Most Russians can name only three of the most famous ancient Russian heroes (Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich), although in fact there were many more. This post will help correct this state of affairs, which will introduce us to the unfairly forgotten heroes of epics and legends.

Svyatogor

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

Mikula Selyaninovich

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

Volga Svyatoslavich

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

Sukhman Odikhmantievich

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

Dunay Ivanovich

One of the most popular heroic images in Russian epics. Unlike the three main characters of the epic (Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich), Danube Ivanovich is a tragic character.
According to legend, during the wedding, Danube and Nastasya Korolevichna, who was also a hero, begin to brag, Danube - courage, and Nastasya - accuracy. They arrange a duel and Nastasya shoots the silver ring lying on the head near the Danube three times.
Unable to recognize his wife's superiority, Danube orders her to repeat the dangerous ordeal in reverse: the ring is now on Nastasya's head, and Danube shoots. The arrow of the Danube hits Nastasya.
She dies, and the Danube finds out, “spreading her womb”, that she was pregnant with a wonderful baby: “knee-deep legs in silver, elbow-deep little hands in gold, frequent stars on her braids.” The Danube rushes to his saber and dies next to his wife, the Danube River originates from his blood.

Mikhailo Potyk

One of the minor heroes. He is known only in northern Russian epics as a handsome man and snake fighter. There are several legends about him. According to one of them, while hunting, Mikhailo met a swan who turned into a girl - Avdotya Lebed Belaya. They got married and took an oath that if someone dies earlier, then the survivor will be buried with the deceased in the same grave.
When Avdotya died, Potyk, along with her corpse, was lowered into the grave, on a horse in full armor. A snake appeared in the grave, which the hero killed, and with his blood he resurrected his wife. According to other epics, the wife drugged Potyk and turned him to stone, and she herself fled with Tsar Koshchei.
The comrades of the hero - Ilya, Alyosha and others, save Potyk and avenge him by killing Koshchei and quartering the unfaithful White Swan.

Hoten Bludovich

A hero in Russian epics, acting in one epic as a matchmaker and groom. The story of Khoten and his bride is almost an old Russian story of Romeo and Juliet. According to legend, the Mother of Khoten, a widow, at one feast wooed her son to the beautiful China Sentinel. But the girl's mother answered her with an insulting refusal, which was heard by all the feasters.
When Khoten found out about this, he went to the bride and she agreed to marry him. But the girl's mother was categorically against it. Then Khoten demanded a duel and beat the nine brothers of his bride. China's mother asks the prince for an army to deal with the hero, but Khoten also defeats him. After that, Hoten marries the girl, taking a rich dowry.

Nikita Kozhemyaka

Formally, he does not belong to the heroes, but he is a snake-fighter hero. According to legend, the daughter of the prince of Kiev was carried away by a serpent and kept in captivity. Having learned from the serpent himself that he is afraid of only one person in the world - Nikita Kozhemyaku, she sends a letter with a dove to her father with a request to find this hero and encourage him to fight the serpent.
When the envoys of the prince entered the hut of Kozhemyaki, who was busy with his usual business, out of surprise he rips through 12 skins. At the prince's first request to fight the snake, Nikita refuses. Then the prince sends the elders to him, who also could not persuade Nikita. For the third time, the prince sends children to the hero, and their crying touches Nikita, he agrees.
Wrapped in hemp and smeared with resin to become invulnerable, the hero fights with the snake and frees the prince's daughter. Further, as the legend says, the serpent, defeated by Nikita, begs him for mercy and offers to share the land equally with him. Nikita forges a plow of 300 pounds, harnesses a snake into it and draws a furrow from Kyiv to the Black Sea; then, starting to divide the sea, the serpent drowns.

