Ilya Muromets is the most famous and beloved of Russian heroes. He has been found in epics since ancient times, and although he is a character from the “younger” cycle of epics, he partially overlaps with the most ancient Slavic hero-deity - Svyatogor.
It is interesting that in written sources Ilya Muromets was first mentioned by Philon Kmita-Chernobylsky, a voivode from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 16th century, who fought against Russian troops, and by Erich Lasota, an Austrian diplomat and traveler of the same time.
Lyasota, a Catholic by faith, also mentions the relics of St. Elijah of Muromets in the Orthodox Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.
This hero is known in ancient records as Ilya Morovlyanin, Murovlyanin, Murovets. Many consider his historical prototype to be a real-life strongman who lived in the 12th century in Murom. His nickname was Chobotok - because he once fought off enemies with a chobot, that is, a boot.
At the end of his life, Chobotok became a monk under the name Elijah, and it is his relics, according to legend, that are in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. Some of the relics are also kept in Murom. Chobotok was a man of remarkable strength and enormous stature, for which he was known far beyond the borders of his city. Moreover, there are also people who consider themselves descendants of Ilya Muromets.
For example, the Murom clan of the Gushchins, many of whose members were also tall and great strength. Sometimes so large that in the 19th century they were prohibited from participating in fist fights. In the village of Karacharovo, which is now a district of Murom, there is a church, which, according to legend, Ilya personally built, dragging oak trunks from the water, and the house of one of the Gushchins, on the site of which, according to local legend, the hut of Ilya Muromets once stood.
In the epics, Ilya Muromets appears as a huge peasant who, until the age of 33, lay on his bed in a hut and could not move due to illness. One day, “walking men” came to him and asked for water. He told them that he could not move. They repeated their request and thereby forced him to rise. He brought water from the well, which the Kaliki offered him to drink. He drank the water and recovered, feeling immense strength.
The “Kaliki” said that now he must serve Prince Vladimir. Ilya went to Kyiv, but first met on the way a huge stone with an inscription. Having moved this stone, as was written on it, he found armor, weapons and a horse under it. Who the “Kaliks” were is not completely clear. In pre-revolutionary publications it was indicated that this was Christ and the two apostles, but in Soviet years this information was cut out from the texts.
However, this interpretation of the “Kaliks” is most likely a late “doctrinal” insertion, and the essence of these characters is completely different. In addition to Russian epics, Ilya Muromets appears in German legends of the 13th century as a mighty Russian knight.
Stories about Ilya Muromets show him as a warrior-defender, a kind of “policeman” in Kievan Rus, as well as a fighter against the Tatar-Mongols:
Most of the legends about Ilya Muromets come from the Russian North - Siberia, Olonets and Arkhangelsk provinces. They talk about the hero's service in Kyiv and his relationship with Prince Vladimir, which is by no means always friendly. Outside the specified region, only a few stories are common that do not tie Ilya to Kyiv and Prince Vladimir.
But in these stories, Ilya fights various kinds of robbers. He also meets with the Cossacks (“Ilya Muromets on the Falcon-ship”); such legends apparently arose among the Volga Cossacks. In general, Ilya Muromets is quite popular among the Cossacks, being an exponent of the people's freedom-loving spirit.
Our younger heroes, which include Ilya Muromets, have supernatural power, this power has boundaries and does not burden its owners. They apply this power to action: they serve their native land, fight its enemies, external and internal. They are “assigned” to some city, usually Kyiv. They are no longer demigods, but people.
Ilya Muromets is the people’s favorite hero. This is an ideal personality in which the best features of the people’s character are expressed; by studying him, we can recognize our people’s ideals.
There are many epics about him, and they tell his whole life. Until the age of thirty, Ilya Muromets did not use his legs and sat in his father’s hut. He was healed and given strength by elder passers-by who ordered him to drink three glasses.
Ilya’s first feat of healing is a good deed, helping his parents: he goes to the field where they worked, and while they sleep, clears the field of roots and stones. Having obtained a horse for himself, Ilya asks his father for his blessing - to go to Kyiv to Prince Vladimir to serve the Russian land.
Ilya turns out to be a loving and respectful son - one of the main traits in his character, this trait is also inherent in our other heroes. It testifies to the strength of the family principle in ancient Russian life. Ilya's father, peasant Ivan Timofeevich, blesses his son. Kindness, rising to generosity, is the main feature of his moral image; where possible, he spares the enemy. Closely related to this are self-control and calmness, which are also its characteristic signs.
