared crown from the hands of the Almighty. And, waking up early, he saw that it was already morning time. And it was Sunday. He said to his priest: "Get up, start matins." He himself, having put on his shoes and washed his face, began to pray to the Lord God.

Those sent by Svyatopolk came to Alta at night, and came close, and heard the voice of the blessed martyr, singing the Psalter at matins. And he had already received the news of the impending murder of him. And he began to sing: “Lord! How my enemies have multiplied! Many rise up against me" - and the rest of the psalms to the end. And, having begun to sing according to the Psalter: “A crowd of dogs surrounded me and fat calves surrounded me,” he continued: “My God, my God! I trust in you, save me!” And then the canon sang. And when he finished matins, he began to pray, looking at the icon of the Lord and saying: “Lord Jesus Christ! Like you, who appeared on earth in this image and, of your own free will, allowed yourself to be nailed to the cross and accept suffering for our sins, grant me the opportunity to accept suffering in this way!

And when he heard an ominous whisper near the tent, he trembled, and tears flowed from his eyes, and said: “Glory to you, Lord, for everything, for you honored me with envy for the sake of accepting this bitter death and enduring everything for the love of your commandments. You didn’t want to avoid torment yourself, you didn’t want anything for yourself, follow the commandments of the apostle: “Love is long-suffering, believes everything, does not envy and does not exalt itself.” And again: "There is no fear in love, for true love casts out fear." Therefore, lord, my soul is always in your hands, for I have not forgotten your commandment. As the Lord wills, so be it." And when they saw the priest Borisov and the youth serving the prince, his master, embraced by sorrow and sadness, they wept bitterly and said: “Our merciful and dear lord! What goodness you are filled with, that you did not want to oppose your brother for the love of Christ, and how many soldiers you kept at your fingertips! And, having said this, she was sad.

And suddenly he saw those rushing to the tent, the gleam of weapons, drawn swords. And without pity the honest and many-merciful body of the saint and blessed was pierced. Passion-bearer of Christ Boris. The accursed ones struck him with spears: Putsha, Talets, Elovich, Lyashko. Seeing this, his youth covered the body of the blessed one with himself, exclaiming: “Let me not leave you, my beloved sir, where the beauty of your body fades, here I will be able to end my life!”

He was a Hungarian by birth, named George, and the prince rewarded him with a golden hryvnia, and was loved by Boris immensely. Then they pierced him, and, wounded, he jumped out of the tent in a daze. And those standing near the tent spoke: “Why are you standing and looking! Having begun, let us complete what has been done to us.” Hearing this, the blessed one began to pray and ask them, saying: “My dear and beloved brothers! Wait a bit, let me pray to God." And looking up at the sky with tears, and sighing to grief, he began to pray with these words: “Lord, my God, many-merciful and merciful and merciful! Glory to you for having granted me to escape from the seductions of this deceitful life! Glory to you, generous giver of life, for vouchsafed me a feat worthy of the holy martyrs! Glory to you, Lord-philanthropist, that you made me fulfill the innermost desire of my heart! Glory to you, Christ, glory to your immeasurable mercy, for you directed my groans to the right path! Look from the height of your holiness and see the pain of my heart that I have endured

Hagiography is a branch of church literature containing a description of the life of saints.

Despite the unity of the manner of presentation, the hagiographic tales were diverse in genres: the lives of the saints, the martyria, which told about the persecution and torture of martyrs, walking, miracles, visions, tales of miraculous icons.

Lives and martyrias divided, in turn, into narrative and panegyric. The first described the life and deeds of the saint, the second contained laudatory words in his honor.

As the hagiographic genre developed, a certain canon of narration was developed. hagiographic canon consists of a preface and a brief afterword by the hagiographer, framing the narrative itself, which includes the following milestones: praise to the homeland and parents of the saint, miraculous foreshadowing of his birth, manifestation of holiness in childhood and adolescence, temptations, a decisive turn on the path of spiritual salvation, death and posthumous miracles.

canonical life includes a number of required elements. First, it must begin with the glorification of God and end with the same, for this is the main goal of all such literary works. Secondly, there should be praise in the life of the saint whose life is being discussed. After all, he became a saint because he pleased God, and he should be regarded as a role model. Thirdly, the glorification of the saint is opposed to the self-denunciation of the author of the life, who recognizes himself as a sinner and unworthy to take up the description of the life of a righteous person. Fourthly, the life necessarily tells about the miracles of the saint, often starting from his birth. As a rule, the parents of a saint are also people of high morals and sincere believers. Fifthly, the life tells about the death of the saint, which is especially important when it comes to a martyr. After all, death in this case acts as evidence of faith, that is, at the same time the glorification of God and a kind of miracle. But even in cases where the saint died a natural death, the meaning of the description of this moment also plays a big role. The authors of the lives show that the high virtues and faith that accompanied the saint in life do not leave him even in the last moments before the transition to another world.

