In the past 2017, an epic film called “The Legend of Kolovrat” was released on screens across the country. The film tells about the events that took place in Rus' in the 13th century. At the center of the film is the legendary personality Evpatiy Kolovrat. As always in such films there is fiction and a romantic plot, but...

The appearance of such films in our time is not accidental. Now knowing your history, your ethnic roots is very important. Moreover, in our history there are many little-known persons whom we know only by hearsay. And this is unfortunate. For example, what do you know about Ivan Susanin, except that he led the Poles into forests and swamps? And I’m not even talking about the founder of the dynasty of Russian princes - Rurik.

Here is Evpatiy Kolovrat, the same legendary personality, with a similar historical fate. I was born in the USSR, and I remember when I was in school, I first read his name in a history textbook, when it was time to study the invasion of Batu Khan.

But, in detail about him, and what he did, I realized much later. At that time, it was believed that everything that existed in Russia before 1917 was completely rotten tsarism, oppression and injustice towards ordinary people. It is for this reason that the names and exploits of such military generals as Rumyantsev, Kulnev, Kostenetsky, Dragomirov, Skobelev, and many many other very significant people for our common history were often hushed up.

Today we can already evaluate the hard times we went through after the collapse of the Soviet Union. All of us living today are experiencing the consequences of this historical event. Together we experienced confusion, humiliation, the loss of the national idea and dignity as if the stool had been knocked out from under our feet.

And now it is very important for all of us to regain historical memory. Personally, this topic worries me greatly. No, I haven’t watched the film yet, I’ve known everything for a long time... Evpatiy Kolovrat’s feat is unique even for Russia, and this modest article is ours - a personal tribute to the act that he and his modest squad once committed.

Who was this man who left such a heroic mark on Russian history? After all, they know even less about him than about the same Ivan Susanin. By the way, here I would even compare him with Ermak.

Evpatiy Kolovrat (about 1200 - until January 11, 1238) - Ryazan boyar, governor and Russian hero, hero of the Ryazan folk tale of the 13th century, during the Batu invasion (published in the "Vremennik of the Moscow Society of History and Antiquity", book XV and Sreznevsky, "Information and notes", 1867). Evpatiy’s feat is described in the ancient Russian “Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu.” (From Wikipedia).

Before talking about this brave man, it is necessary to say a few words about the events of that time, which influenced the historical feat of Evpatiy. It was a difficult time for Rus'. Kievan Rus was ending its existence as a state. Relatives and princes are at war with each other... Very soon the Swedes will threaten us from the West, and then the Germans... Discord and arrogance of the princes, blood, their personal ambitions, plus the Mongol invasion from the south under the leadership of Khan Batu... And long-suffering Ryazan.

In Russia, perhaps only the Pskov region (which, by the way, was often called an “offensive place” in chronicles) can be compared with Ryazan. The fact is that during the confrontation between Rus' and the Golden Horde, Ryazan was destroyed more than once. The very location of the city contributed to this - through Ryazan the road from the Steppe went to the north of the Russian principalities. Well, the Pskov region has always been geographically on the path of exporting Western European “values” to us. That’s how we lived... However, let’s return to Ryazan.

The “Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu” describes precisely one of the episodes of Batu’s military operations, during which Ryazan was burned. This happened on December 21, 1237. Evpatiy Kolovrat served as a governor in Ryazan in those days. However, at the time of the capture of the city he was in Chernigov. Returning to the devastated Ryazan, he decided to take revenge on his enemies and with a small squad set off after Batu’s horde.

“...Having caught up with Batu in the Suzdal land, Evpatiy suddenly attacked his camps and began to flog the Tatars without mercy. When the sword in Evpatiy’s hands grew dull, he took the Tatar one.”

But the small number of Evpatiy’s squad nevertheless affected the outcome of the battle and the Russians were defeated. However, Batu was so imbued with Evpatiy’s military prowess that he gave his body to the remaining Russian soldiers and released them. Standing in his tent, in front of the body of the defeated Evpatiy, Batu sadly exclaimed: “Oh, if only I had ONE OF SUCH!“This is what is said about the feat of Evpatiy Kolovrat in the chronicle. So who is this man, where is he from? Why did Khan Batu, who had burned and destroyed an entire city with a clear conscience, suddenly respect Kolovrat so much? What do we know about him from chronicle sources?

Origin, biography of Evpatiy Kolovrat

Just as little is known about Evpatiy Kolovrat as about Rurik or Ermak. More precisely, practically nothing. There is only information that he was born in 1200 in the village of Frolovo near Ryazan. According to some sources, he was a governor in Ryazan, and according to others, he was a boyar. In Rus' at that time it was not customary to have surnames, but rather they were given something like nicknames based on their occupation or achievements. Imagine a fence made of strong, thick wooden stakes driven deep into the ground. In order to pull such a stake out of the ground, one person must have a lot of health.

One must think that Evpatiy himself was good at this, because they gave him such a nickname - Kolovrat. But, be that as it may, he served at the court of the Ryazan prince Yuri. When the troops of Khan Batu invaded Russian lands, Evpatiy was about 37 years old. That's probably all that is known about his life. Something is not enough, you say. However, do not forget that this is still the 13th century and in Rus' there were not only books, nor even newspapers.

And among the historians - only monastery chroniclers, who most often described the life of the prince. And what was beneficial to this prince. Many questions and disputes arose and arise around the name of the hero. There are opinions that he was a settled Varangian, and Prince Yuri sent him after Norwegian mercenaries. Others believe that Evpatiya as a person did not exist, and that all this is a collective image. Of course, it is difficult for some people to believe this, because such actions as Evpatiy’s feat are irrational, and since this cannot be, then this cannot be...

But, be that as it may, the hero remains a hero. After all, even if we assume that this is a mythical image, it is based on real people who fought for their Motherland. And this is important. Although, Batu Khan is not a mythical image, but a historical figure, whose existence cannot be doubted. Ryazan was burned by him, this is also a fact. Skeptics, the city of Ryazan also still exists. And Evpatiy Kolovrat remained in the people's memory.

The story of the feat of Evpatiy Kolovrat

So, as they say, the story began with the fact that the troops of the next Mongol Khan Batu again invaded the Russian principalities. Ryazan was essentially one of the first cities to be attacked at that time. Knowing this and realizing that he could not survive alone, Yuri, Prince of Ryazan, sent several people to Chernigov for help, among whom was Evpatiy Kolovrat. And soon Batu’s army approached the city.

I will not describe all the conflicts in the negotiations between Prince Yuri and Batu. Much has been written about this. I will only say that by killing the embassy of the Ryazan prince, headed by Yuri’s son Fyodor, Batu took the city and completely destroyed it, including women, children and old people. Wooden Ryazan burst into flames.

Having finished with Ryazan, Batu moved on. Evpatiy, being in Chernigov, learned about the siege of the city and hurried back. However, upon arriving at the place, he discovered that the city was no longer there. In its place only ashes and mountains of corpses remained. As was the custom of that time, the Mongols took prisoners with them into slavery; children were especially valued. They could then be sold at a profit.

According to some reports, the Kolovrat family died in the city. And so, with a small squad of about 1700 man, Evpatiy sets off to catch up with Batu’s army. Think about it, friends, a city squad of 1,700 people is pursuing the mobilized, battle-hardened, most mobile cavalry, perfect army of that time - the Mongol-Tatar. For what?

