Ilya Muromets is an epic hero and Orthodox saint. Rev. Ilya Muromets. Historical figure and epic hero

Epics about Ilya Muromtse familiar to most of us from childhood. But not everyone knows that the hero was by no means an epic character, but a very real person.

To look at Ilya Muromets, it is enough to go to the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow or, as a last resort, find a reproduction of the painting “Bogatyrs” by Viktor Vasnetsov. Ilya Muromets is depicted in the middle. He sits in chain mail on a black horse. He looks warily from under his leather-gloved hand, on which hangs a huge mace. A gray strand emerges from under the helmet. The hero is no longer young, you can feel not only calm, confident strength in him, but also life experience.

Painting by Vasnetsov Three Bogatyrs

There is a shield behind his back, his left hand is on a long spear. On the left in the picture, on a white horse, is another hero, Dobrynya Nikitich, with a pointed helmet on his head and a brown beard almost waist-length. In his left hand there is a huge shield, with his right hand the hero pulls out a sword. He is not only strong, but his eyes glow with intelligence and wisdom. The youngest of the trio of epic heroes is Alyosha Popovich. He is in the picture on the right. One hand holds a bow, the other holds a harp from behind. He is handsome, singer and musician. He has rings on his fingers. If he doesn’t take you by force, he will overcome you with resourcefulness and ingenuity. The heroes stand on the border of the forest and the field, from where the enemies of the Russians - the Polovtsians or the Pechenegs - may appear. The sky in the picture is alarming, gray.

In the first version, the picture had a long title: “Dobrynya, Ilya and Alyosha Popovich on a heroic outing - they take note in the field to see if there is an enemy somewhere, if they are offending anyone somewhere.” Now it is more often called simply “Three Heroes”.

The Story of Three Bogatyrs

Historians say that in real life the three epic heroes could hardly have met. Dobrynya lived at the end of the 10th century and was the governor of the Kyiv prince Vladimir the Red Sun, who was his uncle. The Suzdal boyar Alexander Popovich, a century and a half younger, served at the end of his life the Kyiv prince Mstislav the Old and died with him in the Battle of Kalka in 1223. In the epics, Ilya, like Dobrynya, also serves Vladimir, but historical facts indicate that he lived later, during the 12th century.

However, this is not so important. Vasnetsov painted an artistic picture, not a historical canvas. All three characters on it have one thing in common - they are heroes of epics. However, Ilya Muromets still stands out among them.

The life story of Ilya Muromets

In 1643 he was canonized and since then remains the only holy epic hero. The memory of the Monk Ilya Muromets is celebrated on January 1. However, it is not mentioned in ancient Slavic manuscripts. Perhaps simply because Muromets was not of princely blood.

The Orthodox Church did not compile his “official biography” - his canonical life. We know more about Ilya from epics than from surviving historical documents. However, more epics are dedicated to Ilya than to any other Russian hero, and they quite accurately convey to us the details of the life of Muromets. In fact, epics tell us about Ilya from his birth to his death.

For example, Ilya leaves “either from that city from Murom, from that village from Karacharovo.” There is such a city on the map, and such a village has survived. The Oka flows nearby. The epics say that Ilya once changed its course by throwing several oak trees into the river. Maybe. Residents of Karacharovo show visitors the ruins of the Trinity Church, which, according to legend, was founded by the legendary hero. He based it on several oak trees, which he brought from the river bank to a steep mountain.

By the way, ancient bog oaks with three girths at the bottom of the Oka are still found today.

Old-timers of the village will definitely point out the springs, which, according to legend, arose from gallops - the blows of the hooves of Ilya Muromets's horse. Small children in Karacharovo are told that “thunder occurs because Ilya Muromets rides six stallions.” The local Gushchin dynasty considers Ilya their distant ancestor. They say that the house where Ilya was born stood almost in the forest itself, in the thick of trees. This is where the nickname first arose - Gushchiny, and then the surname came.

Now at the birthplace of the epic hero there is a house at number 279 on Priokskaya Street. This is what the locals think. Many descendants of Muromets were distinguished by their remarkable strength. Born at the end of the 19th century, Ivan Afanasyevich Gushchin easily pulled a cart loaded to the top with firewood. During fist fights, he was only allowed to push with his shoulders. Without calculating the force of his blow, he could simply kill a person.

The epic storytellers missed one point. According to legend, the hero was predicted that “death in battle is not written in his hands.” Therefore, in fairy tales, at the end of his life, the hero either turns to stone along with his faithful horse, or floats away somewhere and no longer gives news of himself. In fact, Ilya fell in battle against his enemies. This can be stated almost exactly.

The fact is that the relics of the hero are kept in one of the caves. An image of St. Elijah of Murom hangs above the tomb. The inscription at the head reads: “Ilya from the city of Murom.” The holy remains were studied. The results are impressive. Ilya's height was determined to be 177-180 centimeters.

In the 12th century, such a person looked almost like a giant. Ilya was broad-shouldered and had a heroic build. In the old days they said about people like him - slanting fathoms in the shoulders. As is known from epics, Ilya sat on the stove for thirty years and three years and was healed by the walking Kalikas, that is, wandering monks.

The epics mention that Ilya sat in jail for 30 years. Indeed, the child was sick since childhood - he could not walk. He resigned himself to his weakness and only prayed to God. But one day, “walkers” appeared in his hut and asked him to bring them something to drink. Wanting to please the elders, Ilya suddenly stood up...

He just trusted the Kaliki that he could do it. And it worked! At the request of the elders, Ilya himself drank the water, receiving “great power.” So the paralyzed Ilya Chobotok turned into the hero Ilya Muromets, whom our land so needed - that was the time of endless raids on Rus'.

Surprisingly, this impressive episode is backed up by science.

Researchers found a curvature of the spine to the right in Ilya’s lumbar region. In addition, abnormal processes were found on the vertebrae. This suggests that the hero had a displacement of the vertebrae in childhood (possibly from birth or as a result of injury). In other words, in his youth Ilya suffered paralysis of his legs, from which he was later able to recover. Most likely, the calicoes simply replaced his displaced vertebrae.