The works of hagiographic genres are thus verbal icons of the saints, their deeds and miraculous manifestations of the grace of God. However the hagiographic canon was formed only by the 10th - 12th centuries., therefore, early lives are characterized by a greater formal variety.

Genre originality of the "tale of Boris and Gleb"

In essence, this is a historical story with the exact name of persons, names, facts, places. The main idea is the unity of the Russian land, the condemnation of princely civil strife. But unlike the historical story, "the legend of Boris and Gleb" is a lyrical work containing lamentations, prayers, monologues-reflections.

"The Tale of Boris and Gleb", not being a canonical life, the less it has a number of features characteristic of this genre. So, in the "Tale ..." we find praise for the high virtues of the saints - their humility, reverence for elders, gentleness. Knowing what Svyatopolk is up to, the brothers do not try to stop him. Of course, from an ordinary, worldly point of view, this seems strange, but from the point of view of a Christian author, such meekness in the face of death, the forgiveness of one's murderers is regarded as a manifestation of the highest virtues of a Christian. The author of the life also admires such character traits of Boris as his piety, love for his father and brother Gleb. The author describes Gleb in a similar way: he bitterly laments the death of his father and the death of his brother, does not oppose his murderers, but meekly begs them for mercy, forgives them.

In the "Tale ..." now and then there are quotations from the Holy Scriptures. True, they are characteristic not only for hagiographies, but also for other genres of ancient Russian literature, for example, there are quite a lot of such quotations in the Teachings of Vladimir Monomakh.

There is also a mention of miracles in the "Tale ...". On the grave of Gleb, sometimes people saw the light and heard angelic voices. It was thanks to these miracles that the remains of Gleb were found, the place of burial of which was initially unknown. About Boris, who was buried in Vyshgorod, it is said that when his grave was dug up in order to put the body of his brother next to it, it turned out that Boris's body had not suffered from time at all. With regard to Gleb, this seems to be implied, since the incorruptibility of the relics is one of the essential evidence of the holiness of a person. “So God preserved his passion-bearer’s body!” - this is praise to both God and the saint, obligatory in life. However, the inconsistency of the "Tale ..." with the canon of life is obvious. Despite the presence of some mandatory elements of the latter. Thus, the author of the Tale begins his narrative with a small quotation from Holy Scripture, which sounds like praise to the saints; the obligatory glorification of God for living is omitted. The story about Svyatopolk's family ties with Boris and Gleb, the mention of the parents of these characters is just a historical background. There is no praise for the parents of the saints, on the contrary, it is said about Vladimir that he killed his brother and made his widow his mistress, had many wives, and nothing is said about the mother of Boris and Gleb, except that she was a "Bulgarian". There is no story about the childhood of the brothers, illuminated by the unearthly light of faith. This is partly understandable - we are not talking about future monks, but about the sons of the prince, that is, future warriors. On the other hand, the “Tale ...” brings together with the life that it tells about the martyrdom of the brothers - their death at the hands of the murderers formed the basis of the plot of the “Tale ...”.

One of the most famous monuments of ancient Russian literature is The Tale of Boris and Gleb. The summary of this work should be known to any connoisseur of Russian literature. It is dedicated to the real story of the murder of the sons of Prince Vladimir, who were later canonized.

History of the legend

"The Tale of Boris and Gleb", a summary of which is given in this article, according to literary critics, was written in the middle of the 11th century. At that time, the Russian prince was Yaroslav the Wise.

At the beginning of the next century, a description of the miracles of the saints appeared, which was included by three authors at once in the book "The Legend of Miracles". It was created between 1089 and 1115. It was in this form that the ancient text ended up in the Assumption Collection (an Old Russian parchment manuscript, which is now kept in the Historical Museum).

All in all, "The Tale of the Life of Boris and Gleb" existed in more than 170 lists. It was one of the most popular works of ancient Russian literature.

The author of the legend

Many researchers have tried to establish the authorship of this work. Metropolitan Macarius of Moscow and Kolomna and historian Mikhail Petrovich Pogodin, who lived in the 19th century, advanced the furthest. They came to the conclusion that the legend was written by Jacob Chernorizets. This is an Orthodox monk of the 11th century.