All the exploits of Ilya Muromets are sedate and thorough, and everything about him is sedate. He is not in favor of shedding blood, and, where possible, avoids striking. Calm never leaves him. In this hero, despite his terrible strength, one sees even greater strength of spirit. Among the various cases when Ilya generously spared the enemy - a meeting near the heroic outpost with Sokolnik the Hunter. Ilya threw up the enemy who entered into battle with him and knocked him to the ground, under the clouds, but took pity on him, did not let him break, but caught him in his arms. According to Ilya’s questions, Sokolnik turns out to be his son (Ilya once left for a foreign land and got married there). This epic is reminiscent of an episode from a poem about Rustem and Zorab, their fight. Rustem corresponds to Ilya, Zorab to Sokolnik, just like in our epic, initially the son wins, then the father. But Rustem does not spare Zorab, but treacherously kills him.
Ilya accomplishes many feats and fights against the enemies of the Russian land. In addition to the indicated character traits, these exploits also express his other properties: courage, self-confidence, selflessness, lack of lust for power, the ability to defend one’s human dignity, selfless love for the Motherland, hatred of enemies. When, on his first trip from home to Kyiv, he liberated Chernigov from the Tatars besieging him, he refused the gifts that the Chernigov residents brought him, and also refused the offer to be their governor. He did not want to take the ransom for Nightingale the Robber, which Nightingale’s wife offered him. Ilya is pious, like all our heroes are pious. Heading to Kyiv, he wants to be in time for matins.
The epic about Ilya Muromets and Idolishche the Pogan is wonderful. It is distinguished by the moral height of its content: Idolishche is here a representative of brute, purely animal power - he boasts of his size, the fact that he eats and drinks a lot. Ilya laughs at him for his boasting. Ilya in this song is a representative of spiritualized strength, moral strength.
Most likely, Ilya Muromets is a kind of collective image of a Russian person, a true defender of his native land.
Kalin Tsar
Sculptural portrait of Ilya Muromets, recreated by criminologist and sculptor S. Nikitin (reconstruction of the soft parts of the face based on the skull)
Relics of Ilya Muromets
Legendary hero of the Russian epic Ilya Muromets- the most famous epic hero. It is curious that he is the main character not only of many Russian epics, but also of German poems of the 13th century, which, in turn, are based on earlier tales. In them he is presented as the mighty knight Ilya the Russian...
All that we know today about Ilya Muromets is approximately: he was born around 1143, in the village of Karacharovo near Murom (Vladimir region), in the family of the peasant Ivan Timofeev and his wife Euphrosyne. His name has not yet been found in the chronicles. Perhaps mentions of him simply have not survived, since Rus' was then going through not the easiest times: hordes of conquerors more than once completely burned and destroyed cities. Meanwhile, the hero really existed, and was buried in the caves of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra as one of the 69 saints
The Russian Orthodox Church venerates Ilya of Muromets as a saint (he was canonized in 1643). By church calendar Memorial Day of Ilya Muromets - December 19, old style, or January 1 in a new way. Ilya Muromets is not a mythological character, not a collective image of a Russian hero, but a real historical figure.
Elijah's healing
In 1988, scientists examined the relics of St. Ilya of Muromets. Scientists claim that Ilya was a strongly built man of enormous height for those times - 177 cm (the average height of men then was 165 cm, that is, Ilya was a head taller than the average man).
It turned out that this man died at the age of 45-55 years. The body of Muromets, scientists found multiple fractures of bones, ribs, traces of a blow from a spear, saber, and sword. This confirmed the legend that Ilya was a warrior who took part in fierce battles. They also found out that in his youth he had paralysis of the limbs and the young man could not move for many years, as the epics say: “for thirty years and three years Ilya sat sitting and could not walk in his legs.”
But when Ilya turned 33, the day came that changed his whole life. Prophetic beggar wanderers came into the house - Kaliki passers-by and asked the young man to give them water. He explained that he could not walk. But the guests persistently repeated the request - it already sounded like an order. And Ilya, suddenly feeling unprecedented strength, stood up on his feet for the first time. Kaliki blessed him for feats of arms.
