Old Russian
literature
Where will our acquaintance with Russian literature begin? From an immersion into “mysteriously past centuries”, into the Russian Middle Ages, during the times of Kievan, and later Muscovite Rus'.
Let's imagine the capital city of Kiev with its cathedrals, White Stone Moscow and its forty-forty, border wild steppes, raids of nomads and retaliatory campaigns of Russian princes, princely feuds, the Tatar-Mongol yoke and the Battle of Kulikovo, the first “foreign” travels, clashes with Western neighbors, Time of Troubles...
These seven centuries were partially reflected in the works of Old Russian literature that have come down to us, from chronicles to secular and military stories written by “old words” - in Old Church Slavonic and Old Russian.
Listen to how the old words sound: even, rtsi, velmi, unysha.“The Dnieper, on the dark birch tree, Rostislav’s mother is crying” - “On the dark bank of the Dnieper, Rostislav’s mother is crying.”
Read ancient books, first handwritten, and then printed and often anonymous, and the world in which our ancestors lived will open to you, and you will find out what made them happy and worried, how they loved and suffered, what they thought about, with whom they fought.
Read the epigraph more carefully. Where do these words come from and what do they mean? Isn’t it true that they contain a warning addressed to our descendants today, to you and me?
We recommend that you get acquainted with the works of academician Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev on ancient Russian literature, addressed to youth and schoolchildren. They tell you in a fascinating and accessible way what you found incomprehensible, complex or boring. And you can easily, playfully answer the questions asked here.
Are you ready to get into the game? Then go ahead! Good luck!
1. Who compiled the first Slavic alphabet and what name did it receive?
2. How can you prove that in Rus' there was a cult of literacy among different segments of the population?
3. The first books were collections of translated and original works. What were they called?
4. Where did Pushkin get the legend about the death of Prince Oleg (“Song of the Prophetic Oleg”)?
5. What was the title of the oldest Russian chronicle and who was its author?
6. The chronicler claimed that the Slavs descended from one of the sons of Noah. Which one?
7. What did the chronicler compare with the rivers that feed the whole world: “these are the rivers that water the universe”?
8. How did Princess Olga take revenge on the Drevlyans for the death of her husband?
9. What phrase did Prince Svyatoslav utter when addressing his squad before the battle: “Let us not disgrace the Russian land, but let us lie down with our bones, the more dead...”?
10. How, judging by the chronicle, did the besieged Belgorodians outwit the Pechenegs, forcing them to lift the siege and treating them to “drink” from the wells?
11. To whom did Prince Vladimir Monomakh address in his “Teaching”?
12. Who were the first Russian saints and why were they canonized? What work was dedicated to them?
13. Do you know of works in ancient Russian literature entitled “The Lay of...”? Why were they called that?
14. What did Metropolitan Hilarion consider “law” and what “grace” in his “Sermon on Law and Grace” (11th century)?
15. There was a genre of “life” in ancient Russian literature. What kind of works are these, and to whom were they dedicated? Give examples.
16. What question does “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” begin with?
17. Whom does the author call “the nightingale of old times”?
18. What artistic declaration does the author proclaim at the beginning of “The Lay...” and does he put it into practice?
19. With whom is the legendary singer Boyan compared in the creative process: “if anyone wants to create a song, then...”?
20. Is the following translation accurate: “mice” is a thought, and “bebryan” is a beaver (“a thought will spread over the tree”, “I will wet the beaver sleeve in the Kayala River”)?
21. With whom did Prince Igor go on a campaign?
22. What epithet is used for the word “horses”: “And let us sit, brothers, on our... horses”? Who says this and to whom?
23. How does Prince Igor define the purpose of his campaign: “to drink...”? What does this expression mean?
24. What kind of epic hero does the buoy-tur Vsevolod resemble, who “wherever he gallops, there lie the filthy Polovtsian heads”?
