Home Fruit trees A short message about Alyosha Popovich. What was the main occupation of Alyosha Popovich? Characteristic qualities of Alyosha Popovich. Where was Ilya Muromets born

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A short message about Alyosha Popovich. What was the main occupation of Alyosha Popovich? Characteristic qualities of Alyosha Popovich. Where was Ilya Muromets born

Alyosha Popovich is a legendary Russian hero and warrior, who, as the youngest, is one of the three famous ancient Russian epic heroes. The image of this hero is more folklore and collective than real, but this character, according to historians, had its own real prototype, who lived around the 13th century on the territory of Kievan Rus. According to various versions, it could even be several people: the son of the Orthodox priest of Rostov Leonty, a resident of the city of Piryatin in the Poltava region, and the famous hero Alexander the Horobr (Olesha), a famous historical and public figure who lived in Rostov in the 12-13th centuries.

The image of a hero - an epic hero

(Illustration of the hero-warrior Alyosha Popovich)

In the famous painting by artist Vasnetsov "Heroes" ( approx. fragment in the first image), written at the beginning of the 19th century, he is presented as a young warrior, in age he is much younger than the rest of the heroes, with a slightly sly and mysterious smile. As a weapon, he has a bow and a quiver of arrows, and a harp are tied at the saddle, which testifies to his cheerful disposition and lyricism of his character. In the epics, not even his strength as a warrior was noted in the first place (sometimes it was even emphasized as a certain weakness of his lameness), but his prowess, dexterity, ingenuity, cunning, acumen and resourcefulness. Alyosha is also fearless and strong, like other Russian heroes, but in his battles with enemies he tries to defeat them not with strength and power, but with intelligence, cunning and frankly reckless courage.

In general, the image of this hero is inherent in a certain duality, because along with his positive sides, the Russian people also rewarded him with not very flattering character traits, such as boastfulness and arrogance in his exploits, cunning and resourcefulness, the ability for evil and sometimes insidious jokes, which were censured and were condemned by his older comrades in the military cause. Also, the weaknesses of the character of this epic character are envy and pride. However, in spite of all his shortcomings, he is a deeply religious and pious person (probably, the upbringing of the priest's father affected).

Famous exploits of the youngest of the heroes

The main occupation of the legendary hero was the service of the Kiev prince in the role of the defender of the Russian people from the enemies of the Kiev state. The main feat we attribute to this legendary hero is his victory over Tugarin, the Polovtsian Khan Tugorkan who actually existed in life. In epics, this character is portrayed as a kind of mythical monster, sometimes with the prefix Serpent or Serpent, which makes him more frightening and mysterious. He comes to Kiev as a foreign invader, the Grand Duke Vladimir and his entourage are unable to resist him and accept him as a dear guest. Alyosha Popovich alone does not bow his head before him, treats him without respect and fear, challenges him to a duel and wins in a difficult battle, Again, according to the epic version, not with the help of strength and valor, but using natural ingenuity and cunning. The character of this epic hero is distinguished not only by courage and daring, but also by unrestrained youthful recklessness, adventurism, harshness of statements and some thoughtlessness of actions. The battle with the Polovtsian Khan Tugorkan turned out to be victory and glory for Alyosha, later folk storytellers created their own mythological version of this event, in which the khan was turned into a snake-like monster, defeated by Russian ingenuity, cunning, and of course courage.

The famous hero was seen in many internecine conflicts and battles of that time; he died in May 1223 on the Kalka River as a participant in the historical battle of the combined forces of the Slavs and Polovtsians against the Mongol-Tatar army.

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Alesha Popovich

Alyosha Popovich is a Russian hero, the third and youngest at the “heroic outpost” comes from Rostov the Great, which now belongs to the “golden ring of Russia”. This younger colleague of Ilya Muromets was born in the family of the cathedral priest Leonty, for which he was named Popovich. As follows from the epic “How Alyosha Tugarin Zmeevich won”, he grew by leaps and bounds, but as he grew up, he went for a walk in a clear field and drove into the capital city of Kiev. Judging by the distance on the map, Alyosha Popovich strayed far in his ride on a black horse, having covered the distance from central Russia to Ukraine today some nine hundred and fifty kilometers, but in the epic epic distance is not a hindrance. Arriving in the capital city of Kiev, which was in the past the capital of Kievan Rus, he visited the chambers of Prince Vladimir and fought on the way with the son of the Serpent Gorynych, Tugarin Zmeevich, who had appeared there by chance. So the legend says.