THE EXPLOITS OF ILYA MUROMETS
Despite the fantastic plots, most epics are based on genuine historical events, intricately intertwined with fiction in the memory of many generations. The most famous feat of Ilya Muromets is the battle with Nightingale the Robber, who captured the direct road to Kyiv and did not allow anyone passage - “neither on horseback nor on foot.” During Ilya’s arrival in Kyiv, the throne was occupied by Prince Mstislav, he ordered the organization of security trade caravans, who were mercilessly robbed by the Polovtsians. Most likely, the prince entrusted this to Ilya Muromets, who was a member of the princely squad. 10-15 kilometers from Kyiv is the village of Zazimye, near which Nightingale, the Robber, robbed merchants. Ilya Muromets, having defeated the whistler, cleared the straight road. If the direct road is five hundred miles, then the roundabout path is “as much as a thousand.” Clearing the straight path from robbers was equated by the people with a feat. The liberation of the path to Kyiv by the epic hero is confirmed by historical facts.
Princes Vladimir Monomakh, Vladimir Svyatoslavovich and the pagan DazhBog, the mythical ancestor of all princes, united in the image of Prince VLADIMIR, in all epics Vladimir is the Prince of Kiev next to Ilya, although Ilya Muromets lived much later than Vladimir. But the historical Ilya Muromets was patronized by Prince SVYATOSLAV, whom Ilya Muromets tried to be like, he admired Svyatoslav and considered this protector of the Russian people best warrior of all times and peoples.
MONK-BOGATYR
If Ilya’s military exploits were widely reflected in epics, little is known about the monastic period of his life. The hero was most likely forced to go to the monastery by a wound received in one of the fierce battles with the Polovtsians. The holy relics of St. Elijah testify to severe injuries - a fracture of the right collarbone and two right ribs after being struck by a combat club. Apparently, the hero took monastic vows shortly before his death. According to legend, Ilya made a vow to enter a monastery and never pick up a sword again.
He became a monk Pechersk Lavra and spent all his days in his cell in prayer. For Orthodox warriors, this was a completely normal step - to replace the iron sword with a spiritual sword and spend the rest of their lives fighting not for earthly blessings, but for heavenly ones. When he was tonsured as a monk, he was given the name Ilya, a nickname he could also receive later.
THE LAST BATTLE OF THE BOGATYR
Scientists have established that the hero-monk died in battle! The study of the mummified remains of the hero by forensic medicine specialists shed light on the cause of his death. Muromets died from a massive wound in the heart area. This seems to have happened in 1204.
On the first day of 1204, Prince Rurik Rostislavich, having concluded an alliance with the Polovtsians, took Kyiv from his son-in-law Roman. The Polovtsians burst into the city, began to plunder it, and destroy churches and monasteries. Then monk Ilya Muromets again took up arms and went to his last Stand. Several wounds were found on the body of Ilya Muromets, of which only one turned out to be serious - on the arm from a spear, and the fatal one was also a spear, but in the area of the heart. Apparently, the hero, in defense, covered his chest with his hand, and with a blow from a spear it was nailed to his heart.
By the way, back in 1701, pilgrim Ivan Lukyanov narrated: “We saw the brave warrior Ilya of Murom, incorruptible under the cover of gold; he was as tall as today’s large people; his left hand was pierced by a spear, the ulcer was all over; and his right hand was depicted with the sign of the cross.”
Orthodox Christians revere Ilya of Muromets to this day. The Russian army considers him their patron, and the Russian border guards consider him the first Russian border guard. But not only people’s memory remains about Ilya. His body is incorruptible and is in a state of mummification. In Orthodoxy, it is believed that if the body of the deceased does not decompose, but turns into relics, this is a special gift of God, which is given only to saints.
The remains of Ilya are located in the Near Caves of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, under a modest inscription above the tomb “Ilya from Murom”. I was there dear guys. I bowed to the relics of the Great Russian man, DEFENDER OF THE RUSSIAN LAND! I, little Filippok, am proud that I am Russian, as Russian as Ilya Muromets.
Embodying the people's ideal of a hero-warrior, people's defender. In Kmita Chernobylsky (XVI century) Ilya is Muravlenin, not Muromets, in Erich Lassota (XVI century) - Ilya Morovlin, in some epics of the 17th century - Ilya Murovich or Ilya Murovets.