Vasily Buslaev

Also formally not a hero, but a very strong hero, representing the ideal of valiant and boundless prowess. From childhood, Vasily was a daredevil, did not know any constraints and did everything just the way he liked. At one of the feasts, Vasily bets that he will fight at the head of his squad on the Volkhov bridge with all the Novgorod peasants.
The battle begins, and Vasily's threat to beat all opponents to the last is close to being carried out; only the intervention of Vasily's mother saves the Novgorodians. In the next epic, feeling the weight of his sins, Basil goes to pray for them in Jerusalem. But the pilgrimage to holy places does not change the character of the hero: he defiantly violates all prohibitions and dies in the most ridiculous way on the way back, trying to prove his youth.

Duke Stepanovich

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

Great warriors, heroes, occupy an important place in Russian folk art. Dozens of works are devoted to their exploits. The image of the heroes has not faded even after many centuries, and today they are a model of fortitude and patriotism.

5. Vasilisa Mikulishna

Attributing the daughter of Mikula Selyaninovich to the most powerful Russian heroes can, of course, be very conditional. Nevertheless, even as a woman, Vasilisa Mikulishna can compete with the best Russian epic warriors in dexterity and cunning.

When her husband Stavr Godinovich landed in a prison in Kyiv, Vasilisa went to save him, disguised as a Tatar ambassador. She passed all the prepared tests with honor, defeating the best heroes of the prince in a fight and beating him himself in chess.

Fifth place in the list of the most powerful Russian heroes in advance is occupied by the true daughter of her legendary father, Vasilisa Mikulishna.

4. Dobrynya Nikitich

Dobrynya is one of the three most famous Russian heroes, who for the entire time of the existence of the epic had to be content with the status of "the second hero in Russia."

By the way, you can evaluate the strength of Dobrynya at least relative to Ilya Muromets. In a full-time duel, the peasant son turned out to be stronger, laying the boyar offspring on both shoulder blades.

Despite the fact that Dobrynya Nikitich comes from a noble family, he is considered one of the main defenders of the common people. Among his exploits, for example, is the rescue of the prince's niece from the Serpent Gorynych, with whom the warrior fought for three whole days.

The fourth line behind the second most popular hero of Russia.

3. Volga Svyatoslavich

Volga is considered one of the oldest heroes in the Russian epic. It is customary to identify his image with the names of the Prophetic Oleg and Vseslav Polotsky.

Volga was a werewolf and could turn into a wolf or a falcon, which helped him more than once during his adventures and wanderings. The hero inherited his ability to turn into animals from his father, who, according to legend, was a serpent.

The most famous epic about the Volga is his campaign in India. For his expedition, the hero recruited a detachment of the best warriors from all over the Old Russian state. During the campaign, the squad often encountered various problems. To solve them, Volga constantly had to turn into animals: a wolf, a falcon, an ermine, etc.

The Indian campaign ended for Volga in triumph and national glory.

Third place went to Volga Svyatoslavich.

2. Ilya Muromets

Ilya Muromets is the central character of the entire epic epic. This is the most famous and most beloved hero in Russia. Ilya comes from a small village near Murom. He receives his incredibly enormous strength from the traveling elders, who gave him spring water to drink. The strength of Ilya Muromets was limited. He was not as powerful as Svyatogor, but he was not an elm in the ground, as if in a swamp, like the famous giant.

Ilya Muromets accomplished many feats and became famous throughout Russia. He was loved by the common people, but his relationship with the princely court was very tense. Prince Vladimir more than once treated Ilya with disdain, but every time he was forced to ask for the help of the hero.

According to legend, in his declining years, Ilya Muromets took monastic vows, tired of military deeds and numerous wounds received.

The most important Russian hero on this list is number 2.

1. Svyatogor

Along with Volga, Svyatogor is one of the oldest heroes in the Russian epic. He is so strong and so powerful that the earth cannot withstand him, and Svyatogor is forced to live in the mountains, whose firmament is able to hold a warrior.

In ancient pre-Christian legends, Svyatogor is the brother of Svarog and received his strength from the gods. Svyatogor is so tall that he easily hides Ilya Muromets with his horse in his pocket.

Unfortunately, stories about the exploits of this legendary warrior have not survived to our time.

