The original Russian "superheroes" were heroes who defended our land hundreds of years ago. In epics and legends, images of many Russian heroes have been preserved, and this post will introduce us to them.

Ilya Muromets. Holy hero

Ilya Muromets canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church, this is the main Russian hero. Ilya Muromets is the main character not only of Russian epics, but also, for example, German epic poems of the 13th century. They also call him Ilya, he is also a hero, yearning for his homeland. Ilya Muromets is also found in the Scandinavian sagas, in them he, no less, is the blood brother of Prince Vladimir.

Nikitich. Bogatyr with connections

Dobrynya Nikitich is often associated with the chronicle Dobrynya, the uncle of Prince Vladimir (according to another version, a nephew). His name embodies the essence of "heroic kindness." Dobrynya has the nickname "young", with great physical strength "he will not hurt a fly", he is the protector of "widows and orphans, unfortunate wives." Dobrynya is also "an artist at heart: a master of singing and playing the harp."

Alesha Popovich. junior

The "youngest of the younger" heroes, and therefore his set of qualities is not so "supermanly". Vice is not even alien to him: cunning, selfishness, self-interest. That is, on the one hand, he is distinguished by courage, but on the other, he is proud, arrogant, quarrelsome, perky and rude.

Bova Royal. Popular hero

Bova Korolevich for a long time was the most popular hero among the people. Lubok tales about the "extraordinary hero" came out in hundreds of editions from the 18th to the 20th centuries. Pushkin wrote The Tale of Tsar Saltan, partly borrowing the plot and the names of the heroes of the fairy tales about the Boys Korolevich, which his nanny read to him. Moreover, he even made sketches of the poem "Bova", but death will prevent him from finishing the work. The prototype of this knight was the French knight Bovo de Anton from the famous chronicle poem Reali di Francia, written in the 14th century. In this regard, Bova is a completely unique hero - a visiting one.

Svyatogor. Megahero

Megahero. But the hero of the "old world". The giant, the elder hero the size of a mountain, whom even the earth does not hold, lies on the mountain in inactivity. Epics tell about his meeting with earthly cravings and death in a magical grave. Many features of the biblical hero Samson have been transferred to Svyatogora. It is difficult to determine exactly its ancient origin. In the legends of the people, the veteran hero transfers his strength to Ilya Muromets, the hero of the Christian age.

Duke Stepanovich. Bogatyr-major

Duke Stepanovich comes to Kiev from conditional India, behind which, according to folklorists, in this case, the Galicia-Volyn land is hiding, and arranges a boasting marathon in Kiev, passes tests from the prince, and continues to brag. As a result, Vladimir learns that Duke is really very rich and offers him citizenship. But Duke refuses, because "if you sell Kyiv and Chernigov and buy papers for an inventory of Dyukov's wealth, then there will not be enough paper."

Mikula Selyaninovich. Bogatyr-plowman

Mikula Selyaninovich is a heroic agrarian. It is found in two epics: about Svyatogor and about Volga Svyatoslavich. Mikula is the first representative of agricultural life, a powerful peasant plowman. He is strong and hardy, but a homebody. He puts all his strength into agriculture and family.

Volga Svyatoslavovich. Bogatyr mage

Supporters of the "historical school" in the study of epics believe that Prince Vseslav Polotsky was the prototype of the epic Volga. Volga was also correlated with Prophetic Oleg, and his campaign in India - with Oleg's campaign against Constantinople. Volga is a difficult hero, he has the ability to be a werewolf, he knows how to understand the language of animals and birds.

Sukhman Odikhmantievich. Insulted hero

According to Vsevolod Miller, the Pskov prince Dovmont, who ruled from 1266 to 1299, was the prototype of the hero. In the bylina of the Kyiv cycle, Sukhman goes to get a white swan for Prince Vladimir, but on the way he comes into battle with the Tatar hordes, who are building viburnum bridges on the Nepre River. Sukhman defeats the Tatars, but in battle he receives wounds that he seals up with leaves. Returning to Kyiv without a white swan, he tells the prince about the battle, but the prince does not believe him and imprisons Sukhman in prison until clarification. Dobrynya goes to the Nepra and learns that Sukhman did not lie. But it's' too late. Sukhman feels shamed, peels off the leaves and bleeds. From his blood begins the river Sukhman.

Dunay Ivanovich. tragic hero

According to the epics about the Danube, it was from the blood of the hero that the river of the same name began. The Danube is a tragic hero. He loses to his wife Nastasya in an archery competition, accidentally hits her while trying to win back, finds out that Nastasya was pregnant and stumbles upon a saber.

Michael Potyk. Faithful husband

Folklorists disagree on who Mihailo Potyk (or Potok) should be related to. The roots of his image are found in the Bulgarian heroic epic, and in Western European fairy tales, and even in the Mongolian epic "Geser". According to one of the epics, Potok with his wife Avdotya Lebedya Belaya gives a vow that whoever of them dies first, the second is buried next to the grave alive. When Avdotya dies, Potok is buried nearby in full armor and on horseback, he fights the dragon and revives his wife with his blood. When he himself dies, Avdotya is buried with him.

Hoten Bludovich. Bogatyr-groom

Bogatyr Khoten Bludovich, for the sake of a wedding with an enviable bride, China Sentry, first beats nine of her brothers, then a whole army hired by her future mother-in-law. As a result, the hero receives a rich dowry and appears in the epic as a hero "who married well."

Vasily Buslaev. Zealous hero

The most daring hero of the Novgorod epic cycle. His unbridled temper leads to a conflict with the Novgorodians and he is desperately rowdy, betting that he will beat all the Novgorod men on the Volkhov bridge and almost fulfills the promise - until his mother stops him. In another epic, he is already mature, goes to Jerusalem to atone for sins. But Buslaev is incorrigible - he again takes up the old and absurdly perishes, proving his youth.

Nikita Kozhemyaka. serpent fighter

Nikita Kozhemyaka in Russian fairy tales is one of the main snake fighter characters. Before entering the fight with the Serpent, he breaks 12 skins, thereby proving his legendary strength. Kozhemyaka not only defeats the Serpent, but also harnesses him to a plow and plows the land from Kyiv to the Black Sea. The defensive ramparts near Kiev got their name (Zmievs) precisely because of the deeds of Nikita Kozhemyaka.

Anika warrior. Bogatyr in words

Anika warrior is still called today a person who likes to brag about his strength far from danger (& couch fighter). Unusual for a Russian epic hero, the name of the hero is most likely taken from the Byzantine legend about the hero Digenis, who is mentioned there with the constant epithet anikitos. Anika the warrior in verse boasts of strength and offends the weak, he is shamed for this by death itself, Anika challenges her and dies.

Russian folklore is very rich and diverse in its history, culture and traditions, which are reflected in songs, epics and legends. Epics, composed by the common people, were distinguished by the beauty and plausibility of their narrative, with the presence of a small artistic fiction, which gave them even more originality inherent in the ancient Russian era. In the center of epics there is always a positive character - a hero who embodied invincible strength and boundless love for Mother Rus', the people's protector. Of course, the image of the hero is collective. The people created the image of a hero, placing their hopes and aspirations on him in order to show the next generations and instill an ideology about the invincibility of Rus' before the enemy force.

The main qualities of Russian heroes were- military prowess and efforts to protect their native land. The virtues of the heroes are tested in battle, in an unequal battle, which is connected with the composition of the epic, colorfully saturated with exaggerations.

Who were these demigods endowed with inhuman strength?

The most popular in ancient Rus' is the character of Ilya Muromets. This character has absorbed all the features inherent in mythological heroes - miraculous healing and the acquisition of superhuman strength. Ilya native from a simple peasant family, chained to a bed from childhood, until the passersby Kaliki appear and miraculously heal him. From this episode, the heroic life of Ilya Muromets originates, whose exploits are artistically reflected in epics and legends.

Another equally important character is Nikitich who lived in the same era with Ilya Muromets. The chanting of the irresistible strength and courage of the Russian hero begins with a duel with the serpent Gorynych. The story about Dobryn Nikitich contains not only fantastic stories, he also appears as a wise and brave warrior who fulfills all the instructions of Ilya Muromets. Dobrynya became the standard of a warrior of the era of Kievan Rus.

The third famous hero is - Alesha Popovich, which is often represented by a young, brave, savvy and cunning warrior.