As for the size of Batu’s army, most likely it was not too large. But it is known that Batu had siege stone-throwing machines for taking cities. And his army still surpassed Kolovrat’s detachment in terms of the number of cavalry, plus foot soldiers. The number is estimated at about 15,000 - 25,000 people. It is unlikely that the governor-boyar did not understand that with his small squad he would not see military success. And if this is so, then imagine what kind of courage one must have in order to foresee one’s unenviable future and still go into an unequal battle with a strong and intelligent opponent.

To fully understand the tragic events that happened in Rus' then, you need to know one more important thing. The Tatar-Mongols were not such cruel barbarians, enemies of civilization, as is commonly believed. It was simply a different civilization. The Great Steppe, in the person of the Great Khan Genghis Khan, proclaimed a universal law for all Mongols, which was called Great Yasa.

According to one of the provisions of this law, death threatened that person (and his entire family) if he betrayed another Mongol who trusted him. The steppe is a harsh, cold place, it is dishonest to rob and sell into slavery a person who on a cold night asked to spend the night in your tent... The people of the steppe were simple people, Christian morality was unknown to them, the punishment for a crime was always the same - death or slavery.

The Tatar-Mongols never persecuted people for religious reasons. It is not surprising, therefore, that our religions have been preserved during three hundred years of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. Agree, any army needs food, horses, fodder, rest, and a place to graze horses. And at first, the Tatar-Mongols, passing by our cities, did not burn them and did not kill people, but sent their ambassadors to negotiate in one city or another in order to reach an agreement as peacefully as possible. It is clear that the terms of the negotiations were often unfavorable for us; the Mongols spoke from a position of strength.

And the Russian princes, not knowing who they were dealing with, at the very first negotiations with the ambassadors of the Tatar-Mongols simply killed them all. That is, according to Mongolian law, they betrayed the people who trusted them. This first happened 15 years before the events described. As we now say, ignorance of the laws does not exempt you from responsibility. According to some historians, this is the true reason for the then cruelty of the Tatars. And from the Mongolian point of view, they were in their right - they religiously fulfilled their Law, and did not consider themselves guilty.

But for Evpatiy’s small army this no longer mattered. Having seen what the Tatars had done to Ryazan, they decided to stop the evil. After all, the Tatars went further to Vladimir. Using military cunning, under the cover of darkness, Evpatiy’s detachment attacked the Horde from the forest.

This sudden attack allowed Evpatiy to inflict significant damage on the Mongol rearguard. It is not known exactly how many attacks there were. However, since Batu became concerned and sent his best warriors, including Khostovrul, his wife’s brother, to neutralize the advancing Ryazanians, apparently the attacks were numerous, painful and very successful. This detachment of Batu could not cope with Evpatiy, and what’s more, Khostovrul himself died.

So Evpatiy would have destroyed the enemy little by little if Batu had not used special stone-throwing machines against Evpatiy’s soldiers, which were usually used to destroy the walls of the city. Evpatiy died, but several people survived and were taken prisoner.

When the body of the deceased Evpatiy was brought to Batu, he said: “With a thousand heroes like this Russian knight, I could conquer the whole world!” Of course, it is difficult to say how plausible these words are. However, Batu gave the body to the Ryazan people and released them.

This means that he was nevertheless imbued with Evpatiy’s military prowess. Although this is not surprising. All great commanders respected military prowess and strength. Upon returning to the Ryazan region, Evpatiya was given a solemn funeral. On January 11, 1238, he was presumably buried in his native village.

Now in this locality one of the three monuments to the hero has been erected. The other two are located in Ryazan. On January 20, 1238, Batu’s army plundered a small town, at that time unknown to anyone, but which was destined to significantly change the geopolitical structure of Ancient Rus', turning it into the Russian state. This town was called Moscow. But the memory of the hero lived and lives on. Poems and verses were dedicated to him, paintings were painted. There is even a computer game where this Russian hero appears.

Let's summarize. Did Evpatiy Kolovrat achieve military success? From a purely military point of view, no. His army was completely defeated. However, he delayed Batu’s army for some time - he forced him to deploy his battle formations for defense and stop. The damage inflicted on the enemy is sensitive, otherwise why would stone-throwing machines be used?

Evpatiy Kolovrat and his soldiers gave their lives " for your own sake", because " there is no greater love than that when someone lays down his life for his friends"- for the sake of saving others. Revenge is selfish, a person who only takes revenge rarely plans to die just to carry out his revenge. Whereas in order to stop evil, a person is sometimes ready to give everything, including his life... From a spiritual and moral point of view, Kolovrat and his people turned out to be stronger - they defeated Batu.

And Batu, having dealt with Ryazan, finally approached Vladimir. Prince Vladimir Yuri Vsevolodovich did not have a garrison and the diplomatic ability to reach an agreement with the khan. The troops had long been spent in civil strife, and it was unacceptable for the prince to negotiate and then pay tribute. Having the opportunity to negotiate or leave, he nevertheless ordered the defense of Vladimir, not having sufficient forces, and since the Mongols did not surrender the city, they destroyed it.

The Holy Grand Duke Yuri Vsevolodovich later died in a battle with Batu's army. This is how, one by one, Batu defeated all the resisting Russian princes. By 1242, the Mongols had reached the Adriatic Sea. In the same significant year, the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky on Pskov-Chudskoe Lake defeated the German knights of the Livonian Order, who quietly came to us from the West, calling us to the European Union in a well-known way. But that's a completely different story.

Evpatiy Kolovrat is a Russian epic hero, about whose existence debate has not ceased for many decades. Who is this? And was he really there? For what merits are songs dedicated to him and monuments erected?

In 1237, Batu’s troops came to Ryazan land. Their path was quite easy, since the lands of Rus' were densely populated, and almost every city was ruled by relatives - princes who fought with each other for power. These feuds became the main reason that the Mongol-Tatars swept through the Russian lands like deadly tumbleweeds over several years.

A frivolous attitude towards dangerous neighbors led to the fact that there were practically no defensive structures along the route of the army. Only the cities themselves were fortified.

Background

The only serious written evidence of the existence of Evpatiy Kolovrat is considered to be “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu.” It exists in several list versions, and these versions of the events, although they have common features, differ in details. For example, some of them say that Evpatiy was a boyar, while others say that he was a governor.

Fall of Ryazan

At the moment when the hordes were approaching Ryazan, Yuri Igorevich sent his brother (or nephew - this is also a controversial issue) Ingvar Igorevich for help in Chernigov. Evpatiy also left with Ingvar. Historians believe that Ingvar had actually already died by that time, and the chroniclers who wrote “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu” were simply mistaken.

Be that as it may, Ingvar returned with Epatiy Kolovrat to the Ryazan land and saw a terrible picture there: “...cities were destroyed, churches were burned, people were killed. And he rushed to the city of Ryazan and saw the city devastated, the sovereigns killed and many people killed: some were killed and flogged, others were burned, and others were drowned in the river.”

Ryazan was protected by ten-meter ramparts on which stood oak walls with loopholes. The fortifications were watered with water, which froze and made the city even more impregnable. People constantly fought on the walls. But there were few defenders, and their strength was exhausted, while the Horde troops rolled in in waves - tired and wounded warriors were replaced by others, rested, well-fed and healed.

Feat Evpatiya

Returning to the ashes, Ingvar buried his relatives and declared mourning (crying) for the dead. Then he gathered one and a half thousand soldiers who had survived outside the walls of Ryazan and set off to take revenge on the offenders. He caught up with them near Suzdal and attacked suddenly from the rear. Kolovrat especially distinguished himself in this battle. He rode through the Horde army, cutting enemies to the saddle. When his weapon became dull, he took the enemy's swords and continued his bloody path.