How Saint Ilya Muromets died

Ilya Muromets died in January 1188. And after 500 years he was canonized: to this day, his incorruptible relics can be venerated in the Anthony Caves of the Lavra.

The cause of the hero's death is a large wound in the heart area. This area is covered by the right hand. It also shows signs of serious damage. It seems that in his last battle Ilya covered his chest with his hand, and with a blow from a spear it was nailed to his heart. Perhaps in his declining years Ilya settled in the monastery of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery. However, he did not have to end his days in quiet prayers.

In 1203, the Polovtsy raided Kyiv. The city was taken, the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, the monastery and plundered. Ilya could not stay away during these events. He joined the ranks of the city’s defenders and died a heroic death.

The relics of Ilya were carefully studied by specialists in our time, and it turned out that in fact the height of the hero was
unusually tall for his time - 177 centimeters. Signs of bone and joint disease were also found, as well as traces of wounds received in battle.

What do they pray to Ilya Muromets for?

They pray to Saint Ilya of Murom, first of all, for healing from bodily infirmities and for recovery after strokes.

Prayer to St. Ilya Muromets

O holy reverend Father Elijah! Holy intercessor of Rus', mighty warrior, spiritual and physical warrior who appeared to her, who faithfully served in his life for the good of the Russian people and the glorification of the Christian God, and after his repose did not leave his intercession for us, ask, holy, from the All-Merciful Lord for our Fatherland Tsar, peace and prosperity, the well-being of the Church, deliverance for Orthodox people from the wicked, victory for Russian soldiers in battles and victory against enemies who are plotting evil for the Church and the Orthodox Fatherland, intercede for us all, and we also ask you, Holy One of God, to grant us reason from God, yes let us know our sins, and spiritual strength, let us repent of our sins, and bodily strength, so that we may be able to correct our lives and revive Holy Rus', and pass from it into the Kingdom of Heaven, and there, with you and all the saints, we may be honored to continually praise the glorified God in the Trinity Father and Son and Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen!

The saint of God, the Venerable Elijah of Muromets, nicknamed Chobotok, lived in the 12th century and died as a monk of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra around 1188. Memory according to the church calendar - December 19 Art. Art. / January 1st Art.

Very little reliable information about the life of this saint has survived to this day. He came from a simple peasant family. In childhood and adolescence he suffered from paralysis, but was miraculously healed. Before his tonsure, he was a member of the princely squad and became famous for his military exploits and unprecedented strength. Resting in the Anthony Caves are the relics of St. Elias show that for his time he really had a very impressive size and was a head taller than a man of average height.

He is the main character not only of our epics, but also of German epic poems of the 13th century, based on earlier legends. In them he is represented as a mighty knight, the princely family Ilya the Russian. The relics of the monk no less clearly testify to his vivid military biography - in addition to a deep round wound on his left arm, the same significant damage can be seen in the left chest area. It seems that the hero covered his chest with his hand, and with a blow from a spear it was nailed to his heart. After a completely successful military career and, apparently, as a result of a serious injury, Elijah decides to end his days as a monk and takes monastic vows at the Theodosius Monastery, now the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. It should be noted that this is a completely traditional step for an Orthodox warrior - to replace the iron sword with the spiritual sword and spend his days fighting not for earthly blessings, but for heavenly ones. St. Elijah is not the first and not the last warrior to do this. In this regard, among our compatriots we can recall the great commander Rev. Alexander Nevsky, as well as professional warriors Peresvet and Oslyabyu, who passed obedience under the supervision of Rev. Sergius of Radonezh and those who died heroically on the Kulikovo Field.

The absence of the life of St. in the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. Elijah indirectly indicates that the holy warrior did not spend much time in monastic exploits. This gives reason to assume that Elijah Muromets was tonsured during the time of the abbess of St. Polycarp of Kiev-Pechersk (1164-1182), and under the leadership of this same great ascetic the spiritual growth of the new warrior of Christ took place. It is known that Rev. Polycarp enjoyed great respect from Grand Duke Rostislav Mstislavovich. During Great Lent, the prince used to invite the venerable abbot with the twelve brethren of the Theodosian monastery every Sunday for soul-searching conversations. It is quite possible that one of the participants in these conversations was the former glorious warrior Rev. Or me.

In the 19th century, some researchers questioned the possibility of identifying St. Elijah of Pechersk with the epic hero of the same name. However, there is no doubt that for our Orthodox ancestors it was one person. For example, a pilgrim of the 18th century (Leonty) in his notes says: “We see the brave warrior Ilya of Murom, incorruptible under the cover of gold; he is as tall as today’s large people; his left hand is pierced by a spear, the ulcer is all over; and his right hand is depicted with the sign of the cross.”

In Soviet times, great efforts were made to de-Christianize the image of St. Ilya Muromets with the aim of turning him into “the embodiment of the people’s ideal of a hero-warrior.” So, for example, a well-known episode of the epic was subjected to a characteristic cleansing, when “passing Kaliki” came to the motionless Ilya of Muromets, who ultimately healed Ilya. Who they are is omitted in all Soviet publications. In the pre-revolutionary edition of the epic, “Kaliki” is Christ with two apostles.

In 1988, the Interdepartmental Commission of the Ministry of Health of the Ukrainian SSR conducted an examination of the relics of St. Elijah of Muromets. To obtain objective data, the most modern techniques and ultra-precise Japanese equipment were used. The research results are amazing. The age was determined - 40-55 years, spinal defects were identified that allow us to talk about our hero suffering paralysis of the limbs in his youth (strictly in accordance with life); It was established that the cause of death was an extensive wound in the heart area. Unfortunately, the dating of the death was established very approximately - the 11th-12th centuries. An interesting fact is that Rev. Elijah rests in a prayerful position, folding the fingers of his right hand in the same way as is customary now in the Orthodox Church - the first three fingers together, and the last two bent towards the palm. During the period of struggle against the Old Believer schism (XVII-XIX centuries), this fact served as strong evidence in favor of the three-fingered constitution.

