Ancient heroes in Rus'. Russian spirit!!! Great Rus'

The main characters of the epics are the heroes who single-handedly 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, heroes fight against the manifestation of evil and violence; without this struggle, the epic world is impossible.

Ilya Muromets. Represents strength

Ilya Muromets is canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church; he is the main Russian hero. Ilya Muromets is a hero not only of Russian epics, but also, for example, of German epic poems of the 13th century. In them he is also called Ilya, he is also a hero, yearning for his homeland. Ilya Muromets also appears in the Scandinavian sagas, in which he is the blood brother of Prince Vladimir.

Nikitich. Bogatyr-diplomat

Dobrynya Nikitich is often compared to the chronicle Dobrynya, the uncle of Prince Vladimir (according to one version, nephew). His name personifies the essence of “heroic kindness.” Dobrynya has the nickname “young”, with enormous physical strength “he wouldn’t 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 “Superman”. He is not even a stranger to vice: cunning, selfishness, greed. That is, on the one hand, he is distinguished by courage, but on the other, he is proud, arrogant, perky and rude.

Bova Korolevich. Lubok hero

Bova Korolevich was the most popular hero among the people for a long time. Popular folk tales about the “precious hero” were published in hundreds of editions from the 18th to the 20th centuries. Pushkin wrote “The Tale of Tsar Saltan”, partially borrowing the plot and names of the heroes of the fairy tales about the Boy Korolevich, which his nanny read to him. Moreover, he even made sketches of the poem “Bova,” but death would 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 respect, Bova is a completely unique hero - a visiting hero.

Svyatogor. Mega-hero

Mega-hero of the “old world”. The giant, the elder hero the size of a mountain, whom even the earth cannot support, lies on the mountain in inaction. The epics tell of his meeting with earthly cravings and death in a magical grave. Many features of the biblical hero Samson were transferred to Svyatogor. It is difficult to determine exactly its ancient origins. In the legends of the people, the veteran hero transfers his strength to Ilya Muromets, the hero of the Christian century.

Duke Stepanovich. Bogatyr Major

Duke Stepanovich comes to Kiev from conventional India, behind which, according to folklorists, in this case the Galician-Volyn land is hidden, and organizes a marathon of boasting in Kyiv, undergoes tests from the prince, and continues to boast. As a result, Vladimir finds out that Duke is indeed very rich and offers him citizenship. But Duke refuses, because “if you sell Kyiv and Chernigov and buy paper for an inventory of Dyukov’s wealth, there won’t be enough paper.”

Mikula Selyaninovich. Bogatyr Plowman

Mikula Selyaninovich is a bogatyr agrarian. 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 resilient, but homely. He puts all his strength into farming and family.

Volga Svyatoslavovich. Bogatyr magician

Supporters of the “historical school” in the study of epics believe that the prototype of the epic Volga was Prince Vseslav of Polotsk. Volga was also correlated with the Prophetic Oleg, and his campaign in India with Oleg’s campaign against Constantinople. Volga is a difficult hero; he has the ability to become a werewolf and can understand the language of animals and birds.

Sukhman Odikhmantievich. Insulted hero

According to Vsevolod Miller, the prototype of the hero was the Pskov prince Dovmont, who ruled from 1266 to 1299. In the epic of the Kyiv cycle, Sukhman goes to get a white swan for Prince Vladimir, but on the way he comes into conflict with the Tatar horde, who are building Kalinov bridges on the Nepra River. Sukhman defeats the Tatars, but in the battle he receives wounds, which he covers with leaves. Returning to Kyiv without the 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 Nepra and finds out that Sukhman did not lie. But it's' too late. Sukhman feels disgraced, peels off the leaves and bleeds. The Sukhman River begins from his blood.

Danube Ivanovich. Tragic hero

According to 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 get even, finds out that Nastasya was pregnant and stumbles upon a saber.

Mikhailo Potyk. Faithful husband

Folklorists disagree on who should be associated with Mikhailo Potyk (or Potok). 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 and his wife Avdotya Swan Belaya make a vow that whichever of them dies first, the second one will be buried alive next to him in the grave. When Avdotya dies, Potok is buried nearby in full armor and on horseback, he fights the dragon and revives his wife with its blood. When he himself dies, Avdotya is buried with him.

Khoten Bludovich. Bogatyr-groom

The hero Khoten Bludovich, for the sake of his wedding with the enviable bride Chaina Chasovaya, first beats her nine brothers, then an entire army hired by his future mother-in-law. As a result, the hero receives a rich dowry and appears in the epic as the hero “who married well.”

Vasily Buslaev. Zealous hero

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

Slavic history is rich in events, knowledge about which is passed on from generation to generation not only orally, but also in writing. Oral traditions are, as a rule, epics, including songs, tales, that is, everything that was composed directly by the people. Later, epics, legends and songs were written down and in this form have reached our time. In these legends, stories and essays about the lives of some absolutely fantastic people have been preserved, but in reality, in most cases, behind each of these heroes there were hidden real people who, many centuries ago, inhabited the Slavic lands and were held in such high esteem by the people that about them legends began to be made. 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 person endowed with the power of a god. The origins of this word have been the subject of intense debate for a long time. Versions have been put forward about its borrowing from Turkic languages, and even from Sanskrit. It is now generally accepted that the word “hero” was borrowed from the Tatar language.

Russian scientists distinguish two main categories of heroes - senior and junior. It is customary to rank Svyatogor, Mikula Selyaninovich, Volga Svyatoslavich, and Sukhan among the senior heroes. This group, according to scientists, is the personification of various natural phenomena, in most cases - menacing phenomena hostile to the common man. The group of younger heroes includes the famous “Vasnetsov” trinity Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich. They are also the personification of natural phenomena, but only those beneficial to humans.

Traditional folk writings became the reason that the heroes of the epic were no longer just heroes and brave warriors who opposed the invaders, but real fighters against evil spirits. Indeed, very often you can find works in which heroes have to fight against dragons, witches and other otherworldly creatures. In addition, heroes were also given a large role in the life of the people, because they were a kind of psychological subtext of the invincibility of Rus', evidence that among the common people there are people who are always ready to defend their native land from any adversity... Let's consider the most prominent among them.

One of the most mysterious characters of the Slavic epic is Svyatogor. This is a real giant that even the earth cannot support. He is endowed with enormous strength that even the most noble heroes do not dare to fight him. It is noteworthy that he does not take part in any battles and does not perform any feats. Its main purpose is limited to defeating enemies with its wisdom and fantastic strength. Hidden in the image of this hero is the philosophical meaning of the ancient Slavic population about the veneration of the holy hero simply for his existence.

Mikula Selyaninovich, despite the fact that he is not mentioned among the Kyiv heroes, was still one. He was the real pride of the Slavic people, because the plowman-hero was a real embodiment of the Russian spirit, which by its existence asserts that a simple farmer can fight with real heroes.