Batu sent Tavrul, his wife’s brother, to fight him. This character is also mentioned in the epic epic under the name Bakhmet Tavruevich (Khostavrul). He boasted of bringing Kolovrat alive to the Khan. However, Evpatiy in battle “cut him in half to the saddle.”

And after a difficult battle, one on one with Tavrul himself, the hero did not give up, and then the Mongol-Tatars used their heaviest weapon - vice. These are catapults, or ballistas, used as a siege weapon. Heavy stones served as projectiles. Their hit accuracy is extremely low - which means that the Horde did not spare their own in order to hit such an important “target”. And they finally succeeded.

The khan himself recognized the warrior’s valor as worthy of respect: “And Batu said, looking at Evpatievo’s body: “Oh Kolovrat Evpatiy! You treated me well with your small retinue, and you beat many heroes of my strong horde, and defeated many regiments. If such a one served with me, I would keep him close to my very heart.”

He ordered the captured Russians to take the body to their homeland and bury it with honors.

Questions and more questions...

The question often arises: was Evpatiy a Christian? In particular, his first and last name are given as arguments. Those who consider him a pagan point to the Kolovrat, a Slavic pagan symbol of the sun, and also to the fact that such a name is not in the Saints. And after the emergence of Christianity in Rus', it became fashionable for noble people to give their children “correct” names.

Opponents of this theory believe that Evpatiy is a modified name Hypatiy, and in the calendar there is such a saint - Hypatiy of Gangra. The surname, according to pro-Christian researchers, only indicates military skills. Kolovrat is a type of Russian crossbow.

Other scientists believe that Evpatiy symbolizes Rus', which dies, but does not surrender to the enemy, the story is characterized by the features of epic epic songs of the 13th-14th centuries. That is, this work can be considered more artistic than historical. Accordingly, there is hyperbole and symbolism here. And inaccuracies with the characters indicate that the story should not be considered as a serious historical document.

But be that as it may, certainly during the time of Batu’s invasion, similar feats were encountered and there were people of unprecedented fortitude. Thanks to them, the Russians became famous as an amazing people who deserve all respect.

43 9 14841

I'm still sentimental. When I left the premiere of the film “The Legend of Kolovrat,” stray tears appeared in my eyes, it’s true. Not out of emotion.

Out of grief at what the historical exploits of our Russian people are being turned into when shopkeepers from modern Russian cinema take on their retelling.

Ivan Shurkhovetsky directed, and Dzhanik Fayziev produced an excellent film. And this is not about “Admiral”, a pompous, colorful picture, but not truthful.

Janik can and does sell great movies. And with the money that was allocated to him for “Kolovrat”, he could have made, of course, not an immortal masterpiece, but a good historical film. But Fayziev made a futuristic Indian, Bollywood blockbuster for tens of millions of dollars. Where one maharaja kills a hundred enemies at once with one blow, and instead of war elephants, a huge brown bear appears in his picture, which seriously decides the balance between Russian and Mongolian warriors in favor of the Russians.

So that those who are not in the subject can understand. Evpatiy Kolovrat is not a hero of a pagan epic and not a pagan from Pereslavl. Evpatiy Kolovrat is a serious Orthodox man, a Ryazan governor, a fighter and quite fierce, with extensive experience in battles.

He accomplished his key feat in 1238, when, with a detachment of approximately 1500-1700 Russian soldiers, he attacked the rearguard of the army of the Mongol Khan Batu, who had previously taken and destroyed his native Ryazan (Rezan), and after two attacks he was surrounded by the Mongols, did not surrender , as befitted Russian stubborn men, he fought to the last, and according to the military concept of that time, Batu was already exalted dead and handed over with military honors to the Russians who survived the battle.

Almost the entire detachment of the brave commander was killed, but the tradition of the Middle Ages necessarily attributed real fighters to veneration by their contemporaries.

The story of Evpatiy, if a serious director had taken on it, could have gotten crazy development.

In Russia, films that are incomparable in reconstructing the events of those times have already been made - “Mongol” and “Horde”, where even the buttons on the clothes of Russians and Mongols are made in single copies and from real bone.

Dzhanik Fayziev and his brother Shurkhovetsky took a different path. For them, the events of Kolovrat’s fierce and short fight with the Mongols turned out to be a replica of the 300 Spartans. By the way, not the best. That’s why Janik’s squat and very angry Batu (Batu) is a romantic gay man in a blue robe and painted nails on well-groomed hands.

I am a Russian patriot, but how can one mock so much at the conquerors who took half the world, precisely thanks to the “Yass” of Genghis Khan, who justified everything simply and clearly to everyone, how and with what help to conquer peoples - this, in his opinion, will definitely not be achieved with the help of young beautiful boys with painted eyes and faces, surrounded by Batu, who, by the way, in reality had a beloved wife.

But this is not enough for Janik, and he draws eyeliner on all the Mongols.

Only winter, very poorly and artificially depicted by Fayziev, does not allow the Mongols to strip naked to show pierced nipples, as shown in “300 Spartans” by their leader, the Persian king Xerxes.

No, naked Mongols also come across when they beat the drums in Russian -20. But okay, let's not talk about them.

Russians are depicted in an uplifting way. I say this without irony. The customer probably said to Fayziev and his team: “Russians should be cool guys.”

Here Serebryakov, of course, got involved, as did many of the heroes of our cinema. But the main thing is that most of the actors played the role of Russians, essentially suicide bombers, from the heart.

Yes, they were helped by a bear, who woke up during winter hibernation, killed all the filthy ones, and felt sorry for ours, or rather, no - he just helped and allowed himself to be petted.

Yes, General Frost helped ours. Therefore, Kolovrat’s delegation, leaving the city walls of besieged Ryazan and after 500 meters reaching Batu’s camp, took several days to negotiate, having fought with the Mongols, (instead of returning to Ryazan), and they were not pursued because Batu ordered not to catch up - “ the snowstorm will kill them anyway,” where, in Ryazan?!

And it’s okay that the Mongol warriors of those times covered up to 100 km of one march per day, and in any weather.

Do you think I drown for the Mongols? No. But I recommend that Fayziev read the great books of the Soviet writer and professor Yan “Batu” and “Genghis Khan” in order to understand at least a little the essence of the era.

I must say a few important words about the spirit of the film. This fact exists.

Russians as a whole are shown as brave warriors, the role of Orthodox shepherds who blessed the warriors for battle and who themselves died in battle is reflected.

The film will appeal to many people, especially those who remember “300”, the Google generation.

If the creators sincerely saw the film this way, then I don’t even have any complaints. And still.

• The Mongols were not gay, Chingiz's "Yassa" punished this with immediate death.
• The Russians did not have white powder on their beards and mustaches every minute.
• Bears sleep in winter, and if the connecting rods come out, they kill Mongols and Russians alike.
• If a camp of Russian soldiers spends the night in an open field in winter, then the governor’s wife, even for the sake of showing off her beautiful body, does not undress naked to hug her beloved husband on a bed of withered grass - at that time a Russian woman gave birth to 10 children, how would she do this if she was frozen appendages, she's not a hipster, is she?
• In Russian history, there was no sleigh on which it was possible to set sail and drive across the ice of the great Russian rivers, escaping from the Mongols. Just look at what kind of sail this is, which was unfurled by orphans fleeing from the Mongols - even in slow motion, it’s a complex structure; by the way, where did the horse that was previously carrying the children go?