25. Which Polovtsian khans are mentioned in the “Tale...”?
26. Who are “Dazhdboz’s grandchildren”?
27. Which god appears in “The Lay...” as the patron of the Polovtsians?
28. Will we find out the name of Konchak’s daughter?
29. What refrain, dedicated to farewell to one’s native land, is heard in “The Lay...”?
30. When did the solar eclipse actually occur and what role does it play in the plot of “The Lay…”?
31. On the bank of which river was Prince Igor defeated?
32. What does the author compare the battle to?
33. In Svyatoslav’s “dark dream,” large pearls are poured onto his chest from Polovtsian quivers. What does it symbolize?
34. What “word” does the Kiev prince Svyatoslav pronounce?
35. What poetic device is used in the following phrase: “Have you sat down on my silver gray hair”? Whose words are these?
36. Why did “Kyiv groan with sadness, and Chernigov with misfortune”?
37. What forces of nature does Yaroslavna conjure, asking her to return her beloved, to help her “lada”?
38. Remember the literary fairy tale of the 19th century, the hero of which also turns to the natural elements three times with a request to tell him where his bride is.
39. How does the Lay... speak metaphorically about the captivity of Igor?
40. Who helped the prince escape from captivity?
41. How do plants grieve over the fate of the heroes? What is the name of this artistic technique?
42. And heroes are often compared to birds and animals. Give examples.
43. With what “child” did the princes return to the Russian land from captivity?
44. Why do cities and countries rejoice: “countries are happy, cities are happy”?
45. The author calls Konchak not only filthy, but also... like a character from Russian fairy tales. What was the meaning of this word?
46. Are Christian concepts and church terms mentioned in the “Word...”?
47. Traces of what pagan cult can be found in the work? Give examples.
48. Is the author of “The Lay...” known? Who was he, who is he?
49. What folklore genres did he rely on and what did he call his work?
50. By whom and when was one of the lists of “Words...” found? What was his future fate?
51. Which Russian poet used the images of “The Lay...” soon after its discovery and publication?
52. What poetic translations of “The Word...” do you know?
53. What musical and pictorial works based on the plots of “The Words...” can you name?
54. What is the name of the work about Batu’s invasion of Ryazan and the beginning of the Tatar yoke?
55. Which hero, who with a small squad defeated “the great force - the Tatar army,” is told in this story?
56. The people of Ryazan fought with the Tatars “one with a thousand, and two with you.” How many people are in the dark?
57. Who said about whom: “These people have wings and have no death” and “If such a one served me, I would hold him against my heart”?
58. To whom does the Ryazan prince Yuri address: “It is better for us to buy our belly by death than in a filthy... life”? Fill in the missing word.
59. How does Princess Eupraxia die, who did not want to survive her husband, who was killed by the Tatars?
60. Which ancient Russian monuments glorify the Russian victory over Mamai in the Battle of Kulikovo?
61. Who blessed Prince Dimitri for the battle with the Tatars?
62. What was the name of the Russian monk-hero who defeated the Tatar warrior in single combat?
63. Why is the story about the Battle of Kulikovo called “Zadonshchina”?
64. The author of “Zadonshchina” deliberately builds it by analogy with another ancient Russian work, contrasting the past and the present, defeat and victory: there “the black earth was sown with the bones of Russians” - here..., there “the Gothic maidens rang with Russian gold” - here. .., there “melancholy spilled over the Russian land” - here... . What work are we talking about?
65. What famous theory about the global role of the Russian state was formulated in the 15th century? by the Pskov elder Philotheus: Moscow is the Third Rome after the second - ..., and the fourth ...?
66. What style in ancient Russian literature was called “weaving words”?
67. In “Zadonshchina” the wives of Kolomna are crying and asking the prince to dam the Dnieper with oars and scoop out the Don with a helmet. What does the Dnieper have to do with it, why is it mentioned?
68. Narrating the preparations for the battle, the author writes: “the trumpets are sounding in Kolomna,” “the banners are standing at the great Don.” And where did the trumpets blow and the banners stand in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”?
69. Which Russian poet at the beginning of the 20th century. will address the theme of the Battle of Kulikovo and in which work?
70. In the 16th century. A collection of “teachings and punishments” for husband and wife, their children and slaves, which prescribed how to behave in the family, was very popular. What was the name of this collection?
