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 reveres Ilya of Muromets as a saint (he was canonized in 1643). According to the church calendar, the day of memory of Ilya Muromets is December 19 according to the old style, or January 1 according to the new style. 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, and 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 true 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, Prince Mstislav occupied the throne; he ordered the organization of security for 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. 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 the 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 of the Pechersk Lavra and spent all his days in his cell in prayer. For Orthodox warriors, this was a completely normal step - to exchange the iron sword for the 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 the monk Ilya Muromets again took up arms and went to his last battle. Several wounds were found on the body of Ilya Muromets, of which only one was 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.
Muromets Ilya (full epic name - Ilya Muromets son Ivanovich) is one of the main heroes of the Russian epic epic, a hero who embodies the people's ideal of a hero-warrior, a people's intercessor. Features 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”.
It is believed that the birthplace of Ilya Muromets is the village of Karacharovo near Murom. According to another version, this is the village of Murovsk in the modern Chernigov region. In this case, Ilya’s nickname should have looked like “Murovsky” or “Murovets”, which is also found in the sources. At the moment, both of these cities consider themselves the birthplace of Ilya Muromets. According to the version voiced in the TV project “Seekers,” Ilya Muromets came from the Murom tribe.
Eh, wanderers! Kaliki, you walkers! I would be glad to give you something to drink, but I can’t get out of bed, I’ve been lying in bed for thirty years and three years!
Muromets Ilya
According to a number of versions, the hero had a real prototype - a historical person who lived around 1188, although Russian chronicles do not mention his name. It is also common to identify the epic hero and Elijah of the Pechersk, a holy venerable of the Orthodox Church, whose relics rest in the Near Caves of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.
Also known is Ileiko Muromets (Ileyka Muromets), an impostor from the Time of Troubles, executed in 1607; according to some researchers, his biography did not influence the formation of the folklore image [source not specified 319 days]. According to other researchers, in particular the Russian historian Ilovaisky, the expression “old Cossack” is explained by the fact that at the end of the reign of Boris Godunov, Ileika Muromets was in a Cossack detachment, part of the army of the governor Prince Ivan Khvorostinin.
According to epics, the hero Ilya Muromets “did not control” his arms and legs until the age of 33, and then received miraculous healing from the elders (or passers-by). They, having come to Ilya’s house when no one else was there, ask him to get up and bring them something to drink. Ilya replied to this: “I have neither arms nor legs, I’ve been sitting on a seat for thirty years.” They repeatedly ask Ilya to get up and bring them water. After this, Ilya gets up, goes to the water carrier and brings water. The elders tell Ilya to drink water. After the second drink, Ilya feels excessive strength in himself, and he is given a third drink to reduce the strength. Afterwards, the elders tell Ilya that he must go into the service of Prince Vladimir.
At the same time, they mention that on the road to Kyiv there is a heavy stone with an inscription, which Ilya must also visit. Afterwards, Ilya says goodbye to his parents, brothers and relatives and goes “to the capital city of Kyiv” and comes first “to that motionless stone.” On the stone was written a call to Ilya to move the stone from its fixed place. There he will find a heroic horse, weapons and armor. Ilya moved the stone and found everything that was written there. He said to the horse: “Oh, you are a heroic horse! Serve me with faith and truth." After this, Ilya gallops to Prince Vladimir.
The epic “Svyatogor and Ilya Muromets” tells how Ilya Muromets studied with Svyatogor; and dying, he breathed into him the heroic spirit, which caused more strength in Ilya, and gave up his treasure sword.
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. Elijah 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 powerful 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 a 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. Among our compatriots, in this regard, 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 the tonsure of Elijah Muromets took place 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. Elijah.
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” come to the motionless Ilya of Muromets, who ultimately heal 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 other 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.
Our ancestors of the 16th – early 19th centuries. there was no doubt that Ilya Muromets- a real person, a warrior who served the Kyiv prince.
