The name of Alyosha Popovich is known to many people. This hero is a legendary Russian hero. His image is considered folklore, as well as collective, but many historians call the names of those people who could become his prototypes. What feats did Alyosha Popovich make? This will be discussed in this article.
Character
Bogatyr Alyosha Popovich is younger than Dobryni Nikitich and Ilya Muromets. He is the youngest in this trinity. This explains his behavior and some character traits. So, if you look at the famous painting by Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov, you can see that Alyosha Popovich is depicted less belligerent than other heroes. The weapon he uses is a bow and arrow. On the canvas "Heroes" you can see the harp, which are tied to the saddle. This indicates the cheerful disposition of Alyosha Popovich.
His appearance cannot be called formidable; he is somewhat bored. This is due to the fact that the young hero was inclined to adventures, abuse, adventures. He defeated even enemies with the help of well-developed ingenuity and cunning, rather than strength. In some epics it is said about the lameness of the hero. He was remote, dexterous, cunning and resourceful, which allowed him to find innovative solutions for defeating enemies.
The hero Alesha Popovich is the most atypical of those known to the Russian people. He is boastful, not too virtuous, is greedy for women. People who composed epics about him highlighted both positive and negative traits of his character. For example, he was capable of insidious and even evil jokes.
Origin
There are several versions of who could become the prototype of Alyosha Popovich. Most historians agreed that the boyar Alexander Popovich from Rostov played a huge role in creating the image of the hero. He is mentioned more than once in the famous Nikon Chronicle. He is a participant in the Battle of Lipetsk, as well as the battle on the Kalka River. It was in this battle that he died in the 13th century. What feats did Alyosha Popovich make? Two of the most important feats are the victory over Idolisch and the Tugarin snake. However, these victories were won long before the Battle of Kalka, almost two centuries before it. Thus, comparing Alyosha Popovich and the Rostov boyar, historians do not explain two of his most important exploits.
Art critic named A.M. Members presented another version of the one who actually was the prototype of the hero. He is convinced that it will be most correct to compare him with Olberg Ratiborovich, who is a boyar by birth and a colleague of Vladimir Monomakh in the service.
In addition to these versions, there are others. So, the prototype of Alyosha Popovich could be either the son of a priest, or a resident of the city of Piryatin, located in the Poltava region, or the hero of Olesha, he is also Alexander Horobr. He is known as a historical and public figure. He lived in the Rostov land in the 12-13 centuries.
What feats did Alyosha Popovich make?
Their list is quite large, almost all of them are described in numerous epics. Among them are the battles with the Tugarin snake, Idolisch, as well as the salvation of the sister of Zbrodovich. In these epics, the hero is the main character. In other stories, he acts as a secondary character.
Victory over the filthy idol
The first feat of Alyosha Popovich is the victory over Idolishch. This is stated in the "Tale of Bygone Years." According to the preserved text, this happened in 95 of the 11th century. So, a Polovtsian khan named Itlar came to negotiate with the Russian prince. The meeting was to be held in Pereyaslavl. The prince ordered Alyosha Popovich to kill the enemy, which he did by shooting a khan from a bow through a hole in the roof.
The historian Boris Rybakov claims in his writings that Idolische is the distorted Polovtsian name Itlar, or rather, the form "Itlarische is filthy." It was this feat that became a unique case in the entire tradition of epics. The fact is that only in him was the murder of the enemy in the palace, and not in the "open field".
Victory over the Tugarin snake
What three feats of Alesha Popovich are best known for? One of them is a victory over the Tugarin snake. Already in the 19th century, scientists guessed who exactly they called it, and in the 20th century this assumption was voiced by the historian V.F. Miller. So, “Tugaryn snake” is a Khan of Polovtsy named Tugorkan, belonging to the Shurakanid dynasty. This meant "snake" in his native language.
According to epics, Tugarin the serpent was an invincible monster with unprecedented power. Only Alyosha Popovich decided to fight him in the open field. According to legend, the monster was surrounded by fire snakes, and his horse possessed paper wings. Before the start of the battle, Alyosha prayed that it would rain on the ground. His wings got wet, after which Tugarin could not fly. On earth, he did not possess such enormous power that ensured Alyosha won the match.
Alyosha and sister of Zbrodovichi
What feats did Alyosha Popovich make? I saved my sister Zbrodovichi. Prince Vladimir, who rules in Kiev, feasts. At the height of the festivities, the feast participants begin to boast. Only the brothers Petrovichi-Zbrodovichi are silent. Then Prince Vladimir wonders why they are not boasting. They say that their beloved sister Olenushka Petrovna was imprisoned in the chamber, hidden from prying eyes.
Then Alyosha declares that he lives with her as a “husband and wife.” To prove the truth of his words, he throws a snowball at Olenushka’s window. When she lowers the white canvas from the window, the brothers get angry and take her sister to the field to chop off her head. However, Alyosha Popovich saves the girl and takes her down the aisle.
Alyosha Popovich in culture and art
What feats Alesha Popovich made, we remembered. This Russian hero along with Dobrynya Nikitich and Ilya Muromets more than once became a character in literature, canvas, and music. One of the ships, currently known as the Volodarsky, was formerly named after Alyosha Popovich.
In literature, the image of the hero was inspired by the writer Nikolai Radishchev. This character appeared in his poem "Alyosha Popovich, the heroic songwriting", published in 1801. The ballad of the same name A.K. Tolstoy. The image of this hero appeared in the operas of A. Grechaninov and A.P. Borodin. Alexei Shutov, Sergey Stolyarov and Anton Pampushny performed the roles of a hero in the films “Adventures in the Fiftieth Kingdom”, “Ilya Muromets” and “The Real Tale”, respectively. In addition to films, cartoons were created in which one could also see Alyosha Popovich. Such a cartoon picture as "Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin Zmey", which premiered in 2004 in Russia, is dedicated to one of the heroic deeds.
One of the most famous paintings, which depicts Alyosha Popovich, is called "The Heroes". It was painted by Russian painter Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov. In addition, Vasily Vereshchagin painted a canvas with the image of a hero. Currently, it is located in the House of Scientists in St. Petersburg. These are the most famous images of Alyosha Popovich, although, of course, there are many more.