Ilya Muromets was officially canonized in 1643 among sixty-nine saints of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. The Russian army considers the holy hero their patron. In 1998, on the territory of one of the military units in the Moscow region, a wonderful temple was erected and consecrated in the name of St. Elijah of Murom.

In our time, the epic image of Elijah of Murom continues to attract attention, including among non-church people. I would like to believe that at the same time, the living face of a man who sincerely devoted his entire life and all his exploits to the glory of God will not disappear behind the type of invincible warrior. I would like to learn from Rev. Elijah's amazing sobriety and prudence, thanks to which we could, like him, being great and capable in earthly affairs, not forget about the Kingdom of Heaven.

Some researchers are still skeptical about the reality of Ilya Muromets - his biography seems too fabulous to scientists, says Sergei Khvedchenya, Doctor of Geographical Sciences, researcher at the Institute of History of Ukraine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv).

However, the materials collected by the researcher made it possible not only to completely restore the biography of the Holy Russian hero, but also to answer controversial questions about the life of Ilya Muromets, which perplexed many researchers.

Elijah's healing

According to epics, God sent Elijah to his parents in his old age. Until the age of 30-33, he, distinguished by a heroic physique, “sat on the stove,” because “there was no walking in his legs,” until he was healed by “walking men,” after whose visit the hero immediately entered military service. Studies of the remains of St. Elijah from the city of Murom, which were carried out by scientists at the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, fully confirmed the epic version of the life of Ilya of Murom.

Elijah's height was 177 cm - for that time he was a very tall man (the height of other saints from the Lavra was 160-165 cm). Well-developed tubercles were found on the bones of the mummy - this means that the person had a well-developed muscular system during life. An X-ray examination revealed changes characteristic of acromegaly - a disease that disrupts the proportional growth of bones and internal organs) - such people have disproportionately large limbs, a large head, “oblique fathoms in the shoulders.” Studies have shown that the hero also had spondyloarthrosis - a disease similar to radiculitis and preventing movement. A good chiropractor can straighten the vertebrae and quickly get a person back on his feet. The walkers were most likely chiropractors who restored Ilya’s mobility.

Fight with the Nightingale the Robber

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.” The liberation of the path to Kyiv by the epic hero (1168) is confirmed by historical facts. During Ilya’s arrival in Kyiv, the throne was occupied by Prince Mstislav, who set the task of organizing the protection of trade caravans, which were mercilessly plundered by the Polovtsians. Most likely, the prince entrusted this to Ilya Muromets, who was a member of the princely squad.

Nightingale, it seems, was a robber who traded in thefts on the road, and he was nicknamed Nightingale for his ability to whistle well. Ilya Muromets, having defeated the whistler, cleared the straight road, which was of great economic importance. 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.

Elijah's departure to the monastery

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 injury. 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. Scientists have established that the hero-monk died in battle! At the end of the 12th century. Attacks on Kyiv became more frequent, and the monks had to defend their monastery. The Svyatorussky hero died from a wound to the area of ​​​​the projection of the heart, penetrating into the chest cavity. Death, apparently, occurred instantly.

Bogatyr Ilya Muromets?

In the Near Caves of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, the incorruptible relics of the saint have been carefully preserved for eight centuries. Ilya from the city of Murom. Everyone who has been here wonders: is this the famous epic hero Ilya Muromets?

Despite the fact that Ilya Muromets is the most important hero of the heroic epic and a large number of scientific articles are devoted to him, this image is still shrouded in a dense veil of secrets and riddles.

The name of the hero has not yet been found in the chronicles. The exact place of his birth, the time interval of his life and exploits, and the time of canonization are not known. St. Elijah.

To this day, the canonical life of St. Ilya of Murom has not been written. You will find answers to all these and many other questions on the pages of the book. Khvedchen Sergei Borisovich “Ilya Muromets - holy hero”: Kyiv, 2005. (With the blessing of His Beatitude Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine...)

To write it we used previously unknown historical documents and sensational results of modern scientific research.

I took on this titanic work because, by the will of fate, I had in my hands materials that had never been published anywhere before. They opened new horizons, allowed me to take a fresh look at known facts, confirm or refute previously existing hypotheses and versions.

For my 50th anniversary, I decided to publish some of the materials I collected as a separate book. In this work, I set myself the task, based on a large factual material, to try to restore the historical biography Holy Russian hero Ilya Muromets, create his historical portrait.

I needed to get to the bottom of the primary sources and re-read all the historical documents. It turned out that some repeatedly cited documents have lost their original meaning or are greatly distorted. That is why in my book I give all the main quotes in the original language. This was done deliberately, so that the work I started could be continued by future generations of researchers and get even closer to revealing the secret of Ilya Muromets.
Sergei Khvedchenya

Bogatyrs existed in various regions of the Russian land, but their main concentration was undoubtedly Kyiv. The glory of the epic heroes, sung in the folk epic, arose on the graves of these “men of God.” They defended Holy Rus' from the filthy Steppe with their strength.

The fight against the nomads began during the reign of Prince Vladimir, and therefore the epics attributed all subsequent heroes to his time. "Local saga, historical epic and religious myth are only based on history."
The epic biography of Ilya Muromets opens with “The Healing of Ilya” (“Ilya and the Passing Kaliki”).

Personal data hero Ilya are quite well known to a wide circle of readers: by origin he is a peasant son, his father is Ivan Timofeevich, his mother is Evfrosinya Yakovlevna (sometimes Epistimia). Only in their old age did God send them a son.

The joy of the birth of the first-born in the family was overshadowed by a shadow of sadness: the son was a cripple, “he sat in bed for thirty years.” Different versions of epics describe his illness differently. “I haven’t gotten up from the stove for 30 years,” “I’ve been sick for 30 years, I’ve been sitting on rot,” “I’ve been sitting as a sedun.”