Janik Fayziev's film is a beautiful blotter. The feat of the wonderful Russian governor Kolovrat will remain in history, like many similar feats of the Middle Ages.

The notorious “Russian” cinema deals us, or rather, people who still have brains, blow after blow aimed at creating an idiotic image of Russian history.

Only this year it’s “Viking”, it’s the mediocre “Matilda”. This is now Kolovrat. For “28 Panfilov members collect money from the whole world, and barely collect 2 million dollars. For “Viking”, “Matilda” and “Kolovrat” they allocate 30-40 million dollars each, out of the bush, and they give out Bollywood, not even Hollywood, despondency.

Well, okay, guys, you made money and well done, I’m addressing those who directed all this. Our right, compared to you, the poor and destitute, is to make sure that normal people do not pay money out of their own pockets for your “paintings.” I have done my part in this regard.

Evpatiy Kolovrat (sk. 1237/38), Ryazan nobleman, governor and hero. With a detachment of 1,700 people who survived the Tatar-Mongol defeat of Ryazan, he attacked the camp of Batu Khan and threw the invaders into confusion, killing many “deliberate” Mongol heroes. The Tatars managed to defeat Kolovrat’s detachment after they used “vices” against him - stone throwers. Evpatiy died in the battle and received the highest praise even from his enemies - Khan Batu and his entourage.

Evpatiy Kolovrat and other heroes of battles with the Horde

The tragic events of 1237-1241 showed many examples of the courage and dedication of our ancestors. No one was going to submit to the powerful conquerors without a fight. All Russian principalities responded with a decisive refusal to the proposal to recognize slavish dependence on the Mongols. The exploits of the Ryazan hero Evpatiy Kolovrat, the defenders of Kozelsk and Kyiv and many other famous and unknown heroes of that distant era are covered with unfading glory. But the valor of the Russian soldiers could not compensate for the lack of unity and cohesion in the face of enemies. They had to pay for the discord and civil strife with bitter defeats, and then two hundred years of subjugation to foreigners.

The first victim of the Mongol invasion of Rus' was the Ryazan principality, located in the southeast of the country and bordering on the territories captured by the enemy. The descendants of the Chernigov prince Svyatoslav Yaroslavich (the third son of Yaroslav the Wise) - close relatives of the princes of Chernigov, Novgorod Seversky, Putivl - ruled in Ryazan, Murom, Pronsk. However, the Ryazan Principality had no less close connection than with the Chernigov land with the neighboring Grand Duchy of Vladimir. Back in the 12th century, under the Vladimir prince Vsevolod the Big Nest, the Ryazan princes were in vassal dependence on the latter. When, at the end of 1237, enemy hordes approached the borders of the Ryazan land, when Batu’s ambassadors arrived in Rus' and demanded submission to the Mongol Khan, it was to Chernigov and Vladimir that the Ryazan prince Yuri Ingvarevich turned to him with a request to help him repel the aggression. However, even if other princes had sent their regiments to defend Ryazan, the overwhelming numerical superiority would still have been on the side of the conquerors. It was almost impossible to stop the Horde hordes at the borders of Rus' in those conditions. And each prince, caring primarily about the security of his territory, did not want to waste the forces necessary to defend his own possessions. The residents of Ryazan had to confront formidable enemies alone.

The ancient monuments that have reached us - chronicles, historical stories, lives of saints - shed light on the tragic events of the winter of 1237-1238 in different ways.

According to the information in “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu,” the Ryazan prince Yuri Ingvarevich sent his son Fyodor to Batu for negotiations. The Mongols deliberately presented unacceptable conditions and, having received a refusal from Fyodor Yuryevich, killed the young prince. And soon his wife, Eupraxia, also died: the Mongols were going to deliver her to their khan, and the princess, in order not to fall into the hands of enemies, threw herself from a high tower and fell to her death.

Having received no help from their neighbors, having failed in attempts to reconcile with Batu on acceptable terms, the Ryazan, Pron, and Murom princes with their troops met the hordes of Mongols “in the field,” not far from the border, “and the slaughter was evil and terrible.” Describing the enormous numerical superiority of the enemies, the witness adds that the Russians fought “one with a thousand, and two with darkness” (ten thousand). The Mongols won this battle and on December 16, 1237 approached Ryazan. For five days, the Horde continuously stormed the city. The large number of troops allowed them to replace troops tired in battle with fresh forces, and the defenders of Ryazan did not have time to rest. On the sixth day, December 21, 1237, when many Ryazan residents died in battle, and the rest were wounded or exhausted from the continuous battle, the Mongols broke into the fortress. Ryazan suffered a terrible defeat, most of the townspeople died. “And there was not a single living person left in the city: they all died and drank the same cup of death. There was no one moaning or crying here - no father and mother about the children, no children about the father and mother, no brother about the brother, no relatives about relatives, but they all lay dead together.” Having devastated some other cities of the Ryazan land, Batu moved on, intending to conquer the rest of the Russian principalities.

However, not all Ryazan residents died. Some left their hometown for trade or for some other reason. One of the most valiant warriors of Prince Yuri Ingvarevich, boyar Evpatiy Kolovrat, was not in Ryazan at the fateful hour. He was in Chernigov - apparently, on behalf of his master, he was negotiating to provide assistance to the principality that had been subjected to aggression. But then the sad news came about the death of Ryazan and the death of Prince Yuri Ingvarevich. Further stay in Chernigov lost its meaning for Kolovrat, and he considered that he should be where the fate of his land was being decided in mortal battles. It is necessary to step in the way of the enemy, to avenge Ryazan, to protect the cities and villages that have not yet been captured by the Mongols.

And Evpatiy Kolovrat with his small retinue hastily returns to the ashes of Ryazan, perhaps still hoping to find one of his relatives and friends alive. But on the site of the city that had recently flourished, Kolovrat and his companions saw a terrible sight: “I saw the city devastated, the sovereigns killed and many people killed: some were killed and flogged, others were burned, and others were drowned in the river.” His heart was filled with unspeakable sorrow, Evpatiy gathered the surviving Razan warriors (in total there were now about one thousand seven hundred people in the squad) and went after the Mongols. It was possible to overtake the enemies already within the Suzdal land. Evpatiy Kolovrat and his warriors suddenly attacked the Horde camps and mercilessly beat the Mongols. “And all the Tatar regiments were mixed up... Evpatiy, driving right through the strong Tatar regiments, beat them mercilessly. And he rode among the Tatar regiments bravely and courageously,” reports the ancient author. Heavy damage was caused to the enemy. The Horde, who did not expect a blow from the Ryazan land they had devastated, were horrified - it seemed that the dead had risen to avenge themselves. Doubts receded only when they managed to capture five wounded Russian soldiers. They were brought to Batu, and when the khan asked who they were, the answer was: “We are people of the Christian faith, and the soldiers of the Grand Duke Yuri Ingvarevich of Ryazan, and from the regiment of Evpatiy Kolovrat. We were sent to honor you, a strong king, and honestly see you off, and give honor to you. Do not be surprised, king, that we do not have time to pour the cups [of mortals] on the great power - the Tatar army." Batu was surprised at their answer. And one of the noble Mongols, the mighty Khostovrul, volunteered to defeat the leader of the Ryazan people in a duel, capture him and deliver him alive to the khan. It turned out, however, completely differently. When the battle resumed, the Russian and Mongolian heroes came together to fight one on one, and Kolovrat cut Khostovrul in half, to the saddle. Some other strongest Mongol warriors also laid down their lives on the battlefield. Unable to cope with a handful of brave men in open battle, the frightened Horde sent stone-throwing guns, which were used in storming the fortifications, against Evpatiy Kolovrat and his squad. Only now the enemies managed to kill the Russian knight, although at the same time they had to destroy many of their own. When the rest of the Ryazan warriors died in an unequal battle, the Mongols brought the dead Kolovrat to Batu. Those close to the khan admired the courage of the Russian heroes. Batu himself exclaimed: “Oh Kolovrat Evpatiy! You defeated many heroes of a strong horde, and many regiments fell. If such a man served with me, I would hold him against my heart." The Khan ordered the release of the Ryazan people captured in the battle and the body of Kolovrat given to them to be buried according to their custom.

