The main characters of the epics are the heroes who alone defended the Russian land from hordes of enemy forces. The world depicted in epics is the entire Russian land. This is a world of opposition between good and evil, light and dark forces. In it, the heroes struggle with the manifestation of evil and violence; without this struggle, the epic world is impossible.

Ilya Muromets. Embodies strength

Ilya Muromets canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church, this is the main Russian hero. Ilya Muromets is the hero 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 which he is the blood brother of Prince Vladimir.

Nikitich. Bogatyr-diplomat

Dobrynya Nikitich is often compared with the chronicle Dobrynya, the uncle of Prince Vladimir (according to one 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."

Alyosha 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, 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

Mega 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 Kyiv from conditional India, behind which, according to folklorists, in this case, the Galicia-Volyn land is hiding, and arranges a boasting marathon in Kyiv, 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 prowess.

Russian heroes: who are they? - prototypes, cartoons and audio fairy tales

What do we (and our children) know about Russian heroes?

Fragments from literature and cartoons ...))

Three heroes is the collective name of heroes from Russian epics.

The names of the heroes were Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich.

Each hero had one wife and a horse... xD

In general, the wives were called Alyonushka, Nastasya Filippovna and Lyubava.

Well, the horses had names - Julius, Burushka and Vasya.

Well, what really happened?

Slavic history is rich in events, knowledge of which is passed down from generation to generation not only orally, but also in writing. Oral traditions are, as a rule, epic, including songs, legends, that is, everything that was composed directly by the people.

The basis of ancient Russian legends is, as a rule, heroes.

If we talk about the etymology of the word "hero" itself, then it is interpreted as a demigod man, or a man endowed with the power of a god. The origin of this word has long been a subject of intense debate. Versions were put forward about borrowing it from the Turkic languages, and even from Sanskrit.

It is now generally accepted that the word "bogatyr" was borrowed from the Tatar language.

Russian scientists distinguish two main categories of heroes - older and younger.

It is customary to rank among the senior heroes

Svyatogor, Mikulu Selyaninovich, Volga Svyatoslavich, Sukhan.

This group, according to scientists, is the personification of various natural phenomena, in most cases - formidable phenomena, hostile to the common man.

The group of junior heroes includes

the famous "Vasnetsov" trinity of Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich. They are also the personification of natural phenomena, but only favorable for humans.

It's written in great detail here.

At the same time, another hero lived with Ilya Muromets,

whose name was Dobrynya Nikitich.

He was born in Ryazan, but like Muromets, he was in the service in Kyiv.

The heroic history of Dobrynya begins from the moment when he defeated the Serpent Gorynych. The prince instructs him to engage in a fierce battle with the Serpent, on the way the hero is overcome by small snakes, but Dobrynya manages to fulfill the prince's order and free the girls and princes from the dragon caves.

In Kievan Rus, he carried out more important assignments, presenting himself to readers as a brave, wise warrior, who, among other things, is also the first assistant to Ilya Muromets.

The name "Dobrynya" means "heroic kindness". Epic Dobrynya also has the nickname "young", he is strong, is the protector of "unfortunate wives, widows and orphans." In addition, he is creative - he plays the harp and sings, he is passionate - he does not avoid playing tavlei. In speeches, Dobrynya is reasonable, knows the intricacies of etiquette. It is obvious that he is not a commoner. At least - the prince-combatant.

The prototype of Dobrynya Nikitich is often called the annalistic Dobrynya, the maternal uncle of the real Saint Vladimir.

The epic Dobrynya is compared by philologists (Khoroshev, Kireevsky) with the chronicle Dobrynya, the uncle of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich.

Historically, Nikitich is not a patronymic, the patronymic of the real Dobrynya is quite Hollywood - Malkovich. And there were Malkovichi from the village of Nizkinichi. It is believed that "Nikitich" is just "Nizkinich" transformed by the people.

The chronicle Dobrynya played a big role in the history of Rus'. According to The Tale of Bygone Years, it was he who advised the Novgorod ambassadors to invite Vladimir to reign, and he also assisted in the marriage of his nephew to the Polovtsian Rogneda. For his deeds, Dobrynya, after the death of his brother Vladimir Yaropolk, became a Novgorod mayor and participated in the baptism of Novgorod.

According to the Chronicle of Joachim, the baptism was painful, "The putyata baptized with a sword, and Dobrynya with fire", the houses of obstinate pagans had to be burned. Excavations, by the way, confirm the great Novgorod fire in 989.