In one version of the epic it is written that Ilya had neither arms nor legs for 33 years, thus he was punished for the sins of his grandfather. According to a Yakut fairy tale, Ilya’s father was 82 years old, and his mother was 70 years old, and Ilya himself was 19 years old at the time of healing.

The godfather of the future defender of the land of Kyiv was the famous hero Samson Samoilovich(Kolyvanovich). The location of the epic about the healing of Ilya is very often not determined or the geographical names are greatly distorted, the names of his parents are not given, the description of the order of feats is broken.

In the Belarusian fairy tale, Ilya Muryvich comes from Karachiva village, city ​​of Murova. The Kaliki elders, finding Ilya of Muromets alone at home, asked to give them spring water to drink (strong beer, bread mash). Ilya replied that there was no “walking in his feet.” The Kaliki were ordered to get on their feet: “Get up and walk.”
The future hero carried out the order, for the first time in his life he stood up and brought the wanderers something to drink. The elders got drunk and gave Ilya a drink. They asked him:
- "What do you feel?".
“Great power,” answered the hero: “If there was a ring in the damp earth, I would turn the little earthling on its rib.”
Then the elders told Ilya to drink from the ladle again; this reduced his strength by exactly half.

Kaliki predicted heroic deeds to Ilya Muromets: “You, Ilya, will be a warrior! Death in battle is not written for you.” However, they warned him against fighting Svyatogor, Samson, the Mikulov family (Mikuly Selyaninovich) and Volga Seslavich. The prophecy of the elders was not a spell, since then the meaning of his unparalleled courage would be lost. This meant that for Ilya, death in battle should not exist; he need not be afraid of it.

Fight between Ilya and his son. The epics pay negligible attention to aspects of the personal life of the hero Ilya. It would be more accurate to say that, according to epics, he had no personal life.

Epic tales persistently point to the constant loneliness of the knight and his lack of family: “I have no young wife, no beloved family.” True, in the Kyiv cycle of epics there is information about Ilya’s love for Polyana-hero Zlatogorka(Marinka, Latymirka, Queen of Zaordan), originally from the seashore, from the Latyr pebble.

From this extramarital affair was born son, named Sokolnik. Having matured, the son came to Rus' to take revenge on Ilya for his mother’s honor.

In this episode, Ilya is shown as a merciless warrior. Sometimes he was ready to pardon enemies who surrendered (Tatars near Chernigov or forest robbers), but, convinced of the incorrigibility of the black intentions of his son, who poses a real threat to Rus', his father kills him with an unwavering hand.

In some versions of this epic, the role of the avenger is Ilya's illegitimate daughter- “a daring clearing woman, originally from the land of Talyanskaya.” Then we learn that the hero served with the local king for three years.

The epic hero performed his exploits not only in Kyiv, but also far beyond its borders. He spent a lot of time outside the capital city, at the heroic outpost, guarding the borders of Kievan Rus.

One day at dawn, Ilya Muromets saw a young man with a falcon on his arm approaching their heroic camp. Ilya woke up the knights and sent Alyosha Popovich to meet the stranger, but he returned with nothing. Then Ilya sent Dobrynya Nikitich, his brother on the cross. When he returned, he said that an unfamiliar hero was going to conquer Kyiv.

It was Ilya’s turn to go to battle with an enemy named Sokolnik (Zhidovin, Nakhvalshchik, Solovnik, Korolevich, Boriska). They fought and fought for a long time. Muromets's right hand went numb, his left leg slipped, and he fell to the ground. Sokolnik attacked him and wanted to rip open the white breasts of the hero, but Ilya threw off the enemy and pounced on him from above.

He began to ask the defeated man what kind of tribe he was. It turned out that this was the illegitimate son of Ilya himself from “baba Salygorka.” Ilya remembered how he once met a brave woodland hero (warrior) in an open field. Muromets defeated her in single combat, but did not kill her, but remained to live with her. After some time, he left her, leaving his pectoral cross for his son or a ring for his daughter. The son grew up and went to look for his father in order to take revenge on him for the insulted honor of his mother.

Recognizing the unknown hero as his son because of his gift, Muromets took him to his tent, gave him a nice treat and put him to bed. Late at night, Sokolnik rushed at Ilya with a spear, insidiously trying to stab him while he was sleeping, but the blade hit the pectoral cross. Ilya Muromets killed his newly acquired son, who was harboring a secret plan to captivate Kyiv.

The life and death of Ilya Muromets. According to church tradition, the hero-monk Ilya Pechersky died in 1188 (according to A. Kalnofoysky).
The age of the Monk Ilya Muromets, according to the results of modern scientific research, was 40-45 years old, perhaps even 55 years old.

Then the year of birth of our hero falls between 1133-1148. By the way, if we take into account the rather young age of the hero (40 years old), and that he was paralyzed before the age of 33, then only 7 years remain for all his heroic and church exploits.

This time is clearly not enough to become famous for centuries and be buried in the holiest place of Kievan Rus. At the same time, the Orthodox Church believes that the monastic exploits of the Monk Ilya of Murom, although hidden from us by the darkness of centuries, were nevertheless great. This is confirmed by his holy relics, which were preserved incorruptible for many centuries.

Scientists have found that Reverend Ilya Muromets did not die of old age or illness, and died from a fatal blow to the heart. On this basis, we can conclude that the hero-monk died in battle.

The closest battle for Kyiv to 1188, with the devastation and destruction of the Pechersk Monastery, took place in 1203. The author considers this year to be the year of the death of the epic hero. If we subtract the age of the hero from this year, we get the time range of his birth 1148-1163

Therefore, the life of the epic hero Ilya Muromets falls on the period from 1148 to 1203.
Having determined the chronological range of the life of St. Elijah, let us try step by step to reconstruct his life path against the background of historical events.

Ilya Muromets was born in 1148 in the village of Karacharovo, near the city of Murom, in the territory of modern Vladimir region of Russia. His parents came from peasants.

