Epics of the Kyiv cycle

The epics of the Kyiv cycle include epic tales, the plot of which takes place in the “capital city” of Kyiv or not far from it, and the central images are Prince Vladimir and the Russian heroes: Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich. The main theme of these works is the heroic struggle of the Russian people against external enemies, nomadic tribes.

In the epics of the Kyiv cycle, folk storytellers glorify military valor, indestructible power, the courage of the entire Russian people, their love for their native land and their unbridled desire to protect it. The heroic content of the Kyiv epics is explained by the fact that Kyiv in the 11th – 13th centuries was a border city, subject to frequent raids by nomads.

Image of Ilya Muromets

Ilya Muromets is the favorite epic hero. He is endowed with extraordinary strength and great courage. Ilya is not afraid to go into battle alone with an enemy thousands of times larger than himself. I am always ready to stand up for Mother Land, for the Russian faith.

In the epic “Ilya Muromets and Kalin the Tsar” tells about the battle of the hero with the Tatars. Prince Vladimir put Ilya in a deep cellar, and when the “dog Kalin the Tsar” approached “the capital city of Kyiv,” there was no one to resist him, there was no one to defend the Russian land. And then the Grand Duke turns to Ilya Muromets for help. And he, without holding a grudge against the prince, without hesitation goes to fight the enemy. In this epic, Ilya Muromets is endowed with exceptional strength and daring: he alone stands against the numerous Tatar army. Having been captured by Tsar Kalin, Ilya is not tempted by either the golden treasury or expensive clothes. He remains faithful to his Fatherland, the Russian faith and Prince Vladimir.

Here there is a call for the unification of Russian lands – one of the main ideas of the Russian heroic epic. 12 Holy Russian heroes help Ilya defeat the enemy force

Dobrynya Nikitich – Holy Russian hero

Dobrynya Nikitich is no less a favorite hero of the Kyiv epic cycle. He is as strong and powerful as Ilya, he also enters into an unequal battle with the enemy and defeats him. But, in addition, he has a number of other advantages: he is an excellent swimmer, a skilled psaltery player, and plays chess. Of all the heroes, Dobrynya Nikitich is closest to the prince. He comes from a noble family, is smart and educated, and a skilled diplomat. But, above all, Dobrynya Nikitich is a warrior and defender of the Russian land.

In the epic “Dobrynya and the Serpent” The hero enters into single combat with the twelve-headed Serpent and defeats him in a fair fight. The insidious Serpent, violating the agreement, kidnaps the prince’s niece Zabava Putyatichna. It is Dobrynya who goes to rescue the captive. He acts as a diplomat: he frees Russian people from captivity, concludes a peace treaty with the Serpent, and rescues Zabava Putyatichna from the snake’s hole.

The epics of the Kyiv cycle in the images of Ilya Muromets and Dobrynya Nikitich show the mighty, indestructible strength and power of the entire Russian people, their ability to resist foreigners, to protect the Russian land from the raids of nomads. It is no coincidence that Ilya and Dobrynya are so beloved among the people. After all, for them, serving the Fatherland and the Russian people is the highest value in life.

But the Novgorod epics are told for a completely different reason, they are more devoted to the way of life of a large trading city, but we will tell you about this next time.