One of the most mysterious images of Russian epics is Svyatogor, having a power superior to the great heroes of ancient Rus'. The character of Svyatogor was taken from ancient mythology, which absorbed the ideas of the great mountain giants, who embodied the greatness and equanimity of the mountains. Epics about Svyatogor are tragic stories about how a mighty giant dies not in battle for a just cause, but in a dispute with some unknown, irresistible force.

No less mysterious hero in the Russian epic is Volkh Vseslavevich who was born from a fantastic serpent. Volkh is considered a sorcerer and priest of the pagan gods. Volkh is the hero of "The Tale of Igor's Campaign". Despite his fame, the character of Volkh was not a historical person, but only the fruit of the artistic imagination of the people.

Unlike Wolf, Dunay Ivanovich is a character with a real-historical basis. The story of the Danube begins with a fight with Dobrynya Nikitich. The Danube is part of the Kyiv bogatyrdom.

Just as fascinating is the story of the Danube and the heroes Nastasya. At his own wedding, as a result of an insane argument, Danube kills Nastasya, having missed when shooting from a bow. Unable to bear the grief of loss, the Danube kills himself.

Russian heroes play a huge role in Russian history. Epics tell about those glorious men who formed Rus', guarded and defended the Russian people from the invasion of enemy forces. Russian heroes in epics embodied the idea of ​​the reunification of the Slavs, invincibility and inviolability of the ancient Russian state in front of external enemies, being a role model in patriotism and courage for future generations.

Bylina. Ilya Muromets

Ilya Muromets and the Nightingale the Robber

Early, early, Ilya left Murom, and he wanted to get to the capital city of Kyiv by lunchtime. His frisky horse gallops a little lower than a walking cloud, higher than a standing forest. And quickly, soon the hero drove up to the city of Chernigov. And near Chernigov there is an uncountable enemy force. There is no pedestrian or horseback access. The enemy hordes are approaching the fortress walls, they are thinking of capturing and devastating Chernigov.

Ilya drove up to the myriad rati and began to beat the rapists-invaders, like mowing grass. And with a sword, and a spear, and a heavy club4, and a heroic horse tramples enemies. And soon he nailed, trampled down that great enemy force.

The gates in the fortress wall opened, Chernigov citizens came out, bowed low to the hero and called him governor in Chernigov-grad.

- Thank you for the honor, peasants of Chernigov, but it’s not for me to sit as governor in Chernigov, - answered Ilya Muromets. - I'm in a hurry to the capital Kyiv-grad. Show me the right way!

“You are our redeemer, glorious Russian hero, the straight road to Kyiv-grad has become overgrown, muraved. The detour is now walked on foot and ridden on horseback. Near the Black Dirt, near the Smorodinka River, the Nightingale the Robber, Odikhmantyev's son, settled. The robber sits on twelve oaks. The villain whistles like a nightingale, screams like an animal, and from the whistle of a nightingale and from the cry of an animal grass-ant all withered, azure flowers crumble, dark forests bend to the ground, and people lie dead! Do not go that way, glorious hero!

Ilya did not listen to the Chernigovites, he went straight on the road. He drives up to the Smorodinka River and to the Black Mud.

The Nightingale the Robber noticed him and began to whistle like a nightingale, shouted like an animal, the villain hissed like a snake. The grass withered, the flowers crumbled, the trees bowed to the ground, the horse under Ilya began to stumble.

The hero got angry, swung a silk whip at the horse.

- What are you, a wolf's satiety, a bag of grass, began to stumble? Have you not heard, apparently, the whistle of a nightingale, the thorn of a snake, and the cry of an animal?

He himself grabbed a tight, explosive bow and shot at the Nightingale the Robber, wounded the right eye and right hand of the monster, and the villain fell to the ground. The bogatyr fastened the robber to the saddle pommel and drove the Nightingale across the open field past the nightingale's lair. The sons and daughters saw how they were carrying their father, tied to a saddle pommel, grabbed swords and horns, ran to rescue the Nightingale the Robber. And Ilya scattered them, scattered them and, without delay, began to continue his path.

Ilya came to the capital city of Kyiv, to the wide court of the prince. And the glorious Prince Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko with the princes of his knees, with honorable boyars and mighty heroes, just sat down at the dinner table.

Ilya put his horse in the middle of the yard, he himself entered the dining room. He laid the cross in a written way, bowed on four sides in a learned way, and to the Great Prince himself in person.

Prince Vladimir began to ask:

- Where are you from, good fellow, what is your name, called by your patronymic?

- I am from the city of Murom, from the suburban village of Karacharova, Ilya Muromets.

- How long ago, good fellow, did you leave Murom?

“I left Murom early in the morning,” answered Ilya, “I wanted to be in time for mass in Kyiv-grad, but I hesitated on the way, along the way. And I was driving along a straight road past the city of Chernigov, past the Smorodinka River and Black Mud.

The prince frowned, frowned, looked unkindly:

Popliteal - subordinate, subordinate.

- You, peasant peasant, are mocking us in the face! An enemy army is standing near Chernigov - an innumerable force, and there is neither a foot nor a horse there, nor a passage. And from Chernigov to Kyiv, the straight road has long been overgrown, covered with murals. Near the river Smorodinka and Black Mud, the robber Nightingale, the son of Odikhmant, sits on twelve oaks, and does not let foot or horse through. Even a falcon can't fly there!

Ilya Muromets answers those words:

- Near Chernigov, the enemy army is all beaten and fought, and the Nightingale the Robber is wounded in your yard, strapped to the saddle.

Prince Vladimir jumped out from behind the table, threw a marten fur coat over one shoulder, a sable hat over one ear, and ran out onto the red porch.

I saw the Nightingale the Robber, strapped to the saddle pommel:

- Whistle, Nightingale, like a nightingale, scream, dog, like an animal, hiss, robber, like a snake!

“It’s not you, prince, who captured me, defeated me. I won, Ilya Muromets captivated me. And I will not listen to anyone but him.

“Order, Ilya Muromets,” says Prince Vladimir, “to whistle, shout, hiss at the Nightingale!”

Ilya Muromets ordered:

- Whistle, Nightingale, half a nightingale's whistle, cry half a beast's cry, hiss a snake's half-thorn!

“From the bloody wound,” the Nightingale says, “my mouth is dry. You ordered me to pour a cup of green wine for me, not a small cup - one and a half buckets, and then I will amuse Prince Vladimir.

They brought the nightingale the robber a glass of green wine. The villain took the chara with one hand, drank the chara for a single spirit.

After that he whistled in a full whistle like a nightingale, shouted in a full cry like an animal, hissed in a full spike like a snake.

Here the domes on the towers grimaced, and the knees in the towers crumbled, all the people who were in the yard lay dead. Vladimir, Prince of Stolno-Kiev, hides himself with a marten coat and crawls around.

Ilya Muromets got angry. He mounted a good horse, took the Nightingale the Robber into the open field:

- It's enough for you, villain, to destroy people! - And cut off the Nightingale's wild head.

So much the Nightingale the Robber lived in the world. That's where the story about him ended.

Ilya Muromets and Poor Idolishche

Once Ilya Muromets left far from Kyiv in an open field, in a wide expanse. I shot geese, swans and gray ducks there. On the way he met the elder Ivanishche - a cross-country Kalika. Ilya asks:

— How long have you been from Kyiv?

- Recently I was in Kyiv. There, Prince Vladimir and Apraksia are in trouble. There were no heroes in the city, and the filthy Idolishche arrived. As tall as a haystack, eyes like bowls, a slanting sazhen in the shoulders. He sits in the prince's chambers, treats himself, shouts at the prince and princess: “Give it and bring it!” And there is no one to defend them.

“Oh, old Ivanishche,” says Ilya Muromets, “you are more stout and stronger than me, but you don’t have the courage and grip!” You take off your calico dress, we will change clothes for a while.

Ilya dressed up in a caliche dress, came to Kyiv to the princely court and cried out in a loud voice:

- Give, prince, a almsman to a passer-by!

"What are you yelling at, you bastard?! Enter the dining room. I want to chat with you! shouted the filthy Idolish through the window.

In the shoulders oblique sazhen - broad shoulders.

Nishchekhlibina is a contemptuous appeal to a beggar.

The hero entered the room, stood at the lintel. The prince and princess did not recognize him.

And Idolische, lounging, sits at the table, grinning:

- Have you seen, Kalika, the hero Ilyushka of Muromets? What is his height, stature? Do you eat and drink a lot?

- Ilya Muromets is just like me in height and stature. He eats a loaf of bread a day. Green wine, standing beer drinks a cup a day, and that's what happens.