But there is another namesake, the hero of the XII-XIII centuries. , described in the Abridged Chronicle of 1493:

“In the summer of 6725 (1217). There was a battle between Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich and Prince Konstantin (Vsevolodovich) of Rostov on the river on Where, and God helped Prince Konstantin Vsevolodovich, his elder brother, and the truth came (defeated) him. And there were two brave (heroes) with him: Dobrynya the Golden Belt and Alexander Popovich, with his servant with Torop.

And further...

In the epics about Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich, the bogatyrs fight the Serpents. It should be said that the monsters of Russian epics differ from Western European dragons in that they always attack from above and never appear from the forest or from the water.

There is a version according to which the Serpents mean the Polovtsian tribes who came to the Northern Black Sea region in 1055.

The name of the tribe "Kai", which was at the head of the union of the Kipchaks (as the Polovtsians were called in Central Asia), translated into Russian means "snake". The proverb related to the Polovtsy "the snake has seven heads" (according to the number of main tribes) was widely known in the steppe, it is cited in their writings by Arab and Chinese historians.

In the annals after the victory over the Polovtsians in 1103, it is said that Vladimir Monomakh "twist the heads of the serpents", and the Polovtsian Khan Tugorkan, under the name Tugarin Zmeevich, entered the epics.

The name of another Polovtsian khan - Bonyak (a contemporary of Tugorkan), who terrified the population of Byzantium, Bulgaria, Hungary and Kievan Rus, preserved Western Ukrainian songs and legends in the plot about the head of Bunyaka Sheludivy, which, severed, rolls on the ground, destroying everything in its path.

The khan of the eastern association of the Polovtsy Sharukan in epics is called Kudrevanko the king or Shark the giant.

Later, the Tatar khans Baty and Kalin-tsar (possibly Mengu-Kaan) appear in the epics.
It can, of course, be pointed out that later the heroes were called Dobrynya in honor of the first prototype, but then it will be necessary to explain why the “feats” of the real boyar of the 10th century were not reflected in the epics.

Another famous hero - Alyosha Popovich, according to legend, was from the city of Rostov.

He ended up in Kyiv quite by accident. In an open field, the hero found a stone on which three roads were indicated: one led to Chernigov, the other to Murom, and the third to Kyiv. He also begins to serve at the court of Prince Vladimir. Perhaps the most famous story associated with Popovich is the legend of his duel with Tugarin (this, according to the epic, is a fictional character, so occasionally he bears the nickname Zmeevich and appears as a monster). Tugarin is a foreign invader who can swallow a whole swan at a time, and the servants carry him on a golden stand. And Alyosha Popovich is always a young, brave and sometimes even reckless warrior.

There is always a connection between Ilya Muromets, Alyosha Popovich and Dobrynya Nikitich. Between them there is also a great similarity not only in characters, but also in adventures and some life events.

Alyosha Popovich is the youngest of the trinity of epic heroes. He looks the least belligerent, his appearance is not formidable, rather bored. This is understandable - he is bored without scolding, without adventures, to which he was prone, since he defeated enemies rather not by force, but by ingenuity and cunning. He is the most atypical of all heroes, not too virtuous, boastful, greedy for the weaker sex.

Traditionally, Alyosha Popovich is associated with Rostov boyar Alexander Popovich , about which there is more than one mention in the Nikon chronicle.

He participated in the Battle of Lipetsk, and died in 1223 in the battle on the Kalka River.

However, just as you cannot throw out words from a song, so you cannot throw out a feat from an epic. Alyosha Popovich became famous for two main feats - the victory over Tugarin the serpent and over the filthy Idolishche. The version of comparing the epic hero with Alexander Popovich does not explain any of these achievements, since the victories over the filthy Idolishch and over the Tugarnin serpent were won two centuries before the battle on Kalka.

Another version of who was the prototype of Alyosha Popovich was told by art critic Anatoly Markovich Chlenov. He believes that it is more correct to compare Alyosha Popovich with the son of a boyar and an ally of Vladimir Monomakh Olberg Ratiborovich.

According to The Tale of Bygone Years, it was he who killed in 1095, on the orders of the prince, the Polovtsian Khan Itlar, who had come to negotiate in Pereyaslavl, by shooting him with an arrow through a hole in the roof. Boris Rybakov, in particular, wrote that the name Idolishche, in all likelihood, is a distortion of Itlar through the form "Itlarishe is filthy." It is characteristic that in the whole epic tradition, it is the murder of the filthy Idolish that is the only example of killing the enemy in the palace, and not in the "open field".

The second feat of Alyosha Popovich is the victory over Tugarin the serpent. Philologists found the prototype of the "snake" back in the 19th century; at the beginning of the 20th century, Vsevolod Fedorovich Miller voiced the version. Tugarin Serpent is the Polovtsian Khan Tugorkan from the Shurakanid dynasty. Sharukan among the Polovtsy meant just "snake".
So everything adds up. According to Boris Rybakov, the name Olberg eventually transformed into the Christian Olesha, and the comparison of Alyosha Popovich with the historical governor Alexander Popovich, according to Dmitry Likhachev, is later.