Ilya Muromets appears in the Kiev cycle of epics: “Ilya Muromets and the Nightingale the Robber”, “Ilya Muromets and the Poganous Idol”, “The Quarrel of Ilya Muromets with Prince Vladimir”, “The Battle of Ilya Muromets with Zhidovin”. Most historians believe that the birthplace of Ilya Muromets is the village of Karacharovo near Murom (Most epics about Ilya Muromets begin with the words: “Is it from the same city of Muromlya, From that nun village and Karachaev ..." According to some historians Russian Empire and modern Ukrainian historians of his small homeland there was an ancient village of Moroviysk in the Chernigov region (the modern village of Morovsk, Kozeletsky district, Chernigov region of Ukraine), which leads from Chernigov to Kyiv. This conclusion is based on the possibility of merging the image of Ilya of Murom with the Venerable Ilya of Pechersk in the folk epic.
According to S. A. Azbelev, who counts 53 plots of heroic epics, Ilya Muromets is the main character of 15 of them (No. 1-15 according to the index compiled by Azbelev).
For each plot, the number of individual versions recorded from different storytellers is in the dozens and can exceed a hundred (No. 3, 9, 10), mostly there were from 12 to 45 or more.
An unprecedentedly large number of stories dedicated to Ilya Muromets gives unique opportunity present in a more or less complete form the biography of this hero (as it seemed to the storytellers).
Only a few epic stories with the name of Ilya Muromets are known outside the provinces of Olonets, Arkhangelsk and Siberia (Collection of Kirsha Danilov and S. Gulyaev). Outside of these areas, only a few stories have been recorded so far:
In the middle and southern parts of Russia, only epics are known without the attachment of Ilya Muromets to Kyiv and the prince. Vladimir, and the most popular plots are those in which robbers (Ilya Muromets and the robbers) or Cossacks (Ilya Muromets on the Falcon-ship) play the role, which indicates the popularity of Ilya Muromets among the freedom-loving population who lived on the Volga, Yaik and was part of the Cossacks .
Prose stories about Ilya Muromets, written in Russian form folk tales and those who passed to some non-Slavic peoples (Finns, Latvians, Chuvash, Yakuts) also do not know about the Kyiv epic relations of Ilya Muromets, do not mention Prince Vladimir, replacing him with a nameless king; They contain almost exclusively the adventures of Ilya Muromets with the Nightingale the Robber, sometimes with the Idol called the Glutton, and sometimes attribute to Ilya Muromets the liberation of the princess from the serpent, which the epics do not know about Ilya Muromets.
There is often a confusion between Ilya of Muromets and Ilya the Prophet. This confusion also occurred in the supposed epic homeland of Ilya Muromets, in the minds of the peasants of the village of Karacharovo (near Murom), and in the stories of these peasants, Ilya Muromets’ relationship to Kyiv and Prince Vladimir is not mentioned at all. A study of the epic biography of Ilya Muromets leads to the conviction that the name of this popular hero is covered with many fairy-tale and legendary wandering stories.
The hero Ilya is a hero not only of Russian epics, but also of German epic poems of the 13th century. In them he is presented as the mighty knight of the princely family, Ilya the Russian.
Relics of Ilya Pechersky
Researchers consider the prototype of the epic character to be a historical strongman nicknamed “Chobitok”, originally from Murom, who became a monk at the Kiev Pechersk Lavra under the name of Elijah, canonized in the Orthodox Church as “Reverend Elijah of Murom” (canonized in 1643) Elijah of Pechersk.
According to this theory, Ilya Muromets lived in the 12th century and died in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra around 1188. Memory according to the church calendar - December 19 (January 1). Modern anthropologists and orthopedic doctors, when studying the relics of Ilya, confirm that the lower limbs of this person were not functional for a long time, due to either congenital paralysis or birth trauma. The spinal injury was repaired, allowing him to regain mobility in his legs.
The theory of the identity of the epic hero with the monk - Chobitko, Kiev-Pechersk Lavra is quite plausible.
Russian chronicles do not mention his name. After a miraculous healing, he converts to Orthodoxy and chooses a new name, Ilya.
The relics rest in the Near Caves of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. The tombstone of Ilya Muromets is located near the grave of Stolypin. Part of the relics of Ilya - the middle finger of the left hand, is located in one of the churches in the city of Murom, Vladimir region.
Monument to Ilya Muromets in Murom
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The Russian land is rich natural resources, rich in historical values and full of wonders. Special place The lives of great people who made history are occupied here. But the more recent an event is, the more likely it is to encounter discrepancies in historical facts. This also applies to such a person as Ilya Muromets. The biography of this man still causes controversy and gives rise to speculation.
