This talisman provides protection from evil forces, helps to gain self-confidence and gives masculinity. In addition, it can save life and health if a man has to protect native land from enemies with weapons in their hands.

The amulet helps you make the right decision in difficult situations. As for the female version of the amulet, in this case you should choose the left-sided Kolovrat, i.e. an amulet whose rays are directed counterclockwise. Thanks to him, the fair sex found happiness and love. In addition, the amulet gave the woman protection from evil forces. Every Slav knew that such a talisman should be worn future mom during pregnancy. He helped produce healthy child and made childbirth easier.

Features of the use and manufacture of the amulet

The Slavs usually embroidered the Kolovrat symbol on their clothes. For this, only natural fabrics and threads were used. There should not be a single knot in the embroidery. If the threads became tangled during the work, the image would unravel and the work would begin all over again.

In addition, the image of the Kolovrat can be applied to the walls of the home. In this case, the amulet protected the house from unkind people and misfortunes.

The Slavic symbol Kolovrat cannot be made for yourself. Only blood relatives of their own free will can make it themselves. The amulet can be purchased ready-made. The main thing is to know what material you need to choose a talisman from:

• Gold - such a metal will give the owner a charge of vitality. In addition, it will give you self-confidence and relieve problems with the cardiovascular system.
• Silver - this metal was highly valued by the Slavs. This is not surprising, since it has powerful energy. Thanks to this, silver reflects negativity, which is directed at the owner of the talisman. It sharpens intuition and has medicinal properties that help cope with various ailments.
• Tree. For women, it is recommended to make a talisman from birch. Such wood helps a girl discover her feminine side. Thanks to the birch tree, the girl grew up to be a good, caring wife and loving mother. This tree protects against illnesses, evil forces, helps to find love and gives self-confidence. Best tree for making a male amulet it is oak. It will protect against evil forces, and also grant the boy masculinity, strength and wisdom.

Whatever the amulet for personal wearing is made of, before using it, you need to carry out a special procedure, which will be discussed below.

The procedure for cleansing the Kolovrat amulet

Before putting the talisman on yourself, you need to perform a special cleansing procedure. To do this, the amulet must be kept in running water for a while. You can even use tap water. If the amulet is made of wood, painted on the wall, etc., then you can simply sprinkle it. The amulet can also be cleansed by fire. If it is made of metal, then it must be passed through a candle flame three times. In other cases, the Kolovrat can be left in the sun for a few minutes.

The amulet effectively cleanses of negative energy salt. To do this, you need to put the amulet in it for 12 hours. You can leave it on all night. After the cleansing procedure, you can put the amulet on yourself. If we are talking about a pendant, then it should be threaded into a chain of the same metal as the talisman or hung on a natural thread. For the first three days, it is not recommended to part with it at all. Then he will “remember” the energy of the owner and merge with it.

Kolovrat is a talisman familiar to every Slav in Rus'. His powerful magical power protected him from dark forces, troubles and illnesses. In addition, the amulet bestowed happiness, love and prosperity. However, you can only wear it good people. Angry man the amulet can punish and destroy his aura, which will lead to death. Therefore, before using, you should clear your thoughts of negativity and free your heart from anger.

Evpatiy Kolovrat - governor, Ryazan boyar, hero, hero of folk tales about the events of the thirteenth century. The feat of the Russian strongman is described in detail in “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu.”

The exact date of birth of Evpatiy Kolovrat is unknown. According to some sources, the hero was born around 1200. This date is considered to be the year of Evpatiy’s birth.

One of the sources mentioned the boyar's patronymic - Lvovich. It is also known that in the earliest legends the hero was named Evpatiy Furious. The village of Frolovo, Shilovsky volost, is considered the birthplace of the knight. Evpatiy is a native of the Ryazan region, a patriot, a hero of local resistance during the Tatar-Mongol invasion.

Boyar at court

Kolovrat was a governor at the court of the Ryazan prince Yuri. The hero was distinguished by enormous physical strength, was an experienced warrior, and a respected army commander. At the time of the Horde invasion, the knight was about 35-37 years old. Prince Yuri understood that Ryazan would not be able to withstand an army of thousands, and sent ambassadors to the Prince of Chernigov for help. Among the envoys was Evpatiy.