Another no less striking image is Volkh Vseslavyevich. This is a fantastic epic character. According to legend, he was born from a serpent, so he grew up very quickly. Less than an hour and a half had passed since his birth when damask armor was put on him. He very quickly mastered magic and all kinds of sciences. He was considered a pagan priest, sorcerer and warrior.

Unlike Volkh, another famous epic hero, Danube Ivanovich, is a historically reliable character. His story begins from the very moment when he enters into a duel with Dobrynya Nikitich. According to legend, Ilya Muromets separates them, after which fraternization occurs. Later, Danube was looking for a bride for Prince Vladimir and, having killed the Lithuanian prince, takes away his daughter Apraxia. Another story related to the Danube is very interesting and entertaining. He is in love with Bogatyrka Nastasya, who agrees to become the wife only of the one who can defeat her. Of course, the Danube defeats her. When the wedding takes place, after a crazy argument, he kills his betrothed by shooting with a bow at the ring that was on Nastasya’s head. Unable to bear the grief, Danube kills himself.

Despite the fact that there are enough references to these heroes in literature, the first name that comes to mind for most people is Ilya Muromets. This hero had those traits that were mainly attributed to mythical and fantastic heroes - the miraculous acquisition of great strength. He was the son of simple peasant parents and was bedridden since childhood. This happens until the Kaliki wanderers appear. They order the boy to bring them water, and Ilya is healed. Moreover, he gains extraordinary strength. From that very moment, the heroic life of Ilya Muromets began, and his exploits became the basis for many epics and legends. However, the most famous epic is his battle with the Nightingale the Robber. By the way, until now scientists have not been able to come to a consensus about who Nightingale really was - either a fictional hero, or one of the warriors of the Mongol-Tatar army, or a simple robber living in Murom and ruined the merchants forced to pass through the Murom forests. At a certain period of time, Ilya comes to serve in Kyiv to save Rus' from numerous misfortunes and perform incredible and even miraculous feats.

At the same time, another hero lived with Ilya Muromets, whose name was Dobrynya Nikitich. He was born in Ryazan, but like Muromets, he served in Kyiv. The heroic story 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 little snakes, but Dobrynya manages to fulfill the prince’s order and free the girls and princes from the dragon caves.

Sometimes it seems that Dobrynya is a mythological hero. The story about the sorceress Marinka, who bewitched the hero, also looks a little fantastic. However, Dobrynya, with the help of her mother, a fellow witch, manages to defeat Marinka’s spell and deal with her. But its history contains not only a large number of fantastic tales. In Kievan Rus, he carried out more important assignments, appearing before readers as a brave, wise warrior, who, among other things, is also the first assistant of Ilya Muromets.

Another famous hero, Alyosha Popovich, according to legend, was from the city of Rostov. He ended up in Kyiv completely 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 service at the court of Prince Vladimir. Perhaps the most famous story associated with Popovich is the tale of his fight with Tugarin (this, according to the epic, is a fictional character, which is why he sometimes bears the nickname Zmeevich and is presented as a monster). Tugarin is a foreign invader who can swallow an entire swan at a time, and is carried by servants on a golden stand. And Alyosha Popovich is always a young, brave and even sometimes reckless warrior.

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

And in conclusion, it is necessary to say a few words about such heroes as Vasily Buslaev and Nikita Kozhemyaka. They were all real people. Vasily Buslaev was from Novgorod. By nature, this man was always a rebel and even a drunkard. He inherited his heroic strength from his father. However, the young man uses it differently from the rest of the heroes. On the contrary, he violates the laws of the city in every possible way, recruiting a squad of people like 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 his squad, Vasily does not engage in the fight against enemies and invaders, but only gets drunk in taverns and fights. According to 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 it was forbidden to 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 the strongman 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 artisan, or as a real hero who is in service in Kyiv.

To believe that the Slavic heroes existed in reality, or to adhere to the opinion that they were exclusively fictional characters is a personal matter for everyone. However, this is not the main thing. And the main thing is that in any case, they played a big role in the history of the Slavs, becoming symbols of former times.

No related links found

Russian heroes are not just history. They reflect the essence of the Russian person, his attitude towards the Motherland. Ilya Muromets, Alyosha Popovich, Gorynya, Dobrynya Nikitich and many others dedicated their lives to serving Rus'. They fought against countless enemies of our people, protecting and protecting ordinary people. The exploits of Russian heroes will forever remain in memory - in the form of epics, songs and legends, as well as other epics written by eyewitnesses of those events. They are the ones who make us proud of our people and the land that raised such giants.

History of heroes in Rus'

Probably each of us at school or on TV heard stories about powerful and invincible heroes. Their exploits inspire, inspire hope and make us proud of our own people, their strength, dedication and wisdom.

Many historians divide Russian heroes into older and younger ones. If you follow the epic and epics, then you can clearly draw a line between Old Slavic demigods and Christian heroes. Russian ancient heroes are the all-powerful Svyatogor, the mighty Verni-Gora, Mikula Selyaninovich, the Danube and others.

They are distinguished by their unbridled natural power. These heroes are the personification of the deified forces of nature and its invincibility. In later sources they are given a somewhat negative connotation. They become heroes who cannot and do not want to use their own power for good. Most often, these are simply destroyers, showing off their power to other heroes and ordinary people.

This was done in order to push people towards a new world - a Christian one. The heroic destroyers are being replaced by the heroic creators, the defenders of the Russian Orthodox land. These are Dobrynya Nikitich, Nikita Kozhemyaka, Peresvet and many, many others. One cannot help but recall the exploits of the Russian hero Ilya Muromets. This is a favorite image for many writers and artists. Having recovered from a serious illness, the knight went to defend his own land, and then retired to become a monk.

The most famous Russian heroes and their exploits

Our history contains many famous names. Probably everyone knows the phrase: “And both glorious and strong heroes in the Russian land.” Although our people for the most part are not warlike and prefer to work on the land, from ancient times powerful heroes and defenders of the Fatherland have emerged from among them. These are Svyatogor, Mikula Selyaninovich, Danube Ivanovich, Peresvet, Sadko and many, many others. These heroes shed their own blood for their native land and stood up to protect peaceful people in the most troubled times.

It was about them that epics and songs were written. At the same time, over time, they corresponded many times. More and more facts and details were added to them. Even the character of the heroes underwent significant changes.

This process was especially influenced by acceptance. It divided our history and led to the denial and condemnation of everything old. Therefore, in the images of more ancient heroes one can now see negative features. We are talking about Svyatogor, Peresvet, Danube Ivanovich.

They were replaced by heroes of a new generation. And almost all of them served the princes, not the people. The most famous heroes of the Russian land are Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich. It was they who were praised in songs and epics. They show off in the famous painting by Vasnetsov. They are the ones children know best, thanks to numerous cartoons and fairy tales. What did they do? And why are they always depicted together?

According to many historians, these three famous Russian heroes never met. According to some sources, Dobrynya lived in the 15th century, Ilya in the 12th century, and Alyosha, the youngest of the heroes, in the 13th century.