But if Ilya Muromets is a historical figure, then why is he not mentioned in any chronicle? There may be several reasons for this.
Firstly, not many written sources from those years have reached us. And this is not surprising. The Tatars constantly raided Russian land and burned cities. One day, during a fire, books from the library of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra were also burned.
Secondly, Ilya was from a simple peasant family. At that time, the prince’s standing army—his squad—was recruited from noble people. The outrageous precedent of the dizzying rise of a simple peasant could not leave the noble boyars and the princes of the golden age of Kievan Rus who relied on them indifferent.
Therefore, the name of the national hero was erased from the pages of history. But it was impossible to erase him from the good memory of a grateful people.
After his death, Ilya was buried within the main temple of Kievan Rus - Sofia of Kyiv. There was a grand-ducal tomb there, in which not all princes were buried. And Ilya Muromets was awarded such an honor by his worldly deeds. The boyars could not even dream of such leniency.
Perhaps it was for this reason that later the tomb of Ilya Muromets was destroyed during the raid, and the tomb of his comrade - Dobryni Nikitich, the son of the Drevlyan prince Mal, miraculously survived.
The ambassador of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II mentions this in his diaries. Erich Lasota, who was passing through Kyiv from May 7 to May 9, 1594.
At that time, the Kiev Pechersk Lavra took upon itself the care of the relics of the hero. There, in the Near Caves, his body rests to this day.
No. 2 Ilya Muromets is a hero not only of the Russian epic
Although the name of the most famous hero of Russian epics is not mentioned in Russian chronicles, he is the main character in one of the German epic poems of the 13th century, based on earlier legends.
It speaks of him as a mighty knight, and they call him Ilya Russian.
No. 3 Giant
No. 4 Descendants of Gushchina
Now the village of Karacharovo has become part of the modern city of Murom. In place of the house of Ilya Muromets there is a new house with a sign that says the people’s favorite and hero of epics, Ilya Muromets, lived in this place. The residents of this house claim that they are the descendants of the hero. From generation to generation they collect all the information about their famous ancestor. After recreating the portrait of Ilya Muromets, they showed a photograph of their great-grandfather. There really are similarities.
They say that the phenomenal strength of the hero was inherited by his distant descendants - the family of Karacharovo villagers Gushchins, who, like their great ancestor, in the last century could easily move a load that was beyond the strength of a horse.
No. 5 “Sydnam sat on the stove for thirty years and three years...”
From legends we know that Ilya could not walk until he was 33 years old.
The following story was widespread among the people. As if the grandfather of the future Russian hero Ilya Muromets was real pagan and refused to recognize Christianity. One day he took an ax and chopped up an Orthodox icon. Since then curse fell on his family. All boys had to be born crippled.
And then, 10 years later, a grandson was born who had paralysis of his legs. But he did not despair, but developed the remaining parts of his body. For 33 years he could not take a step on the ground. One day they came into the house " walkers" - traditional healers. They healed the hero with the help of enchanted water. The legends of ancient times speak about this.
But the most interesting thing is that after studying the relics of Ilya Muromets, anatomists found in the lumbar region curvature of the spine to the right and clearly defined additional processes on the vertebrae. This means that this person really could not walk for a long time due to pinched nerves of the spinal cord.
№6 Age
Scientists are still arguing about the date of birth and date of death of the hero, but from the remains they were able to determine that the hero lived for 45-50 years. For that time he was old man.
No. 7 First body study
The body of Ilya Muromets was first examined by Soviet scientists in 1963. At that atheistic time, scientists wrote in their conclusion that the body belongs to man Mongoloid race, and injuries imitated monks of the Lavra.
Meanwhile, modern scientists also note the Mongoloid facial features of the Russian knight.
No. 8 Straight track
Remember the beginning of the epic tales about Ilya Muromets? " Whether from that city from Murom, from that village from Karacharovo...“It would seem that everything is clear. Here is the city of Murom. The village of Karacharovo is now part of this city, although it has retained its name. But there were doubts about the place of birth of the Russian knight in the last century, and they still exist now.