A trip to Chernigov saved Kolovrat from death. Expecting news from his loyal subjects, Prince Yuri presented the khan with gifts to lull his vigilance. Batu demanded that the first beauty of the principality, who was the daughter-in-law of the Ryazan ruler, be brought to him. As a result of the refusal, the young Prince Fedor was killed, his wife and son died, and the army of the Ryazan prince was exterminated in the battle of the Voronezh River.

Prince Yuri accepted death from the enemy on the battlefield. When the ambassadors returned to Ryazan, they found mountains of corpses and scorched earth.

The feat of Russian heroes

When Evpatiy returned to his homeland, he learned that the young Prince Fedor was killed, his wife and heir were killed, and the Ryazan people were exterminated. Having gathered a small regiment from the surviving men, Kolovrat set off in the footsteps of the Horde. His miniature army numbered only seventeen hundred soldiers.

Evpatiya's detachment used tactical tricks. The heroes attacked from the forest, at night or under the cover of fog. The Horde began to believe that they were fighting angry spirits. Fermentation began in the Khan's army. Batu sent the best warriors under the leadership of his brother-in-law to fight the enemy. The Russians were cut off from the path to their shelter and surrounded. The Horde failed to capture the leader of the Ryazan resistance. Batu's wife's brother Khostovrul fell in battle, but the Russian soldiers did not give up.

The final point in the battle was set by stone throwing machines. The weapons that were usually used to siege city walls were sent against a detachment of Ryazan knights. Almost all the soldiers were stoned to death. Only six people were found alive. Evpatiy Kolovrat died on the battlefield.

The governor’s body was given to the surviving soldiers of his detachment so that they could have a worthy burial ceremony. Tradition says that such a gesture by Batu was evidence of his respect for Kolovrat’s military prowess.

The story of the ruin of Ryazan by Batu

This ancient Russian literary work is the most complete source of information about Evpatiy Kolovrat. The plot of the story tells about Batu's attack on the Grand Duchy of Ryazan in 1237. The oldest surviving texts of this work date back to the sixteenth century; before that time, the legend was transmitted orally.

Over three hundred years, the story has become overgrown with details and inaccuracies. There are at least three versions of the text of this story. They all tell the story of who Evpatiy Kolovrat fought with and how he valiantly ended his life.

Personal life

The main source of information about the fate of the Ryazan boyar is a folk tale. The warrior’s personal life is not described in it. It is possible that Evpatiy had a lover or wife, but no facts have been preserved in favor of this version.

Memory

Evpatiy Kolovrat became a hero of Russian folklore along with such heroes as Ilya Muromets, Ratibor, Dobrynya Nikitich, Nikita Kozhemyaka. The history of the knight's exploits has become one of the testimonies of the strength of the Russian spirit. In 1985, based on folk tales, the animated film “The Tale of Evpatiy Kolovrat” was created.

Three monuments to the hero were erected in the Ryazan region. Two monuments are located near the hero’s supposed birthplace. The third monument was erected in 2007 on Poshtovaya Square in Ryazan.

In 2014, it became known that director Rustam Mosafir began filming the film “Evpatiy Kolovrat. Ascension". The film was planned to be made as close as possible to historical events. A year later, the first footage of the film appeared on the Internet, but for some unknown reason the project was frozen.

At that time, the first information also appeared that the Russian film company Central Partnership was planning to release the film The Legend of Kolovrat. Photos from the filming and trailer appeared on the Internet in the fall of 2016. The premiere of the film was scheduled for May 2017.

The historical action movie with fantasy elements is included in the list of the most anticipated films of the year. The plot of the film is indirectly related to the historical events of the time of Batu's invasion. The filmmakers decided to present the viewer with a fantasy version of the thirteenth century story, focusing on the characters and their feelings

A hero in war is not an easy phenomenon. After all, the one who is the savior for one side is the worst enemy for the other. But history knows several personalities who were equally respected by both their own and others. Among them is Evpatiy Kolovrat, whose feat was passed down from mouth to mouth for many centuries. Let's find out more about this man and his fate, and also consider the most famous literary and cinematic works dedicated to him.

Who is Evpatiy Kolovrat?

This name is borne by the legendary Ryazan hero, who lived in the first half of the 13th century. in Rus'. History has preserved little information about him.

The origin of Evpatiy has not been precisely established by historians, nor has his status in the Ryazan state. According to some versions, he was a governor, according to others, a boyar. At the same time, everyone agrees that Kolovrat was a skilled and experienced warrior and occupied an important place among the nobles, otherwise he would not have been able to assemble an army of 1,700 people.

