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Epics and legends have long been an integral part of Russian original culture. The people sang in them the strength, justice and masculinity of heroes, intelligence, dexterity and other qualities of a person.
Many legends had a historical basis and were described in ancient chronicles. The bogatyrs were glorified for their feats, the protection of the inhabitants of Rus’ from the raids of enemy troops and other good deeds.
You can get acquainted with the list of the ten most famous heroes of Russian epics by reading our article.
10 Mikula Selyaninovich
The Novgorod cycle of epics glorifies a hero named Mikula Selyaninovich. The legend says that he was a simple peasant by origin. His strength was multiplied by Mother Earth cheese. His name was a derivative folk form from the modern name Nikolai.
Not only the hero himself possessed miraculous power, but also his horse. The Russian hero, according to legend, had two daughters,
Vasilisa and Nastasya, who were also endowed with miraculous powers. Their names also often appear in Russian epics.
The image of Mikula Selyaninovich is often associated with the Christian Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker.
9. Stavr Godinovich
The Chernigov boyar was the husband of the famous Vasilisa Mikulishna (the eldest daughter of Mikula Selyaninovich).
The plot of the famous epic with these characters tells the listeners that Stavr at the feast of Prince Vladimir (Red Sun) began to boast of his beautiful wife, for which he was sent to prison.
Hearing about this, Vasilisa dresses up in men’s clothes, gathers a squad and goes to the prince, to whom she introduces herself as the son of King Lyakhovitsky and marries the prince’s daughter.
She successfully passes all the tests assigned to her, a wedding feast will take place, to which Stavr is brought to play the harp. Vasilisa manages to take him away from the feast.
Then she changes into her clothes again, together with her husband they go to the prince, who admits that Stavr did not just honor his wife at his feast.
8. Vasily Buslaev
The hero was a character of the Novgorod epics. He possessed indestructible valiant prowess and strength. From a young age, the hero had his own opinion, this is evidenced by his discord with the Novgorod community.
To prove his superiority, he recruits a squad of the same fellows and rampages in the city, saving the Novgorodians the hero’s mother, only she can reason with him.
In adulthood, the hero realizes his mistakes of youth and wants to pray for them, goes to Jerusalem. But the trip does not change the character of Vasily, on the way back he forgets all the vows and dies, trying once again to prove his prowess.
7. Sadko
The hero of the Novgorod epics is not a hero, he is a rich merchant, in literature he is considered the personification of the wealth of Novgorod.
The plot of the most famous version of the epic tells that Sadko managed to get rich with the help of the sea king from Lake Ilmen, before that he was a poor gusler.
Having become rich, the merchant equips ships and goes overseas to trade. But the sea is not favorable to him, a storm broke out, during which he decides to sacrifice Sadko to the sea king.
At the bottom of the sea, the merchant plays the harp, because of which the tsar arranges a dance, as a result of which many people die, as the sea begins to worry again, St. Mykola of Mozhaisk helps to return to the land of Sadko, he teaches him how to behave with the tsar.
6. Nikita Kozhemyaka
The hero is one of the most beloved heroes of the East Slavic epic. In epics, Nikita Kozhemyaka defended the Russian people from the Pechenegs.
The first mention of the hero dates back to 992, found in the Tale of Bygone Years. Nikita received the nickname Kozhemyak due to his unprecedented strength, he easily tore bull skins.
The plot of the most common epic about the hero tells that he defeats the snake that kidnapped the daughter of the prince of Kyiv.
5. Volga Svyatoslavich
Volga Svyatoslavich was not a simple hero, he had magical abilities. He knew how to understand the language of animals, birds and fish, changed his appearance.
The hero is one of the most ancient images of Russian folklore. Some literary scholars believe that Prince Vseslav of Polotsk was the prototype of the epic hero.
Several plots of epics were popular in Rus’, in which Volga Svyatoslavich was the central character.
One of them tells about the birth of the hero, the other about his campaign against the Indian kingdom, the third about the meeting of Volga with Mikula Selyaninovich.
4. Svyatogor
One of the largest and most powerful heroes of the East Slavic Russian epics was Svyatogor. Was a giant. According to ancient legends, he draws strength from Mother – Raw Earth, when he rides his horse, the earth trembles, forests sway, and rivers overflow their banks.
The hero carries out his service at the distant holy mountains. One of the legends says that before his death, Svyatogor transferred part of his strength to Ilya Muromets.
3. Alesha Popovich
Alyosha Popovich was the youngest bogatyr of the famous and beloved trio of Russian strongmen.
Unlike his associates, Alyosha does not have super strength, but he is smart and dexterous, and also bold. But he is frivolous and boastful, for which he is often condemned by older comrades.
His image appears in more than 50 plots of ancient epics. The most famous is the epic “Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin”.
2. Nikitich
Dobrynya Nikitich had a noble origin, in Rus’ he was second in popularity among the heroes of folklore, after Ilya Muromets. His wife was Nastasya Mikulishna, the hero himself was in the service of the Kyiv prince.
Historians and literary critics believe that the prototype of the image of the hero was the governor Dobrynya, who was the uncle of the prince of Kyiv and was the brother of his mother.
According to the plots of epics, Dobrynya Nikitich was an educated person, he sang well and played the harp, and had a good disposition. The name of the hero was mentioned in 53 plots of Russian legends, in 6 epics he was the central character.
1. Ilya Muromets
The most famous and strong hero of Russian epics. According to the plot of one of the legends, Ilya was a cripple until the age of 33, and after that, with the help of the Magi, he managed not only to get up, but also acquired remarkable strength.
In Rus’, the image of a hero was popular, since the hero always protected the people and the Russian land from conquerors. He embodied the common folk ideal of a hero-warrior.
For the first time the name of Ilya Muromets was heard in 1574 in a letter. The hero is mentioned in 53 plots of the Old Russian epic, in 15 of them he is the central figure. Some scholars identify the name of the hero with St. Elijah Pechersky Chebotok.