In Russian epics, usually practically nothing is said about the death of heroes, but the death of Svyatogor is known for sure. And this is one of the few epics about Svyatogor that has come down to us.

Traveling with Ilya through the mountains, Svyatogor found a stone coffin. The heroes, laughing, jokingly decided to take turns lying in it. The tomb turned out to be large for Ilya, but it came at the time of Svyatogor.

When the giant realized his mistake, he asked Ilya to cut the coffin with his sword and breathed part of his strength into Muromets for this, but the coffin was enchanted, and with each blow of the sword an iron hoop appeared. Thus ended his life the most powerful hero of Russia.

The first line belongs to the giant hero, who was never able to use his strength for good.

Bonus: Mikula Selyaninovich

Russian epics know the names of many heroes. All of them were distinguished by strength and courage and accomplished many feats, but the most powerful in the entire ancient Russian epic was the ordinary plowman Mikula Selyaninovich. It was impossible to fight him, because he was under the protection of Mother Earth herself, which gave him inexhaustible strength.

The original Russian "superheroes" were heroes who defended our land hundreds of years ago. In epics and legends, images of many Russian heroes have been preserved, and this post will introduce us to them.

Ilya Muromets. Holy hero

Ilya Muromets canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church, this is the main Russian hero. Ilya Muromets is the main character not only of Russian epics, but also, for example, German epic poems of the 13th century. They also call him Ilya, he is also a hero, yearning for his homeland. Ilya Muromets is also found in the Scandinavian sagas, in them he, no less, is the blood brother of Prince Vladimir.

Nikitich. Bogatyr with connections

Dobrynya Nikitich is often associated with the chronicle Dobrynya, the uncle of Prince Vladimir (according to another version, a nephew). His name embodies the essence of "heroic kindness." Dobrynya has the nickname "young", with great physical strength "he will not hurt a fly", he is the protector of "widows and orphans, unfortunate wives." Dobrynya is also "an artist at heart: a master of singing and playing the harp."

Alesha Popovich. junior

The "youngest of the younger" heroes, and therefore his set of qualities is not so "supermanly". Vice is not even alien to him: cunning, selfishness, self-interest. That is, on the one hand, he is distinguished by courage, but on the other, he is proud, arrogant, quarrelsome, perky and rude.

Bova Royal. Popular hero

Bova Korolevich for a long time was the most popular hero among the people. Lubok tales about the "extraordinary hero" came out in hundreds of editions from the 18th to the 20th centuries. Pushkin wrote The Tale of Tsar Saltan, partly borrowing the plot and the names of the heroes of the fairy tales about the Boys Korolevich, which his nanny read to him. Moreover, he even made sketches of the poem "Bova", but death will prevent him from finishing the work. The prototype of this knight was the French knight Bovo de Anton from the famous chronicle poem Reali di Francia, written in the 14th century. In this regard, Bova is a completely unique hero - a visiting one.

Svyatogor. Megahero

Megahero. But the hero of the "old world". The giant, the elder hero the size of a mountain, whom even the earth does not hold, lies on the mountain in inactivity. Epics tell about his meeting with earthly cravings and death in a magical grave. Many features of the biblical hero Samson have been transferred to Svyatogora. It is difficult to determine exactly its ancient origin. In the legends of the people, the veteran hero transfers his strength to Ilya Muromets, the hero of the Christian age.

Duke Stepanovich. Bogatyr-major

Duke Stepanovich comes to Kyiv from conditional India, behind which, according to folklorists, in this case the Galicia-Volyn land is hiding, and arranges a boasting marathon in Kyiv, passes tests from the prince, and continues to brag. As a result, Vladimir learns that Duke is really very rich and offers him citizenship. But Duke refuses, because "if you sell Kyiv and Chernigov and buy papers for an inventory of Dyukov's wealth, then there will not be enough paper."