Viktor Mikhailovich depicted them all together as a symbol of the invincibility and indestructibility of the Russian people. The exploits of the 3 heroes were accomplished at different times, but historians agree that most of them are quite real. For example, the same Nightingale the Robber, the war with the Pechenegs, the Tatar prince Tugarin actually took place. This means that it is logical to assume that great deeds were also performed.

Alyosha Popovich and his exploits

In Vasnetsov’s painting, this young man is depicted with a bow and arrows, and near the saddle you can see a harp, which speaks of his cheerful disposition. Sometimes he is reckless, like any young guy, and sometimes he is cunning and wise, like a seasoned warrior. Like many heroes of the Russian land, this is rather a collective image. But this character also has a real prototype.

According to some reports, this is the son of the Rostov Orthodox priest Leonty. But the residents (Ukraine) also consider him a fellow countryman. Local legends say that he often visited local fairs and helped people.

According to another version, this is the famous Rostov hero Alexander. He lived in the 12th-13th century and was a prominent historical figure. Often his image is intertwined with another, no less noticeable character in epics, Volga Svyatoslavich.

The glorious exploits of Russian heroes will be incomplete without stories about how Alyosha fought with Tugarin himself in battle. This Polovtsian khan is a real historical person, Tugorkan. And in some epics Alyosha Popovich fought with him several times. This hero also earned fame in numerous internecine wars of that time. And he died in the famous Battle of Kalka (1223).

Ilya Muromets

This is perhaps the most famous and revered hero in Rus'. He embodies all the positive traits. There is very little confirmed information about him, but it is reliably known that he was canonized

This man spent his childhood and adolescence practically without movement, as he suffered from a serious paralytic disease. However, at the age of 30, Ilya was healed and fully returned to his feet. This fact was confirmed by many serious scientists who conducted research on the remains of the saint. Therefore, the exploits of the Russian hero Ilya Muromets begin at a fairly mature age.

This character became best known to all adults and children thanks to the epic, which tells about his battle with the Nightingale the Robber. This criminal controlled one of the main routes to Kyiv - the capital of ancient Rus'. Prince Mstislav, who ruled at that time, instructed the warrior Ilya Muromets to accompany the next trade convoy. Having met the robber, the hero defeated him and cleared the road. This fact is documented.

In addition to this, other victories of the Russian hero Ilya Muromets are known. The epics tell about the battle of the knight with the Poganous Idol. This may have been the name given to a nomadic rapist. There is also a story about the struggle with Baba Gorynka and her own son.

In his declining years, Ilya, having received a serious wound and tired of such a military life, retired to a monastery. But even there he could not find peace. Researchers note that the hero-monk died in battle at the age of 40-55.

Great Svyatogor

This is one of the most famous and mysterious heroes. Even the victories of the Russian hero Ilya Muromets pale before his glory. His name fully matches his appearance. He is usually represented as a mighty giant.

We can say that there are quite a few reliable epics about this hero. And they are all connected with death. However, Svyatogor says goodbye to life not in an unequal battle with numerous enemies, but in a dispute with an irresistible and unknown force.

One of the legends says that the hero found a “saddle bag.” The hero tried to move it, but died without moving the thing from its place. As it turned out, this bag contained all the “heaviness of the earth.”

Another legend tells about the journey of Svyatogor with Ilya Muromets. This shows the change of “generations” of heroes. One day, friends find an empty coffin. The prophecy on it said: whoever is destined by fate will fall into it. It turned out to be great for Ilya. And when Svyatogor lay down in the coffin, the lid covered him, and he was never able to escape. Despite all the power of the giant, the tree did not succumb to him. The main feat of Svyatogor the hero is that he transferred all his power to Ilya Muromets.

Nikitich

This hero, depicted together with Ilya Muromets and Alyosha Popovich, is one of the most revered and famous in Rus'. In almost all epics he is inextricably linked with Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich. At the same time, there is an opinion that the latter is his uncle. In history, Dobrynya is a prominent statesman, whose advice was listened to by many nobles.

However, in epics it is rather a collective image, which has the features of a mighty Russian knight. The exploits of the hero Dobrynya Nikitich consisted of fighting numerous enemy troops. But his main act is the battle with the Serpent Gorynych. The famous painting by Vasnetsov depicts the battle of the defender of the Russian land with a 7-headed dragon, but the plot was based on a real basis. The enemy used to be called “snake”. And the nickname “Gorynych” indicates his origin or habitat - the mountains.

There were also tales telling how Dobrynya found a wife. Historians note that she was a foreigner. Nastasya Nikulichna (in other versions - Mikulishna) had good physical characteristics. They began to measure their strength, and after the knight’s victory the girl became his wife.

Like all the exploits of epic heroes, the activities of Dobrynya Nikitich are connected with serving the Prince and the People. That is why they hold him up as an example, they compose fairy tales, songs and epics, portraying him as a hero and liberator.

Volkh Vseslavyevich: Prince-Wizard

This hero is known more as a sorcerer and a werewolf. He was the Prince of Kyiv. And the legends about him are like a fairy tale. Even the birth of the Magus is shrouded in mysticism. They say that his mother conceived him from Veles, who appeared to her in the form of an ordinary snake. The birth of the hero was accompanied by thunder and lightning. His childhood toys were a golden helmet and a damask club.

Like many Russian folk heroes, he often spent time with his squad. They say that at night he turned into a wild wolf and got food for the warriors in the forest.

The most famous legend about Volkhv Vseslavyevich is the story of the victory over the Indian king. One day the hero heard that evil was being planned against his Motherland. He used witchcraft and defeated the foreign army.

The real prototype of this hero is Prince Vseslav of Polotsk. He was also considered a sorcerer and a werewolf, he also took cities by cunning and mercilessly killed the inhabitants. And the snake played an important role in the life of the prince.

Historical facts and legends are mixed into one. And the feat of Volkhv Vseslavyevich began to be praised in epics, like other glorious feats of Russian heroes.

Mikula Selyaninovich - a simple peasant

This hero is one of the representatives of the heroes. His image is a reflection of the legends about the god-plowman, protector and patron of the Russian land and peasants. It was he who gave us the opportunity to cultivate fields and use the gifts of nature. He drove out the Destroying Giants.

According to legend, a hero lived on the Drevlyansky land. Unlike other ancient knights who came from princes, Mikula Selyaninovich represented the peasant class. He devoted his entire life to working in the fields. While other heroes and defenders of the Russian land fought with a sword in their hands. This makes sense, because all the benefits of the state and people come precisely from hard and daily work.

The most famous works that describe the character and life of Mikula Selyaninovich are the epics about Volga and Mikula, as well as about Svyatogor.

For example, in the story of the werewolf prince, the hero enlists in a squad assembled to resist the Varangian invasion. But before that, he laughs at Volga and his warriors: they can’t even pull out his plow, which is stuck in the ground.