71. Which story about the love of a prince and a simple peasant girl resembles, on the one hand, a biblical legend, and on the other, a European chivalric romance? Which legend and which novel?
72. How do the lovers in this story overcome death, which cannot separate them?
73. What principle of equality of all in the face of the sovereign was put forward by the 16th century publicist? Ivan Peresvetov: “We are all children...”?
74. What was the title of the first Russian book of travel to distant lands?
75. Which country did Afanasy Nikitin go to and how many years did he spend there?
76. What “first printed” book was published by Ivan Fedorov in 1564?
77. Who was the author of the first political pamphlet in Russian literature - “The Story of the Grand Duke of Moscow” - and to whom was the pamphlet dedicated?
78. What stories of the 17th century. parodied legal proceedings and exposed bribery of judges?
79. Which story tells a story reminiscent of the parable of the prodigal son, but whose hero never returned to his home?
80. Whose portrait is this: “Barefoot, naked, not wearing... not a thread, still with a stripe... girded,” and does he have a heroic voice?
81. Did the young man manage to escape from the Grief that haunted him?
82. What conclusions do the hero and the author come to: “When I have nothing, and to grieve ...” and “And to live in grief - ... to be”?
83. At the court of which king was the first Russian theater created, the performances in which lasted 10 hours in a row?
84. What were the names of the traveling actors in folk booths?
85. Which writer, talking about his 15-year imprisonment, described how he rotted in an “earthen coffin” awaiting death, cursed his tormentors and prayed to God?
86. With whom did he compare himself: “like... lying on my belly in straw”?
87. Which biblical episode does the author interpret in a modern spirit: “The wicked owner fed and watered him, and pushed him out of the yard. A drunk is lying on the street, robbed, and no one will have mercy”?
88. In one story of the 17th century. a young man falls in love with someone else's wife and sells his soul to the devil, and in another, the hero-rogue uses all sorts of tricks to win the hand of a rich bride. Name these stories.
89. As in the 17th century. called ancient Russian poems and why?
90. The greatest poet of the 17th century, who became a monk and became a teacher of the royal children, chose a poetic pseudonym based on the name of his hometown. Who is this poet?
91. How can you understand the title of the book by Simeon of Polotsk “The Multicolored Vertograd”?
92. What is the meaning of the lines written by S. Polotsky: “Parents do not honor their son unless they imitate their virtues”?
93. In ancient Russian literature, female names are rare: heroines are named after their father or husband. Can you give examples of first names, middle names, last names?
94. Do you know any ancient Russian painters? About which of them was a film made by a Russian director of the 20th century?
95. Name the famous monuments of ancient Russian architecture.
1. Slavic brothers from the city of Thessaloniki Constantine (in monasticism Cyril) and Methodius. Cyrillic - based on the Greek alphabet (863-864).
2. Discovery of birch bark letters written by merchants, artisans, peasants (smerds); a tradition of reading aloud and rewriting texts, writing, widespread not only among monks, but also among princes, kings, warriors and boyars.
3. “Selections”, i.e. collections of various works.
4. From the chronicle “The Tale of Bygone Years.” Oleg the Prophet stepped on the skull of his horse, “and the serpent emerged from his forehead and pecked at his leg” (912).
5. “The Tale of Bygone Years, where the Russian land came from, who began the reign in Kyiv and where the Russian land came from” (XII century) - the first words of the chronicle became its title. Monk Nestor.
6. Japheth.
7. Book words, books.
8. She demanded from each courtyard 3 doves and 3 sparrows instead of tribute, ordered burning tinder to be tied to them, and they, returning to their nests, burned the city of Iskorosten.
9. “...it’s a shame not to be an imam” (971).
10. Tubs with jelly and honey were placed in the wells in advance, and the enemies believed that the land itself fed the Belgorodians and they could not be defeated (“The Legend of Belgorod jelly”).
11. To sons and to all Russian princes.
12. Princes, brothers Boris and Gleb. They were canonized as “passion-bearers” - innocently killed by their elder brother Svyatopolk (1015). "The Tale of Boris and Gleb."