Mikula Selyaninovich. Bogatyr-plowman

Mikula Selyaninovich is a heroic agrarian. It is found in two epics: about Svyatogor and about Volga Svyatoslavich. Mikula is the first representative of agricultural life, a powerful peasant plowman. He is strong and hardy, but a homebody. He puts all his strength into agriculture and family.

Volga Svyatoslavovich. Bogatyr mage

Supporters of the "historical school" in the study of epics believe that Prince Vseslav Polotsky was the prototype of the epic Volga. Volga was also correlated with Prophetic Oleg, and his campaign in India - with Oleg's campaign against Constantinople. Volga is a difficult hero, he has the ability to be a werewolf, he knows how to understand the language of animals and birds.

Sukhman Odikhmantievich. Insulted hero

According to Vsevolod Miller, the Pskov prince Dovmont, who ruled from 1266 to 1299, was the prototype of the hero. In the bylina of the Kiev cycle, Sukhman goes to get a white swan for Prince Vladimir, but on the way he comes into battle with the Tatar hordes, who are building viburnum bridges on the Nepre River. Sukhman defeats the Tatars, but in battle he receives wounds that he seals up with leaves. Returning to Kyiv without a white swan, he tells the prince about the battle, but the prince does not believe him and imprisons Sukhman in prison until clarification. Dobrynya goes to the Nepra and learns that Sukhman did not lie. But it's' too late. Sukhman feels shamed, peels off the leaves and bleeds. From his blood begins the river Sukhman.

Dunay Ivanovich. tragic hero

According to the epics about the Danube, it was from the blood of the hero that the river of the same name began. The Danube is a tragic hero. He loses to his wife Nastasya in an archery competition, accidentally hits her while trying to win back, finds out that Nastasya was pregnant and stumbles upon a saber.

Michael Potyk. Faithful husband

Folklorists disagree on who Mihailo Potyk (or Potok) should be related to. The roots of his image are found in the Bulgarian heroic epic, and in Western European fairy tales, and even in the Mongolian epic "Geser". According to one of the epics, Potok with his wife Avdotya Lebedya Belaya gives a vow that whoever of them dies first, the second is buried next to the grave alive. When Avdotya dies, Potok is buried nearby in full armor and on horseback, he fights the dragon and revives his wife with his blood. When he himself dies, Avdotya is buried with him.

Hoten Bludovich. Bogatyr-groom

Bogatyr Khoten Bludovich, for the sake of a wedding with an enviable bride, China Sentry, first beats nine of her brothers, then a whole army hired by her future mother-in-law. As a result, the hero receives a rich dowry and appears in the epic as a hero "who married well."

Vasily Buslaev. Zealous hero

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

Nikita Kozhemyaka. serpent fighter

Nikita Kozhemyaka in Russian fairy tales is one of the main snake fighter characters. Before entering the fight with the Serpent, he breaks 12 skins, thereby proving his legendary strength. Kozhemyaka not only defeats the Serpent, but also harnesses him to a plow and plows the land from Kyiv to the Black Sea. The defensive ramparts near Kiev got their name (Zmievs) precisely because of the deeds of Nikita Kozhemyaka.

Anika warrior. Bogatyr in words

Anika warrior is still called today a person who likes to brag about his strength far from danger (& couch fighter). Unusual for a Russian epic hero, the name of the hero is most likely taken from the Byzantine legend about the hero Digenis, who is mentioned there with the constant epithet anikitos. Anika the warrior in verse boasts of strength and offends the weak, he is shamed for this by death itself, Anika challenges her and dies.

There is probably no such person in Russia who would not have heard of the heroes. Heroes who came to us from ancient Russian songs-tales - epics, have always been popular with writers, artists, and filmmakers. The next round of the heroes' popularity is associated with the release of a series of animated films dedicated to their somewhat modernized adventures.

At the same time, most Russians know only about a very narrow circle of heroes. In fact, the number of heroic epics that have come down to our time is in the hundreds, and the heroes themselves are divided by scientists into several categories. Heroes of the pagan and Christian era, pre-Tatar, Tatar and post-Tatar are distinguished ...

