From childhood, a Russian man is familiar with the exploits of the glorious heroes of Ilya Muromets, Alyosha Popovich, Dobryni Nikitich, Sadko. These are the heroes of the most famous epics, which give an idea of the life, morals and customs inherent in the Russian people who lived in ancient times.
From childhood, a Russian man is familiar with the exploits of the glorious heroes of Ilya Muromets, Alyosha Popovich, Dobryni Nikitich, Sadko. These are the heroes of the most famous epics, which give an idea of the life, morals and customs inherent in the Russian people who lived in ancient times.
All these heroes are united by the fact that they were endowed with extraordinary physical strength, ingenuity, a variety of talents and inhuman capabilities. The word "hero" is of Turkic origin; it was first found in the Ipatiev Chronicle. For the concept of "hero" in antiquity, the word "horobr" was used, which grew into "brave" over time. However, neither the great princes respected by the people, nor the strongest monsters were heroes.
For the hero was not enough physical valor. First of all, he was a patriot and defender of the Russian land. Epic heroes are loners who, in the struggle for justice without fear, step on the danger and always win. They are driven by the desire to stand for faith, for their people. It is these qualities that bribe most of all, they are characteristic of the "mysterious Russian soul."
Particularly noteworthy are the epics about Ilya Muromets, whose fate is unique and extraordinary. He is described in epics not only as a hero, but also as a multifaceted personality. This hero represented the peasant estate and possessed, first of all, moral strength. According to the relics of Elijah, stored in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, in the Anthony Caves, it can be judged that he was tall and distinguished by physical strength. The first hero in Kiev saved Russia from many enemies, including the Nightingale the Robber, the Idolishe and the damned Zhidovin. All his exploits were accompanied by Christian humility.
Thus, Ilya Muromets was the personification of such features of the Russian character. Like power and justice. Alyosha Popovich was famous for resourcefulness, courage and fun. Dobrynya Nikitich became famous for reliability, honesty and genuine kindness. The exploits of the Russian heroes were described not only in epics: a lot of legends are composed about them in epic songs and fairy tales.