This is the story of the feat of the Ryazan hero Evpatiy Kolovrat and his brave squad, told by an ancient military tale (most likely created in the 14th century). There is no mention of Evpatiy Kolovrat in other sources. However, from some chronicles it is known that the remnants of the Ryazan and Pron regiments under the leadership of Prince Roman Ingvarevich fought the Mongols already within the Suzdal land.

In January 1238, a large and stubborn battle with the Mongols took place near Kolomna. Grand Duke Georgy Vsevolodovich sent his regiments to this fortress, which covered the path to the capital Vladimir. The surviving Ryazan warriors also came here. According to some researchers, in this case an attempt was made by the Grand Duke's army of Vladimir to restrain the further advance of the Horde, and the battle of Kolomna is one of the most significant during the period of Batu's invasion of Rus'. On the Mongols’ side, the combined army of all twelve Chinggisid princes took part in the battle, aimed at conquering Rus'. As historians note, the seriousness of the battle near Kolomna is evidenced by the fact that one of the Chinggisid khans, Kulkan, was killed there, and this could only happen in the event of a major battle, accompanied by deep breakthroughs in the battle formation of the Mongols (after all, the Chinggisid Tserevichs were located during the battle behind the battle lines). Only due to the enormous numerical superiority did Batu manage to win. Almost all Russian soldiers (including Prince Roman) died in battle. The path to Moscow and Vladimir was open. However, stubborn battles such as this exhausted the forces of the conquerors and were able to delay the enemies for a long time. It is no coincidence that Batu could not get to Veliky Novgorod, Pskov, Polotsk, and Smolensk.

The details of what happened near Kolomna, the names of the distinguished warriors are unknown - the messages in the chronicles are too short and laconic. Perhaps the exploits of the Ryazan boyar Evpatiy Kolovrat and his small squad are also connected with these events. It was probably the Ryazan people, who lost relatives and friends due to the fault of the Mongols, who showed extraordinary courage near Kolomna. They did not come out of the battle alive, but the memory of these heroes could be preserved for several decades in oral legends, which were later recorded and became part of the “Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu.”

The idea of ​​finding the final resting place of Evpatiy Kolovrat was firmly lodged in my head fifteen years ago, when I read “Origin”. Something in his image, so vividly depicted by Selidor, inexorably attracted me. I really wanted to visit those places, to touch the GLORY of a HERO hidden in the ground, who so desperately and selflessly defended the Motherland.

Apparently it is no coincidence that I am now building my family nest not far from the supposed place of his burial. The small village of Sennitsy, where I am trying to rebuild a house, is located about sixty kilometers from the Vozha River, on the banks of which, according to legend, the legendary berserker who terrified the Mongols was buried, fiercely avenging the devastation of his native land, tormenting the rear of the Mongol invasion with his a desperate squad; the epic hero, who cut to the saddle in a ritual duel, before his last battle, Batu's brother-in-law, the Horde hero Khostavrul.

The closest city to these places is Zaraysk, just fifteen kilometers from Sennitsa. Over the course of eight years, I visited there quite often. I started making inquiries at the local history museum. By the way, I didn’t receive any clear information there. Of course, they knew that he was buried somewhere near Zaraisk, but they did not say anything specific about the place of his burial; they recommended contacting the historical archive of Ryazan. I didn’t get there, but suddenly, almost by accident, in 2008, I came across the following information on the official Zaraisk website:

Historical Chronograph of Zaraysk:
1237 December 28 (?). The Russian hero-voivode of Ryazan, Evpatiy Kolovrat, who returned from Chernigov and visited the plundered and burned Ryazan, arrived in Krasny (Zaraisk) and, according to legend, formed a squad of 1,700 warriors on the Great Field.
1238 January (?). Evpatiy Kolovrat's squad overtook Batu's regiments on Suzdal land and attacked their camps
March 4th. The decisive battle of the squad of Evpatiy Kolovrat with the Mongol-Tatars on the Sit River; Evpatiy died in this battle.
March, April (?). The surviving five Russian knights, “exhausted from great wounds,” brought the body of Evpatiy Kolovrat to the Zaraisk land and buried, as popular rumor says, on the left bank of the Vozha River, between the villages of Kitaevo and Nikolo-Kobylskoye; this place is popularly known as the Tomb of the Bogatyr.

In the book “The Art of Guerrilla Warfare,” Selidor refers to an article by a certain V. Polyanichev, “The Last Refuge of Evpatiy Kolovrat?”, published in April 1986 in the Lenin Banner newspaper. Here are excerpts from the book:
“...From Zaraysk the funeral procession (with the body of the governor) continued its journey south, to Ryazan.
Vozha stood in the way... The river swelled under the pressure of spring waters, and it became impossible to overcome it. The warriors realized: it would no longer be possible to save Evpatiy’s body from decay, and they decide to bury him right there on the river bank...” Further, the researcher writes that meetings with old-timers of the Vozh villages led him to this conclusion. In these places there was an ancient road along which people traveled Ryazan ambassadors to Batu's headquarters. Just a mile from the road is the village of Ostroukhovo, on a water meadow that stretches between the ancient Zaraysk villages of Kitaevo and Nikolo-Kobylskoye, where Evpatiy Kolovrat rests. His grave is called the “Chapel”, because there used to be a chapel over it When the chapel was dismantled in the thirties, due to the need for bricks on the collective farm, they found a stone underground, under which was the grave of “some epic hero.”

Having downloaded a map of the area on the Internet, I noticed that the villages of Nikolo-Kobylskoye and Ostroukhovo were not marked there; I had to go and figure everything out on the spot.

As soon as the opportunity presented itself, I went there. On foot from Zaraysk, I think I would have walked all day and spent the same amount of time looking for a place, but hiking was not part of my plans. Since there was little time - a regular weekend, on Monday to work - my beloved and children needed attention, so I decided to combine business with pleasure: I took the whole family with me, since the car allowed.

The Korean all-wheel drive Hyundai Tuskon, which I happened to get at work, was perfectly suited for this trip: it is still more of a crossover than a jeep, and the cross-country ability is better than that of ordinary cars, but worse than that of SUVs. Nevertheless, the machine coped with the task quite well.

Having left Zaraysk towards the village of Karino, after 25 km I turned onto a country road near the village of Kobylye. Judging by the map, through the villages of Vereykovo and Klishino I can easily get to Kitaev in about 10-12 km. However, the realities of off-roading in the middle zone have made their own adjustments. We had to go around ravines, streams and holiday villages not marked on the map. Having finally arrived at Nikolo-Kobylskoye, which was not marked on the map, I realized that there was no correspondence with the map; what was more confusing was that the Vozha River was not nearby and there was no trace of it, it flows much further south. I decided to move towards the village of Kitaevo, at least it is mentioned in the article and on the map.

