Ilya Muromets is a fairly famous, but very, very mysterious hero, about whom many interesting legends and epics have been and are still being composed. It is almost impossible to find a person who would not have heard about the hero's feats of arms. Most often, people's knowledge about Ilya Muromets is drawn from a small number of Russian folk tales, but the truth, oddly enough, remains in the shadows.
The complex and multifaceted image of the hero even some scientists and philosophers is misleading. The relics of Ilya Muromets have been carefully studied for a long time. What this led to will be described below.
Truth or fiction?
Scientists have spent about 200 years trying to at least get closer to unraveling the secrets of the hero's personality, however, most attempts remain in vain. People living in the distant 16th-19th centuries did not experience a shadow of a doubt in the fact that IlyaMuromets existed and performed feats in reality. It is also known that the Russian hero was in the position of a warrior and served in the regiment of the prince of the glorious city of Kyiv. Ancient Russian legends do not give any way to doubt the origin of the hero, whose hometown is considered to be Mur. Nevertheless, historical information says that his true homeland is the village of Karacharovo, located in the Murom region. Perhaps these data do not contradict each other. After all, it is not without reason that the city of Murom keeps the relics of Ilya Muromets. The address of the monastery where they rest is st. Lakina, 1.
Homeland of the hero
However, modern figures of historical science believe that in fact Muromets was born and lived for a long time in the Chernihiv region. Not far from this place there are such settlements as Karachev and Moroviysk, where they remember the heroic deeds and life and do not get tired of arguing to this day. If you look at this information with knowledge of geography, you can understand that the information is absurd, since these cities are many hundreds of kilometers apart.
Why is the hero a Muromets?
Nevertheless, it is worth taking into account the fact that these three cities, that is, Murom, Chernigov and Karachev, are located approximately in the same direction from Kyiv.
Accordingly, this territory could well become the place of the most famous military accomplishments of the ancient Russian hero of epics. Still nearby is the village of Nine Oaks, passing by which the Russian hero Ilya Muromets got to the place of service. Accordingly, there are no significant differences between official history and folk epics and legends. Also a very remarkable fact is that Murom was a part of the Chernihiv Principality for a very long time. Comparison of the name of the city and the name of the epic hero is quite reasonable, since the cities of Murom and Chernihiv were a significant part of both Vladimir-Suzdal, Moscow and Kievan Rus for a very long time. These places are still considered the historical homeland of the knight. It is not without reason that a particle of the relics of Ilya Muromets is kept in Murom today.
First mention of Muromets
Oddly enough, the ancient Russian chronicles do not have information about Ilya Muromets, while even in distant Germany this historical hero is rightfully recognized as one of the main characters of the poetic works of the 18th century, which are based on earlier epic creations. In these writings, Ilya Muromets appears before readers in the form of a mighty warrior and knight Ilya the Russian. As for official documents, the name of Muromets is first found in them back in 1574.
The exploits of the knight Ilya Muromets
Since Ilya was a convinced Christian by religion, brought up according to all the laws and canons of faith in Jesus, before going on exploits, he bows to his parents and the whole family to the ground. Having bowed, Ilya asked his father and mother for blessings and parting words. The legends explain that Ilya's mother and father, despite their own weakness and weakness, agreed to the exploits of their son and let him go on a long journey, only giving a handful of the city's native land as a keepsake. Murom. Even parents took an oath from their son that people who adhere to Christianity would not die from his sword. Ilya Muromets confirmed the loy alty to the word given to his parents by the fact that all Christians remained alive, and justice reigned on the territory of Russia and truth triumphed.
Significant Battles
As soon as Muromets heard approval from the lips of his parents, his path lay in the Vladimir principality, from where the process of his ministry began. The hero was the only one who decided to go to the prince in the most difficult times for Russia. Having met the robbers, Ilya chose to avoid the war and fired an arrow from a bow into a centuries-old oak that grew very close. An arrow that hit right in the middle of the tree broke the oak into tiny pieces, which shocked the robbers, and they, bowing in chorus and expressing respect, let the knight go forward without starting the fight.
Historical data says that the next battle, in which Ilya won, is the battle with the Nightingale the Robber, a mythical creature that symbolizes the pagan beginning. That is why the hero, who truly believes in the existence of Christ, tried to wage a fierce duel with the robber. As proof that the hero was an adherent of the Christian faith, many historians and great figures of fine arts are trying to capture the knight with a weapon in the form of a cruciform spear.