Alyosha has in his arsenal not only strength, but also cunning, cunning, dexterity and resourcefulness. Thanks to his sharp tongue, he provokes Tugarin's challenge to battle. In other words, he just hurts his pride. And this trick of Alyosha psychologically makes the oppressed enemy not in control of his impulses. Popovich at the same moment does not forget to turn to the powers of heaven, which are sending dense clouds, and behind them the rain, which blurs the paper wings of the villain. Tugarin falls to the ground, and Alyosha overcomes him in equal conditions, since he turns out to be much more resourceful than his enemy, who has lost its wings. He takes the severed head of Tugarin Zmeevich to Kiev-grad, to the court of Prince Vladimir, and thanks to the victory of Alyosha Popovich, the Christian kingdom is saved.

Alyosha defeated Tugarin Zmeevich not so much by force as by cunning. This hero is generally cunning, cunning and mocking: where other heroes openly fight the enemy and sometimes are defeated, Alyosha will certainly come up with some kind of evasion and defeat the enemy, albeit not always honestly. It is not for nothing that his lameness is sometimes emphasized in the legends, and it is not without reason that he was given the nickname Popovich: popular rumor has always considered the priest's sons to be especially cunning and crafty. And the wicked devil himself was lame. Alyosha is often both boastful and arrogant, and his jokes are sometimes insidious and evil. He is able to seduce someone else's wife, but he fails - to slander her, deceive a friend and cash in on someone else's misfortune, for which the heroes severely judge him and even sometimes beat him. But when it comes to defending the Russian land, Alyosha Popovich always shows his sharpness and valor and does not retreat in the face of danger.

This epic character captures not only an epic hero, but also one of the typical Russian characters, the variety of which is rich in the Russian land. Thus, in the epics, it appears not an idealized hero worthy of the halo of the holy defender of the earth, but a living person with his own shortcomings and weaknesses, able to rise at the right moment and be on top, saving the homeland from an evil scourge.

Sometimes the historical prototype of Alyosha Popovich is considered to be a certain Alexander Popovich (in the old days the diminutive form "Alyosha" equally belonged to the names Alexander and Alexey), who, according to the chronicle, died in 1224 in the battle on the Kalka River. Subsequently, the image of Alyosha Popovich was continued in the image of one of the three brothers Karamazov from the novel of the same name by Fyodor Dostoevsky (also Alyosha), seeking his destiny in the monastic life. And it can be seen, for a reason, in the era of Dostoevsky, when society was experiencing a spiritual crisis associated with the loss of social ideals, the classic of Russian literature again turned to the cherished trinity. But only in the novel "The Brothers Karamazov" these three heroes are already trying to save not so much abstract Russia as their spiritual "I", which is losing its bearings in a world that has not changed for the better.

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We know them from childhood, we want to be like them, because they are real superheroes - epic heroes. They perform inhuman feats, but they, the Russian heroes, had their own real prototypes.

Alesha Popovich

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 the abuse, without the adventures to which he was inclined, 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 the Rostov boyar Alexander Popovich, about whom there is more than one mention in the Nikon Chronicle. He took part in the Lipetsk battle, and died in 1223 in the battle on the Kalka River.

However, just as you cannot throw out words from a song, 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 rotten Idol. The version of the comparison of the epic hero with Alexander Popovich does not explain any of these achievements, since the victories over the Vile Idol and over Tugarnin by the serpent were won two centuries before the Battle of Kalka.

Another version about 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 colleague of Vladimir Monomakh Olberg Ratiborovich.

According to The Tale of Bygone Years, it was he who killed in 1095 on the order of the prince, Polovtsian Khan Itlar, who had come to negotiations in Pereyaslavl, by shooting him with a bow through a hole in the roof. Boris Rybakov, in particular, wrote that the name Idolische, in all likelihood, is a distortion of Itlar through the form "Itlarische filthy." It is characteristic that in the entire epic tradition, it is the murder of the Unclean Idol that is the only example of the murder of an enemy in a palace, and not in an "open field."