The exploits of Russian heroes have always been sung by the people. But one can also find disdain for heroes who, having enormous power, cannot use it correctly. An example of such an attitude can be called the epic “Svyatogor and Mikula Selyaninovich.” Here two principles are contrasted - creative and destructive.

Svyatogor wanders around the world and does not know where to use his own strength. One day he meets Mikula with a bag that the warrior warrior cannot lift and breaks down. All the “heaviness of the earth” appears there. In this plot one can see the superiority of ordinary labor over military force.

Vasily Buslaev

This hero is not like the others. He is a rebel, always goes against the general opinion and order. Despite the superstitions of ordinary people, he does not believe in omens and predictions. At the same time, this is the image of a heroic protector.

Vasily Buslaev is from Veliky Novgorod. That is why there is so much local color in the epics about him. There are two stories about him: “Vasily Buslaevich in Novgorod” and “Vasily Buslaevich went to pray.”

His mischief and lack of control can be seen everywhere. For example, when choosing his squad, he arranges several extraordinary tasks. As a result, there are 30 young people who support Vasily in everything.

Buslaev’s deeds are not the exploits of Russian heroes, who followed the rules and obeyed the prince in everything, respecting the traditions and beliefs of ordinary people. He respected only strength. Therefore, his activity is a riotous life and fights with local men.

Peresvet

The name of this hero is closely connected with the Battle of Kulikovo Field. This is a legendary battle in which countless glorious warriors and boyars were killed. And Peresvet, like many other heroes, defenders of the Russian land, stood up to the enemy.

Scientists are still arguing whether it really happened. After all, according to legend, together with his brother Andrei, he was sent to help Dmitry Donskoy by Sergius of Radonezh himself. The feat of this hero was that it was he who inspired the Russian army to fight. He was the first to enter into battle with the representative of Mamaev’s horde, Chelubey. Practically without weapons or armor, Peresvet defeated the enemy, but fell dead along with him.

A study of earlier sources suggests the unreality of this character. In the Trinity Monastery, where Peresvet, according to history, was a novice, there are no records of such a person. In addition, it is known that Sergius of Radonezh could not meet with Prince Dmitry immediately before the battle.

But almost all the exploits of Russian heroes - one way or another - are partially invented or exaggerated by storytellers. Such stories raised morale, educated

Who are the heroes?

It would seem that this is a question that any schoolchild can answer, but when you try to formulate an exact definition, it turns out that it is not so simple.

To each his own hero

Where did these fairy-tale knights, the heroes of ancient Russian epics, come from? Did they once really exist or were they invented by our ancestors, like brownies and goblins, kikimoras, mermaids and other fairy-tale characters? Can they be considered purely Russian epic heroes, or did other countries also have their own heroes? Finally, what did these same heroes do?

Let's immediately clarify the second question: every nation that has its own folklore and its own heroic epic certainly has its own semi-fairy-tale, semi-real heroes, often copied from real, once famous warriors: Belarusian asilks, Kazakh warriors, Azerbaijani pakhlavans, Scandinavian Vikings...

Fiction or reality?

The list goes on, and historians and literary scholars have long debates about each of these heroes: were these people real, did they really exist, or is all this just a fantasy of storytellers, reinforced by the fact that each of them, who told stories about good and fair strongmen and giants, did you add something of your own?

Well, we probably can’t say anything for sure about the heroes of other countries. But regarding the heroes of Russian folk epics, folklorists and historians have long come to a consensus: something may have been embellished by the storytellers, but many of the events sung in the epics actually happened, and many of their characters have real historical prototypes .

Sometimes it can be difficult to understand the intricacies of history and literature: for example, one legendary hero can be “copied” from two or even three real people at once. It is also known that, for example, Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich could not have accomplished their glorious feats together: they lived in different times!

Oblique fathom, heroic dream...

Let us, however, turn to the dry facts: the epic heroes are strongmen, skilled warriors and fierce fighters against evil and injustice of all stripes. Many sources also mention that they stood “at the outpost,” that is, they guarded the borders of Rus' from enemies.

The adjective “heroic” has firmly entered our vocabulary: when we say “heroic dream”, “heroic strength” or “heroic appetite”, we mean something great in every sense. Indeed, in legends, heroes appear as strong men of enormous stature, capable of killing a bull in one sitting and sleeping for thirty years. This, of course, is a literary exaggeration - after all, based on literary views, heroes are the legendary heroes of the folk epic, but such heroes have always been idealized and, at least in stories, awarded with all sorts of virtues and positive qualities in unimaginable quantities.

There is, however, a completely practical explanation: of course, they did not take just anyone to defend the borders of the Motherland, into the princely squad and other important services - they selected the most dexterous and skillful, the brave and strong. It is quite possible that the prototypes of the epic heroes stood out in height and strength among their contemporaries - after all, previously the average height of a man was quite short, and a guy with a height of 170-180 centimeters could easily be considered a giant.

Where did the hero come from in Rus'?

Another interesting fact: the very word “bogatyr”, which we consider originally Russian, even comes from the Turkic “baattar” or “bahadur”, which means about the same thing - a strong, brave, dashing and courageous warrior. And this is not the only word that passed into Russian from other languages ​​and took root there forever. Even the analogue of the word “hero”, often found in fairy tales - “knight” - most likely comes from the ancient Norse “viking”.

The text of the work is posted without images and formulas.
The full version of the work is available in the "Work Files" tab in PDF format

Introduction

The Russian lands are vast and rich, there are many dense forests, deep rivers, and abundant golden fields. Since ancient times, hardworking and peaceful people lived here. However, peaceful does not mean weak, and therefore quite often farmers and plowmen had to put aside their sickles and plows and take up arms to defend their land from numerous enemies - nomadic tribes, warlike neighbors. All this was reflected in folk epic songs, which glorified not only the skill and hard work of the common people, but also their military valor. Powerful and majestic images of heroes appear before us in epics, such as Ilya Muromets, Alyosha Popovich, Dobrynya Nikitich, Svyatogor, Mikula Selyaninovich and others. I wondered what kind of heroes they are today, do they exist now?

In my work I would like to understand who the heroes are, who we can call a hero, and whether there are heroes today.

In this regard, we chose the topic of our research work - “Bogatyrs of the Russian Land”.

Goal of the work: find out who the epic heroes are and whether there are heroes in modern life now

To achieve the goal, the following are set: tasks:

find out who the hero is;

find out what qualities a hero should have;

3) get acquainted with literature and works of art about Russian heroes;

4) meet the “great” people of our time;

5) compare the qualities of epic and modern heroes;

conduct a survey of students in grades 2 - 4 in order to find out what qualities a real hero should have, who can be called a hero of our time;

analyze research results;

spend a class and spend an hour making a project with students on the topic: “Russian heroes”, create a film about modern heroes.

The study is based on hypothesis: let's say that heroes are defenders from enemies, warriors with great strength. It is possible that the heroes lived a very long time ago and are no longer there. What if the hero is an example of the great spirit of the Russian person.