There is no doubt that Ilya Muromets suffered from severe disease of the joints and bones from early childhood. According to legend, Ilya Muromets’ illness occurred due to some sin of his grandfather. Ilya’s grandfather went to Kyiv, to a monastery to atone for his sins. Perhaps this monastery was Kiev-Pechersk, and coming there at the end of earthly life was a family tradition.

However, the epic tale about the paralysis of a hero before the age of 33 seems very doubtful. It is no coincidence that this figure coincides with the age of Jesus Christ.

There is an epic version according to which Muromets stood up on Easter, when “Christ is Risen” was sung in the church. It is more likely to assume that the future hero was seriously ill until the age of 20, after which he received a miraculous healing from folk healers. This event occurred around 1168.

It was then that Ilya Muromets accomplished his first feat - he freed the large trade route to Kyiv from bandits. This happened near the modern village of Nine Oaks, which is located near the city of Karachev, on the border of the modern Bryansk and Oryol regions of Russia.

The further route of Ilya Muromets ran through Chernigov, where Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich (1164-1176) then reigned, and further along the Desna River to the capital Kyiv.
Ilya Muromets accomplished his feats on the territory of Kyiv land. It was this that he defended so selflessly throughout his life.

The year of birth of Ilya Muromets coincides with the reign of Izyaslav II on the Kiev throne (1146-1154). His reign was filled with internecine wars.

After the death of Izyaslav II, difficult times came. Kyiv gradually lost its significance as the capital of a large state, but remained a cultural and church center, and was the object of the aspirations of princes who dreamed of seizing the Kyiv throne. In a short struggle for Kyiv, Yuri Dolgoruky, who reigned from 1154 to 1157, won.
During the reign of Rostislav I (1158-1167), the princely feuds subsided a little, and he led the fight against the Polovtsians. In this struggle, the Black Klobuks (Karakalpaks) fought on the side of the Russian princes - Turkic-speaking tribes (Torks, Berendeys, Pechenegs) who settled on the southern border of Ukraine-Rus.

Despite his high authority among the princes, Rostislav was unable to organize campaigns similar to those ordered by Vladimir Monomakh and Mstislav I.

During the arrival of Ilya Muromets in Kyiv, the princely throne was occupied by Mstislav II (1167-1170). This prince continued the fight against the Polovtsians, and the hero Ilya Muromets could take a direct part in the military campaigns of the princely squad.

In 1168, Mstislav II gathered the Chernigov, Volyn and Pereyaslav princes, defeated the Polovtsians near Orel and took many prisoners. The prince organized the protection of trade caravans that passed through the Iron, Salty and Greek routes, where they were mercilessly robbed by the Polovtsians. Thus, the dating of the liberation of the path from Murom to Kyiv by the epic hero (1168) is directly confirmed by historical facts.

Some researchers have tried to link the life of Ilya Muromets to the period of the reign of Prince Vladimir Monomakh. They based their assumptions on the fact that the life of the epic hero should be inextricably linked with the name, if not of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich (980-1015), then at least of Vladimir Monomakh (1113-1125). However, the date of life of the hero according to A. Kalnofoisky (1188) and his age according to modern research refute this assumption. The life and exploits of the Monk Ilya of Murom did not coincide in time with any of the great Kyiv princes named Vladimir.

At the beginning of that year, the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, Andrei, the prince of Suzdal and Vladimir on the Klyazma, sent a large army led by his son Mstislav to Kyiv. He was joined by the Chernigov Olegovichs, Smolensk Rostislavichs, Gleb Pereyaslavsky and several other petty princes.

The forces of Kyiv were too small, Mstislav’s army went to help his son Roman in Novgorod and only a small part of the squad remained in the city. Although without sufficient forces, Mstislav decided to defend himself. However, the betrayal of the black hoods allowed the enemy to bypass Kyiv. Mstislav left the capital and moved to Volyn.

In March 1169, troops led by Mstislav, the son of Andrei Bogolyubsky, took Kyiv “on the shield”: “Smolyans, Suzdal, Chernigov robbed Podol, Gora and monasteries, Sophia, the Tithe Mother of God and there was no mercy for anyone, anywhere: churches burned, Christians were killed and were taken into captivity.
In the churches, the vestments were stripped from the icons, books and bells were taken away.” This is how the chronicler describes the sack of Kyiv.

Andrei Bogolyubsky made a new campaign against Kyiv in the summer of 1173. The chronicler paid great attention to this campaign, counting more than 50 thousand soldiers in the Suzdal army. Andrei was too confident in his victory and gave the order to his commanders to bring the Kyiv prince alive. But Mstislav Rostislavovich met enemies near Vyshgorod: “There was a great battle, and the groans of the wounded, and inhuman voices. And you could see how the spears broke, you could hear how the weapons rattled, and because of the dust it was not visible where the horseman was and where the foot warrior was.” The siege of Vyshgorod lasted two whole months and ended with the defeat of the Suzdal people.

Gradually, the Grand Duchy of Kiev became a nominal title, devoid of real power and authority. The Kyiv princes, in their struggle for the throne, entered into agreements with other contenders and ceded Kyiv lands in their favor, giving them one city after another. In the end, Kyiv was left almost without land.

The Polovtsians were especially harassing, who in 1170-1180. often attacked the Kiev and Pereyaslav regions. The princes were forced to protect trade caravans from Polovtsian raids and guard the borders from enemy attacks.

Ilya Muromets accomplished his main exploits in the period from 1175 to 1185. The Svyatorussky hero fought not against the Tatars, who came to Kyiv land in 1240 (that is, after the death of Ilya Muromets), but against the Polovtsian invaders.

At this time, Svyatoslav III Vsevolodovich (1175-1194) sat on the Kiev throne, but almost the entire Kiev region went to Rurik Rostislavovich, so the chronicle calls both “great princes.”

The Kyiv princes fought together against the Polovtsians, and the hero Ilya Muromets did not remain aloof from this struggle. At this time there were more than twenty attacks and campaigns on both sides; the main battlefield of this military campaign was the lands along the Ros River in the Kiev region and the entire Pereyaslav region.