There is another version of the authorship of the work. Some researchers believe that the famous chronicler Nestor created the original text, this was done back in the 1080s. His life was called "Reading about Boris and Gleb". It was on its basis that the legend itself appeared in the annals published after 1115, which began to include stories about the miracles of the brothers.

"The Tale of Boris and Gleb" briefly begins with a story about the children of Prince Vladimir. He had 12 of them, and from different wives. One of the most notable was Yaropolk. His mother, a nun, was married to Vladimir's brother. But during the internecine war, the prince killed him, thus taking possession of his wife. At that time, she was just pregnant with Svyatopolk.

Vladimir adopted his son, but he always disliked him. The main characters of the story, Boris and Gleb, were the sons of the prince from his Bulgarian wife. Vladimir owned a large amount of land, which he tried to evenly distribute among the children. So, Svyatopolk received Pinsk, Gleb - Murom, and Boris - Rostov.

Death of Vladimir

Already at the end of the reign of Vladimir, when he was seriously ill, the Pechenegs moved to Russia. The prince ordered Boris to oppose them. He went on a campaign, but never met the enemy. Returning back, he learned that his father had died, but his elder brother Svyatopolk was trying to hide this fact. Upon learning this, Boris burst into tears.

He immediately figured out the insidious plan of his older brother, realizing that he wants to kill him, seizing all power in his own hands. Being a faithful Christian, he decided not to resist. As a result, Svyatopolk managed to seize the throne of Kyiv. Boris did not listen to his warriors, who urged him to oppose his brother.

The throne of Kyiv was not enough for Svyatopolk, he decided to get rid of all the sons of Vladimir. To begin with, he ordered the squad of Vyshgorod husbands, led by Putynya, to kill Boris.

The latter at this time set up camp on the Alta River. He waited for his near death and prayed all evening in his tent. The next day he ordered matins from the priest. When he was reading prayers, the killers approached the tent. Hearing their unfriendly whisper, Boris understood everything.

The villains entered the tent with naked weapons in their hands and stabbed the prince with spears. Boris's servant, George, a Hungarian by nationality, tried to save him by covering his body, but only died himself. The combatants sent by Svyatopolk wanted to finish off the mortally wounded Boris, but he began to ask them to stop in order to give him the opportunity to pray in the end. Having finished the appeal to God, he turned to his murderers with words of forgiveness. The prince died on 24 July.

Boris's body was taken on a cart, wrapped in a tent. When they reached the forest, he raised his head. Then the Vikings once again pierced his heart with a sword. Boris was buried in Vyshgorod.

Plan against Gleb

All the atrocities of Svyatopolk are described in detail in the "Tale of Boris and Gleb". A brief summary allows you to get to know them. Having dealt with Boris, he decided to lime Gleb. He sent him a letter saying that his seriously ill father wanted to see him.

The young prince, believing this, went to Kyiv. On the banks of the Volga, he injured his leg. I had to stop near Smolensk. Meanwhile, news of Vladimir's death reached another of his sons, whose name was Yaroslav. He was in charge of Novgorod at that time. Yaroslav tried to warn Gleb, saying that his father had died and their brother Boris had been killed. When Gleb mourned them, the villains from Svyatopolk came to him.

The murder is described in detail in "The Tale of Boris and Gleb". The content of this work largely depends on this moment. Gleb was just sailing in a boat along Smyadyn, the killers began to overtake him. The young prince thought they wanted to greet him, but instead they jumped into his boat with drawn swords.

Gleb began to ask to be left alive, but they were inexorable. The prince had no choice but to start praying to God. For his father, brothers and even Svyatopolk, who planned a crime against him. Gleb's cook, Torchin, stabbed his master. It happened on September 5th.

"The Tale of Boris and Gleb" briefly describes how Gleb's body was thrown in a deserted place. Soon, people passing by began to hear angelic singing and see pillars of fire, but could not guess that the body of the saint lay there.

Massacre with Svyatopolk

Yaroslav sets out with an army against Svyatopolk at the end of "The Tale of Boris and Gleb". The heroes of this work, as stated on its pages, reunited in heaven. Meanwhile, on earth, Yaroslav wins victory after victory.

The key battle took place on Alta, where Boris was killed. Yaroslav won again, and Svyatopolk was forced to flee. He fled abroad and died there.

Yaroslav became the Grand Duke, who stopped internecine wars. He found and buried the body of Gleb, which turned out to be incorrupt.

Miracles began to come from the relics of the brothers.