Nothing is known about Evpatiy’s personal life and heart preferences, except that his middle name was probably Lvovich.

The hero was born around 1200. However, this could happen 3-5 years earlier or later. The village of Frolovo in the Shilovskaya volost is considered to be the place of birth.

Where did the legend begin?

Having found out who Evpatiy Kolovrat is, it’s worth learning more about what makes him famous.

XIII century for the lands of the former Kievan Rus and the adjacent principalities it was a difficult period. The fact is that, due to fragmentation, small states in this territory were easy money for the nomadic Mongol-Tatar tribes, who united under the leadership of various khans and imposed tribute on the principalities.

In 1237, the grandson of Genghis Khan, Batu Khan, came with an army to Ryazan and, standing near the Voronezh River, demanded that the local prince pay him a tithe of all the goods in the city, and also give him the ruler’s beautiful daughter-in-law, Eupraxia.

After refusing to do this, Batu ordered to kill the beauty's husband - the prince's son Fyodor - and attack the city.

1237 Ryazan fell. It was destroyed to the ground, and its inhabitants, including the ruler, were slaughtered. In order not to get to Batu, Eupraxia, together with her son, threw herself from the roof of the tower and died.

Soon after what happened, Evpatiy Kolovrat returns from Chernigov to the ashes. Horrified by what happened, he gathers a small squad (1,700 soldiers) and sets off in pursuit.

In the Suzdal lands, Kolovrat and his comrades manage to catch up with the Horde. However, it was unwise to engage in battle with the Mongols, since their number significantly exceeded the number of Russians.

Then Evpatiy’s people began to partisan in the local forests and little by little cause damage to the enemy troops. It got to the point that the Horde began to think that forest spirits were taking revenge on them.

Death of Kolovrat

Despite the successful efforts of the squad, after some time they had to engage in open battle with Batu’s army. Moreover, in this battle, Evpatiy Kolovrat showed truly heroic qualities - several dozen glorious Mongol warriors died at his hands alone.

Other Russians fought no worse. And although they had no chance of victory, the Horde could not cope with their opponents in a fair fight. And in order to destroy the warriors, they began to shoot at them from stone-throwing weapons.

As a result, almost all of Kolovrat’s comrades and himself died. This happened on January 8-10, 1238.

After several surviving Russians were taken prisoner, Batu learned from them who Evpatiy Kolovrat was and that it was he who so skillfully commanded the detachment.

The Great Khan was amazed by his courage dead hero and bitterly regretted that the hero did not serve him. As a reward for their bravery, he released the survivors and gave them the body of Evpatiy, ordering them to bury him with full honors. This was done on January 11th.

Literary works dedicated to Kolovrat

Having learned who Evpatiy Kolovrat is and what he did, it is worth considering which written sources described his story.

Although the events themselves took place in 1237-1238. They were first described in chronicles 300 years later.

The first written mention of what happened was at the end of the 16th century in “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu.”

Today there are 3 versions of this work known. Each of them has differences, but in the description of the main events they are united. This indicates that, probably, in an earlier period there was an original version of the work, which was later lost.

Thanks to the story, Russian society XVI and later centuries there was a keen interest in the personality of Kolovrat.

In future centuries, many famous folklorists, poets and writers considered it their duty to dedicate at least one to Evpatiy Kolovrat.

One of the first was a romantic poet in 1824, who dedicated the poem “Evpatiy” to the hero.

35 years later, another Russian poet wrote “Song about Boyar Evpatiy Kolovrat.”

And in 1885, the famous folklore researcher M. G. Khalansky included some folk epics about Kolovrat in his collection “Great Russian epics of the Kyiv cycle”.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, interest in the famous hero decreased. And only Evenin dedicated his work “The Legend of Evpatiy Kolovrat, of Khan Batu...” to him.

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, in order to mobilize the spirit of the people to fight fascism, many writers began to popularize the images of epic heroes. They reminded people that in the past their ancestors had to cope with more terrible enemies. In those years, 3 works were dedicated to the hero: “The Tale of Evpatiy Kolovrat” (S. Markov), “Evpatiy the Furious” (V. Yan) and “Evpatiy Kolovrat” (V. Ryakhovsky).