- What kind of hero is he? Idolishche laughed, grinned. - Here I am a hero - at a time I eat a fried three-year-old bull, I drink a barrel of green wine. When I meet Ileyka, the Russian hero, I will put him in the palm of my hand, slap the other, and there will be dirt and water left from him!

To that boast, the cross-eyed Kalika answers:

- Our priest also had a gluttonous pig. She ate and drank a lot until she vomited.

Those speeches did not fall in love with Idolisch. He threw a yard-long * damask knife, and Ilya Muromets was evasive, evaded the knife.

The knife stuck into the doorway, the doorway flew out with a crash in the canopy. Here Ilya Muromets, in lapotochki and in a calico dress, grabbed the filthy Idolish, raised him above his head and threw the braggart-rapist on the brick floor.

So much Idolishche has been alive. And the glory of the mighty Russian hero is sung century after century.

Ilya Muromets and Kalin Tsar

Prince Vladimir started a feast of honors and did not call Ilya of Muromets. The hero took offense at the prince; he went out into the street, pulled on his tight bow, began to shoot at the church's silver domes, at the gilded crosses, and shouted to the peasants of Kyiv:

- Collect gilded and silver church domes, bring them to the circle - to the drinking house. Let's start our own feast-dining for all the peasants of Kyiv!

Prince Vladimir of Stolno-Kiev was angry, ordered to put Ilya Muromets in a deep cellar for three years.

And Vladimir's daughter ordered to make the keys to the cellar and, secretly from the prince, ordered to feed and water the glorious hero, sent him soft feather beds, downy pillows.

How much, how little time has passed, a messenger rode to Kyiv from Tsar Kalin.

He waved the doors wide open, without asking he ran into the prince's tower, threw a messenger letter to Vladimir. And in the letter it is written: “I order you, Prince Vladimir, to quickly and quickly clear the streets of the Streltsy and the large courtyards of the princes and instruct all the streets and lanes of foamy beer, standing mead and green wine, so that my army would have something to treat themselves to in Kiev. If you don't follow orders, blame yourself. I will shake Rus' with fire, I will destroy Kyiv-city and put you and the princess to death. I give you three days."

Prince Vladimir read the letter, grieved, saddened.

He walks around the upper room, sheds burning tears, wipes himself with a silk handkerchief:

- Oh, why did I put Ilya Muromets in a deep cellar and ordered that cellar to be covered with yellow sand! Go, is our defender not alive now? And there are no other heroes in Kyiv now. And there is no one to stand up for the faith, for the Russian land, no one to stand up for the capital city, to defend me with the princess and my daughter!

“Father-prince of Stolno-Kiev, they didn’t order me to be executed, let me say a word,” Vladimir’s daughter said. - Our Ilya Muromets is alive and well. I secretly gave water to you, fed him, cared for him. Forgive me, self-willed daughter!

“You are clever, you are intelligent,” Prince Vladimir praised his daughter.

He grabbed the key to the cellar and ran after Ilya Muromets himself. He brought him to the white-stone chambers, hugged, kissed the hero, treated him with sugar dishes, gave him sweet overseas wines, spoke these words:

- Don't be angry, Ilya Muromets! Let what was between us, bylyom grow. We've been hit by misfortune. The dog Kalin-Tsar approached the capital city of Kyiv, led countless hordes. It threatens to ruin Rus', to roll with fire, to ruin Kiev-city, to captivate all the people of Kiev, and now there are no heroes. Everyone is standing at the outposts and has gone on patrols. I have all my hope for you alone, glorious hero Ilya Muromets!

Once Ilya Muromets cool off, treat himself at the princely table. He quickly went to his yard. First of all, he visited his prophetic horse. The horse, well-fed, smooth, well-groomed, neighed happily when he saw the owner.

Ilya Muromets said to his parobka:

- Thank you for grooming the horse, taking care of it!

And he began to saddle the horse. First imposed

a sweatshirt, and on the sweatshirt he put felt, on the felt a Cherkassy unsupported saddle. He tightened twelve silk girths with damask studs, with red gold buckles, not for beauty, for pleasing, for the sake of a heroic fortress: silk girths stretch, do not tear, damask steel bends, does not break, and red gold buckles do not rust. Ilya himself was equipped with heroic battle armor. He had a damask mace with him, a long spear, girded a battle sword, grabbed a road shalyga and drove out into an open field. He sees that the Basurman forces near Kiev are many. From the cry of a man and from the neighing of a horse, the human heart desponds. Wherever you look, nowhere can you see the end-edge of the force-hordes of the enemy.

Ilya Muromets drove off, climbed a high hill, he looked towards the east and saw, far, far away in an open field, white-linen tents. He directed there, urged the horse, saying: “It is clear that our Russian heroes are standing there, they do not know about misfortune, trouble.”

And soon he drove up to the white-linen tents, went into the tent of the greatest hero Samson Samoylovich, his godfather. And the heroes at that time dined.

Ilya Muromets spoke:

“Bread and salt, Holy Russian heroes!”

Samson Samoylovich answered:

- And come on, perhaps, our glorious hero Ilya Muromets! Sit down with us to dine, taste the bread and salt!

Here the heroes got up on frisky legs, greeted Ilya Muromets, hugged him, kissed him three times, invited him to the table.

Thank you, brothers of the cross. I didn’t come to dine, but I brought joyless, sad news, ”Ilya Muromets said. - There is an uncountable army near Kiev. The dog Kalin-Tsar is threatening to take our capital city and burn it down, cut down all the Kiev peasants, steal their wives and daughters in full, ruin the churches, bring Prince Vladimir and Princess Apraksia to an evil death. And I came to call you to fight with the enemies!

The heroes answered those speeches:

- We will not, Ilya Muromets, saddle horses, we will not go to fight, fight for Prince Vladimir and Princess Apraksia. They have many close princes and boyars. The Grand Prince of Stolno-Kiev gives them water and feeds them and favors them, but we have nothing from Vladimir and Apraksia the Queen. Do not persuade us, Ilya Muromets!

Ilya Muromets did not like those speeches. He mounted his good horse and rode up to the hordes of the enemy. He began to trample on the strength of enemies with a horse, stab with a spear, chop with a sword and beat with a roadside shalyga. Beats, strikes tirelessly. And the heroic horse under him spoke in human language:

- Do not beat you, Ilya Muromets, enemy forces. Tsar Kalin has mighty heroes and daring meadows, and deep digs have been dug in the open field. As soon as we sit down in the digs, I will jump out of the first dig and I will jump out of the other dig and I will carry you out, Ilya, and I will even jump out of the third dig, but I won’t be able to carry you out.

Ilya did not like those speeches. He raised a silk whip, began to beat the horse on steep hips, saying:

- Oh, you treacherous dog, wolf meat, grass bag! I feed, sing you, take care of you, and you want to destroy me!

And then the horse with Ilya sank into the first dig. From there, the faithful horse jumped out, carried the hero on himself. And again the hero began to beat the enemy force, like mowing grass. And another time the horse with Ilya sank into a deep dig. And from this tunnel a frisky horse carried the hero.

Beats Ilya Muromets basurman, sentences:

- Do not go yourself and order your children-grandchildren to go to fight in Great Rus' forever and ever.

At that time, they sank with the horse into the third deep dig. His faithful horse jumped out of the tunnel, but Ilya Muromets could not bear it. Enemies ran to catch the horse, but the faithful horse did not give up, he galloped far into the open field. Then dozens of heroes, hundreds of warriors attacked Ilya Muromets in a dig, tied him up, handcuffed him, and brought him to the tent to Tsar Kalin. Kalin-Tsar met him kindly and friendly, ordered to untie-unchain the hero:

- Sit down, Ilya Muromets, with me, Tsar Kalin, at a single table, eat whatever your heart desires, drink my honey drinks. I will give you precious clothes, I will give you, as necessary, a golden treasury. Do not serve Prince Vladimir, but serve me, Tsar Kalin, and you will be my neighbor boyar prince!

Ilya Muromets looked at Tsar Kalin, grinned unkindly and said:

“I won’t sit at the same table with you, I won’t eat your dishes, I won’t drink your honey drinks, I don’t need precious clothes, I don’t need countless golden treasuries. I will not serve you - the dog Tsar Kalin! And henceforth I will faithfully defend, defend Great Rus', stand for the capital city of Kiev, for my people and for Prince Vladimir. And I’ll tell you more: you’re stupid, the dog Kalin-tsar, if you think in Rus' to find traitors-defectors!