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

Nikitich

In Vasnetsov's painting, Dobrynya is depicted as a mature warrior with a thick beard, while in all epics Dobrynya is a good fellow. It is believed that in appearance Dobrynya Vasnetsov wrote partly of himself. A thick beard, as it were, hints.
The name "Dobrynya" means "heroic kindness." Epic Dobrynya also has the nickname "young", he is strong, is the defender of "unfortunate wives, widows and orphans." In addition, he is creative - he plays the harp and sings, he is passionate - does not avoid playing tavlei. In speeches, Dobrynya is reasonable, knows the subtleties of etiquette. It is evident that he is not a commoner. At least - a prince-warrior.
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 the "Nizkinich" transformed by the people.

Chronicle Dobrynya played an important role in the history of Russia. According to the "Tale of Bygone Years," it was he who advised the Novgorod ambassadors to invite Vladimir to reign, he also assisted in the marriage of his nephew to a Polovtsian woman named Rogneda. For his deeds, Dobrynya, after the death of his brother Vladimir Yaropolk, became a Novgorod mayor and participated in the baptism of Novgorod.

If you believe the Joachim Chronicle, the baptism was painful, "They cross with the 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.

Ilya Muromets

Ilya Muromets is the eldest of the “junior heroes”. Everything in it is ours. First he sat on the stove, then miraculously healed, then he served for the prince, from time to time quarreled with him, after the deeds of the war - he went to the monks.
The prototype of our main knight is St. Elijah of the Caves, whose relics rest in the nearby caves of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. Ilya Muromets had a nickname, he was also called "Chobotok". Chobotok is a boot. How Ilya Muromts received this nickname can be read in the surviving document of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery: “There is also one giant or hero called Chobotka, they say that he was once attacked by many enemies while he was putting on a boot, and so as in a hurry he could not seize any other weapon, he began to defend himself with another boot, which he had not yet put on and defeated everyone with it, which is why he received such a nickname. "

The fact that Ilya Pechersky is Ilya Muromets is confirmed by the book "Teraturgima" published in 1638. In it, a monk from the Lavra Athanasius of Kalofoysky says that Saint Elijah, who is also called Chibitko, rests in the caves. The earthly life of the hero "Teraturgima" refers to the XII century.

New evidence of the identity of the historical Ilya Pechersky and Ilya Muromets appeared in 1988, when the Interdepartmental Commission of the Ministry of Health of the Ukrainian SSR was sent to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. The growth of Elijah of Pechersky during his lifetime was 177 cm, which was impressive for Ancient Russia. The indication of the epics of the immobility of St. Elijah up to 30 years old corresponds to the data on a long illness of the spine. According to the conclusion of scientists, the ascetic was a warrior, this was evidenced by calluses on the ribs, which healed after fractures. In addition, many other combat wounds were found on the body, one of which was apparently fatal.

November 10th, 2013

After a very long break, I return to still. Next in line we have this topic from esvidel : “It's also interesting. I read about Ilya Muromets. What about Alyosha Popovich and Dobrynya Nikitich? "

I told you in detail about Ilya Muromets here - remember: And now what do we know about other heroes:

The epic Alyosha Popovich is found in the annals under the name of Alexander Popovich. Aleksandr Popovich was one of the most outstanding "heroes" of the Rostov land. The Tver Chronicle, compiled on the basis of the Rostov chronicles in 1224, tells the following about Alexander Popovich. “There was someone from the Rostov dwellers Alexander, the verb Popovich, and his servant was named Torop; Serve Alexander to the Grand Duke Vsevolod Yuryevich ... ". When the eldest son of Vsevolod Yuryevich Konstantin received Rostov as his inheritance, Alexander Popovich went into the service of Constantine and served him faithfully, just as faithfully as his father.

A struggle arose between Konstantin and his younger brother Yuri over the succession to the throne. Alexander Popovich also took an active part in this struggle. When Yuri went to Constantine with an army, Constantine retreated to Kostroma and burned it. Yuri's army stopped on the Ishna river not far from Rostov. Then Alexander Popovich opposed Yuri with troops and killed many of Yuri's servants, parts of which, the chronicler says, are still visible on the Ishna River.