After three hours of wandering along rough forest roads, I arrived at the village of Kalinovka, located near the Vozha River, overgrown with forest on both banks.
Judging by the map, the desired Kitaevo was very close. After asking local residents, I headed in the right direction. On the outskirts of Kalinovka (for some reason associations with the Kalinov Bridge over the River Oblivion came to mind) I noticed a lonely hill, as if leaning against a small forest.

The road went right around the hill, it was located very well - I climbed onto it and took several pictures of the surroundings. The view was impressive: an expanse of fields with picturesque copses. Below was the Vozha River. I tried to imagine how much it could overflow in the spring: if that meadow below was flooded, then the water could well have reached the foot of this hill.

It turns out that theoretically this hill could well be the burial mound of a frantic warrior! The place is the highest in the area, probably the same “chapel” stood here. And indeed, local residents already from the village of Kitaevo nodded towards the hill: “Well, yes, there is a chapel, the Tomb of the Bogatyr - we know it!”

I, exhausted from the journey, rejoiced at my luck, but later doubts arose: could five wounded warriors be able to build a rather impressive mound? Over the 770 years that have passed since those events, the landscape of the area could have changed more than once. Even the surrounding villages have changed their names since 1986: Ostroukhovo - Kalinovka?
I was unable to find out this, nor why Nikolo-Kobylskoye turned out to be much to the north of the Vozha River.

In other words, I will not say that this is the “Kolovrat Mound,” but I propose to organize an expedition there in the summer of 2009, preferably bringing together specialists in this matter, people with geological and archaeological education, and stocking up on satellite navigators. In short, conduct a detailed study of this issue.

I think this will be interesting to many. After all, the story of Evpatiy Kolovrat is the story of a real ancient Russian HERO - a warrior and governor. This is our history, our Earth and our people. She must not be forgotten! No matter how pretentious it sounds, this is actually true.

When was Evpatiy Kolovrat born?

The story begins with a message about the arrival of the “godless Tsar” Batu on Russian soil, his stop on the Voronezh River and the Tatar embassy to the Ryazan prince demanding tribute. The Grand Duke of Ryazan Yuri Ingorevich turned to the Grand Duke of Vladimir for help, and having received a refusal, he convened a council of Ryazan princes, who decided to send an embassy with gifts to the Tatars.

The embassy was headed by the son of Grand Duke Yuri, Fedor. Khan Batu, having learned about the beauty of Fyodor’s wife, demanded that the prince let him know the beauty of his wife. Fedor indignantly rejected this offer and was killed. Having learned about the death of her husband, Prince Fyodor's wife Eupraxia threw herself with her son Ivan from a high temple and fell to her death.

Having mourned the death of his son, Grand Duke Yuri began to prepare to repel his enemies. Russian troops marched against Batu and met him at the Ryazan borders. In the heated battle, many Batyev regiments fell, and among the Russian soldiers, “one fought with a thousand, and two with darkness.” David Muromsky fell in battle. Prince Yuri again turned to the Ryazan braves, and the battle broke out again, and the strong Tatar regiments barely defeated them. Many local princes - both staunch governors, and daring and brave armies, the color and decoration of Ryazan - still “drank one cup of death.” Batu tried to win the captured Oleg Ingorevich Krasny over to his side, and then ordered his execution. Having ravaged the Ryazan land, Batu went to Vladimir.

At that moment, Evpatiy Kolovrat, who was in Chernigov during the Tatar-Mongol invasion, rushed to Ryazan. Gathering a squad of one thousand seven hundred people, he suddenly attacked the Tatars and “cut them down mercilessly” that even their swords became dull, and “the Russian soldiers took Tatar swords and flogged them mercilessly.” The Tatars managed to capture five wounded Ryazan braves, and from them Batu finally learned who was destroying his regiments. Evpatiy managed to defeat Khristovlur, the brother-in-law of Batu himself, but he himself fell in battle, killed by stone-throwing weapons.

“The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu” ends with a story about the return of Ingvar Ingorevich from Chernigov to the Ryazan land, his lament, praise for the family of the Ryazan princes and a description of the restoration of Ryazan.

It was N.M. Karamzin who first drew attention to the story. Since then, it has been studied by many researchers, and writers and poets have turned to it. Back in 1808, G. R. Derzhavin wrote his tragedy "Eupraxia", the heroine of which was the wife of Prince Fyodor. D. Venevitinov, who created the poem “Eupraxia” in 1824, also turned to the same plot. In the same 1824, N. M. Yazykov also wrote his poem “Evpatiy”. At the end of the 50s of the 19th century, L. A. Mei created the “Song about the boyar Evpatiy Kolovrat.” In the 20th century, S. A. Yesenin wrote a poem about Evpatiy Kolovrat based on the plot of “The Tale”; its poetic translation was created by Ivan Novikov. The material from the ancient Russian "Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu" was used by D. Yan in the story "Batu" and V. Ryakhovsky in the story "Evpatiy Kolovrat". It is known to a wide circle of readers in the retelling of the school textbook and from its numerous publications.

Many researchers also turned to “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu.” Through their efforts, dozens of its manuscripts have been collected, various editions have been identified, and the relationships between them have been defined. However, the question of the time of creation of this masterpiece of ancient Russian literature still remains open. V. L. Komarovich and A. G. Kuzmin are inclined to date it to the 16th century, D. S. Likhachev dates the “Tale” to the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th century. The latter point of view was entrenched in textbooks on ancient Russian literature, was reflected in publications of the Tale, and was used in studies on the history of literature of ancient Rus'. For some reason, the works of V. L. Komarovich and A. G. Kuzmin were not even included in a reputable academic reference book.

Perhaps this situation with the dating of “The Tale of the Devastation of Ryazan by Batu” is explained by the peculiarities of the monument itself. Indeed, what doubts can there be about its early appearance? After all, the events of Batu’s campaign against Rus' were taken as the plot. The author describes the invasion emotionally and colorfully, reports many details, among which there are also those that were not preserved in the pages of ancient Russian chronicles. In addition, such monuments of ancient Russian literature as “Zadonshchina”, “The Tale of the Invasion of Tokhtamysh on Moscow”, “The Tale of the Life and Repose of Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich, Tsar of Russia”, the story of Nestor-Iskander, have lines similar to the text of the “Tale” about the ruin of Ryazan by Batu", from which, it would seem, one can conclude that this story was known to Russian scribes of the 14th-15th centuries.

But if only everything were so simple! After all, the author can choose as a plot for his work not only recent events, but also affairs of bygone days. Facts unknown to other chronicles may indicate not only the awareness of the creator of the Tale, but also his artistic imagination and raise doubts about the reliability of the information he reports.

At the same time, in “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu” a number of oddities that are alarming are striking. Perfectly describing the fallen soldiers, whose bodies were covered with snow on the battlefield, the walls of the city cathedral blackened from the inside, the author forgets the names of the Ryazan princes and their family ties. Thus, David Muromsky and Vsevolod Pronsky, named among those who fell in the battle with the Tatars, died before the Tatar-Mongol invasion. Mikhail Vsevolodovich, who, according to the Tale, had to restore Pronsk after Batu, did not live to see the ruin of Ryazan. Oleg Ingorevich Krasny, who, by the way, was not the brother, but the nephew of the Ryazan prince Yuri, did not fall from the Tatar knives. The terrible death attributed to him by the author of the Tale awaited his son Roman 33 years later.