He swung open the carpet-curtain door and jumped out of the tent. And there the guards, the royal guards, fell on Ilya Muromets in a cloud: some with fetters, some with ropes, they get along to tie the unarmed.

Yes, it was not there! The mighty hero tensed up, tensed up: he scattered, scattered the infidels and slipped through the enemy force-army into an open field, into a wide expanse.

He whistled with a heroic whistle, and, out of nowhere, his faithful horse came running with armor and equipment.

Ilya Muromets rode out to a high hill, pulled a tight bow and sent a red-hot arrow, saying himself: “You fly, red-hot arrow, into the white tent, fall, arrow, on the white chest of my godfather, slip and make a small scratch. He will understand: it can be bad for me alone in battle. An arrow hit Samson's tent. Samson the hero woke up, jumped up on frisky legs and shouted in a loud voice:

“Get up, mighty Russian heroes!” A red-hot arrow flew from the godson - bad news: he needed help in the battle with the Saracens. In vain, he would not have sent an arrow. You saddle, without delay, good horses, and we will go to fight not for the sake of Prince Vladimir, but for the sake of the Russian people, to the rescue of the glorious Ilya Muromets!

Soon twelve heroes jumped to the rescue, and Ilya Muromets with them in the thirteenth. They pounced on the hordes of the enemy, nailed down, trampled down with horses all my innumerable strength, they took Tsar Kalin in full, brought him to the chambers of Prince Vladimir. And Kalin the king spoke:

- Do not execute me, Prince Vladimir of Stolno-Kiev, I will pay tribute to you and order my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to never go to Rus' with a sword, but to live in peace with you. In that we will sign the letter.

Here the old epic ended.

Nikitich

Dobrynya and the Serpent

Dobrynya grew up to full age. Heroic grips awakened in him. Dobrynya Nikitich began to ride on a good horse in an open field and trample kites with a frisky horse.

His dear mother, the honest widow Afimya Alexandrovna, said to him:

“My child, Dobrynushka, you don’t need to swim in the Pochai River. Pochai is an angry river, it is angry, ferocious. The first jet in the river cuts like fire, sparks fall from the other jet, and smoke pours from the third jet. And you don’t need to go to the distant mountain Sorochinskaya and go there to snake holes-caves.

Young Dobrynya Nikitich did not listen to his mother. He went out of the white-stone chambers into a wide, spacious courtyard, went into a standing stable, led out the heroic horse and began to saddle: first he put on a sweatshirt, and on the sweatshirt he put felt, and on the felt a Cherkassy saddle, decorated with silks, gold, tightened twelve silk girths. The buckles at the girths are pure gold, and the pegs at the buckles are damask, not for the sake of beauty, but for the sake of strength: after all, silk does not tear, damask steel does not bend, red gold does not rust, the hero sits on a horse, does not age.

Then he attached a quiver with arrows to the saddle, took a tight heroic bow, took a heavy club and a long spear. The young man called in a loud voice, ordered him to be escorted.

It was visible how he mounted a horse, but not how he rode away from the yard, only a dusty smoke curled like a pillar behind the hero.

Dobrynya traveled with a steamer across an open field. They did not meet any geese, or swans, or gray ducks.

Then the hero drove up to the Pochai River. The horse near Dobrynya was exhausted, and he himself became wise under the baking sun. I wanted a good fellow to swim. He dismounted from his horse, took off his travel clothes, ordered the horse to be dragged and fed with silk grass-ant, and he swam away from the shore in one thin linen shirt.

He swims and completely forgot that his mother was punishing ... And at that time, just from the eastern side, a dashing misfortune rolled up: the Serpent-Mountainous Mountain with three heads, twelve trunks flew in, eclipsed the sun with filthy wings. He saw an unarmed man in the river, rushed down, grinned:

- You are now, Dobrynya, in my hands. If I want, I’ll burn you with fire, if I want, I’ll take you full of life, I’ll take you to the Sorochinsky mountains, into deep holes into snakes!

It throws sparks, scorches with fire, catches the good fellow with its trunks.

And Dobrynya is agile, evasive, dodged the snake's trunks and dived deep into the depths, and emerged right at the very shore. He jumped onto the yellow sand, and the Serpent flies behind him. The good fellow is looking for heroic armor, than he should fight with the Serpent-monster, and did not find either a couple, or a horse, or military equipment. The couple of the Serpent-Gorynishcha was frightened, he ran away and drove away the horse with armor.

Dobrynya sees: things are not right, and he has no time to think and guess ... He noticed on the sand a hat-cap of Greek soil, and quickly filled his hat with yellow sand and threw that three-pound cap at the opponent. The Serpent fell on the damp ground. The hero jumped up to the Serpent on his white chest, he wants to kill him. Then the filthy monster pleaded:

- Young Dobrynushka Nikitich! Don't beat me, don't execute me, let me go alive, unharmed. We will write notes between ourselves with you: do not fight forever, do not fight. I will not fly to Rus', ruin villages with villages, I will not take people full. And you, my elder brother, do not go to the Sorochinsky mountains, do not trample the little serpents with a frisky horse.

Young Dobrynya, he is gullible: he listened to flattering speeches, let the Serpent go free, on all four sides, he quickly found a couple with his horse, with equipment. After that he returned home and bowed low to his mother:

- Empress Mother! Bless me for the heroic military service.

Mother blessed him, and Dobrynya went to the capital city of Kyiv. He arrived at the prince's court, tied his horse to a chiseled post, to that gilded ring, he himself entered the white-stone chambers, laid the cross in the written way, and bowed in the learned way: he bowed low on all four sides, and to the prince and princess in person . Kindly Prince Vladimir met the guest and asked:

“You are a burly, burly good fellow, whose clans, from what cities?” And how to call you by name, call you by your native land?

- I am from the glorious city of Ryazan, the son of Nikita Romanovich and Afimya Alexandrovna - Dobrynya, the son of Nikitich. I came to you, prince, to the military service.

And at that time, Prince Vladimir's tables were pulled apart, the princes, boyars and mighty Russian heroes were feasting. Prince Vladimir Dobrynya Nikitich sat at the table in a place of honor between Ilya Muromets and Danube Ivanovich, brought him a glass of green wine, not a small glass - one and a half buckets. Dobrynya took chara with one hand, drank chara for a single spirit.

And Prince Vladimir, meanwhile, walked around the dining room, proverbially the sovereign pronounces:

- Oh, you goy, mighty Russian heroes, I do not live in joy today, in sorrow. Lost my beloved niece, young Zabava Putyatichna. She walked with her mothers, with the nannies in the green garden, and at that time the Zmeinishche-Gorynishche flew over Kiev, he grabbed Zabava Putyatichna, soared above the standing forest and carried it to the Sorochinsky mountains, into deep snake caves. Would there be one of you, kids: you, the princes of your knees, you, the boyars of your neighbor, and you, the mighty Russian heroes, who would go to the Sorochinsky mountains, rescued from the full of snakes, rescued the beautiful Zabavushka Putyatichna and thus consoled me and Princess Apraksia? !

All the princes and boyars are silent in silence.

The larger one is buried for the middle one, the middle one for the smaller one, and there is no answer from the smaller one.

It was here that Dobrynya Nikitich came to mind: “But the Serpent violated the commandment: do not fly to Rus', do not take people in full - if he took it away, captivated Zabava Putyatichna.” He left the table, bowed to Prince Vladimir and said these words:

- Sunny Vladimir, Prince of Stolno-Kiev, you throw this service on me. After all, the Serpent Gorynych recognized me as a brother and swore not to fly to the Russian land for a century and not to take it in full, but he violated that oath-commandment. I have to go to the Sorochinsky mountains, to rescue Zabava Putyatichna.

The prince brightened his face and said:

- You consoled us, good fellow!

And Dobrynya bowed low on all four sides, and to the prince and princess in person, then he went out into the wide courtyard, mounted his horse and rode to Ryazan-city.

There, he asked his mother for blessings to go to the Sorochinsky mountains, to rescue Russian captives from the full of snakes.

Mother Afimya Alexandrovna said:

- Go, dear child, and my blessing will be with you!

Then she gave a whip of seven silks, gave an embroidered white-linen shawl and spoke to her son these words:

- When you fight with the Serpent, your right hand will get tired, numb, the white light in your eyes will be lost, you wipe yourself with a handkerchief and wipe the horse, it will remove all fatigue as if by hand, and the strength of you and the horse will triple, and wave the seven-silk whip over the Serpent - he will bow to the damp earth. Here you tear-cut all the snake's trunks - all the snake's strength will be depleted.