And in conclusion, it is necessary to say a few words about such heroes as Vasily Buslaev and Nikita Kozhemyaka. All of them were real people.

Vasily Buslaev was from Novgorod.

By nature, this man has always been a rebel and even a drunkard. He inherited his heroic strength from his father. However, the young man does not use it in the same way as the rest of the heroes do.

On the contrary, he violates the laws of the city in every possible way, gaining a squad from the same as him (the main selection criteria are the ability to drink a bucket of wine or withstand a blow to the head with a club). Together with the retinue, Vasily does not enter into a fight with enemies and invaders, but only gets drunk in taverns, fights.

According to the legends, he died as recklessly as he lived - on the way back from Jerusalem, he hit his head on a stone, falling from his horse (and it was written on the stone that you couldn’t ride over it ...).

Unlike Vasily, Nikita Kozhemyaka - was a real warrior who served the Kyiv prince Vladimir. Together with him, Kozhemyaka went to battle against the Pechenegs, fighting one on one with a strong man and defeating him.

This victory was the beginning of the victory of the Russian army over the invaders. In different periods, Nikita Kozhemyaka is presented either as a simple craftsman, or as a real hero who is in the service in Kyiv. Kapochka Capa

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 comes 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, no less important hero is Dobrynya Nikitich, who lived in the same era as 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 Alyosha Popovich, who is often represented as a young, brave, savvy and cunning warrior.

One of the most mysterious images of Russian epics is Svyatogor, who has a power that surpasses 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 Vseslavievich, who was born from a fantastic snake. 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 Volkh, Danube 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, the invincibility and inviolability of the ancient Russian state in front of external enemies, being a role model in patriotism and courage for future generations.

Meanwhile, there were much more heroes in Rus', but not everyone knows about them. Faktrum offers to rectify the situation and publishes a selection of legends about little-known Russian heroes.

1. Svyatogor

One of the most ancient heroes of the Russian epic epic. Svyatogor - the giant hero is so big and strong that even Mother Earth Cheese could not withstand him. However, Svyatogor himself, according to the epic, could not overcome the “earthly pull” contained in the bag: trying to raise the bag, he went to the ground with his feet.

2. Mikula Selyaninovich

The legendary plowman-hero, with whom you can not fight, because "the whole family of Mikuls loves Mother - Cheese Earth." According to one of the epics, it was Mikula Selyaninovich who asked the giant Svyatogor to pick up a bag that had fallen to the ground. Svyatogor could not do this. Then Mikula Selyaninovich raised the bag with one hand and said that it contained "all the burden of the earth." Folklore says that Mikula Selyaninovich had two daughters: Vasilisa and Nastasya. And they became the wives of Stavr and Dobrynya Nikitich, respectively.

3. Volga Svyatoslavich

Volga is one of the most ancient heroes in Russian epics. His distinguishing features were the ability to shapeshift and the ability to understand the language of birds and animals. According to legend, Volga is the son of a snake and Princess Marfa Vseslavievna, who miraculously conceived him by accidentally stepping on a snake. When he saw the light, the earth trembled and a terrible fear fettered all living beings. An interesting episode of the meeting between Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich is described by epics. During the collection of taxes from the cities of Gurchevets and Orekhovets, Volga met the plowman Mikula Selyaninovich. Seeing a mighty hero in Mikul, Volga called him with him to the squad to collect taxes. Having driven off, Mikula remembered that he had forgotten the plow in the ground. Twice Volga sent combatants to pull out that plow, on the third time he himself and his squad did not overcome the whole. Mikula pulled out that plow with one hand.

4. Sukhman Odikhmantievich

Hero of the Kyiv epic cycle. According to legend, Sukhman goes to get a white swan for Prince Vladimir. During the trip, he sees that the Nepra River is fighting the Tatar force, which is building Kalinov bridges on it in order to go to Kyiv. Sukhman beats the Tatar force, but during the battle he gets wounds, which he covers with leaves. Sukhman returns to Kyiv without the swans. Prince Vladimir does not believe him and orders him to be imprisoned for boasting in the cellar, and sends Dobrynya Nikitich to find out if Sukhman told the truth, and when it turns out that the truth is, Vladimir wants to reward Sukhman; but he removes the leaves from the wounds and bleeds. The river Sukhman flowed from his blood.