Object of study- Russian bogatyrs

Subject of study- qualities of heroes.

During the work were used methods:

Information search method (analysis and synthesis of literature on the research topic)

Observation;

Questioning.

Theoretical significance: systematization and generalization of material on the research topic.

Practical significance: practical use of the acquired material in lessons, class hours, extracurricular activities, and in everyday life by parents in raising children

Bogatyrs of the Russian land

I.1. Where did the word “hero” come from?

Nowadays, the word “hero” can be heard very often: “heroic strength”, “heroic health”, “heroic sleep” we say, “heroic” we call every strong and healthy person, athlete, commander, war veteran.

But even 150-200 years ago, every Russian, when saying “hero,” compared someone with the epic defenders of their native land.

What does this word “hero” mean and where did it come from in our language? At first, the opinions of scientists were of three types:

1. Some believed that the word “hero” was borrowed from the Tatar and Turkic languages, where it appears in various forms: bagadur, batur, batyr, bator. It is assumed that the word has a meaning of a historical nature, that its original form of the word was “hero” and that it was originally used in the meaning of “Tatar governor” and a title like the present “lord”.

2. Scientist F.I. Buslaev, derived “hero” from the word “God” through “rich”.

3. Historian of Russian literature and folklorist O.F. Miller and others believed that the word “hero” is Russian and goes back to ancient Slavic history (pre-Aryan origins and the Sanskrit language). The opinion was based on the position that “bagadur” is not a Tatar word, but was borrowed from the Sanskrit baghadhara (possessing happiness, successful).

Philologist V. Kozhinov and historian L. Prozorov oppose borrowing from the Tatar language in favor of Slavic origin. They claim that the word “hero”, much closer to the epic form, appeared in the inscriptions of the Bulgarians - “bogotur” (some of these bogoturs have completely Slavic names - Slavna).

Our opinion about the word “hero” also supports Slavic origin. It didn’t come from anywhere, but was always originally Russian. This opinion is based on the ancient Slavic culture of our people in the period before the Baptism of Rus'. This is confirmed by many scientists and historians that Russia has a great past and is much older than previously described.

I.2. Epic heroes

The theme of heroes takes us more and more into the ancient culture and history of our people.

Epics are the ancient wisdom of our people. The epic comes from the word “byl”, and it comes from the ancient Slavic verb - “to be”, that is, what was and happened. The epics were composed by storytellers - guardians of Russian antiquity, bearers of the historical memory of the people. They walked from village to village and chanted (like a song) about the great events of our homeland, about the heroic heroes, their exploits, about how they defeated evil enemies, defended their land, showed their bravery, courage, ingenuity, kindness .

In our research, we tried to include ancient figurative thinking and get to know the epic heroes better.

We learned that according to legends and ancient epics, there first existed giant heroes. Let's get to know some of them.

Gorynya (Sverni-gora, Vertigor) - a mountain giant with superhuman strength, turned out stones, broke mountains, violated (changed) the nature of things: “

Dubynya (Dubynech, Vernidub, Vyrvi-oak) - A forest giant with superhuman strength. In his forests he behaved like a caring owner:

Usynya (Usynych, Usynka, Krutius) - River giant, rules the water element

Danube Ivanovich - Strong mighty hero, »

Svyatogor is a giant hero of incredible strength. " (Annex 1)

Epic epics about elemental heroes, in our opinion, glorify the majesty and spirituality of nature and bring us through the centuries the wisdom of unity and interconnection of everything in the world. The epic elemental heroes are not people, but they fully correspond to the original image of the hero. The power of natural elements is superior to human, powerful and of divine origin (creative and destructive). She is generous with natural gifts and patronizes everything: animals, vegetation, humans. We assume that this is why the elements were represented in a heroic image.

The elemental hero was replaced by hero-man. According to historians, epics about the same hero were written for centuries (in different centuries) and reflect the exploits of real warriors. That is, the images of most epic heroes are collective (collected from various folk heroes and events). Let's get acquainted with some heroes from the epics “Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich”, “Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin the Serpent”, “Dobrynya and the Serpent”, “Ilya Muromets and Svyatogor”, “Ilya Muromets and Nightingale the Robber”, “Healing of Ilya Muromets”, “Ilya Muromets and Kalin - Tsar”, “Ilya Muromets and Idolishche”. (Appendix 2)

The epic hero-man also corresponds to the original meaning of the word “hero”. The performers of the epics gave a very simple explanation to the most incredible epic episodes: “In the old days, people were not at all like they are now—bogatyrs.”

According to epics, heroes are endowed with superior strength from birth or upon reaching spiritual maturity. According to legend, such power was given only to spiritually mature people, because a less spiritual person could use such power to the detriment of others. It seems like a fairy tale, but even my great-grandfathers and great-grandmothers talked about such unusual people in their times. And also the heroes are spiritually strong. The strength lies in the fact that they perform feats for the benefit of the entire people not for rewards, but for the triumph of truth, justice, and freedom; they defend Mother Rus' without sparing their lives under any circumstances (unequal battle, etc.). Bogatyrs show the best qualities - love for their native land, selfless courage and perseverance, independence of spirit, struggle for justice, truth, honor, etc.

We think that the unification of Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich is the call and desire of the people for unity. The strength of the people is in unity. The combination of the qualities of the three heroes suggests that to protect the homeland and victory, not only the strength of the onslaught is important, but also resourcefulness and the ability to resolve the issue peacefully. “Three Bogatyrs” is an image of the heroic spirit and power of the Russian people. In the old days they said: “The Slav’s hands are at work, and his mind is with the Almighty.”

I.3. Modern heroes

Are there any heroes in the modern world now? To find out, we decided to meet some of the “great” people of past centuries and our time.

Athletes: legendary champions - wrestlers I.M. Poddubny and I. S. Yarygin; champions - weightlifters V.I. Alekseev and L.I. Jabotinsky and others.

Military leaders: the great Russian commander A.V. Suvorov; Russian commander, Field Marshal General M.I. Kutuzov; marshals commanders of the Great Patriotic War A.M. Vasilevsky and G.K. Zhukov; Air Marshals I.N. Kozhedub and A.I. Pokryshkin and others.

Officers and privates of the Great Patriotic War. They are all true heroes of our Motherland. They showed perseverance, courage, ardent love for the Motherland, and fought without sparing their lives for our future and the future of Russia. We will always remember their feat! (Appendix 3)

We tried to compare the “great” people of our Motherland with the characteristics of a hero.

Characteristics of the hero:

We could not find a hero in the native meaning of the word among the “great” people of modern times. Military leaders are more like knights. Athletes compete in competitions without threatening the life of the country, and if suddenly there is a war, they may not go to it. Volunteers are strong in spirit, but may not be superior in strength and may not participate in all wars. But we do not want to say that there are no heroes. Maybe we don’t know about them; modern epics aren’t written about them. And the meaning of the word “hero” is now blurred. (Appendix 4)

Conclusions on Chapter I

In this chapter, we selected and studied literature on this topic. We found out who the hero is. We studied legends and epics, as well as epic heroes. We found out what qualities real heroes had.