Dobrynya bowed low to his mother, the honest widow Afimya Alexandrovna, then mounted a good horse and rode to the Sorochinsky mountains.

And the filthy Serpent-Gorynishche smelled Dobrynya for half a field, swooped in, began to shoot with fire and fight, fight. They fight for an hour or so. The greyhound horse was exhausted, began to stumble, and Dobrynya's right hand waved, the light faded in his eyes. Here the hero remembered his mother's order. He himself wiped himself with an embroidered white-linen handkerchief and wiped his horse. His faithful horse began to jump three times faster than before. And Dobrynya lost all his fatigue, his strength tripled. He seized the time, waved a seven-silk whip over the Serpent, and the Serpent's strength was exhausted: he crouched down to the damp earth.

Dobrynya tore-chopped snake trunks, and in the end cut off all three heads of a filthy monster, chopped them with a sword, trampled all the snakes with a horse and went into deep snake holes, cut and broke strong constipation, let out a lot of people from the crowd, let everyone go free .

He brought Zabava Putyatichna into the world, put him on a horse and brought him to the capital city of Kyiv.

He brought him to the princely chambers, there he bowed in a written way: on all four sides, and to the prince and princess in person, he started a speech in a learned way:

- By your command, prince, I went to the Sorochinskiye mountains, ruined and fought the snake's lair. He killed the Snake-Gorynishch himself and all the little serpents, released the darkness-darkness into the will of the people, and rescued your beloved niece, the young Zabava Putyatichna.

Prince Vladimir was glad, happy, he hugged Dobrynya Nikitich tightly, kissed him on the lips of sugar, put him in a place of honor.

To celebrate, the prince of honors started a feast-table for all the boyar princes, for all the mighty glorified heroes.

And everyone at that feast got drunk, ate, glorified the heroism and prowess of the hero Dobrynya Nikitich.

Dobrynya, Ambassador of Prince Vladimir

The prince's table-feasting goes on half-feast, the guests sit half-drunk. One Prince Vladimir of Stolno-Kiev is sad, unhappy. He walks around the dining room, proverbially the sovereign pronounces: “I have lost the care-sadness of my beloved niece Zabava Putyatichna, and now another misfortune-adversity has happened: Khan Bakhtiyar Bakhtiyarovich demands a great tribute for twelve years, in which letters-records were written between us. The khan threatens to go to war, if I don’t give tribute. So it is necessary to send ambassadors to Bakhtiyar Bakhtiyarovich, to take tribute-outputs: twelve swans, twelve gyrfalcons and a letter of guilt, but a tribute in itself. So I’m thinking, whom should I send as ambassadors?

Here all the guests at the tables fell silent. The big one is buried for the middle one, the middle one is buried for the smaller one, and there is no answer from the smaller one. Then the nearest boyar rose:

- You let me, prince, say a word.

“Speak, boyar, we will listen,” Prince Vladimir answered him.

And the boyar began to say:

“To go to the Khan’s land is no small service, and it’s better to send someone like Dobrynya Nikitich and Vasily Kazimirovich, and send Ivan Dubrovich as assistants. They know how to walk in ambassadors, and they know how to conduct a conversation with the khan.

And then Vladimir, Prince of Stolno-Kiev, poured three charms of green wine, not small charms - into one and a half buckets, diluted the wine with standing honey.

He offered the first enchantment to Dobrynya Nikitich, the second enchantment to Vasily Kazimirovich, and the third charade to Ivan Dubrovich.

All three heroes got up on frisky feet, took the spell with one hand, drank for a single spirit, bowed low to the prince, and all three said:

- We will celebrate your service, prince, we will go to the land of the Khan, we will give your letter of guilt, twelve swans as a gift, twelve gyrfalcons and tributes for twelve years to Bakhtiyar Bakhtiyarovich.

Prince Vladimir gave the ambassadors a letter of guilt and ordered Bakhtiyar Bakhtiyarovich to give twelve swans, twelve gyrfalcons as a gift, and then poured a box of pure silver, another box of red gold, and a third box of pitched pearls: tribute to the khan for twelve years.

With that, the ambassadors mounted good horses and rode to the Khan's land. During the day they ride on the red sun, at night they ride on the bright moon. Day after day, like rain, week after week, like a river runs, and good fellows move forward.

And so they arrived in the Khan's land, in a wide courtyard to Bakhtiyar Bakhtiyarovich.

Dismounted from good horses. Young Dobrynya Nikitich waved at the heel of the door, and they entered the white stone chambers of the khan. There, the cross was laid in the written way, and bows were made in a learned way, they bowed low on all four sides, especially to the khan himself.

Khan began to ask the good fellows:

“Where are you from, burly good fellows?” What cities are you from, what kind of family are you and what is your name?

The good fellows kept the answer:

- We came from the city from Kyiv, from the glorious from the prince from Vladimir. They brought you tributes for twelve years.

Here they gave the khan a confession letter, gave twelve swans as a gift, twelve gyrfalcons. Then they brought a box of pure silver, another box of red gold, and a third box of pearls. After that, Bakhtiyar Bakhtiyarovich sat the ambassadors at an oak table, fed, regaled, watered and began to ask:

On the heel - wide open, wide, in full swing.

- Do you have in Holy Rus' at the glorious PRINCE Vladimir who plays chess, in expensive gilded tavlei? Does anyone play checkers and chess?

Dobrynya Nikitich spoke in response:

- I can play chess with you, khan, in expensive gilded tavlei.

They brought chessboards, and Dobrynya and the Khan began to step over from cage to cage. Dobrynya stepped once and another stepped, and on the third khana he closed the passage.

Bakhtiyar Bakhtiyarovich says:

- Oh, you are much better, good fellow, to play checkers-tavlei. Before you, with whom I played, I beat everyone. Under another game, I put a pledge: two boxes of pure silver, two boxes of red gold, and two boxes of slatted pearls.

Dobrynya Nikitich answered him:

“My business is traveling, there is no countless gold treasury with me, there is neither pure silver nor red gold, there is no scat pearl. Unless I bet my wild head.

So the khan once stepped - he didn’t step, another time he stepped - he stepped over, and the third time Dobrynya closed the move for him, he won Bakhtiyarov’s pledge: two boxes of pure silver, two boxes of red gold and two boxes of slatted pearls.

The Khan got excited, got excited, he set a great pledge: to pay tribute-outputs to Prince Vladimir for twelve years and a half. And for the third time, Dobrynya won the bail. The loss is great, the khan lost and was offended. He says these words:

- Glorious heroes, ambassadors of Vladimir! How many of you are willing to shoot from a bow in order to pass a red-hot arrow along the point along a knife edge, so that the arrow splits in half and the arrow hits the silver ring and both halves of the arrow were equal in weight.

And twelve hefty heroes brought the best khan's bow.

The young Dobrynya Nikitich took that tight, torn bow, began to put on a red-hot arrow, Dobrynya began to pull the bowstring, the bowstring broke like a rotten thread, and the bow broke and crumbled. Young Dobrynushka spoke:

- Oh, you, Bakhtiyar Bakhtiyarovich, that wretched ray, worthless!

And he said to Ivan Dubrovich:

- You go, my cross brother, to the wide courtyard, bring my travel bow, which is attached to the right stirrup.

Ivan Dubrovich unfastened the bow from the right one from the stirrup and carried that bow into the white-stone chamber. And voiced hussels were attached to the bow - not for beauty, but for the sake of valiant fun. And now Ivanushka is carrying a bow, playing on the guselts. All the infidels listened, they didn’t have such a diva for centuries ...

Dobrynya takes his tight bow, stands opposite the silver ring, and three times he shot at the edge of the knife, doubled the arrow of the kalyon in two and hit the silver ring three times.

Bakhtiyar Bakhtiyarovich started shooting here. The first time he fired - he didn't shoot, the second time he shot - he shot and the third time he shot, but he didn't hit the ring.

This Khan did not come to love, did not like it. And he conceived something bad: to lime, to solve the ambassadors of Kyiv, all three heroes. And he spoke softly:

- Won't any of you, glorious heroes, ambassadors of Vladimirov, wish to fight and have fun with our fighters, to taste their strength?