In the victorious battle of Constantine with the same Yuri on the river Uza, Khbor Aleksandr Popovich and his servant Torop again take part; Alexander's companion was Timonya Golden Belt, the epic Dobrynya. In the battle, Yuri Yuryat's khbor was killed. In the Lipetsk battle, which took place between Yuri, in alliance with his brother Yaroslav, on the one hand, and Konstantin in alliance with Mstislav Mstislavovich Udal, on the other hand, Alexander Popovich again appears: Yuri was defeated; in the battle fell another of his khbor - boyar Ratibor. Constantine took the throne in Vladimir and died two years later. Then Alexander Popovich, fearing revenge from Yuri for the murder of Yuryat and Ratibor and many others, decided to leave the Rostov-Suzdal land. He gathered a council of his "brave" in one city at a rattling well on the river Uza. At the council, it was decided, instead of serving different princes and beating each other, to go to the service of the Great Kiev Prince Mstislav Romanovich the Brave. Mstislav was very glad that such a glorious temple as Alexander Popovich and his comrades had entered his service, and he boasted that now he would cope with any enemy. Further events showed Mstislav that he was mistaken: in the battle with the Tatars on Kalka (1223), he was defeated, and Alexander Popovich with other seventy "brave" also fell.

In the Nikon Chronicle, Alexander Popovich is already represented as a contemporary of Saint Vladimir. Under the year 1000, the following is told: “When Volodar came to Kiev with the Polovtsy, having forgotten the good deeds of his lord, Prince. Vladimir, taught by a demon. Vladimir, then, in Pereyaslavtsy on the Danube: and there was great confusion in Kiev. And Alexander Popovich is going out to meet them, and kill Volodar and his brother and kill many Polovtsians, and drive others into the field. And behold, Volodimer heard, and rejoiced exceedingly, and lay gold on (him) hryvnia and make (his) a nobleman in your chamber. " The event described here, as it is assumed, is attributed by the Nikon Chronicle to the year 1000, is erroneous: in reality, it can refer to 1110, when Vladimir Monomakh was in Pereyaslavets on the Dunaet; in the absence of Vladimir Volodar Przemyshl could in fact lead the Polovtsians to Kiev.

Apparently, the note in the Nikon Chronicle is an echo of the ancient epic about the liberation of Kiev from enemies by Alexander Popovich. The modern epic on the same plot resembles a chronicle legend. Vasily the Beautiful (corresponding to the epic and chronicle Volodar) besieged Kiev: he wants to take possession of the capital, burn down the holy churches, execute Prince Vladimir, and take Princess Eupraxia as his wife. Alyosha invites his squad to attack the enemies and liberate Kiev: “Our service,” said Alyosha, “will not be forgotten, but great glory will go about us about our heroic service…”. Alyosha and his retinue venture into the great army of Vasily the Beautiful and breaks it down. A great force scattered across a wide field, over those bush bushes, cleared the straight road. When Alyosha traveled to Kiev, he was awarded villages and country roads, cities with suburbs for his feat; the prince's treasury was not closed to him either.

Near 1001, the Nikon Chronicle again reports about Alexander Popovich: “Alexander Popovich and Yan Usmoshvets, who killed the Pecheneg hero, killed many Pechenegs and their prince Rodman, and brought his three sons to Kiev to Volodymer. Volodymer, on the other hand, create a celebration of light and a lot of alms distributed among the churches and monasteries, and the poor, and the poor, and the sick and sick (crippled) streets of the great kadi (tubs) and barrels of honey and kvass, and digestions, and supplying wine and meat, and fish, and all kinds of vegetables that you demand and eat. " This note, perhaps, is an echo of the epic about Alyosha's struggle with Tugarin. As for the description of Vladimir's feast, it also resembles an epic description, for example, after the defeat of Kalin: “Ai, how is the sun here, Vladimir the prince, for joy, at the great for the daring for the brave fellows, took the dining feast honorably; ah, how they started drinking, eating, they are enjoying themselves well, hardships will not begin over themselves ... He published strict decrees around the city in Kiev, he dissolved all the taverns so that all the people would drink and green wine: whoever does not drink green wine, he would drink and beer drunk, and whoever does not drink beer, he would drink standing mead so that everyone can have fun. "
All these data portray Alyosha Popovich as a mighty vigilante-khbor, who came from the Rostov-Suzdal region to serve the Kiev prince at the beginning of the 12th century, and the process of cyclization of songs about the Kiev heroes forced him to coincide the time of Alyosha's deeds with the era of Saint Vladimir. Approximately until the XVII-XVIII centuries. Alyosha Popovich speaks with positive features. Over time, under the influence, probably, of the nickname (Popovich), Alyosha began to ascribe priestly features, and this, in turn, attracted a number of legends to the name of Alyosha, in which unsympathetic features of the clergy were drawn. As a result, Alyosha acquired the following qualities: he is cunning, cunning, a deceiver, he indulges in love affairs.

Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin Zmeevich

The name Tugarin is understood as a historical person - the Polovtsian Khan Tugorkan (as the Polovtsian Khan Bonyak is understood by the name Idols). Our chronicles tell the following about Tugorkan. In 1094, "make the world of Svyatopolk with the Polovtsi and give yourself a wife, daughter Tugorkani." In 1096, “smoking with the Polovtsi near Pereyaslavl and Ust'e, the month of May is 24th day ... This month, Tugorkan, father-in-law of Svyatopolch, will come to Pereyaslavl, the month of May 30 ... and the Lord made great salvation on that day: the month of Julia on the 19th day foreigners were running away, and their prince killed Tugorkan, and his son and ini princes; antagonize ours a lot; On the morning of the morning, they found Tugorkan dead, and taking Svyatopolk, like a father-in-law and an enemy, and brought it to Kyev, a cellar and on Berestove. "
It is very likely that the kinship or hostile relations between Svyatopolk, the great Kiev prince, and the Polovtsian khan Tugorkan served as the historical seed from which the epics about the mutual relations of Vladimir, Eupraxia and Tugarin developed; the death of Tugorkan, in turn, served as the basis for the poetic depiction of Alyosha with Tugarin.

It is generally accepted that the image of Alyosha Popovich is taken from a real person. His prototype was a boyar from Rostov, whose name was Alexander (Olesha) Popovich, who is sometimes called Alexander Rostovsky. Alexander Popovich was a famous warrior of his time. In duels and in internecine battles between princes, he killed many good fighters. He died while serving the Kiev prince Mstislav the Old in the battle of Kalka in 1223. By the way, Mstislav Stary himself also died in that battle. It was one of the rare battles when the Russians and Polovtsians fought together against the Mongols. Unfortunately, our troops were defeated then and a lot of soldiers, heroes and princes with squads were killed.

According to various sources, Alyosha Popovich was the son of the Rostov priest Leonty (Levontia). But the information is different. One thing is certain, Alyosha's father was a priest. But the versions of Alyosha's birthplace do not agree. According to one version, he was from the town of Pyriatyn, which is located in the Poltava region. In another version, the village of Selishche (now abandoned) is considered, which is located in the Rostov district of the Yaroslavl region.

But there is another version of the origin of Alyosha Popovich. It is believed that there were epics about Alyosha Popovich before, before the birth of Alexander Popovich (Rostovsky). And since Alexander was a famous warrior of his time, his image was superimposed on the image of the epic hero.

The famous Ukrainian writer Taras Shevchenko wrote "The Duma on Alyosha Popovich" when he came to the city of Pyriatyn.
The Altai version of the epic "Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin Zmeevich" differs from other versions. In it, Alyosha Popovich appears along with his servant, and the name of the epic sounds like “ Alyosha Popovich and Ekim Ivanovich«.
In the epic Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich, Alyosha Popovich wooed Dobrynya Nikitich's wife, Nastasya Nikulishna, but the wedding did not take place - Dobrynya returned from absence (though the absence lasted for 12 years).
There is a version of the epic "Alyosha Popovich and the sister of the Petrovich brothers (Zbrodovich)" where Alyosha Popovich was beheaded.
In 2009, the Ukrainian authorities decided to erect a monument to Alyosha Popovich in the city of Piriatov.

Nikitich, this is an epic hero. Unlike Alyosha Popovich and Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich always, or almost always, is in the service of Prince Vladimir. He is the governor of the princely squad. As a result, he accomplishes most of his feats thanks to the service of Prince Vladimir. The nature Nikitich brave, but also diplomatic. As a result, he is, as it were, the prince's personal assistant, fulfilling not only his duties in the service, but also the delicate assignments of Prince Vladimir. In terms of its importance in the epic epic of the Russian people, Dobrynya Nikitich can be called the second most famous and popular hero. Ilya Muromets is in the first place.