5. Dunay Ivanovich

One of the most popular heroic images in Russian epics. Unlike the three main characters of the epic (Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich), Danube Ivanovich is a tragic character.
According to legend, during the wedding, Danube and Nastasya Korolevichna, who was also a hero, begin to brag, Danube - courage, and Nastasya - accuracy. They arrange a duel and Nastasya shoots the silver ring lying on the head near the Danube three times. Unable to recognize the superiority of his wife, Danube orders her to repeat the dangerous test in the reverse version: the ring is now on Nastasya's head, and Danube shoots.

The arrow of the Danube hits Nastasya. She dies, and the Danube finds out, “spreading her womb”, that she was pregnant with a wonderful baby: “knee-deep legs in silver, elbow-deep little hands in gold, frequent stars on the braids of her head.” The Danube rushes to his saber and dies next to his wife, the Danube River originates from his blood.

6. Mikhailo Potyk

One of the minor heroes. He is known only in northern Russian epics as a handsome man and snake fighter. There are several legends about him. According to one of them, while hunting, Mikhailo met a swan who turned into a girl - Avdotya Lebed Belaya. They got married and took an oath that if someone dies earlier, then the survivor will be buried with the deceased in the same grave.

When Avdotya died, Potyk, along with her corpse, was lowered into the grave, on a horse in full armor. A snake appeared in the grave, which the hero killed, and with his blood he resurrected his wife. According to other epics, the wife drugged Potyk and turned him to stone, and she herself fled with Tsar Koshchei. The comrades of the hero - Ilya, Alyosha and others, save Potyk and avenge him by killing Koshchei and quartering the unfaithful White Swan.

7. Hoten Bludovich

A hero in Russian epics, acting in one epic as a matchmaker and groom. The story of Khoten and his bride is almost an old Russian story of Romeo and Juliet. According to legend, the Mother of Khoten, a widow, at one feast wooed her son to the beautiful China Sentinel. But the girl's mother answered her with an insulting refusal, which was heard by all the feasters. When Khoten found out about this, he went to the bride and she agreed to marry him. But the girl's mother was categorically against it.

Then Khoten demanded a duel and beat the nine brothers of his bride. China's mother asks the prince for an army to deal with the hero, but Khoten also defeats him. After that, Hoten marries the girl, taking a rich dowry.

8. Nikita Kozhemyaka

Formally, he does not belong to the heroes, but he is a snake-fighter hero. According to legend, the daughter of the prince of Kyiv was carried away by a serpent and kept in captivity. Having learned from the serpent himself that he is afraid of only one person in the world - Nikita Kozhemyaku, she sends a letter with a dove to her father with a request to find this hero and encourage him to fight the serpent.

When the envoys of the prince entered the hut of Kozhemyaki, who was busy with his usual business, out of surprise he rips through 12 skins. At the prince's first request to fight the snake, Nikita refuses. Then the prince sends the elders to him, who also could not persuade Nikita. For the third time, the prince sends children to the hero, and their crying touches Nikita, he agrees. Wrapped in hemp and smeared with resin to become invulnerable, the hero fights with the snake and frees the prince's daughter.

Further, as the legend says, the snake, defeated by Nikita, begs him for mercy and offers to share the land equally with him. Nikita forges a plow of 300 pounds, harnesses a snake into it and draws a furrow from Kyiv to the Black Sea; then, starting to divide the sea, the serpent drowns.

9. Vasily Buslaev

Also formally not a hero, but a very strong hero, representing the ideal of valiant and boundless prowess. From childhood, Vasily was a daredevil, did not know any constraints and did everything just the way he liked. At one of the feasts, Vasily bets that he will fight at the head of his squad on the Volkhov bridge with all the Novgorod peasants. The battle begins, and Vasily's threat to beat all opponents to the last is close to being carried out; only the intervention of Vasily's mother saves the Novgorodians.

In the next epic, feeling the weight of his sins, Basil goes to pray for them in Jerusalem. But the pilgrimage to holy places does not change the character of the hero: he defiantly violates all prohibitions and dies in the most ridiculous way on the way back, trying to prove his youth.

10. Duke Stepanovich

One of the most original heroes of the Kyiv epic epic. According to legend, Duke arrives in Kyiv from “Rich India”, which, apparently, was the name of the Galicia-Volyn land. Upon arrival, the Duke begins to brag about the luxury of his city, his own wealth, his clothes, which his horse brings daily from India, and finds the wine and kalachi of the prince of Kyiv tasteless. Vladimir, in order to test Duke's boasting, sends an embassy to Duke's mother. As a result, the embassy admits that if you sell Kyiv and Chernigov and buy papers for an inventory of Dyukov's wealth, then that paper will not be enough.

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."

Alyosha 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 Kyiv from conditional India, behind which, according to folklorists, in this case, the Galicia-Volyn land is hiding, and arranges a boasting marathon in Kyiv, 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 Kyiv 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.