In subsequent years, the story of the hero periodically surfaced in fiction and scientific literature.

Film about Evpatiy Kolovrat

Unlike the trio of classic Slavic heroes - Muromets, Popovich and Nikitich - Kolovrat was less popular with filmmakers. The first attempt to transfer his story to the silver screen occurred in 1985. It was the cartoon “The Tale of Evpatiy Kolovrat,” which was not particularly remembered by the audience.

However, in 2015-2016. In the Russian Federation, work began simultaneously on 2 films dedicated to this hero. This is the film by Ivan Shurkhovetsky “The Legend of Kolovrat” and the film “Evpatiy Kolovrat: The Rise” by Rustam Mosafir.

The first of the listed projects will be released on November 30, 2017. But it is unknown when “Evpatiy Kolovrat: The Rise” will be shown to viewers.

Neopagan interpretation of the myth of Kolovrat

IN last years when archeology and history discover new and unexpected facts that are not hidden by censorship, modern people there is an opportunity to look differently at many famous historical figures. Including Evpatiy Kolovrat.

One of the most famous and scandalous attempts to rethink his image was made by the so-called neo-pagans. This unspoken nickname was given to those who are trying to revive pre-Christian Slavic culture.

Thus, some representatives of this movement put forward theories that Kolovrat was a pagan, and not a Christian, as he was later portrayed in the chronicle.

In support of this argument, facts are cited that in the Orthodox calendar of that time there is no name Evpatiy, and the Kolovrat sign in those days was a symbol of the lord of heavenly fire Svarog and his son Dazhdbog. Considering that, according to archaeological finds, paganism was widespread in Ryazan at least until the 12th century, this means that such a version has the right to life.

Another attempt to interpret the image of Evpatiy is also known. According to her, Kolovrat was not a surname, but a nickname of the hero. Perhaps he was given it for his ability to fight perfectly with two blades at once, while rotating in a circle.

At the same time, we should not exclude the possibility that the hero was a Scandinavian, of whom there were many in Rus' at that time. Hence the unusual manner of fighting.

In addition to the above, there is an opinion that Kolovrat is not a real person, but a composite image of several Slavic heroes.

The meaning of the hero's name, according to Orthodox historians

In response to such theories, attempts appear on many Orthodox forums to challenge the main arguments of neo-pagans.

According to them, Evpatiy is a variation of the famous Slavic name Hypatiy.

And Kolovrat is the ancient name for crossbows with a round handle. So the hero could get his nickname for his ability to shoot a bow or crossbow perfectly.

Was there a hero?

All of these theories, despite the controversy, have the right to life. After all, in fact, nothing is known about the true fate of Evpatiy Kolovrat, since the story about him was written down only several centuries later. That is, the people who wrote it simply could not physically be familiar with any eyewitness to the Ryazan tragedy, which means that their work was more based on their own imagination, and not historical facts. How else can one explain a number of inconsistencies in this legend?

Thus, between the capture of Ryazan and the death of Kolovrat’s detachment, 19 to 21 days pass. During this time, the Horde not only manage to rob a huge city, kill all its inhabitants (and there are many of them), but also reach Suzdal (from Ryazan it is approximately 280 km along modern roads) with a convoy. Let's say, being experienced nomads, this was not particularly difficult for them.

However, it was much more difficult for Kolovrat. During the same period, he manages to return to Ryazan from Chernigov (on modern flat roads, the distance between the cities is 830 km), somewhere quickly assemble and arm a squad of 1,700 people and catch up with the nomads, covering another 280 km.

There was no way they could have caught up with the Mongols on foot, which means they needed horses. But where can you find a herd of almost 2000 heads in the lands devastated by the horde? This is despite the fact that the animals need to be fed with something (and it’s winter outside) and given rest or replaced with fresh ones.

In addition to problems with transport, the question arises: where did the hero collect such a large number of warriors? After all, the chronicle says that Ryazan was destroyed and all its defenders were exterminated. Where did 1700 people come from? Were they hiding in the forests while the Horde burned their city? Then what kind of warriors they are, and such a number of people in the forest clearly cannot hide behind a bush.