Reception at the prince
Remembering the instructions of his mother, before each battle, Muromets made attempts to convince the enemies to end everything peacefully. Thus it is possibleassert that the illustrious knight has practically unlimited endurance, patience and mercy. Most of the stories about the military service of Ilya Muromets originate from the moment of a noble feast in the palace of Prince Vladimir. The hero got to this feast as soon as he was in Kyiv. The guests had the opportunity to sit down at any place at the table, and Ilya, before sitting down and starting the festivities, prayed at the icons and bowed at the feet not only of the prince and the princely nobility, but of all those present. They received the hero with all cordiality and honors, and all thanks to the fact that the hero was able to protect the people of Russia from the violent attacks of the Nightingale the Robber and his assistants.
Ilya Muromets - Messenger of Christ
In fact, the hero was on his way to the possessions of Vladimir Monomakh, and not to Vladimir Svyatoslavovich, as they say in many scriptures. This can be judged by the fact that faith in Christ was already popular not only within Russia, but also abroad, and specifically in Asian countries. And this, as you know, simply could not happen immediately after the sacrament of the Baptism of the Russian people took place.
In many folk tales there is already information about the Lord of the Black Sea, who was the father of another famous hero, Alyosha Popovich. Faith in Christ in this area took root among the population far from immediately. Exclusively thanks to Ilya Muromets and his assistants-bogatyrs, battles with cruel generals were carried out in the steppe area.
Just at that time, the truth spread among the people thatthat divine power does not lie in physical strength, but in truth and the struggle for justice. It is a great success that even today people can feel all the power of the hero by touching his holy relics. Kiev-Pechersk Lavra (Ukraine) protects them with all reverence.
The mystery of the death of Ilya Muromets
Ilya Muromets belonged to the family of commoners and was a kind of thorn in the eye of the principality. Therefore, the honest name of the hero was defamed and even deleted from the annals as an example of the triumphant return of the Russian peasant, who fought for the peace of the Russian people.
Brutal vandalism
Ilya Muromets was buried in the place in St. Sophia Cathedral, where all representatives of the nobility dreamed of being buried, but they simply did not have the opportunity to do so. Perhaps that is why the burial place of Ilya Muromets was mercilessly destroyed, while all the neighboring tombs remained safe and sound. This injustice on the part of the authorities in relation to the hero of Russia was made known in his own manuscripts by the ambassador of the head of the Holy Russian Empire named Rudolf 2nd Erich Lasota, who happened to pass by the outskirts of Kyiv and past the city itself from May 7 to May 9, 1594. It is said that Erich followed to Kyiv with diplomatic purposes. At that time, the miraculous relics of Ilya Muromets were kept in the church named after Gury, Samon and Aviv, which underwent reconstruction.
Relics in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra
At that time, the servants of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra began to take care of the state of the buried body. In this monastery, the body of the hero is now. His monument is signeda modest combination of the words "Ilya from Murom." Memorial Day of the Knight is celebrated on December 19 according to the old version of the calendar, and on January 1 - according to the new one. It is worth mentioning that it was on January 1 that an icon dedicated to the hero was brought to the local cathedral in the homeland of the hero Ilya Muromets. It was accompanied by an ark, in which a small particle of the relics of the famous savior of Russia was kept. Precisely because the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra (Ukraine) has a lot of secret materials, many historians and even ordinary people have the opportunity to at least slightly open the veil of the mystery of the life and death of the great military fighter.
References about Muromets in the books of saints
In 1638, an interesting book was first published, the author of which was one of the monks of the Lavra named Afanasy Kalnofoysky. When writing the book, Athanasius took into account all the saints, including several lines devoted to the life and military exploits of Muromets. It was clarified that the period of the life of the hero lasted as much as 450 years, starting from 1188. The events that happened in those days are literally overflowing with drama.