Princes Svyatoslav, Rurik Rostislavovich with his son Rostislav, Vladimir Glebovich and Igor Svyatoslavich gained glory in the battles. On the Polovtsian side, Khan Kobyak, Konchak and his son opposed them.

The campaign began with Konchak’s unsuccessful campaign against Ukraine-Rus in 1184. The princes captured the Polovtsian nomads and greatly devastated them. In July of the same year, the princes went on a campaign and defeated the Polovtsians across the Orelya River, capturing a lot of booty and the Polovtsian Khan Kobyak.

In the spring of 1185, Konchak moved to the Pereyaslav region, but near the Khorol River he was defeated by princes Svyatoslav and Rurik. Black hoods followed the fugitives and devastated the Polovtsian nomads.

The anti-Polovtsian campaign began quite successfully, and if the princes had subsequently acted together and in full agreement, it would have ended in final victory.

Unfortunately, each prince wanted personal glory and spoils on the Polovtsian field. Igor Svyatoslavich came to an agreement with several princes and in April 1185 went on a campaign to the Polovtsian steppes. Luck was on Igor’s side and in the first meeting he defeated the Polovtsians. But the enemies soon mobilized “the entire Polovtsian land” and blocked Igor’s path on the Kayala River. A battle took place here, which formed the basis of the pearl of ancient Russian literature - "Tales about Igor's Campaign".

Ilya Muromets could have been a participant in the battle described in "The Word". Perhaps it was then that the hero received a serious wound, which forced him to come to the Pechersky Monastery and become a monk.

The holy relics of St. Elijah testify to severe injuries (fracture of the right collarbone and two right ribs from a terrible blow with a combat club). It is possible that Ilya Muromets even lost his left eye, for which he later received the nickname “Polyphemus,” which was mentioned by A. Kalnofoisky in 1638.

The extremely unsuccessful campaign of Igor Svyatoslavich, Prince of Novgorod-Seversky with Vsevolod, Prince of Trubchevsky, Vladimir of Putivlsky and Svyatoslav of Rylsky against the Polovtsians in 1185 became the theme of the “Word”. Unfortunately, we were not lucky enough to find direct information about Ilya Muromets in his texts. Nevertheless, they glorify the courage of the princes, in particular, Buitur-Vsevolod: “Wherever he gallops, sparkling with his golden helmet, the unfaithful Polovtsian heads roll everywhere.”

But the heroism of the princes did not help: “From morning to evening, and from evening to dawn, red-hot arrows fly, sabers clink on helmets, damask spears crack in an unknown field. The black arable land is dug up by hooves, seeded with bones, and watered with blood.” They fought for a day, they fought for a second, and on the third day, at noon, Igor’s flags drooped. The princes were unable to defeat the Polovtsians. On the Kayala River, darkness covered the light. The Polovtsians fled across the Kyiv land like predatory wolves from their lair.

The defeat of Igor opened the way for the Polovtsians to Ukraine-Rus. Since that time there has not been a year when the Polovtsians did not devastate the Ukrainian lands. The weakened princes limited themselves only to the defense of their possessions and never dared to go into the depths of the Polovtsian steppes.

Now the last years of life Ilya Muromets appear clearly before us. After a successful military career, having been seriously wounded in the battle with the Polovtsians in 1185, Ilya Muromets decided to end his days as a monk and took monastic vows Kiev-Pechersk Monastery.

Many note that this was a traditional step for an Orthodox warrior - to change the steel sword to a spiritual sword and spend his days fighting not for earthly blessings, but for heavenly ones.

Reverend Ilya is not the first and not the last warrior who did this. In this regard, we can recall the great commander, the Monk Alexander Nevsky, as well as the Orthodox warriors Peresvet and Oslyabya, who were novices, Venerable Sergei of Radonezh, and died heroically on the Kulikovo Field.

In the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, in the Far Caves, there is the burial of St. Titus, a famous warrior of the 14th century. He was also a brave warrior and after being seriously wounded he came to the Pechersk Monastery, where he fasted and prayed to God until the end of his days.

The hero Muromets took monastic vows under the name of Ilya, but he did it not for the sake of his pride, but, perhaps, in honor of Elijah the Prophet.

The absence of the life of St. Elijah in the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon indirectly indicates that the holy warrior managed to spend little time in monastic endeavors. Some researchers have suggested that Ilya Muromets was tonsured during the time of the abbess of Polycarp (1164-1182). Under the leadership of this great ascetic, the spiritual growth of a new warrior of Christ seemed to take place.
It is known that the Monk Polycarp enjoyed great respect from Grand Duke Rostislav Mstislavovich. During Great Lent, the prince used to invite the Pechersk Archimandrite along with twelve elders to his place for intimate conversations every Saturday and Sunday. On Lazorev Saturday, all the Pechersk elders were invited to the prince, and they were generously given alms.

Perhaps the Monk Elijah was also present at these conversations. However, in 1168, Archimandrite Polycarp fell out of favor with the Kyiv Metropolitan Constantine II and was sentenced to imprisonment. He was released only after the death of the metropolitan, and died in 1182.

Ilya Muromets came to the monastery under Abbot Vasily (1182-1198), who is mentioned in the Kyiv Chronicle under 1184 and 1197. Vasily from the church on Shchekavitsa was appointed abbot in 1182. He was tonsured by Metropolitan Nikifor in the presence of Bishops Lawrence of Turov and Nicholas of Polotsk.

During the time of Vasily's abbess, the Pechersky Monastery was fenced on all sides with high stone walls. This was done in accordance with the monastic charter to protect the monastery from attacks by infidels and the temptations of secular life.

From the very beginning of its existence, the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery was surrounded by a wooden palisade. However, the rather distant location of the monastery from the fortified city and the constant Polovtsian threat required the rapid construction of stone walls.