Before Vasily Kazimirovich and Ivan Dubrovich had time to utter a word, like a young Dobrynushka epancha; took off, straightened his mighty shoulders and went out into the wide courtyard. There he was met by a hero-fighter. The growth of the hero is terrible, in the shoulders a slanting fathom, the head is like a beer cauldron, and behind that hero there are many fighters. They began to walk around the yard, they began to push the young Dobrynushka. And Dobrynya pushed them away, kicked them and threw them away from him. Then the terrible hero grabbed Dobrynya by the white hands, but they fought for a short time, measured their strength - Dobrynya was strong, grasping ... He threw and threw the hero on the damp ground, only the rumble went, the earth trembled. At first the fighters were horrified, they hurried, and then all in a crowd they attacked Dobrynya, and the fight-fun here was replaced by a fight-fight. With a cry and with weapons, they fell on Dobrynya.

And Dobrynya was unarmed, scattered the first hundred, crucified, and behind those a whole thousand.

He snatched out the cart axle and began to regale his enemies with that axle. Ivan Dubrovich jumped out of the chambers to help him, and the two of them began to beat and beat the enemies together. Where the heroes pass, there is a street, and if they turn to the side, there is an alley.

Enemies lie lying down, they don't yell.

The Khan's arms and legs shook as he saw this massacre. Somehow he crawled out, went out into the wide courtyard and begged, began to beg:

- Glorious Russian heroes! You leave my fighters, do not destroy them! And I will give Prince Vladimir a letter of guilt, I will order my grandchildren and great-grandchildren not to fight with the Russians, not to fight, and I will pay tribute-outputs forever and ever!

He invited ambassadors-bogatyrs to the white-stone chambers, treated them with sugar dishes and honey honey. After that, Bakhtiyar Bakhtiyarovich wrote a letter of guilt to Prince Vladimir: for all eternity, do not go to war in Rus', do not fight with the Russians, do not fight and pay tribute-exits forever and ever. Then he poured a cartload of pure silver, another cartloader poured red gold, and a third cartloaded heaped pearls and sent twelve swans, twelve gyrfalcons as a gift to Vladimir and accompanied the ambassadors with great honor. He himself went out into the wide courtyard and bowed low after the heroes.

And the mighty Russian heroes - Dobrynya Nikitich, Vasily Kazimirovich and Ivan Dubrovich mounted good horses and drove off from the court of Bakhtiyar Bakhtiyarovich, and after them they drove three wagons with countless treasury and with gifts to Prince Vladimir. Day after day, like rain, week after week, like a river runs, and the heroes-ambassadors move forward. They ride from morning until evening, red sun until sunset. When the frisky horses grow emaciated and the good fellows themselves grow tired, get tired, put up white-linen tents, feed the horses, rest themselves, eat and drink, and again while away the road. They travel across wide fields, cross fast rivers - and now they have arrived in the capital city of Kyiv.

They drove into the prince’s spacious courtyard and dismounted here from good horses, then Dobrynya Nikitich, Vasily Kazimirovich and Ivanushka Dubrovich entered the prince’s chambers, they laid the cross in a scholarly way, they bowed in a written manner: they bowed low on all four sides, and to Prince Vladimir from the princess in person, and they said these words:

- Oh, you are a goy, Prince Vladimir of Stolno-Kiev! We visited the Khan's Horde, your service was celebrated there. Khan Bakhtiyar ordered you to bow. - And then they gave the Khan's letter of guilt to Prince Vladimir.

Prince Vladimir sat down on an oak bench and read that letter. Then he jumped up on frisky legs, began to pace around the ward, began stroking his fair-haired curls, began waving his right hand and exclaimed brightly joyfully:

- Oh, glorious Russian heroes! After all, in the letter of the Khan, Bakhtiyar Bakhtiyarovich asks for peace for all eternity, and it is also written there: will he pay tribute-exits to us century after century. That's how glorious you celebrated my embassy there!

Here Dobrynya Nikitich, Vasily Kazimirovich and Ivan Dubrovich gave Prince Bakhtiyarov a gift: twelve swans, twelve gyrfalcons and a great tribute - a load of pure silver, a load of red gold and a load of scat pearls.

And Prince Vladimir, in the joy of honors, started a feast in honor of Dobrynya Nikitich, Vasily Kazimirovich and Ivan Dubrovich.

And on that Dobrynya Nikitich they sing glory.

Alesha Popovich

Alyosha

In the glorious city of Rostov, near the cathedral priest, Fr. Levonty, a single child grew up to comfort and delight his parents - the beloved son Alyoshenka.

The guy grew up, matured not by the day, but by the hour, as if the dough on the dough was rising, poured with strength-fortress.

He began to run outside, play games with the guys. In all childish fun-pranks, he was the ringleader-ataman: brave, cheerful, desperate - a violent, daring little head!

Sometimes the neighbors complained: “I won’t keep you in pranks, I don’t know! Take it easy, take care of your son!”

And the parents doted on their son’s soul and in response they said this: “You can’t do anything with daring-strictness, but he will grow up, he will mature, and all pranks and pranks will be removed like a hand!”

This is how Alyosha Popovich Jr. grew up. And he got older. He rode a fast horse, and learned to wield a sword. And then he came to the parent, bowed at the feet of his father and began to ask for forgiveness-blessing:

- Bless me, parent-father, to go to the capital city of Kyiv, to serve Prince Vladimir, to stand at the outposts of the heroic, to defend our land from enemies.

“My mother and I did not expect that you would leave us, that there would be no one to rest our old age, but it is apparently written in the family: you work in military affairs. That is a good deed, but for good deeds accept our parental blessing, for bad deeds we do not bless you!

Then Alyosha went to the wide yard, went into the standing stable, led out the heroic horse and began to saddle the horse. First he put on sweatshirts, put felts on the sweatshirts, and a Cherkassy saddle on the felts, tightened the silk girths tightly, fastened the gold buckles, and the buckles had damask studs. Everything is not for the sake of beauty-bass, but for the sake of the heroic fortress: after all, silk does not tear, damask steel does not bend, red gold does not rust, the hero sits on a horse, does not age.

He put on chainmail armor, fastened pearl buttons. In addition, he put on a damask breastplate on himself, took all the armor of the heroic. In the cuff, a tight bow, bursting, and twelve red-hot arrows, he took both a heroic club and a long-sized spear, girded himself with a sword-treasury, did not forget to take a sharp dagger-zhalishche. Yevdokimushka, a young man, shouted in a loud voice:

"Don't fall behind, follow me!" And they only saw the daring of the good fellow, how he sat on a horse, but did not see how he rolled away from the yard. Only a dusty smoke rose.

How long, how short, the journey continued, how much, how little time the road lasted, and Alyosha Popovich arrived with his steamer Yevdokimushka in the capital city of Kiev. They stopped by not by the road, not by the gates, but galloped through the city walls, past the coal tower to the wide princely courtyard. Here Alyosha jumped off the goods of the horse, he entered the princely chambers, laid the cross in the written way, and bowed in the learned way: he bowed low to all four sides, and to Prince Vladimir and Princess Apraksin in person.

At that time, Prince Vladimir had a feast in honor, and he ordered his youths, faithful servants, to seat Alyosha at the stove post.

Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin

The glorious Russian heroes at that time in Kyiv were not like the rays of an elk. The princes gathered for the feast, the princes met with the boyars, and everyone is sitting gloomy, joyless, their wild heads hung, their eyes sunk into the oak floor ...

At that time, at that time, with a noise-rumble of the door on the heel, Tugarin the dog was swinging and entered the dining room. The growth of Tugarin is terrible, his head is like a beer cauldron, his eyes are like bowls, in his shoulders there is an oblique fathom. Tugarin did not pray to images, he did not greet the princes, the boyars. And Prince Vladimir and Apraksia bowed low to him, took him by the arms, seated him at the table in a large corner on an oak bench, gilded, covered with an expensive fluffy carpet. Russell - Tugarin fell apart in a place of honor, sits, grins with his whole wide mouth, mocks at the princes, boyars, mocks at Prince Vladimir. Endovami drinks green wine, washed down with standing mead.

They brought swan geese and gray ducks baked, boiled, fried to the tables. Tugarin laid a loaf of bread on his cheek, swallowed a white swan at once ...

Alyosha looked from behind the baking post at Tugarin the impudent man and said:

- My parent, a Rostov priest, had a gluttonous cow: he drank swill from a whole tub until the gluttonous cow was torn to pieces!

Those speeches did not come to Tugarin in love, they seemed offensive. He threw a sharp knife-dagger at Alyosha. But Alyosha - he was evasive - on the fly grabbed a sharp knife-dagger with his hand, and he himself sits unharmed. And he spoke these words:

- We will go, Tugarin, with you in the open field and try the strength of the heroic.