Struggle for the Principality
In the period from 1157 to 1169, the city of Kyiv became a place of intense civil strife for the title of Prince of Russia. Just think, during this time, the rule of Mother Russia changed hands about 8 times! And in 1169, Russia was devastated by Andrei Bogolyubsky, who, by the way, took away from the territory of Russia the consecrated face of Ilya Muromets, considered the greatest icon and carrying divine power and strength. This miraculous iconthis moment is known as the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God. From 1169 to 1181, as many as 18 princes were in charge of Kyiv, some of whom ascended the throne more than once. Also, the Polovtsy (Kipchaks, Kumans) entered the struggle for reigning, who in the period from 1173 to 1190 intensively robbed the state treasury and even committed murders.
Cause of death of the hero
When the doctors of that time made a study of the relics of Ilya Muromets in order to find out the cause of death, it was found that the hero died precisely because of one of such armed attacks by the Polovtsy. As Sergei Khvedchenya, who is a journalist for the Vokrug Sveta publication, suggested, this happened in 1203 due to the raid of the Polovtsy and Rurik. Kyiv was conquered by force, the Lavra was burned to the ground, and most of the possessions were simply plundered, not disdaining any values. As the compilers of chronicle documents say, there has never been such a robbery on the territory of Russia.
Faithful servant
Having reached a respectable age, Ilya Muromets took the tonsure and became one of the clergy of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. In the documents, the hero is recorded as "Ilya, nicknamed Muromets." As for the true name, it is so unknown to anyone. Naturally, the hero could not remain indifferent to the fact that the symbol of the Orthodox faith, which had already become a native monastery, could suffer.
In the fight for justice
Studying the holy relics of Ilya Muromets, experts said that the hero fought until the last moment, not wanting to give in to the enemy under any circumstances.circumstances. As evidenced by their conclusion, drawn up on the basis of the results of the inspection, Ilya Muromets received only 2 wounds: one fell on his hand, and the second, although it was insignificant, but by fate hit right in the heart of the knight. In addition, the feet of both legs are missing from the corpse, and there is also a round-shaped wound on the left arm, and another serious injury is noticeable on the surface of the chest on the left side. From this we can conclude that, before dying, the hero tried to cover the area with the cross with his hand. At the sight of this, it seems that from the blow of the spear, the hand was literally “nailed” to the chest. Being in the Lavra, you can see that Muromets is buried in the robe of a white monk. Above the coffin of Ilya Muromets is an icon with his image.
For the first time, for the purpose of a detailed study, the relics of Ilya Muromets in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra were disturbed in 1963. During the Soviet era, the assembled commission erroneously determined that the wounds on the surface of the corpse were skillfully imitated by the servants of the monastery, who bore the rank of monks. And also the members of the Soviet commission took the hero not for a Russian person, who Ilya always was, but for a Mongol.
To thoroughly investigate the relics of Ilya Muromets, Soviet scientists used the most modern equipment brought from Japan. The results of the manipulations were simply amazing. An interesting fact is that the palm of Muromets, pierced by a spear, was seen back in 1701 by a wanderer named Ivan Lukyanov. Other body parts not identifiedwas possible, as the body was wrapped from head to toe in a white veil.
The relics of Ilya Muromets. Where else are they?
One of the cathedrals of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery in Murom has become another refuge for the holy relics of the hero. Here, in a separate room in a decorated sarcophagus, a piece of the body of a knight is preserved. Relics can be applied at almost any time. It's available to everyone.
Even after his death, the epic hero helps people. They say that the relics of Ilya Muromets in Murom are able to heal diseases of the spine and paralysis.
According to medical experts, Ilya Muromets lived in the 12th century, and life expectancy was approximately from 1148 to 1203. The growth of the epic hero was slightly above the average - 1 meter 77 centimeters, but at that distant time a man of such height was considered a giant. This is confirmed even 350 years later, when a merchant from Germany named Martin Gruneweg happened to pass by the capital. Seeing the relics of Ilya Muromets, the merchant fell into a real stupor from the unprecedented strength and greatness of the defender of the Russian land. And this is justified, since the hero Ilya Muromets really had a truly powerful appearance: oblique fathom in the shoulders, muscular torso, wide cheekbones. In a word, everything in the body of the hero inspired confidence and calmness. The strength and power of the hero were also inherited by the Karacharov descendants of Ilya, the men of the Gushchin family, who could easily move the train.
Today you can venerate the relics of the famous Russian hero in several places. Some of them were accepted by the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery (Murom). The remaining particles are stored in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.