At the end of the 12th century. A large number of structures were concentrated on the upper territory of the monastery, which were in dire need of protection in the form of stone walls. The first mention of them is found in the message of Bishop Kirill of Turov to Archimandrite Vasily: “God has granted you to build a stone wall around the Lavra, where the dwellings of the saints and the cells of the venerables are.” The “Kiev synopsis” reported that “the monastery surrounding the stone walls was surrounded by two shooting ranges, the thickness or width of the stone wall was about a fathom, and the gates were stone hedgehogs, where is now the Church of the Most Holy Trinity.” In support of these words, in 1951, in the old monastery garden, the remains of the foundations of the fortress wall, destroyed by the Tatar-Mongol invasion in 1240, were discovered. The wall was explored to a depth of 135 m, its width was 2.2 m.

In a humble monastery, the Monk Elijah prayed and led a measured, ascetic lifestyle. This is confirmed by the entry in the manuscript of 1667: “Here lie the relics of the Venerable Elijah of Muromets, a hero and great warrior, who, having later come to his senses, remembered that the army was an unsaved craft... took monastic vows, if someone consoled him only somehow I cried, I confessed - I shed a lot of innocent blood, demanding that I wash it with tears” (History of Russian Literature. - M., 1902. T. III. - P. 103.).

However, he failed to completely renounce the world, since enemy attacks on the capital Kyiv at the end of the 12th century. were quite common. The monks more than once had to take up arms in defense of their monastery and city. The heroic strength did not leave the Monk Ilya until his last day.

An example of this is the feat recorded by E. Lyasota, for which Muromets received Chobotka. This is not the first time that Ilya has defended himself with such an unusual weapon. In one of the epics, he grabbed a hat (helmet) from his head and smashed countless robbers with it: And he began to wave his helmet, As he waves to one side, so here is a street, As he waves to another, so here is a side street.

The Monk Ilya Muromets died in 1203 during the attack of the united troops of Rurik Rostislavich and the Polovtsians on the capital Kyiv.

The epic hero faithfully served the Kyiv prince, gave his life for the capital Kyiv, for his native monastery. His latest feat is yet another proof of his boundless devotion to the Orthodox faith, his people, and his hometown.

It is difficult to imagine that the people's memory left only epic tales about him and did not record the hero's name in the toponymy of the ancient city.

K. Aksakov (Collected Works. Vol. 1. - P. 336.) wrote that the memory of the heroes of the Vladimirov cycle was preserved in the names of the island of Muromets on the Dnieper and the Churilovshchina tract near Kiev. Confirmation of the respect of past generations of Kiev residents for the image of Ilya Muromets can be found on ancient and modern maps of Kyiv. An entire island and a tract on it were named after him. Now this is a favorite vacation spot for Kiev residents.

The Monk Ilya Muromets died more than 800 years ago, but his memory is alive to this day in the vast expanses of the Orthodox world. In Ukraine and Russia you will not find a single person who has not heard of the Holy Russian hero; both old and young know him. Another recognition of the merits of Saint Ilya of Muromets to Orthodoxy was the establishment of a church order named after him.

There, at the top, the passions of the 21st century are raging; here, under the thickness of the earth's rocks, time has stopped forever. The 12th century reigns here, the golden age of Kievan Rus.

This is the purpose of my visit to the catacombs of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. I stop again in front of the tomb, the inscription at the head of which reads: “Ilya from the city of Murom.” The image of a mighty epic knight, painfully familiar from childhood, instantly appears in the brain.

There are no more doubts, there is only a firm confidence that in front of me is the same Holy Russian hero Ilya Muromets.