And so they sat on good horses and rode into an open field, into a wide expanse. They fought there, fought until the evening, the sun was red until sunset, no one was hurt. Tugarin had a horse on wings of fire. Soared, Tugarin rose on a winged horse under the shells and is getting on with the time to seize the time to hit and fall with a gyrfalcon from above. Alyosha began to ask, to say:

- Rise, roll, dark cloud! You spill, cloud, with frequent rain, flood, extinguish Tugarin's horse's wings of fire!

And out of nowhere, a dark cloud came. A cloud poured down with frequent rain, flooded and extinguished the fiery wings, and Tugarin descended on a horse from the skies to the damp earth.

Here Alyoshenka Popovich, Jr., shouted in a loud voice, as if he played a trumpet:

“Look back, bastard!” After all, Russian mighty heroes are standing there. They came to help me!

Tugarin looked around, and at that time, at that time, Alyoshenka jumped up to him - he was quick-witted and dexterous - waved his heroic sword and cut off Tugarin's violent head. On that duel with Tugarin ended.

Fight with the Basurman army near Kyiv

Alyosha turned the prophetic horse and went to Kyiv-grad. He overtakes, he catches up with a small squad - Russian tops.

Friends ask:

“Where are you heading, burly good fellow, and what is your name, called by your fatherland?”

The hero answers the combatants:

— I am Alyosha Popovich. He fought and fought in an open field with the puffed-up Tugarin, cut off his wild head, and that's the food to the capital city of Kiev.

Alyosha rides with combatants, and they see: near the city of Kyiv, the Basurman army stands.

Surrounded, overlaid with city walls from all four sides. And so much power of that unfaithful force has been caught up that from the cry of the infidel, from the neighing of a horse, and from the creak of a cart, the noise stands, as if thunder rumbles, and the human heart desponds. Near the army, a Basurman rider-hero rides around the open field, yells in a loud voice, boasts:

- We will wipe Kiev-city from the face of the earth, we will burn all the houses and God's churches with fire, we will roll the brand, we will cut down all the townspeople, we will take the boyars and Prince Vladimir in full and force us to walk in the Horde in shepherds, milk the mares!

When they saw the innumerable power of the Basurmans, and heard the boastful speeches of the praising rider Alyosha, fellow vigilantes held back their zealous horses, frowned, hesitated.

And Alyosha Popovich was hot-assertive. Where it is impossible to take by force, he swooped down there. He shouted in a loud voice:

- You are a goy, good squad! Two deaths cannot happen, but one cannot be avoided. It’s better for us to lay down our heads in battle than for the glorious city of Kyiv to experience shame! We will attack an uncountable army, we will free the great Kiev city from misfortune, and our merit will not be forgotten, it will pass, a loud glory will sweep about us: the old Cossack Ilya Muromets, son of Ivanovich, will hear about us. For our courage, he will bow to us - either not honor, not glory!

Alyosha Popovich, Jr., with his brave retinue, attacked the enemy hordes. They beat the infidels like they mow grass: sometimes with a sword, sometimes with a spear, sometimes with a heavy battle club. Alyosha Popovich took out the most important hero-praiser with a sharp sword and cut and broke him in two. Then horror-fear attacked the enemies. The opponents could not resist, fled wherever their eyes looked. And the road to the capital city of Kyiv was cleared.

At the very beginning of October, according to legend, the legendary Ilya Muromets was born. But this is only a legend, his name is not mentioned in the historical chronicles, the exact place of his birth is unknown, and there is no data on the day of death. However, the hero really existed, but was buried in the deep caves of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, along with 68 other saints.

“Some researchers are still skeptical about the reality of the existence of Ilya Muromets - his biography seems very fabulous to modern scientists,” says Sergey Khvedchenya, a researcher at the National Institute of History of Ukraine. “However, the materials collected by the researchers made it possible not only to restore the biography of the great Holy Russian hero, but also to answer some controversial questions about the life path of Ilya Muromets, which baffled many historians.”

Sensational evidence

Back in 1988, the established Interdepartmental Commission conducted a scientific study of the surviving relics of St. Ilya of Muromets. The results of the work were amazing. The remains belong to a strong man who died at the age of 45-55 years, quite tall - 177 centimeters. Given the fact that in the 12th century the average population growth was 165 centimeters, Ilya, of course, was a very tall person for his time. Moreover, on the skeleton of Ilya, scientists have identified traces of many battles - broken ribs, multiple fractures of the collarbones, traces of a sword, spear, and saber. This confirmed the ancient myths that the hero Ilya Muromets was a powerful warrior and participated in fierce battles.

But most of all, scientists were struck by something completely different: they unanimously assert that, as indicated in folk legends, Ilya really could not walk on his own for a long time! According to the conclusion of the researchers, the main reason for this was an extremely serious disease - poliomyelitis or tuberculosis of the bones. This led to paralysis of the legs.

The hero Ilya Muromets was born between 1150 and 1165 in the city of Murom. And he died when he was about 50 years old, as scientists suggest, during the capture of Kyiv by the army of Prince Rurik Rostislavich in 1204, when the famous Pechersk Lavra was destroyed and plundered by the Cumans, allied with Rurik. Death came from a blow to the chest with a sharp weapon (sword or spear).

Terrible curse and miraculous recovery

Such a story was spread among the people. As if the grandfather of the future Russian hero Ilya Muromets was a real pagan and, refusing to recognize Christianity, once cut an Orthodox icon with an ax. Since that time, a curse has fallen on his family and all boys must be born crippled.

10 years later, the grandson Ilya was born, and it seemed that the terrible curse was fulfilled: the boy could not walk. Numerous attempts to cure him were unsuccessful. But Ilya himself did not wilt, he stubbornly trained his hands, strengthened his muscles. However, with strong arms, he could not walk. Probably, he was repeatedly visited by thoughts of resigning himself to fate and remaining crippled forever.

But on the day when Ilya turned 33 years old, the impossible happened. Prophetic elders came to his father's house - poor wanderers (passing kaliki) and asked Ilya to give water. He explained that he could not get up. But the guests, as if they did not hear him, persistently repeated their request, which had already sounded like an order. And the sick Ilya, suddenly feeling an unprecedented strength, rose to his feet for the first time ...

Miraculous healing? But is it possible to assume that the strange guests were able to miraculously heal the seemingly terminally ill? There are various assumptions about this. Perhaps the wanderers were magicians or sorcerers and knew the secrets of ancient healing conspiracies. It is not known for certain and science is not yet able to explain the fact of the healing itself ...

And yet, Ilya got on his feet after a long 33 years of real estate. And scientists who conducted research on the relics confirm the fact that the bone tissue of this person was miraculously completely restored. Moreover, as indicated in the conclusion, after thirty years, Ilya led a full life, which fully corresponds to the epics.

The exploits of the Russian hero

From the moment of miraculous healing, the hero Ilya Muromets, as is inherent in heroes, performs many feats. The most famous feat of the hero is the battle with the bandit Nightingale the Robber, who occupied the direct road to the capital of Rus', Kiev, and did not allow free passage "neither on horseback nor on foot." The cleansing by the epic hero of the direct path to Kyiv (approximately 1168) is confirmed by historical facts. At that moment, when Ilya arrived in Kyiv, Prince Mstislav was on the throne, who ordered to organize the protection of trade caravans going to the capital from the Polovtsians who mercilessly robbed them. Most likely, the prince of Kiev entrusted this to his hero Ilya Muromets, who was in the prince's squad.

Nightingale was a robber who hunted for raids and thefts on the road, and the nickname stuck to him for his ability to whistle loudly. Ilya Muromets defeated the whistler in a duel and freed the "straight road", which, undoubtedly, was of great economic importance. The cleansing of the straight path from the robbers did not go unnoticed and was equated by the people with a real feat.

But if Ilya Muromets is indeed a historical figure, why is there not a single mention of him as a Russian hero in the annals?

First, very few written sources have survived from that time. And this is not surprising, if we take into account the turbulent history of Rus'. Hordes of various conquerors repeatedly burned and completely destroyed cities. Once, during a fire, books from the library of the Pechersk Lavra also burned down.