The origin of the image of Dobrynya

The epic Dobrynya, when compared with the chronicle Dobrynya, Vladimir's uncle, seems to have nothing in common with him. While the chronicle Dobrynya almost played a leading role before Vladimir's accession to the Kiev throne and for a long time after that, the Dobrynya epic occupies a secondary role at the court of Vladimir. Moreover, the epic Dobrynya complains to his mother about his fate: he regrets that his mother did not give birth to him with a combustible pebble, that she did not throw this pebble at the bottom of the blue sea, where he would lie calmly and be relieved of the need to travel across a clear field ...

This dissimilarity can be explained by the fact that under the name of Dobrynya, not only Dobrynya, Vladimir's uncle, is glorified in the epics, but also a number of other Dobrynya, who were mixed with the first. So, in the Tver Chronicle, next to Alexander Popovich (Alyosha Popovich bylinas), his comrade Dobrynya (Timonya) Zlatopoyas is mentioned; and the Nikon Chronicle mentions Alexander Popovich, his servant Torop and Dobrynya Razanich Golden Belt.

Some of the epics about Dobryna, in fact, lead him out of Ryazan; his father is a trade guest Nikitushka Romanovich. In any case, there are some features in the epics about Dobryna that may have a connection with Vladimir's historical uncle: getting a bride for Vladimir is an undoubted echo of the Rogneda story.

Dobrynya and Marina

The name of the mistress of the Serpent Marina is of a later origin, namely Marina Mnishek, the famous wife of False Dmitry I (early 17th century), who was equated by popular rumor with sorceresses. The name Marina, obviously, ousted from the epic an older name, probably Polovtsian.
The presented epic is curious for those everyday relations of antiquity, which it reflects. Dobrynya upholstery (according to some epics - by chance) the dear foreign Marina (steppe); Marina takes revenge on Dobrynya, resorting to that kind of suggestion, which in ancient times was called sorcery, and forcing Dobrynya to fall in love with her. Then Dobrynya is freed from hypnosis and kills Marina. Such relationships could arise very often.

Dobrynya and Serpent

In the struggle of Dobrynya with Zmeev-Gorynish and his serpents, clashes, peace treaties and a violation between the Russians and the steppe inhabitants are depicted. The name "Serpent" represents the enemy, the enemy force; the nickname "Gorynisch" indicates the connection of the homeland or the capital of the steppe people with the mountainous country.
Spiritual verses about St. Egoria and Fyodor Tyrone.

Dobrynya participates in obtaining a bride for Vladimir

The basis of this epic, apparently, was the event noted in the chronicle under 980, namely the matchmaking by Vladimir of Rogvold's daughter of Polotsk Rogneda. In the Laurentian list of the chronicle, under 1128, this event is described as follows: “About these Vseslavichs (Polotsk) there are, as if the leading (i.e., knowledgeable singers) had said before: as if Rogovolod was holding and reigning Polotsk land, and Volodymyr was There is a child in Novgorod, also a filthy man and he has a Dobrynya voivode and a khbor, and a husband is dressed up: from the ambassador to Rogovolod and ask his daughter (his) for Volodymyr. He said to his daughter: "Do you want for Volodymyr?"

She said: “I don’t want rosuti robichich, but I do want Yaropolk”; Be bo Rogovolod came from the overseas, nameeshe his volost Poltesk. Hearing Volodimer, he was angry about that speech, even more rarely: “I don’t want to be robichich”; Complained Dobrynya and filled with rage, and eat voi idost Poltesk and the victorious Rogovolod. Rogovolod ran into the city, and he approached the city and took the city, and the yasha himself, and his wife and his daughter; and Dobrynya vilify him and his daughters, he called her a slave-girl, and led Volodymer to be with her before her father and mother. Then kill her father, and sing to your wife herself, and give her name Gorislav. "
Between the epic and this chronicle legend, although they differ, there is a significant similarity: firstly, the action takes place in the land located in the west, according to the chronicle in the Polotsk region, according to the epic in the land of Lithuania; secondly, the bride's matchmaking is refused; the bride is obtained by violence, and the main role is played by Dobrynya, who, according to the chronicles, defeated Rogvolod and seized Polotsk, and, according to the epic, killed every single Tatars.