There is a large group of bogatyrs associated with Kiev and Prince Vladimir, but there are also those who have nothing to do with the “central government” at all, remaining the “regional bogatyrs” of individual cities.

The adventures of some heroes are intertwined with each other, while others act independently.

Svyatogor

Svyatogor is so huge that it is "higher than a standing forest, lower than a walking cloud." The hero lived on the Holy Mountains, during his trip Mother - Cheese Earth shakes, forests sway and rivers overflow their banks.

The father of the hero was called "dark", that is, blind, which in East Slavic mythology was a sign of creatures from another world.

Svyatogor does not carry any service, although it intersects with other heroes. So, in one of the epics, Svyatogor travels with Ilya Muromets, and they meet a stone coffin on the way. Deciding to try it on, Svyatogor turns out to be his prisoner and dies, transferring part of his strength to Ilya Muromets. In another epic, the story with the coffin is preceded by intimate adventures - Ilya Muromets is seduced by the wife of Svyatogor. Upon learning of this, Svyatogor kills the fallen woman, and with Ilya, who cuckolded him, enters into a brotherhood.

In another epic, Svyatogor is measured by the heroic strength with another "colleague" - Mikula Selyaninovich. A cunning opponent throws a bag on the ground, in which “all the burden of the earth” was enclosed, offering Svyatogor to pick it up. This attempt ends with the death of the hero.

In epics, Svyatogor dies more often than other heroes. Scientists attribute this to the fact that this image personifies the primitive forces of nature, an element that does not serve man.

Mikula Selyaninovich

Mikula Selyaninovich, like Svyatogor, is not in any service with the prince and is not a warrior. But, unlike Svyatogor, Mikula Selyaninovich is engaged in a socially useful business - he is a hero-plowman.

It is impossible to fight Mikula Selyaninovich, because Mother Earth Cheese is behind him. That is why Mikula Selyaninovich is able to raise the bag with "all the burden of the earth", in contrast to Svyatogor, whom this attempt destroys.

Scientists find in the image of Mikula Selyaninovich a lot in common with the Slavic god Perun. According to one version, the popularity in Russia of Nicholas the Wonderworker is rooted in the veneration of Mikula Selyaninovich.
If we take into account that the image of St. Nicholas served to create a story about a Christmas wizard, who in our area is stubbornly associated with Santa Claus, then we can build a chain according to which Santa Claus is a retired hero Mikula Selyaninovich.

Unlike Svyatogor, who in the epics has only an unfaithful wife, Mikula Selyaninovich has daughters - Vasilisa and Nastasya. Nastasya became the wife of Dobrynya Nikitich, and as for Vasilisa, she is well known to fans of Soviet cartoons - this is the same Vasilisa Mikulishna, who, pretending to be an ambassador from the Golden Horde, released her husband Stavr Godinovich from prison.

Ilya Muromets

Ilya Muromets, the first among the so-called "junior heroes", warrior heroes, is perhaps best known to the general public.

After sitting at home until the age of 33, unable to use his arms and legs, he was healed by the elders and set off to perform feats. It is curious that epics were told about the service of Ilya to Prince Vladimir of Kiev only in part of the Russian lands - in other regions, the exploits of the hero were exclusively his personal affair.

The most common and classic feat of Ilya Muromets is the victory over the Nightingale the Robber. At the same time, Muromets is perhaps the most popular hero, more than a dozen original epics are dedicated to his exploits. Among those whom Ilya defeated are Idolishche Poganoe, a certain snake, Kalin the Tsar and many others.

Ilya's life is quite stormy: he has a wife, Zlatygorka, a son, Sokolnik (in another version, a daughter), he actively interacts with other Russian heroes. Moreover, if relations with Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich are more often friendly, then meetings with Svyatogor end deplorably for the latter.