There is a version that these people were Kolovrat’s detachment, with whom he traveled to Chernigov. But what kind of prince, on the eve of an enemy attack, would release more than 1,500 experienced fighters from the fortress? It is more likely that Evpatiy was sent to meet the Varangian mercenaries, whom the Ryazan ruler wanted to use for protection. Or maybe Kolovrat was one of them? What if the hero was a retired Varangian (according to the chronicles he was almost 40), who settled in Ryazan, and among the dead were his wife and children? Then it makes sense why the mercenaries followed him.

It is also worth remembering that most of the authors of the chronicles were monks who benefited from the spread and exaltation of their own faith. For this purpose, they were even ready to embellish the truth, especially if no one remembered how it really was. And therefore, even if Evpatiy was an Arab with an earring in his nose, after 300 years on the pages of the chronicles he could easily be turned into a Slavic knight.

We will never know what it really was like. However, this is not so important. After all, the main thing is that several centuries ago, among the inhabitants of the Slavic lands oppressed by the Mongols, there were heroes who, without sparing their lives, repelled the enemy. And they should become an example for their descendants - that is, us.

About Evpatiy Kolovrat is known only from one source - “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu.” According to this work of ancient Russian literature, after the capture of Ryazan by the Mongols in December 1237, Kolovrat led the resistance to the invaders, rallying 1.7 thousand soldiers around himself.

If you believe the chronology of the events described in the Tale, Kolovrat died in battle in the first third of January 1238. One of the lists of this literary work states that the solemn funeral of Evpatiy took place on January 11.

According to another point of view, which is based on information about the participation of Ryazan residents in battles with the Mongols, Kolovrat (or the warrior who became his prototype) could fight the invaders until spring. It is assumed that Evpatiy died in the battle on the Sit River on March 4, 1238, fighting as part of the army of the Vladimir prince Yuri Vsevolodovich, and was buried on the left bank of the Vozha River. However, his grave was never discovered.

Historians continue to debate about the origin of the name of the hero of the Tale. Evpatiy is a modified Greek name Hypatium, quite common in Ancient Rus'. With the nickname Kolovrat the story is somewhat more complicated. A nickname in Rus', as a rule, was given according to a person’s occupation. The most popular hypothesis among scientists is this: the hero Evpatiy became known as Kolovrat for his dexterity in battle (“kolo” - circle, “vrat” - rotation).

“And the slaughter was evil and terrible”

In 1237-1238, Rus' was subjected to a large-scale invasion by the Golden Horde. Historians have different estimates of the size of the Mongol-Tatar army (from 60 thousand to 150 thousand), but it is reliably known that the invaders were much more powerful than the squads of the Russian princes.

Due to feudal fragmentation, the Russians could not act as a single army, which made it easier for the Horde to conquer the principalities. The invasion was led by the grandson of Genghis Khan, the ruler of the Juchi ulus (Golden Horde) Batu Khan. The first city to be devastated was Ryazan, the southern outskirts of northeastern Rus'.

“The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan” is one of the main sources of information about the tragedy that occurred in December 1237 with a wealthy city on the right bank of the Oka. Anticipating imminent death, the Ryazan prince Yuri tried to pay off Batu. But the ruler of the Golden Horde declared his claims to “the entire Russian land” and demanded “from the princes of Ryazan daughters and sisters to his bed.” The Ryazan nobility gathered an army and took on an unequal battle not far from the city.

• Diorama “The Capture of Old Ryazan by Batu”
• Fragment of the diorama “Defense of Old Ryazan in 1237”

“And they attacked him, and began to fight with him firmly and courageously, and the slaughter was evil and terrible. Many strong Batyev regiments fell. And King Batu saw that the Ryazan force was fighting hard and courageously, and he was afraid. But who can stand against the wrath of God! Batu’s forces were great and insurmountable: one Ryazan man fought with a thousand, and two – with ten thousand,” says the Tale.

After the victory, Batu destroyed the villages surrounding Ryazan and took possession of the capital of the principality. “The Tale” and data from archaeological excavations indicate that the Mongols practically wiped Ryazan off the face of the Earth and massacred all the surviving townspeople. At the end of December 1237, Batu's hordes moved to conquer the Suzdal principality.

The news of the invasion of Ryazan reached one of the “Ryazan nobles named Evpatiy Kolovrat,” who was in Chernigov at that moment. “With a small retinue,” the boyar “rushed quickly” to the Ryazan principality.

“And he came to the land of Ryazan, and saw it empty - cities were destroyed, churches were burned, people were killed. And he rushed to the city of Ryazan, and saw the city devastated, the sovereigns killed and many people killed: some were killed and flogged, others were burned, and others were drowned in the river,” the Tale reports.