The totality of military virtues is one of the most important features of a Russian hero, but physical virtues alone are not enough; all the activities of the hero must also be of a religious and patriotic nature. These are valiant heroes, brave men seeking difficult feats of arms. Military campaigns are the basis of their daily life. They form a kind of heroic community. Like the epic heroes, they were of enormous stature and immense strength; seasoned in enduring difficulties and hardships.

We asked ourselves whether my peers knew about the epic heroes, what qualities, in their opinion, real heroes should have, and whether modern heroes exist. For this purpose, we conducted research work.

Chapter II. Research

Having studied the literature, we decided to carry out practical work in order to investigate what qualities real heroes should have and to find out whether modern heroes exist; we set ourselves the following tasks:

Conduct a survey among students in grades 2 - 4 and their parents in order to find out which epic heroes they know, what qualities heroes should have, where they learned about heroes, whether it is possible to become a hero now, whether it is honorable to be a hero and analyze the results.

2 . Interview a school library librarian to find out what books modern children read.

3 . Analyze which professions people can be classified as modern heroes

5 . Create a film about modern heroes, release a panel on the theme: “Russian heroes”

II.1. Questioning of 2-4 grade students and their parents

We conducted a survey among students in grades 2–4 and their parents. 42 people (21 children and 21 adults) participated in this survey. Survey results:

To the question “who are the heroes?” children and adults wrote similar responses. General description: Bogatyrs are mighty people of the Russian land, brave, courageous (strong in spirit), warriors, defenders of their Motherland and people.

The most famous heroes:

Among children and adults, the most famous were Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich.

75% of children and 58% of adults would like to be like Ilya Muromets. Because he is the strongest, always defended his native land and was our fellow countryman.

8% of children - on Dobrynya Nikitich, because he was wise, and of the adults, 20% - on Alyosha Popovich, because he was strong, the youngest and savvy.

2% of adults - in Peresvet and Oslyabya - who, after military life, thought about the higher meaning of life, went into monasticism. 17% - 20% of children and adults wanted to be like themselves.

The main qualities of a hero

Children Adults:

Physical strength (67%) - physical strength (75%)

Fortitude (33%) - fortitude (16%)

Strength of spirit is marked by love for the Fatherland, courage, masculinity, resourcefulness, willpower, kindness, sense of justice and others.

Martial art (9%)

Children see a hero not necessarily as a warrior, but as a person always very powerful and strong in spirit. Adults see the hero not only as powerful and strong in spirit, but also knowledgeable in military matters. The main quality is powerful strength.

Attracts in heroes

But both children and adults are attracted to heroes by their spiritual qualities (courage, self-confidence, nobility, helping the weak, fighting for justice, love for the Motherland and its defense).

How did you learn about the heroes?

Children Adults:

Books (epics, tales) (67%) - books (epics, tales) (50%)

Cinema and cartoons (25%) - cinema and cartoons (33%)

Stories, excursions (8%) - stories, excursions (17%)

Children and adults learned about heroes mainly from books.

67% of children and 25% of adults believe that it cannot, because a woman has less power and it is not a woman’s business, a woman is the keeper of the hearth and family. And 33% of children and 67% of adults believe that it can, because female wisdom, cunning and ingenuity help a woman win.

Are there any heroes now? Who can you name?

83% of children and 25% of adults believe that there are no real heroes anymore, because over time people have changed or do not know about them, but the heroes remained heroes of antiquity. But 7% of children and 67% of adults believe that even now there are heroes - these are athletes, war soldiers, and generals.

Is it possible to become a hero?

Most children and adults believe that it is possible. To do this, you need to believe in yourself, play sports, be fair, kind, wise, honest, train willpower, spirit, help people, be a patriot. But some children and adults believe that it will not work. Because physical and spiritual data are laid down by nature (God). You can become a good person, a strong athlete, a hero, but not a hero.

Half of the adults and some of the children believe that it is not honorable to be a hero now. Because over time, the character traits for which heroes were respected ceased to be valued and people’s aspirations changed towards achieving material values. But most children and 42% of adults think it is honorable. Because we lack such people as heroes, who believe in eternal human values, who look to the future with hope and optimism. (Appendix 5)

II.2. Interview with a school library librarian

We interviewed a school library librarian to find out what modern children are reading.

School library librarian Natalya Rafaelovna Krivenko said that love and respect for the printed word is instilled in us from childhood. A book is the best gift, a book is a faithful friend and wise adviser. Children at all times loved poems, nursery rhymes, and fairy tales. And such authors as Barto, Zakhoder, Marshak are, of course, timeless. But older guys are increasingly asking for science fiction and detective stories. According to the librarian, once upon a time children took Krapivin and Kira Bulychev well. Dumas was read to his heart's content. Today these authors, although not so in demand, are still readable. At the same time, the guys still love Astrid Lindgren, Mark Twain, and Daniel Defoe, and read Dragunsky and Nosov. But children are reluctant to read epics, only as program material. (Appendix 6)

II.3. Modern heroes

Analyze people of what professions can be classified as modern heroes.

Let us note the main qualities of heroes:

Physical strength - very strong and powerful, endowed with superior strength from birth or later, when spiritually ready.

Strength of spirit - brave, noble, decisive, with a sense of justice, self-esteem, has independence of spirit, willpower, ingenuity, resourcefulness, loves his native land and the world around him, is ready to fight to the end even without hope of victory, to give his life for his homeland and people .

Military - may or may not be trained in martial arts. Free in decisions and from duty of service.

The work of his whole life is to protect the people and native land from a mortal threat, not out of duty or personal gain (reward), but at the behest of the soul.

Such characteristics, in our opinion, include people of the following professions - policeman, rescuer, firefighter, military man.

After we found out who the hero is, identified his main characteristics, talked with the librarian of the school library, we decided to introduce my classmates to what new and interesting things I learned about heroes. We spent a class hour (Appendix 7, 8), made a project with the students on the topic: “Russian heroes” created a film about modern heroes.

Conclusions on Chapter II

Thus, we carried out research work in order to investigate what qualities real heroes should have and find out whether modern heroes exist; we set ourselves the following tasks:

Thus, the totality of military virtues and a kind, honest disposition constitute the most important features of the Russian hero, but physical virtues alone are not enough; all the activities of the hero must also be of a religious and patriotic nature. In general, people idealize their heroes, and if they hyperbolically imagine their physical qualities: strength, agility, heavy gait, deafening voice, long sleep, then still they do not have that brutal gluttony of other monstrous giants who appear in epics, who do not belong to the category of heroes .

Conclusion

Based on the main goal of our work - to explore what qualities real heroes should have and find out whether modern heroes exist:

We selected and studied literature on this topic.

We learned from additional literature who the heroes were, studied legends and epics with epic heroes. We found out what qualities real heroes had.