The name of the epic hero was also known Chernihiv region. There are the cities of Karachev and Moroviysk, whose names are consonant with the village of Karacharov and the city of Murom.
But if you look at a regular geographical map, Moroviysk and Karachev are separated by hundreds of kilometers. And talking about the “Morovian village of Karachev” is somehow strange. But if you mark Murom, Karachev, Chernigov, Moroviysk and Kyiv on the map, then you can draw one line. Here is the famous “straight path”.
It is along this road that Ilya travels to Kyiv, passing “ through those forests, Brynskie, across the Smorodinnaya river", through the village of Nine Oaks, not far from Karachev. All settlements have retained their former names and still exist. Even the Smorodinnaya River flows there to this day.
In addition, the most famous feat of the hero is a fight with a bandit Nightingale the Robber. As you know, the robber controlled the direct road to the capital of Rus', Kyiv, and did not allow him to pass quietly “ neither on horseback nor on foot" Around 1168, Ilya arrived in Kyiv. At that time, he sat on the throne Prince Mstislav, who ordered the organization of security for trade caravans going to the capital, which were constantly subject to robbery by the Polovtsians. Probably, the Prince of Kiev entrusted this to his hero Ilya Muromets, who was a member of the princely squad.
The nightingale was a robber who made a living in raids and thefts on the road, and the nickname, as one might assume, stuck to him for his ability to whistle loudly. Ilya Muromets defeated the robber in a duel and freed the “straight road.” This event, without a doubt, was not only of great economic importance for the principality, but also made the life of ordinary people calmer.
The liberation of the direct route from robbers did not go unnoticed and was equated by the people with a real feat.
No. 9 The mystery of death
The fact of the presence of the revered relics of the famous hero is reflected in the epic texts themselves. The end of the epic is so interesting" Ilya Muromets and Tsar Kalin» performed by the narrator Shchegolenkova: “from these Tatars and from the filthy ones, his horse and hero’s horse became petrified, and the relics and saints from the old Cossack Ilya Muromets became.” Everyone remembers from childhood that passing Kaliki prophesied to the famous hero that “ death in battle is not written for him" Therefore, in epics and fairy tales the death of a hero is told differently: either he is petrified alone, or with other heroes; then he goes into the coffin alive and remains there forever; Then, together with Dobrynya, he sails away somewhere on the Falcon Ship, and since then there has been no news of him.
At this moment in time official sources they say that the hero Ilya Muromets was born between 1150 and 1165. And he died, as scientists suggest, during the capture of Kyiv by the army of Prince Rurik Rostislavich in 1204, when the famous Pechersk Lavra was destroyed and plundered by the Polovtsians allied with Rurik. Death occurred from a blow to the chest from a sharp weapon (sword or spear).
No. 10 Saint
There is a legend about why Ilya decided to become a monk. In another very brutal battle, the hero was severely wounded and almost killed, but miraculously survived. In that battle he vowed never to raise a sword again, settle in a monastery and devote yourself to serving God. Ilya Muromets approached the walls of the Lavra and took off all his armor. However, he could not throw the sword to the ground.
So he became a monk of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. He spent the rest of his life in his cell in constant prayer.
The Russian hero left behind not only imperishable memory. The body of Elijah, like the remains of other monks who are buried in the caves of the Pechersk Lavra, is incorruptible. But, unlike the remains of the Egyptian pharaohs, it turned into a mummy not due to treatment with mummifying compounds, but for a reason unknown to modern science.
The Orthodox believe that if a person’s body does not decompose, but gradually turns into power then this is a gift from above, so a person can be considered a saint.
There is a belief that the relics of the Holy Russian hero Ilya Muromets capable of healing those who suffer from terrible diseases of the spine and those whose legs are completely paralyzed. The Russian knight continues to serve people even after death...
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.