“All the Tatar regiments mixed up”

Evpatiy gathered a small squad of about 1.7 thousand people and suddenly attacked “the Batu camps” already on the territory of the Suzdal principality located north of Ryazan.

“And they began to flog without mercy, and all the Tatar regiments were mixed up. And the Tatars looked like they were drunk or crazy. And Evpatiy beat them so mercilessly that their swords became dull, and he took Tatar swords and cut them with them. It seemed to the Tatars that the dead had risen. Evpatiy, driving right through the strong Tatar regiments, beat them mercilessly. And he rode among the Tatar regiments so bravely and courageously that the Tsar himself was afraid,” says the “Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu.”

Batu sent his “shurich” (son of brother-in-law) Khostovrul to exterminate the Russians, who promised to bring Kolovrat alive. Evpatiy's army was surrounded by the most combat-ready Mongol troops. Khostovrul challenged the Ryazan boyar to a duel and died in a fight with Kolovrat.

“And Kolovrat began to whip the Tatar force, and beat many of the famous heroes of the Batyevs here - he cut some in half, and chopped others to the saddle. And the Tatars became afraid, seeing what a strong giant Evpatiy was. And they brought on him many vices (siege stone-throwing weapons. - RT), and they began to hit him with countless vices, and barely killed him,” this is how “The Tale” tells about Kolovrat’s last battle.

• Still from the film “The Legend of Kolovrat” (2017)

Batu was delighted with Kolovrat’s courage. Looking at the body of the dead boyar, he said: “You treated me well with your small retinue, and you beat many heroes of my strong horde, and defeated many regiments. If someone like that served me, I would keep him close to my heart.”

The Khan ordered the release of the surviving Russian soldiers and gave them Kolovrat’s body. If you believe the Tale, the hero of the resistance to the Mongol-Tatar invasion was buried in Ryazan along with the dead princes and boyars.

Mysterious Kolovrat

Historians have many doubts about the authenticity of the events described in “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu,” which was created no earlier than the end of the 14th century. For example, the work claims that Kolovrat and other dead representatives of the nobility were buried in Ryazan, although it was completely destroyed after the capture.

Researchers noticed that “The Tale” talks about princes who were no longer alive in 1237. In particular, David of Murom (died in 1228) and Vsevolod Pronsky (died in 1208) are mentioned.

The text also says that Prince Ingvar Ingvarevich takes part in the battles with the Mongols, the debate about whose existence is still ongoing. There are suggestions that Ingvar Ingvarevich is the Ryazan prince Ingvar Igorevich, who ruled since 1217. However, he died in 1235 - two years before the Mongol invasion.

The fact of the existence of Kolovrat, about which nothing is reported in other works and written documents of Ancient Rus', is also called into question. In addition, the “Tale” does not specify the origin of Evpatiy and his place in the power hierarchy of the Ryazan principality.

Kolovrat is described as a gifted commander, a courageous and professional warrior with incredible physical strength. Evpatiy is usually represented as a stocky man of strong build, and by character the Ryazan boyar is a brave and patriotic Russian warrior. This description makes Kolovrat similar to the heroes of the Russian epic - the heroes Ilya Muromets, Alyosha Popovich and Dobrynya Nikitich.

Doctor of Philology, specialist in ancient Russian literature Anatoly Demin emphasized in a conversation with RT that the nickname Kolovrat is in no way connected with the sign of the Sun, the Slavic swastika or other pagan symbols.

Demin noted that Kolovrat stands out for his humanity compared to the typical heroes from Russian epics. According to him, despite a certain hyperbolization, Evpatiy is generally shown as an ordinary person who sought to protect his land from invaders.

People's hero

The Ryazan boyar is a fairly popular character in works of Russian art.

The exploits of Kolovrat, in particular, were sung by a native of the Ryazan province, Sergei Yesenin. In “The Tale of Evpatiy Kolovrat, of Khan Batu, Tsvet Three-Handed, of the Black Idol and Our Savior Jesus Christ” (1912), he described the hero as unusually strong man, who with two fingers “pulled out” “piscine eels” (hot crowbars). At the same time, Kolovrat in Yesenin’s poem appears not as a nobleman, as in “The Tale,” but as a blacksmith—a man from the people.