We conducted a survey among students in grades 2 - 4 and their parents in order to find out which epic heroes they know, what qualities heroes should have, where they learned about heroes, whether it is possible to become a hero now, whether it is honorable to be a hero and analyze the results.

3 . We interviewed a school library librarian to find out what books modern children read.

4 . We analyzed which professions people can be classified as modern heroes.

6 . We created a film about modern heroes, release a panel on the theme: “Russian heroes”

During the study, our hypothesis was confirmed. We are confident that the topic of our research is very important for any generation, because we must know our past, the great exploits of our people, our heroes. They are an example of courage and valor, the pride of our land and nurture the Russian spirit in us.

Even though modern heroes do not look completely like heroes, they have absorbed part of their power. They are also strong in spirit, they stand guard over peace and life, they show the power and strength of our Motherland. And as long as we have such heroes, as long as we remember them, the heroic spirit of the Russian man is alive.

We think that if we combine the qualities of athletes, military leaders and people's volunteers together, then we will get the image of a real hero.

Nowadays, Russia needs heroes.

Bibliography

1. Anikin V.P. Epics. Russian folk tales. Chronicles. M.: Higher School, 1998.

2. Epics. Russian folk tales. M.: Children's literature, 2002.

3. Epics. Russian folk tales. Old Russian stories / Anikin V.P., Likhachev D.S., Mikhelson T.N. M.: Children's literature, 2009.

4. Rybakov B.A. Rus': Legends. Epics. Chronicles. M.: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences, 1998.

5. Selivanov V.I. Bogatyr epic of the Russian people / Bylina. M.: Children's literature, 2010, vol.1. - p.5-25.

6. Website Wikipedia

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8B%D1%80%D0%B8

Pictures from the Internet site

http://go.mail.ru/search?mailru=1&q=%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BA%D0%B8+%D0 %B1%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8B%D1%80%D1%8C

Thesaurus

• Bogatyr - characters from epics and legends, distinguished by great strength and performing feats of a religious or patriotic nature. Historical records and chronicles contain indications that some of the events that became epics actually took place. The heroes stood guard over Rus', at the outpost.

  The epic is about the exploits of heroes and reflects the life of Ancient Rus' in the 9th-13th centuries; a type of oral folk art, which is characterized by a song-epic way of reflecting reality.

  Epic heroes are the main characters of epics. They embody the ideal of a courageous person devoted to his homeland and people. The hero fights alone against hordes of enemy forces.

Annex 1.

Bogatyr-element

Appendix 2

Bogatyr-man

Appendix 3

Prominent people of Russia

Appendix 4

In library…

Appendix 5

Who would you like to be like? (V %)

The main qualities of a hero? (V %)

How did you learn about the heroes? (V %)

Can a woman be a hero?

Are there any heroes now?

Is it honorable to be a hero in our time?

Appendix 6

Interview with a librarian

Appendix 7

Class hour

"Bogatyrs - defenders of the Russian land"

Not long ago we celebrated the holiday “Defender of the Fatherland Day”. Motherland, Fatherland are sacred words dear to every person. It is the duty of the people to defend their land. In the name of the fatherland, warrior-defenders serve.

Russia is strong and powerful. Russia has always been famous for its defenders, from ordinary soldiers to generals. The famous commander Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov believed that there is no better soldier than a Russian anywhere in the world. He himself will not get lost, and he will save a comrade, and where his strength is weak, he will reach there with his wits. And the opinion of the legendary generalissimo can be trusted. The Russian soldier is rich in truth.

Historically, our people have had to fight against foreign invaders for centuries. The names of the Kyiv princes Svyatoslav Igorevich and Vladimir the Red Sun sounded menacing to the Polovtsians, Khazars, and Pechenegs.

Where do Russian warriors get their inexhaustible strength from? They say that they inherited it from distant ancestors, about whom songs and legends were composed - from epic heroes who lived 1000 years ago, but the glory of their exploits as defenders of the Russian land and their Fatherland from ancient times has reached our days . It is these strongmen, intercessors and fair warriors that we will talk about today.

Glory to our side

Glory to Russian antiquity!

And about this old thing

I'll start telling you

So that you all can know

About the affairs of our native land.

Times are different now

Like thoughts and deeds -

Russia has gone far

From the country it was!

Our people are smart and strong

Looks far ahead

But ancient legends

We must not forget!

Glory to Russian antiquity,

Glory to our side!

Strong as the free wind,

Powerful as a hurricane.

He protects the earth

From the evil infidels!

He is rich in good power,

He protects the capital city.

Saves the poor and children

And old people and mothers!

Our Mother Rus' is great!

High is the height of heaven,

Deep is the depth of the ocean-sea,

There is wide expanse throughout the entire earth.

The Sorochinsky Mountains are deep,

The Bryansk forests are dark,

The Smolensk stones are large,

Russian rivers are swift and bright.

And also strong, mighty heroes in glorious Rus'.

Glorious for its heroes is the Russian land!

What associations do you have with the word “hero”? (strong, brave, fearless, protector...)

How does the explanatory dictionary interpret the meaning of this word?

Let's turn to the dictionary of Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov.

Bogatyr - 1) a hero of Russian epics who performs military feats in the name of the Motherland. 2) a man of immeasurable strength, stamina, and courage.

Complete the task: choose cards with those words that fit the description of the image of the hero.

Strong, lazy, warrior, protector, fool, brave, kind, cowardly, evil, weak.

What are the names of folk songs in which the exploits of heroes are glorified? (epics)

People in Rus' have long loved to gather together on long winter evenings or bad weather. They weaved nets, repaired fishing gear, made various household utensils, and the storyteller intoned:

Listen to me, good people,

Yes, my epic, the truth - the truth!

What is an “epic”?

Let's turn to the dictionary.

Bylina- Russian folk epic song about heroes.

(Russian folk song legend)

The word “epic” comes from the word “byl”, that is, what you really were. They were created to be performed at holidays and feasts. They were performed by special people - storytellers who chanted epics from memory and accompanied themselves on the harp.

Let's listen to the harp playing.

Remember, guys, the names of Russian heroes.

Each of us has known the names of these glorious heroes since childhood.

Russian artist - Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov, depicted portraits of the most famous heroes in his famous painting.

What do you think the name of this painting is? The picture is called “Bogatyrs”.

(a reproduction of the painting “Bogatyrs” by V.M. Vasnetsov is demonstrated)

What helped you guess that the title of the painting is “Bogatyrs”?

Vasnetsov worked on the painting “Bogatyrs” for about 20 years.

Against the backdrop of the boundless steppe, the artist depicted three heroes standing guard over the borders.

Name which heroes are depicted on it? (Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich, Alyosha Popovich)

What do the heroes do? (All three peer vigilantly into the distance to see if trouble threatens the Russian land.)

They are ready to defend their homeland. Behind them is the entire Russian land - its fields, forests, rivers.