The Bishop of Ryazan also did not die in the besieged city, but managed to leave it shortly before the arrival of the Tatars. Svyatoslav Olgovich and Ingor Svyatoslavich, who in fact were not the founders of the Ryazan princely house, are named as the ancestors of the Ryazan princes. The title of Yuri Ingorevich itself, “Grand Duke of Ryazan,” appeared only in the last quarter of the 14th century. Finally, the definition of Evpatiy Kolovrat’s squad, which numbered 1,700 people, as small does not correspond to the realities of pre-Mongol and appanage Rus'.

Let's look at the text of the "Tale" itself. Among its ten editions, the oldest are considered to be those named by D.S. Likhachev Basic A and Basic B. The latter has been preserved in two forms. It is to them that all other editions of the Tale go back.

The similarity of individual fragments of the text of “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu” with some literary monuments of the late 14th-15th centuries is beyond doubt and has been noted by many researchers. But it can be generated by general literary cliches used by ancient Russian scribes when describing certain events. The relationship may also turn out to be the opposite, that is, it was not the “Tale” that influenced the literary monuments of the 15th century, but, on the contrary, they served as the author’s source for creating the work.

If you look closely at the text, you can say that the similarity of “The Tale” with “Zadonshchina” is explained by the common genre nature of the monuments. Both military stories do not have literal textual matches. These coincidences exist between “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu” and “The Tale of Tokhtamysh’s Invasion of Moscow.” But on the basis of these texts it is impossible to say which of the monuments was older. But this can be said about the “Tale of the Life and Repose of Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich, Tsar of Russia”: Evdokia’s cry for Prince Dmitry from this monument certainly served as the basis for the “cry of Ingvar Ingorevich” from “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu.” This is evidenced by Ingvar’s use of addresses in the singular in relation to many of the fallen (“lord”, “my red month”, “quickly deceased”).

These words, which do not correspond to the cry for the devastated Ryazan land, were appropriate in the mouth of Evdokia, turning to her husband. But “The Tale of the Life and Death of Dmitry Ivanovich” is part of a cycle of stories about the events of the last quarter of the 14th - early 15th centuries, compiled for the chronicle of 1448. Among them is “The Tale of Tokhtamysh’s Invasion of Moscow.” Consequently, she was also the source of “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu.” Another 15th-century monument, “The Tale,” is associated with the expressions “one fights a thousand, two fights darkness,” “giant force,” “sanchakbey.” We find these words and figures of speech in Nestor-Iskander’s story about the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453. But the title “sanchakbey” is connected specifically with the organization of the Turkish army and could not have been borrowed by Nestor-Iskander from the story of the Mongol invasion. It seems more likely that the Ryazan story is dependent on a work written in the second half of the 15th century.

In addition, “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu” came to us as part of a cycle of legends about Nikolai Zarazsky. This cycle united literary monuments that were different in character, information content and artistic merit. In addition to our “Tale,” it includes “The Tale of the Bringing of the Icon of St. Nicholas of Korsun to Ryazan,” the closely related “Tale of the Death of Prince Fyodor and His Family,” “Genealogy of the Priests Who Served at the Icon of St. Nicholas,” and “Tales of miracles from the icon in 1513 and 1531." An analysis of this literary convoy can provide some basis for dating “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu.”

The cycle has come down to us in various editions, but in most cases it opens with “The Tale of the Bringing of the Icon of St. Nicholas of Korsun to Ryazan.” Most likely, it was written by Eustathius II, the son of the priest Eustathius Raki, who brought the icon. The former independent existence of this text is confirmed by the ending phrase preserved in some editions: “Glory to our God,” which is appropriate in the absence of other works of the Nikolo-Zarazsky cycle. The time of creation of this story is the 13th century.

Closely related to the story of the bringing of the icon is the second story of the Nikolo-Zarazsky cycle, which tells about the death of Prince Fyodor during an embassy to Batu and the suicide of his wife, who threw herself down from a high temple. This legend has the character of a toponymic legend. It ends with the phrase: “and because of this guilt the great miracle worker Nikolai Zarasky is called, as the blessing of Eupraxea with her son Prince Ivan infected herself,” which indicates that we have before us a literary treatment of the folk etymology of the toponym Zarazsk. But a toponymic legend cannot appear before the appearance of a place with that name. The “List of Russian cities near and far,” compiled at the end of the 14th century, does not include the town of Zarazsk, from which we can conclude that the legend about Prince Fedor and his family appeared no earlier than the 15th century.

But after all, “The Tale of the Death of Prince Fyodor and His Family” preceded the “Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu.” The latter repeats the text of the Zaraz legend almost word for word, which is why it is duplicated within a single cycle. Consequently, our “Tale” was formed no earlier than the 15th century. But when?
The answer to this question can be suggested by the “Genealogy of the priests who served at the icon of St. Nicholas of Zaraz” and “The Tale of the Miracle from the Icon that Happened in 1513.”

The genealogy of priests (or the Priestly Family) has two main editions: listing 9 generations without indicating the period of continuous service of the clan with the icon, and listing 10 generations who served for 335 years. It is significant that the first edition usually precedes the “Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu”, following immediately after the “Tale of the Death of Prince Fyodor”, and the second is placed after the legend of Batu’s invasion of Ryazan.

Consequently, we have the right to assume that the “Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan” was added to the Genealogy of Priests, which consisted of 9 generations and originally completed the story of the bringing of the icon and the death of Prince Fyodor. After one generation, this story began to immediately adjoin the story of the death of Prince Fyodor, and the Popovsky family, brought to 10 generations, began to complete the entire cycle.

It is easy to calculate that the Basic Editions A and B of the first type arose before 1560. This date indicates to us the period of uninterrupted service of one priestly family. But since the author of the genealogy allocates 33.5 years for one generation (335 years divided into 10 generations), the oldest edition of “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu” was created after 1526 (1560 minus 33.5), since it was preceded by a genealogy compiled in one generation earlier.
The Tale of the Miracle of 1513, which follows the oldest edition of the Tale, helps to clarify this date even more. It was created before 1530, since in the call to prayer for the sovereign’s health, the brother of the Grand Duke was named as the heir, which would have been unthinkable after the birth of Ivan the Terrible on August 25, 1530.

This means that the oldest edition of “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu” was written after 1526, but before 1530. This finding is of great importance.

What does the new dating of the monument give us? First of all, it obliges us to change our attitude towards the unique details reported by the author of “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu”, since he worked in the 16th century, and not in the 13th.
Secondly, our ideas about the history of ancient Russian literature are changing. Rus', torn apart by the Mongol invasion, was unable to create such a monument as “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu.” The tragic pathos of this work was based on confidence in the unconditional final victory over the enemy. This level of awareness of events was not yet available to the Russian people in the first years of the Mongol yoke. With the new dating of the “Tale,” the author’s verbosity and ecclesiastical edification, more characteristic of the 15th–16th centuries than of the 13th century, become clear.

The “Tale” itself was created on the basis of the Ryazan legend about Batu’s invasion, preserved in the Novgorod First Chronicle and supplemented by the local legend about Prince Fyodor, the story of the death of Oleg the Red, the legend of Evpatiy Kolovrat and the lament of Ingvar Ingorevich. As sources, the author, in addition to the First Novgorod Chronicle, used the code of 1448 (primarily “The Tale of the Life and Repose of Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich, Tsar of Russia” and “The Tale of Tokhtamysh’s Invasion of Moscow”) and the life of Jacob of Persia. A special place among the sources is occupied by “Praise to the Family of the Ryazan Princes,” introduced in the final part of the “Tale.” Compiled on the basis of praise for the house of the Novgorod-Seversk princes, it contains many archaisms. Thus, among the merits of the princes their struggle with the Polovtsians is named (“and the filthy Polovtsians fought for the holy churches and the Orthodox faith”). We may have the remains of a 12th century monument.