Great Russian folk songs and fairy tales call Ilya Muromets as the main hero of Vladimirov's time; and on this is based the opinion that he lived in the tenth century. But such a basis is unreliable for a historical conclusion; for in the oral poetry of the northern Russian people, everything ancient, pre-Tatar times merges and mixes into one heroic age of the glorious Prince of Kyiv Vladimir, and the faces of later centuries are given to him as his contemporaries. Such are, for example, the Novgorodians: Stavr, contemporary with Mstislav the Great, or Sadko, a rich guest who lived under Monomakh’s grandchildren (see Novgorod chronicles, under 1118 and 1167). Therefore, we cannot recognize the opinion that Ilya Muromets belongs to the 10th century as solid, and we prefer to it another opinion that has long existed in Kyiv. Here, in the Antonieva or Near Cave, the relics of the holy hero rest from ancient times, and on December 19 the memory of our venerable father Ilya Muromets, who lived in the twelfth century, is celebrated. Recognition for him of this century has been established in Kyiv especially since the time of Metropolitan Eugene; and for the first time it was made public back in 1638, in the book “Teraturgima”, printed in the Pechersk Lavra.
Its author, the local monk Athanasius of Kalnofoi, wrote that St. Ilya Muromets lived for 450 years; comes out around 1188. This long-standing Kiev testimony has already, in fairness, become the dominant historical opinion. As recently as last year, 1870, A.N. Maikov, in the preface to his translation of the words about Igor’s regiment, said this: “ most of these heroes lived much later than Vladimir; for example, there is positive information about Ilya Muromets that he lived in the 12th century, around 1188". Mr. Kvashnin-Samarin rebelled against this opinion in his article: “Russian epics in historical and geographical terms.”
There he says this: " Kalnofoisky's testimony is not much of a strong argument. He could put the number at random; Moreover, in the 13th century, the Little Russians knew the ancient history of Rus' extremely poorly. We do not even undertake to say whether Kalnofoisky probably knew how many years ago St. lived from him. Vladimir".
Why such an unmerciful and unjust condemnation from the current Great Russian?!... It exposes ignorance of either Kalnofoisky’s book or other historical books written by the then Kyivians - Zechariah Kopystensky, Sylvester Kossov, Theodosius Sofonovich. Where and who knew the ancient history of Rus' better than them?
Athanasius of Kalnofoi was one of those learned associates of the memorable Peter the Mogila, who together with him (1635) opened the tomb of St. Vladimir, in the ruins of the Church of the Tithes, as can be seen from his Teraturgima. That he knew everything that had been written in Kyiv about St. Vladimir, this is also evident from his book. Of course, he did not write at random his testimony about Ilya Muromets’s belonging to the second half of the twelfth century. In the Kyiv caves, above the relics of the ascetics resting there, there were ancient plaques with brief news about them. Those inscriptions guided everyone who wrote about St. in that century. Fathers of Pechersk. Here is an ancient source from which Kalnofoisky could borrow his testimony about Ilya Muromets. From a historical point of view, it is more important than any poetic fable, especially since there is no contradiction to it in other Kyiv legends about the holy hero.
And Mr. Kvashnin-Samarin refutes Kalnofoisky with two allegedly Kyiv legends. It is necessary to explain this double misunderstanding of the current Muscovite. He says: " the legend of the Pechersk Monastery, also dating back to the 13th century, if? (or) no further, he says on the contrary that Ilya Muromets ended his days in one of the Kyiv caves before the founding of the Pechersky Monastery and before St. Anthony, that means not in the 12th century, but much earlier, and it could easily be during the time of Vladimir".
And I will say to this that such a legend did not and could not exist in the Pechersk Monastery, judging by all the writings about it, starting with Nestor’s legends about its beginning. The newest misunderstanding arose from this. A few years after the publication of Kalnofoysky’s book, one Lavra “depicter” took the trouble to carve images of various Pechersk fathers on wood to distribute them among pilgrims; including he introduced St. Ilya, with the following inscription: " Rev. Ilya Muromsky, who moved into the cave of St. Anthony in Kyiv, where he remains imperishable to this day". The image was made arbitrarily and does not resemble the relics of the holy hero, whose left hand has an ulcer from a spear, and on his right hand the first three fingers are folded in an Orthodox cross: it is clear that they became numb at the prayerful moment of his death. But due to their extreme rarity of that drawing, it was published by Mr. Stasov in the news of the Russian archaeological society; and then it was copied by Mr. Zakrevsky in his description of Kyiv, Professor Miller, in his book about Ilya Muromets, citing the above-mentioned inscription of the Lavra woodcutter, in which the words “Reverend” are now placed under. titles, I made a mistake in reading it, and instead of the words: " moved into the cave of St. Anthony" read: " moved into the cave before Anthony"! So he read, of course, under the influence of a preconceived idea that Ilya Muromets belonged to the tenth century. Mr. Kvashnin-Samarin hastened to turn this accidental and recent mistake of Professor Miller into an old “tradition of the Pechersk Monastery” and with it refutes the testimony of Kalnofoysky! In fact, and that inscription does not contradict him at all; for the cave of St. Anthony was excavated by him not earlier than during the reign of Izyaslav Yaroslavich, and no one could move into it before the founder and founder of the Pechersk monastery himself. But in that cave the relics of Russian ascetics rest. who were in the 12th century, and in the 13th century, and who ended their days not only in Kyiv, but also far from it.
Another objection: " The Western traveler Lyassota, who was in Kyiv in the 16th century, says that he saw near the ruins of the Tithe Church the destroyed tomb of a certain hero Ilya Murovlyanin, about whom there are many tales"Here again there is an incorrect transmission of the Kyiv legend recorded by Erich Lyassota, 1594, in his diary, very interesting for the history of the then Dnieper Cossacks. He has no mention of the ruins of the Tithe Church: they were erected by Mr. Kvashnin-Samarin on his own behalf under the influence of that biased thoughts that the hero Ilya ended his days under St. Vladimir.
Lyassota describes the Old Kiev Church of St. Sophia and says that with it (outside it), in a special chapel, there was formerly the tomb of Ilya Morovlin, a famous hero or hero, about whom many fairy tales are told. It is now destroyed: but the tomb of his companion survived in the same chapel. Outside the church they also show the place where the benefactors and builders of the church are buried, but there are no monuments on their graves.
This Kiev legend about the tomb of Elijah at the St. Sophia Church, recorded by the foreigner Lyassota almost half a century before Kalnofoysky’s book, not only does not contradict his testimony, but confirms that our hero did not die under St. Vladimir, and after the death of his son Yaroslav; therefore, no earlier than the second half of the 11th century; but Elijah and his companion could have been buried at that church at the end of the 12th century.
So, there is no contradiction to Kalnofoisky’s news either in this local Old Kiev legend about the tomb of the hero Ilya, which was at the St. Sophia Church; nor in that inscription of the Lavra tree-cutter about the arrival of St. Elijah to Anthony’s Cave, designated, it seems to me, already according to the popular concept and idea of ​​​​the holy servant of the Russian land. Therefore, the old Kiev opinion about Ilya Muromets belonging to the second half of the twelfth century remains in full force, and should be recognized as a positive historical information.
With this information, Mr. Kvashnin-Samarin’s assumption that Ilya Muromets, perhaps, is the same person as Rokhdai the Udaly, about whom it is said in the later Nikonov chronicle that he “ran over three hundred people”, is also not significant; that he died and was buried in the year 1000 (that is, 15 years before the death of St. Vladimir).
There are many tales about the hero Ilya, according to Lyassot. Here is one of those old Ukrainian fairy tales, written down by him in Kyiv, 276 years later, therefore, much earlier than Great Russian poems about heroes began to be included in Russian writing. " Here (in the Kyiv caves) there are also the relics of a giant and hero, nicknamed Chobotk". (That this folk-Ukrainian nickname belonged to Ilya Muromets is known from the book of Kalnofoysky). " The following story is told about him. One day, unexpectedly numerous enemies attacked him, at the very time when he put on only one more chobot (boot). In a hurry, not having time to find another weapon, he began to defend himself against them with another chobot that had not yet been put on himself, and with it he beat all the enemies who attacked him. That's how he got his nickname".
In the homeland of Ilya Muromets, in the village of Karacharovo (which in the present century belonged to Count Razumovsky, and then went to Count Uvarov), there are peasants Ilyushins, assigned to the offspring of the glorious hero. With the same probability, the noble family of Chobotkov, which in my memory flourished in Kyiv, can also be attributed to him as a relative.