Great importance in history is attached to the people who defended native land. All times of unrest, strife and war had their heroes, those who often defended their homeland at the cost of their own lives. Sometimes the course of a battle can depend on one person. Especially if these people led the troops, like Alexander Nevsky, Dmitry Donskoy, princes Igor and Svyatoslav.
The Rurik family succeeded more than others in this. From time immemorial they defended the Russian land from pagan attacks. And as history goes, Rus' was often invaded by foreigners.
People began to talk about heroes since the reign of Prince Vladimir. In 988, the Grand Duke made the most important decision in history for the Russian lands. But even after the Baptism of Rus', its lands were subjected to numerous attacks from enemies.
However, this is precisely what contributed to the glorification of the defenders, among whom was the Russian hero Ilya Muromets. The biography of this hero has not been fully disclosed. History also tells us about impostors who wanted to take advantage of someone else's fame.
The birthplace of the defender of Rus' is considered to be the village of Karacharovo, near Murom. There is no official data on the date of birth, but it was more than eight hundred years ago. It is known that his parents were elderly peasants.
Main key point, based on epics, is the hero’s acquisition of strength. The first mention of the defender is dedicated to the story where Ilya Muromets came from. The biography tells about the miraculous healing of the future hero.
Until the age of 33 (there are discrepancies in age in different sources), Ilya Muromets did not control his arms and legs, being crippled from birth. One day, when he was at home alone, some elders passing by came up to his window. They asked him for alms and water. Ilya invited them to the house, but said that he would give alms if he could walk. Then the elders ordered him to get up from the stove and go. Having obeyed them, the future hero got down from the stove and, to his great surprise, walked, as if he had never been sick before.
And when the elders drank the water brought to them, they ordered him to drink up the rest. Ilya drank water and felt such strength in himself that he could turn the whole earth over. After which the elders told him to find a horse and go to serve the prince. And so began the hero’s service in defense of the Fatherland.
Ilya Muromets was a legendary figure. The biography is briefly summarized in epics and legends that praised him.
In the service of Prince Vladimir, Ilya Muromets gathered a powerful squad and was placed in charge of the prince by the warriors. The existence of many other famous heroes is also attributed to that time. And Ilya had someone to learn from. After all, his godfather was a famous hero. Samson Samoilovich was also a member of the princely squad, which included Ilya Muromets.
Biography, summary which talks about the exploits of the hero, however, was conveyed by short epics that circulated among the people. And here one can only guess whose prototype was the enemies of Ilya Muromets.
It is known that the great defender protected Russian lands from enemy raids, fought with other foreign heroes, as well as heroes of epics. All of them posed a threat to Rus', committed robbery or tried to seize power and land. In epics these heroes are named: Nightingale the Robber, Foul Idol, dragon and others.
The hero Ilya Muromets, whose biography speaks of numerous exploits, is most often identified with Saint Elijah of Pechersk. The relics of the saint are still kept incorrupt in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. However, it follows from this that the hero lived 150-200 years later than Vladimir the Great, who is mentioned in epics. But this can be explained by the fact that Prince Vladimir was more famous than his successors, and therefore was mentioned in folk tales even after his death.
Scientists have established that Ilya Muromets was killed in battle with a blow to the heart. And his relics testify to numerous battle injuries. Perhaps it was the severe wounds in battle that served as the reason to become a monk.
In the hero’s homeland there are epics that identify his image with the holy prophet Elijah. However, this cannot be considered true. The only thing these people have in common is their name. Although there is no exact information about the years of life of Ilya Muromets, but everything historical facts it is evidenced from the times of the reign of Russian princes.
This means that the history of the hero can be dated back to approximately 970-1200 years. While the prophet Elijah lived until the birth of Christ. It turns out that more than a thousand years of time pass between the lives of these people. In addition, it is believed that the prophet Elijah, the only person other than Holy Mother of God, was taken up by God into heaven without dying, along with his body. And the relics of Ilya Muromets are kept to this day.
In the lives of great people there is always a place for folk speculation and legends, especially if it is supported by time. So the life of the Russian hero remained unsolved, shrouded in a veil of secrecy. And epics and folk tales about him are also widespread far beyond the borders of the Russian land. And everyone knows very well who Ilya Muromets is. The biography of the hero encourages writing books and creating films about the selfless defender.