Dobrynya and raspberry-woman

Dobrynya's meeting with a heroic woman (as well as a similar meeting between Ilya Muromets and Baba Goryninka) is apparently an echo of ancient Russian relations with the Caucasus. Polenitsa Nastasya Nikulichna is a foreigner. This can be seen from her words, reminiscent of the words of Svyatogor Ilya: "I thought the same Russian mosquitoes bite, even Russian heroes nibble". In the Caucasian legends about the sledges, the latter have to deal not only with giants men, called Emegens, but also with giants women. Emegens, men and women, are gifted with gigantic stature and tremendous physical strength; they are cannibals and live in caves. Apparently, the images of the Emegens are echoes of a very ancient life of the era of the hunting period and matriarchy, when some women did not differ in their way of life from men.

Most historians are inclined to believe that the epic hero Dobrynya Nikitich had a real prototype. This is the uncle of the Grand Duke of Kiev Vladimir Svyatoslavovich (known as Vladimir Yasno Solnyshko) Dobrynya. Dobrynya was the brother of the mother of the prince (Malushi) and was in the service of the governor of the prince's squad. The exact dates of the life of Voivode Dobrynya are unknown, but these events took place at the turn of the millennium. Prince of Kiev Vladimir Svyatoslavovich ruled until 1015 AD and is best known for the fact that the baptism of Rus took place under him. According to historical data, Dobrynya possessed the following qualities: “smart, educated, dexterous, with a knot, shoots well, swims, plays tavlei, sings, plays the harp” (Kireev. II, 49).

There is another version of historians. Dobrynya was the nephew of Prince Vladimir. But this is a less common version. Nevertheless, it is customary to consider the uncle of Prince Dobrynya as the prototype of Dobrynya Nikitich. This, incidentally, explains the fact that the prince entrusted Dobryna with personal and delicate assignments. According to the same historical information, Dobrynya was the son of Malk Lyubechanin Msishi-Lyut (Mstislav Lyuty) Sveneldich. And the son of Dobrynya, Konstantin Dobrynich, for some time was a mayor of Novgorod.

Let me remind you of some other versions from the ancient history of RUSSIA: or here, but there is such a version, a hundred The original article is on the site InfoGlaz.rf The link to the article this copy was made from is

The Russian hero Alyosha Popovich is the youngest in the trinity of himself, Ilya Muromets and Dobrynya Nikitich. He was also a hero of the epics of the ancient Slavs. According to some reports, Alyosha is mentioned in more than fifty epics. But the main ones, where he acts as the main character, are two. By the way, the epics about Alyosha Popovich belong to the Kiev cycle.

In the epics, Alyosha is not described as a hero with extraordinary strength. Rather, on the contrary - he is weak, limps. But God endowed him with ingenuity, cunning, ingenuity. Alyosha Popovich played the harp well. He could cheat, he could brag and do something on the sly. His jokes could be funny, or they could be evil. In general, Alyosha Popovich is a very controversial character: sometimes insidious and arrogant, sometimes kind and merciful.

Biography of the hero Alyosha Popovich

Bogatyr Alyosha Popovich has an interesting biography. Rostov was his homeland. When the hero Alyosha Popovich was born, thunder roared. While still a baby, he asks his mother to be swaddled not with films, but with chain mail. When he is very young, he asks for a blessing in order to walk around the world. Alyosha, it turns out, can already handle a horse and a weapon (such an exaggeration is very characteristic of the epic epic).

Alyosha Popovich married Elena (Alyonushka, Alena). Interestingly, their names are very similar. In the epic “Alyosha Popovich and the Zbrodovich's Sister,” his brothers cut off his head because he disgraced their sister. There are versions of the epic, where the hero still remains alive.

One of the most popular epics was "Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin". It describes how Alyosha defeats the evil hero Tugarin in a battle in Kiev. Tugarin is surrounded by snakes breathing fire. His horse has wings. According to the epic, Tugarin threatens Alyosha with reprisals in the form of asphyxiation with smoke, combustion in fire and other and sophisticated methods, including swallowing alive. Therefore, before the battle, Alyosha Popovich asks God to send rain in order to neutralize all the villain's abilities. And God turns out to be merciful. When the hero defeats Tugarin, he scatters his corpse across the field.