If Svyatogor and Mikula Selyaninovich do not have a real prototype, then Ilya Muromets has several of them.
Most often, he is associated with Elijah Pechersky, a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, who lived in the 12th century. The strong man, born in Murom, bore the nickname "Chobotok". The hero received this nickname because he once fought off enemies with a “chobot”, that is, a boot.

According to one version, the hero became a monk after being seriously wounded in battle. An examination of the relics of Elijah Pechersky showed that he really died from the consequences of a blow to the chest with a sharp weapon. The prototype of Muromets could die in 1204 during the capture of Kyiv by Prince Rurik Rostislavich, when the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra was defeated by the Polovtsians.

Nikitich

Unlike Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich is a person close to the Kiev prince, who fulfills his instructions. Dobrynya does not shy away from collecting and transporting tribute, takes on those tasks that her colleagues refuse for some reason, and has a penchant for diplomacy.

The most famous opponent of Dobrynia is the Serpent, better known as the Serpent-Gorynych, from whose captivity the hero frees the niece of Prince Zabava Putyatishna.

Dobrynya is the most creative person among the heroes. He plays tavlei (Old Russian checkers) well, sings well and plays the harp.

Dobrynya Nikitich has extensive connections - in addition to being close to the prince, he is married to Nastasya Mikulishna, the daughter of Mikula Selyaninovich.

According to the epics, Dobrynya is the son of the Ryazan governor. The most likely prototype of the hero is called Dobrynya, governor of Prince Vladimir the Holy. Dobrynya was an extremely influential person, since he was the prince's uncle - he was the brother of his mother Malusha. For a certain time, Dobrynya was a mentor for the prince, a senior comrade.

Alesha Popovich Alyosha Popovich is the most dubious character from the "classic trio" of heroes. The son of a Rostov priest, Alyosha is boastful, puffy, sly, sometimes he allows himself unacceptable jokes, for which he is condemned by his comrades.

So, for example, in one of the epics, Alyosha harasses Dobrynya's wife Nastasya Mikulishna, spreading false rumors about the death of a comrade.

In another epic, Alyosha is beheaded by the angry brothers of Elena or Alena, who was seduced by him. True, in the more famous version, Alyosha Popovich had to marry Alyonushka in order to avoid the worst.

Alyosha's main opponent is Tugarin, an evil hero, behind whom one can guess the image of a nomad, with whom the Russians have been fighting for a long time.

The main historical prototype of Alyosha Popovich is the Rostov boyar Olesha (Alexander) Popovich. An excellent warrior, Olesha served Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest, and then participated in the internecine wars of his sons. Subsequently, Olesha Popovich went to the service of Prince Mstislav the Old and died with him in 1223 in the Battle of Kalka, which became the first meeting of the Russians with the Tatar-Mongols. In the same battle, Dobrynya Ryazanets Zlat Poyas, another candidate for the prototypes of the epic Dobrynya Nikitich, also died.