Secondly, in the ancient Germanic poems, written down in the 13th century, but based on earlier legends, there is a mention of the great hero Ilya the Russian. The legend says that in one very cruel battle, the hero Ilya almost fell, but miraculously saved his life and vowed to settle in a monastery, devote himself to serving God and never again raise a sword. Ilya approached the walls of the Lavra, threw off all his armor, but, however, could not throw his sword on the ground. He became a monk of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and spent most of his days in a cell in constant prayer.

But one day the enemy approached the walls of the monastery. The mortal blow struck the abbot of the Lavra right in front of Ilya. And then the hero, despite this vow, again raised the sword. But suddenly he felt that his legs refused to serve him. At that moment, the enemy dealt a mortal blow to his chest, but Ilya's strength left and he could no longer defend himself ...

The life of an epic hero after death

The hero Ilya Muromets managed to survive his own death, leaving a noticeable imprint in the memory of people and having a huge impact on all subsequent generations.

But not only an imperishable memory remained from the Russian hero. The body of Ilya, like the remains of other monks who are buried in the caves of the Pechersk Lavra, is incorruptible. But, unlike the remains of the Egyptian pharaohs, it turned into a mummy not due to treatment with mummifying compounds, but for a reason unknown to modern science. The Orthodox are sure that if the human body does not decompose, but gradually turns into relics, this indicates a special gift from God, inherent only to the saints. They say that the relics of the Holy Russian hero Ilya Muromets are able to heal those who suffer from terrible diseases of the spine and those whose legs are completely paralyzed. The hero of epics continues to serve people even after death...

There is probably no such person in Russia who would not have heard of the heroes. Heroes who came to us from ancient Russian songs-tales - epics, have always been popular with writers, artists, and filmmakers. The next round of the heroes' popularity is associated with the release of a series of animated films dedicated to their somewhat modernized adventures.

At the same time, most Russians know only about a very narrow circle of heroes. In fact, the number of heroic epics that have come down to our time is in the hundreds, and the heroes themselves are divided by scientists into several categories. Heroes of the pagan and Christian era, pre-Tatar, Tatar and post-Tatar are distinguished ...

There is a large group of bogatyrs associated with Kiev and Prince Vladimir, but there are also those who have nothing to do with the “central power” at all, remaining “regional bogatyrs” of individual cities.

The adventures of some heroes are intertwined with each other, while others act independently.

Svyatogor

Svyatogor is so huge that it is "higher than a standing forest, lower than a walking cloud." The hero lived on the Holy Mountains, during his trip Mother - Cheese Earth shakes, forests sway and rivers overflow their banks.

The father of the hero was called "dark", that is, blind, which in East Slavic mythology was a sign of creatures from another world.

Svyatogor does not carry any service, although it intersects with other heroes. So, in one of the epics, Svyatogor travels with Ilya Muromets, and they meet a stone coffin on the way. Deciding to try it on, Svyatogor turns out to be his prisoner and dies, transferring part of his strength to Ilya Muromets. In another epic, the story with the coffin is preceded by intimate adventures - Ilya Muromets is seduced by the wife of Svyatogor. Upon learning of this, Svyatogor kills the fallen woman, and with Ilya, who cuckolded him, enters into a brotherhood.

In another epic, Svyatogor is measured by the heroic strength with another "colleague" - Mikula Selyaninovich. A cunning opponent throws a bag on the ground, in which “all the burden of the earth” was enclosed, offering Svyatogor to pick it up. This attempt ends with the death of the hero.

In epics, Svyatogor dies more often than other heroes. Scientists attribute this to the fact that this image personifies the primitive forces of nature, an element that does not serve man.

Mikula Selyaninovich

Mikula Selyaninovich, like Svyatogor, is not in any service with the prince and is not a warrior. But, unlike Svyatogor, Mikula Selyaninovich is engaged in a socially useful business - he is a hero-plowman.

It is impossible to fight Mikula Selyaninovich, because Mother Earth Cheese is behind him. That is why Mikula Selyaninovich is able to raise the bag with "all the burden of the earth", in contrast to Svyatogor, whom this attempt destroys.

Scientists find in the image of Mikula Selyaninovich a lot in common with the Slavic god Perun. According to one version, the popularity in Russia of Nicholas the Wonderworker is rooted in the veneration of Mikula Selyaninovich.
If we take into account that the image of St. Nicholas served to create a story about a Christmas wizard, who in our area is stubbornly associated with Santa Claus, then we can build a chain according to which Santa Claus is a retired hero Mikula Selyaninovich.

Unlike Svyatogor, who in the epics has only an unfaithful wife, Mikula Selyaninovich has daughters - Vasilisa and Nastasya. Nastasya became the wife of Dobrynya Nikitich, and as for Vasilisa, she is well known to fans of Soviet cartoons - this is the same Vasilisa Mikulishna, who, pretending to be an ambassador from the Golden Horde, released her husband Stavr Godinovich from prison.

Ilya Muromets

Ilya Muromets, the first among the so-called "junior heroes", warrior heroes, is perhaps best known to the general public.

After sitting at home until the age of 33, unable to use his arms and legs, he was healed by the elders and set off to perform feats. It is curious that epics were told about the service of Ilya to Prince Vladimir of Kyiv only in part of the Russian lands - in other regions, the exploits of the hero were exclusively his personal affair.

The most common and classic feat of Ilya Muromets is the victory over the Nightingale the Robber. At the same time, Muromets is perhaps the most popular hero, more than a dozen original epics are dedicated to his exploits. Among those whom Ilya defeated are Idolishche Poganoe, a certain snake, Kalin the Tsar and many others.

Ilya's life is quite stormy: he has a wife Zlatygorka, a son Sokolnik (in another version - a daughter), he actively interacts with other Russian heroes. Moreover, if relations with Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich are more often friendly, then meetings with Svyatogor end deplorably for the latter.

If Svyatogor and Mikula Selyaninovich do not have a real prototype, then Ilya Muromets has several of them.
Most often, he is associated with Elijah Pechersky, a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, who lived in the 12th century. The strong man, born in Murom, bore the nickname "Chobotok". The hero received this nickname because he once fought off enemies with a “chobot”, that is, a boot.

According to one version, the hero became a monk after being seriously wounded in battle. An examination of the relics of Elijah Pechersky showed that he really died from the consequences of a blow to the chest with a sharp weapon. The prototype of Muromets could die in 1204 during the capture of Kyiv by Prince Rurik Rostislavich, when the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra was defeated by the Polovtsians.

Nikitich

Unlike Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich is a person close to the Kyiv prince, who fulfills his instructions. Dobrynya does not shy away from collecting and transporting tribute, takes on those tasks that her colleagues refuse for some reason, and has a penchant for diplomacy.

The most famous opponent of Dobrynia is the Serpent, better known as the Serpent-Gorynych, from whose captivity the hero frees the niece of Prince Zabava Putyatishna.

Dobrynya is the most creative person among the heroes. He plays tavlei (Old Russian checkers) well, sings well and plays the harp.

Dobrynya Nikitich has extensive connections - in addition to being close to the prince, he is married to Nastasya Mikulishna, the daughter of Mikula Selyaninovich.

According to the epics, Dobrynya is the son of the Ryazan governor. The most likely prototype of the hero is called Dobrynya, governor of Prince Vladimir the Holy. Dobrynya was an extremely influential person, since he was the prince's uncle - he was the brother of his mother Malusha. For a certain time, Dobrynya was a mentor for the prince, a senior comrade.

Alesha Popovich Alyosha Popovich is the most dubious character from the "classic trio" of heroes. The son of a Rostov priest, Alyosha is boastful, puffy, sly, sometimes he allows himself unacceptable jokes, for which he is condemned by his comrades.

So, for example, in one of the epics, Alyosha harasses Dobrynya's wife Nastasya Mikulishna, spreading false rumors about the death of a comrade.

In another epic, Alyosha is beheaded by the angry brothers of Elena or Alena, who was seduced by him. True, in the more famous version, Alyosha Popovich had to marry Alyonushka in order to avoid the worst.

Alyosha's main opponent is Tugarin, an evil hero, behind whom the image of a nomad is guessed, with whom the Russians have been fighting for a long time.

The main historical prototype of Alyosha Popovich is the Rostov boyar Olesha (Alexander) Popovich. An excellent warrior, Olesha served Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest, and then participated in the internecine wars of his sons. Subsequently, Olesha Popovich went to the service of Prince Mstislav the Old and died with him in 1223 in the Battle of Kalka, which became the first meeting of the Russians with the Tatar-Mongols. In the same battle, Dobrynya Ryazanets Zlat Poyas, another candidate for the prototypes of the epic Dobrynya Nikitich, also died.