The picture convinces us that the Russian land is strong and powerful. And no enemy is afraid of her. Kyiv-grad stands on high hills. In the old days, it was surrounded by an earthen rampart and surrounded by deep ditches.

Behind the forests stretched the steppes endlessly and without edge. And a lot of grief came from these steppes to Rus'. Nomads flew from them into Russian villages - they burned and robbed, and took Russian people captive.

And in order to protect the Russian land from enemies, they began to erect small fortresses in the steppe - heroic outposts. They protected the path to Kyiv, protected from enemies and strangers. And the heroes began to ride around the steppe on their heroic horses. They peered vigilantly into the distance - could they see enemy fires, could they hear the tramp of other people's horses?

For days and months, years and decades, Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich protected their native land - all of them carried out military service in the steppe and in the open field. Occasionally they gathered in Prince Vladimir's courtyard to relax - to listen to the guslars, to talk with each other.

The main friend of the heroes was the horse. What's on the horse is called harness. What does this include? (Bridle, stirrups, saddle)

The heroes rode tirelessly on powerful horses, in heroic equipment, and armed, to defend the Russian land.

How are the heroes dressed? (The body is wearing chain mail - an iron shirt)

Why do the heroes need it? (She protected the heroes from blows from spears, arrows and swords). The chain mail weighed 7 kilograms.

What do the heroes wear on their heads? (Helmet)

The helmet was made of metal, it was decorated with ornaments and patterns. And those who were richer decorated the helmet with gilding and silver plates. The helmet protected the head of a warrior-hero from blows.

What other armor do heroes have? (Shields, bow, quiver with arrows, flail, club, axe, sword - mace)

The sword was the main weapon of warriors - heroes and warriors - at that time in Russia. The sword was a Russian weapon. An oath was taken on swords, the sword was revered. It was an expensive weapon and was passed down from father to son. The sword was worn in a sheath so that it would not rust. The sword handle and scabbard were decorated with ornaments and patterns. Patterns on the scabbard and hilt of the sword were applied not only for the purpose of decoration, but also for the purpose of assisting its owner, who wields the sword.

Ilya Muromets is the most famous and, at the same time, the most mysterious hero of the Russian epic. It is difficult to find a person in Russia who has never heard of this glorious hero from the ancient city of Murom.

But Ilya Muromets did not immediately become a hero. He sat there for thirty years and three years, and let’s see what happened next.

(View snippet)

Ilya Muromets embodies the best qualities of a person: courage, honesty, loyalty, love for his homeland. Epic stories tell about his miraculous strength, about the fight against the Nightingale the Robber. (Slide 29)

Images of heroes are the people's standard of courage, justice, patriotism and strength. It is not for nothing that one of the first Russian aircraft, which had an exceptional carrying capacity at that time, was named “Ilya Muromets”.

For many modern people, it is a revelation that the popular hero of the epic is revered as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church. Ilya Muromets was officially canonized in 1643 among sixty-nine other saints of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. The memory of the holy hero is celebrated on January 1. The relics of the saint are still in the caves of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv.

The memory of Ilya Muromets was always kept in his homeland - in the village of Karacharovo and the city of Murom, where there was no doubt about his real existence and origin. And where a monument was erected to him.

Dobrynya Nikitich is the second most popular hero in the epic of Kievan Rus after Ilya Muromets.

He is often depicted as a serving hero under Prince Vladimir. Dobrynya is the hero closest to the prince and his family, carrying out their personal assignments and distinguished not only by his courage, but also by his diplomatic abilities.

He embodies education, excellent upbringing, knowledge of etiquette, the ability to play the harp, and intelligence (Dobrynya plays chess superbly). In epics, he often represents the interests of Prince Vladimir in foreign lands. He, like all heroes, is brave and courageous. Since childhood (from the age of 12 or 15), Dobrynya has mastered weapons.

Dobrynya Nikitich became famous for defeating the Fiery Serpent in a difficult battle, freeing many people, and among them the niece of Prince Vladimir - Zabava Putyatichna.

Alyosha Popovich - the youngest of the three heroes, the main heroes of the Russian epic

Alyosha Popovich is the son of the Rostov priest Levontius. He often visited fairs, helped people and had heroic strength. Alyosha Popovich is distinguished by courage, daring, pressure, on the one hand, and resourcefulness, sharpness, and cunning, on the other.

Alyosha Popovich saves the prince's wife Apraxia from Tugarin Zmeevich, and the Russian people from incredible burdens and taxes.

Volga Svyatoslavich is the hero of Russian epics. As a child, Volga grows by leaps and bounds, and soon becomes a mighty hero, possessing not only the art of fighting enemies, but also the ability to understand the language of birds and animals and turn into different animals.

(View snippet)

There are other epics - about heroes of peaceful labor. The most famous of them is the epic about the plowman - the hero Mikul Selyaninovich. He plows the land, feeds Rus'. In the epics of Mikulu Selyaninovich, the Russian people elevated his work so much that no one could compare with him in strength and power.

“Volga bowed to the plowman:

- Oh, you, glorious plowman, mighty hero, come with me for a comrade...

The plowman took the silk tugs off the plow, unharnessed the gray filly, sat astride her and set off.

The good fellows galloped halfway. The plowman says to Volga Vseslavyevich:

- Oh, we did something wrong, we left a plow in the furrow. You sent some fine warriors to pull the bipod out of the furrow, shake out the earth from it, and put the plow under the broom bush. Volga sent three warriors. They turn the bipod this way and that, but they can’t lift the bipod off the ground.”

Twice Volga sent his warriors to pull out that plow, but the third time he and his entire squad did not overcome it. Mikula pulled out that plow with one hand.

They know the epics of a wonderful musician - this is Sadko, a Novgorod merchant. No one can compare with him in the art of playing the harp. And one day the King of the Sea himself listened and invited him to visit him.

The oldest is considered to be the epic about Svyatogor the hero or Kolyvan, as he is also called.

Svyatogor is a Russian hero, enormous in stature, incredible strength. He is taller than a dark forest, he props up the clouds with his head. He gallops across the Holy Mountains - the mountains shake under him, he runs into the river - water splashes out of the river. Svyatogor has no one to compare his strength with. He would travel around Rus', walk with other heroes, fight with enemies, shake the heroic strength, but the trouble is: the earth does not support him, only the stone cliffs do not collapse under his weight, do not fall, so That's where he lived. It’s hard for Svyatogor because of his strength.

When the heroes gathered together, they became so strong that it was impossible to defeat them. Proverbs talk about this too.

Task: collect proverbs

The hero is not famous by birth, …………. but a feat.

There is no better thing, …………. how to protect your native land from enemies.

Courage ………. the strength of the governor.

The brave one can slurp peas, ……… but the timid one can’t even see the cabbage soup.

Our conversation about Russian heroes has come to an end. Heroes of epics and their feats of arms remain in the memory for a long time.

Remember: there is always room for heroism. There are always those who need your protection, support, approval, and a friendly smile. I wish you peace, good luck, goodness, happiness.

Appendix 8