Svyatogor is older than many gods. Many are familiar with this mighty giant from the epic, where he meets Ilya Muromets and hides him, along with his horse, in his pocket.
There is a lot of mystery in the image of Svyatogor. Why, for example, does he live in a mountainous place, get stuck in the ground, as if in a swampy swamp, and cannot lift a bag where all the "earthly thrust" is hidden? Why doesn’t he guard the borders of Holy Russia, like Ilya and other heroes, doesn’t plow the land, like Mikula Selyaninovich? For what reason does he live alone, and not together with other giants - Gorynya, Dubynya and Usynya? What does the mention in one of the versions of the epic about his "dark" father mean? And how did it happen that he, mighty and invincible, at once loses his strength in a stone coffin he accidentally found?
Svyatogor, in Slavic mythology, the son of Rod, the brother of Svarog, and the Svarozhichs were his nephews.
His father is called "dark", that is, blind, erroneously: Rod is primordial, omnipresent, all-seeing. Svyatogor was born in order to guard the world of Reveal and not let dark monsters from Navi come here. The entrance there was at the foot of the pillar on which the sky was held. The pillar itself (or the World Tree) was located in the holy mountains, from where the giant's name comes from. It is not an easy task to stand on the border of Light and Darkness. Other giants, Gorynychi - Gorynya, Dubynya and Usynya - were born by the dark, blind lord Viy out of envy and in opposition to Svyatogor. Viy, partly familiar to us from the story of Gogol, put his three sons to guard the exit from Navi, so that the souls of the dead could not escape from there. So, standing on the other side of the border, they were enemies of Svyatogor.
The enormous weight of Svyatogor prevented him from leaving his post and moving to other places. Yet one day, according to Makosh's prediction, he was forced to leave the Holy Mountains. The goddess predicted to the giant that he would marry the serpent. The giant was upset, but decided to find his betrothed - maybe she’s not so scary? Went to distant seas, moved from one island to another. And finally I saw a snake. Svyatogor decided that it would be better to die a bachelor than to marry such a monster. He turned away and stabbed her with his sword. Then he threw a golden altyn in atonement for his deed and, bursting into burning tears, wandered away.
Meanwhile, the blow of Svyatogor had a magical effect on the snake: she freed herself from the spell cast on her and became, as before, the beautiful girl Plenka. The beauty raised the golden altyn. He turned out to be inexchangeable, and she gave him to the townspeople. They put the coin into circulation and soon became unspeakably rich. They did not forget their benefactor either - they generously endowed Plenka, and she equipped a caravan with the money received and went in search of a savior. How long, how short she wandered, but she found Svyatogor and told him her story. The giant did not immediately believe that this beauty of the girl is the very snake that he hacked to death. Then he waved his hand: you never know what miracles happen in the world! He married Plenka, as Mokosh predicted, and soon their daughters were born - Plenkini.
This story also became known in Greece: either the Aryan people of the Dorians brought it there, or the Balkan Slavs. Only the Greeks began to call Svyatogor in their own way Atlant (or Atlas). His wife Plenka was considered the Oceanid Pleione. Their daughters were called the Pleiades. These girls became stars, and Perseus, showing their father the head of the Gorgon Medusa, turned Atlanta into a rock. These mountains in Africa are still called Atlas.
There are many more stories about Svyatogor, and you can’t retell them all. Let us recall only one of them. The giant was tired of defending the gods, which he did not really see, and he decided to build a stone staircase to the sky and look at them himself. Rod did not deprive him of his strength and Svyatogor coped with the work: he reached the very throne of the Most High in heaven.
God did not scold him for arbitrariness, praised him for his work and said that he would fulfill any desire of the giant. Svyatogor asked for unmeasured strength and more wisdom than any of the gods. Oh, if I knew that any desire also has a downside, so, probably, I would beware of asking for intelligence and strength. “You will be stronger than the Svarozhichs, but the stone will overpower you yourself,” the Most High answered him. “You will become wiser than the gods, and a man will deceive you!” Only the giant grinned in response, did not believe what was said. Is he, who built a stairway to heaven out of rocks, afraid of some kind of pebble! Well, what about the small human race, what are the bugs under their feet, what can they do to him?
And everything happened according to the word of the Almighty. And the stone coffin, in which Svyatogor jokingly lay down, became his last refuge, and the hero Ilya Muromets outwitted the giant. Or maybe it's for the best: the time of the giants has passed, the era of people has come. Yes, and Svyatogor was tired of eternal life, it was time for him to rest. He managed only with his last breath to transfer part of his strength to his hero.
It is known about Ilya that he accomplished many feats for the glory of Holy Russia, and in his old age he came to the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery and became a monk there. He spent days and nights in his cell, atoning for his sins, voluntary and involuntary. Therefore, he did not notice how the killer crept up to him and inflicted a treacherous stab in the back. However, there is not a word about this in the epics. Anthropologists who studied the remains of Ilya Muromets learned about this. They also determined that since childhood, the hero’s left leg was shorter than his right one - that’s why he lay “thirty years and three years” on the stove, until the wandering sorcerers breathed mighty power into him.