Soviet writers turned to Kolovrat as a symbol of popular resistance to the invaders. The surge in popularity of the Ryazan hero occurred during the Great Patriotic War. Evpatiy became the hero of the works of Sergei Markov (1941) and Vasily Yan (1942).

After the collapse of the USSR, Kolovrat was also mentioned in many works of art. In 2007, a monument was erected to him in Ryazan.

• Monument to Evpatiy Kolovrat on Poshtovaya Square in Ryazan
• Wikimedia Commons

Two more monuments to Evpatiy appeared in the village of Shilovo and the village of Frolovo.

In 2009, Honored Artist of Russia Ivan Korzhev created a sculpture of Kolovrat from cast stone: Evpatiy sits in a thoughtful pose, easily holding a huge ax with his right hand. In the same year, a canvas by Maximilian Presnyakov appeared. In the picture, Kolovrat, wounded by arrows, holds two swords in his hands, trying to rise to continue the battle with the Mongols.

In November 2017, the film “The Legend of Kolovrat” directed by Dzhanik Fayziev was released on Russian cinema screens. According to the plot, in December 1237, Evpatiy went to negotiate with other princes in order to jointly resist the Mongol invasion. However, Ryazan was burned, and Kolovrat, having assembled a detachment of avengers, began a heroic struggle against the invaders.

Fact or legend

A significant part of historians believe that in “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu” fiction and real events are intertwined, and Kolovrat is a collective image of Russian soldiers who fought with the Horde.

“What we see in this story characterizes the perception of Russian people not of the 13th century. Evpatiy is described quite reliably, the motives of his warriors are completely justified. But everything else, in particular Batu’s praise of Russian warriors, resembles a constructed, later legend created in the 15th-16th centuries. Therefore, experts treat this monument more as a literary rather than a documentary,” explained Konstantin Yerusalimsky, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of the Department of History and Theory of Culture of the Russian State University for the Humanities, in an interview with RT.

Medieval historian Klim Zhukov shares the same position. He believes that most of the events in “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu,” including the story about Kolovrat, are not true.

“Kolovrat should be treated as a legendary, epic hero. There are several other characters whose destinies contain an almost similar plot of heroic struggle against invaders. One of them is Mercury of Smolensk, the description of whose feat belongs to the historical monuments of literature of the 15th century,” Zhukov noted in a conversation with RT.

However, there is an alternative point of view. Its essence lies in the fact that Kolovrat was a real warrior who rallied a small detachment around himself, but the author of the Tale attributed to him some of the qualities of epic characters.

This approach is based on facts indicating stubborn resistance to the Mongol tumens (the tactical unit of the Mongol army), which the Ryazan people continued to provide after the fall of the capital of their principality.

“Many researchers believe that the monument is based on real events, and a number of names in it are absolutely reliable,” Yerusalimsky emphasized.

According to the chronicles, Batu really devastated the Ryazan principality, but one of the surviving princes, Roman Ingvarevich, was able to gather warriors and took the battle with the invaders on the territory of the Suzdal principality.

It is also known that in the first half of January 1238 a major battle took place with the Mongols near Kolomna (north of Ryazan). Took part in the battle Grand Duke Yuri Vsevolodovich, who feared that the Vladimir principality would repeat the fate of the Ryazan land. Ryazan warriors also joined his army.

It is assumed that Kolovrat was about 35 years old at the time of his death, although there is no reliable information about when and where he was born. There is a version that Evpatiy was born in the village of Frolovo (present-day Shilovsky district of the Ryazan region) around 1200.

Historian-folklorist, Doctor of Philology Boris Putilov (1919-1997) in his scientific works argued that “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan” should not be considered as an exclusively literary work with fictional characters. That is, he refuted the approach taken during the Soviet period to the legend of Kolovrat as an invention of the author of the Tale.

“The story about Evpatiy Kolovrat in terms of plot is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. For a folk song, this plot is very complex, it contains many episodes (or motives) that are easily developed within the framework of a military story, but which are much more difficult to develop within the framework of a folk song,” says Putilov’s article “Song about Evpatiy Kolovrat.”

According to the historian, the story about Kolovrat is characterized by sharp plot twists and rapid changes in locales. The absence of pictorial sketches characteristic of the epic genre allows us to conclude that the “Tale” contains elements of documentary. Accordingly, the story about Kolovrat itself could have a real basis.