With all this, the “Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu,” dating back to the 16th century, does not lose its significance as a source. Its value lies not in telling us new details about the Mongol invasion, but in reflecting this event in the public consciousness of Russia on the eve of the Russian capture of Kazan. The very appeal to the topic of the devastation of Russian lands at a time when the strengthening Russian state was preparing for the last battle with a once dangerous, but increasingly weakening enemy is indicative. The author of the story leaves no room in history for the 250-year yoke. In his opinion, clearly expressed in the last lines of the text, the people who survived Batu’s defeat had already been delivered by God from the Tatars. In some lists, this story is continued by the fantastic story of the murder of Batu.

The abundance of prayers and calls to stand up against the “warriors of the Christian faith” reveals the author’s perception of the confrontation between Russians and Tatars as a religious struggle, and the special role of the church in shaping public opinion on the Tatar issue. It seems important that in this struggle between the Forest and the Steppe, the national question did not occupy a large place in the minds of people of the 16th century. As enemies, for them the Polovtsians (mentioned in “Praise to the Family of the Ryazan Princes”), the Mongols, and the Crimeans (present in the “Tale of Miracles”) are united.

Of particular interest is the colorful description of the feat of Evpatiy Kolovrat. Of course, this is a recording of an epic tale about a hero. Even his death is unusual. Evpatiy is hit from siege engines, which is impossible in a real field battle.+ This image is close to a whole galaxy of similar images reflected in Russian literature of the 15th-17th centuries. Mercury Smolensky, Demyan Kudenievich, Sukhman - all of them suddenly encounter the enemy, independently make a decision to repel the enemy, fight with superior enemy forces, win and die, but not in a duel, but as a result of some kind of enemy trick; Their feat initially had no witnesses.

The story about Evpatiy Kolovrat, as well as the Life of Mercury of Smolensk and the Nikon Chronicle, records the process of formation of this legend. Neither the name of the hero nor the location of the action have yet been established (Ryazan, Smolensk, Pereyaslavl Russky). All this will take on its final form only in the 17th century in “The Tale of Sukhman”. Consequently, reading the pages of “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu”, we are present at the birth of epics of the 16th-17th centuries.

Partner News

Evpatiy Kolovrat is a personality more legendary than historical. Historians know little about him; few texts, written or oral, have been preserved in which this Ryazan prince was mentioned.

Evpatiy Kolovrat appears in the Ryazan folk legend and in the ancient Russian “Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu,” written quite late - only in the 16th century, three centuries after the supposed feat.

And although in these monuments, in comparison with other medieval texts, there are practically no fantastic details, the events described still seem implausible.

This is understandable - folk tales reflect the feelings and emotions of ordinary people who have fallen into despair due to some disaster, and therefore almost always contain an irrational plot; and annals, chronicles and other medieval historical works were based on those same folk tales; ancient history did not yet know the rational scientific method.

The legendary figure of Evpatiy is confirmed by the fact that he is mentioned together with the Ryazan prince Ingvar Ingvarevich, whose existence is rejected by modern historians (he is identified with his own father, Ingvar Igorevich, also a Ryazan prince, who died in 1235.

Ryazan Principality

In the feudal fragmentation of Ancient Rus' and the subsequent invasion of Batu, the Ryazan principality played a special role. It was the first Russian land bordering the possessions of the Tatar-Mongols; Therefore, Ryazan took the first blow of the invaders.

Evpatiy Kolovrat with his army photo

This principality was ruled by the descendants of the Chernigov princes, so Ryazan had a close connection with the Chernigov principality. In addition, previously the Ryazan principality was part of the Vladimir principality, with which the Ryazan people continued to maintain close relations during the period of independence.

Attack

“The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu” tells that when the Tatar Khan approached Ryazan and demanded a tenth of the wealth, the prince was indecisive. On the one hand, he presented Batu with gifts and sent his son Fyodor to him for negotiations, and on the other hand, he turned to Vladimir and Chernigov for help.

Khan remained inexorable; not getting what he wanted, he killed Fedor and burst into the city, whose population was completely destroyed. But the texts of the “Tale” and folk tales say that some of the Ryazan residents were hiding outside the city, and some went to other places on business. All of them, of course, survived and in the future formed a militia that came out to fight Batu.

The close Ryazan prince, boyar Evpatiy Kolovrat, who was located in Chernigov, was also not in the city. Having received news of the destruction of his native city, he hurried there. Having found Ryazan devastated, he gathered all those who remained alive and set off in pursuit of the Tatar army. The invaders, apparently, did not expect such an attack, so they left slowly, rejoicing in their victory.

Evpatiy Kolovrat with his “small army,” which, according to some sources, amounted to only 1,700 people, attacked the Tatar rearguard on the territory of the Suzdal principality and killed it all. The text tells that the prince’s warriors fought so fiercely and mercilessly that their swords became dull, and then they took the swords from the Tatars and beat the enemy with them. Batu fell into amazement at this act.

Realizing that the Ryazan governor was a difficult person, he sent Khostovrul, his wife’s brother, to meet him. He boastfully promised the khan that he would bring Evpatiy to him alive. However, instead, he died after fighting him one on one: Evpatiy cut him in half with a sword, right to the saddle. Khostovrul brought with him a large detachment, which Evpatiy’s soldiers mercilessly killed, despite the enemy’s significant superiority in numbers.

battle Evpatiya Kolovrata photo

The story says that the Tatars were able to destroy Evpatiy only with the help of “vices” - stone-throwing weapons, which were usually used to storm fortress walls. Batu was so amazed by the bravery of the Russian soldiers that he decided to give Evpatiy’s body to the Russians so that they could bury him with honor, and let them go in peace.

Dating of “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu”

Scientists did not immediately come to the dating of the historical monument reporting the feat of Evpatiy Kolovrat. There were those who believed that it was written “hot on the heels,” that is, in the 13th century. Others put forward versions that date the story back to the 14th and even 15th centuries. A comparative analysis of it with other works of ancient Russian literature and other considerations helped modern scientists establish the exact date of the work’s composition.

Here are some of them:

The text has similarities with other military stories of Ancient Rus', is full of templates and cliches characteristic of literary monuments of the 15th – 16th centuries;

The author of the story colorfully describes the courage and death of Russian soldiers, poetically depicts the battle, but forgets and confuses the names of the princes, governors, boyars and church leaders who appeared in the event, confuses their family ties, therefore, he was clearly describing “the affairs of bygone days”; For the author of the story, the edifying, theological component of the story is important; he makes an attempt to philosophically comprehend the events described, all this could not be done by the residents of devastated Ryazan and nearby cities in the 13th century: the Russian people, who were experiencing disasters, had no time for philosophical reflection.

The educational orientation of the story, in turn, is an explanation of why the author of the story did not seek to study and reflect historical realities in detail; Only an author who lived in the “post-Mongol” time, when the Russian lands united and created a kind of standing army, could call the Ryazan army of 1,700 people a “small squad”. In the conditions of feudal fragmentation of the 13th century, a detachment of 1,700 people is a huge crowd, constituting a significant part of the population of the middle principality.