13. “The Tale of Law and Grace” by Metropolitan Hilarion (XI century), “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” (XII century), “The Tale of the Destruction of the Russian Land” (XIII century). These works are addressed to the listeners like a spoken speech.
14. Old and New Testaments, proving the superiority of the second over the first.
15. Lives of saints canonized by the Christian Church: “The Life of Theodosius of Pechersk”, “The Life of Alexander Nevsky”, “The Life of Sergius of Radonezh”, “The Life” of Archpriest Avvakum (although the latter does not entirely correspond to the laws of the genre).
16. “Isn’t it stupid for us, brothers, to begin with the old words of difficult stories about Igor’s campaign, Igor Svyatoslavovich?”
17. Boyana - the legendary ancient Russian singer.
18. Write “according to the epics of this time, and not according to Boyan’s plans,” that is, adhere to actual events, and not invent them; however, he himself turns to fiction (for example, Svyatoslav’s “prophetic dream”), and to figurative and rhetorical speech.
19. “...will spread like a mouse over a tree, like a gray wolf across the earth, like a gray eagle under the skies” (“mice” is translated either as a thought or as a squirrel).
20. More likely - “squirrel”, since the system of comparisons is maintained in a single key: squirrel, wolf, eagle (and not thought, wolf, eagle). Bebryan is a special type of silk fabric, not beaver fur.
21. With brother Vsevolod, son Vladimir and nephew Svyatoslav.
22. “...greyhounds”, i.e. fast. Prince Igor to his relatives.
23. “...the helmet of the Don.” Drinking water from the river of a defeated country is a symbol of victory.
24. Ilya Muromets.
25. Gzak and Konchak.
26. This is what the author of “The Lay...” calls the Russians - the sons of the Sun God.
27. Stribog - God of the Winds.
28. No, the khans call her “red maiden.”
29. “Oh Russian land, you are already over the hill!”
30. May 1, 1185, at the very beginning of the campaign, off the coast of Oskol; this sign foreshadowed failure.
31. Kayaly - from the verb “kayati” (to mourn, to regret). It is not clear which real river was meant.
32. With plowing and harvesting: “The ground is black under the hooves, sown with the bones of Russians” and “sheaves are laid with their heads”; with a feast - “Here the brave Russians finished the feast: they gave the matchmakers drink, and they themselves died for the Russian land” (by the way, Konchak is indeed Igor’s matchmaker: their children are engaged); with a thunderstorm - “There will be great thunder! Let it rain like arrows from the great Don!”
33. In Slavic mythology and Russian folklore, pearls mean tears.
34. “A golden word mixed with tears.”
35. Alliteration on the sound “s”. Words of Svyatoslav, Prince of Kyiv.
36. Kyiv sympathizes with the defeat of the princes, and Chernigov suffers from the raids of nomads who raised their heads after their victory and ravaged the south of Rus'.
37. Wind, Dnieper and the sun: the first patronizes the Polovtsians, the latter - the Russians, and the Dnieper Slovutich is the border Slavic river.
38. “The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights” by A. S. Pushkin, in which Prince Elisha addresses the wind, the sun and the moon.
39. “Here Prince Igor moved from a golden saddle to a koschievo saddle,” that is, a slave one.
40. Polovchanin Ovlur.
41. “The grass droops with pity, and the tree bows to the ground with sadness.” Personification.
42. Igor gallops like a wolf, an ermine, swims like a gogol, flies like a falcon; Yaroslavna cries like a zegzice, “a lonely cuckoo crows early in the morning.”
43. With Igor’s grandson Izyaslav - the son of Vladimir and Konchakovna.
44. Return of Igor from captivity.
45. Koshcheem. V. Dahl associates the origin of this word with “bones” (an emaciated, thin person, a miser, a miser). Used in the meaning of “vile slave, infidel.”
46. “Amen”, which ends the “Word...”; “Christians”, etc.; The Polovtsians are called “filthy”: “having suffered for Christians on filthy regiments.”
47. Cult of the Sun: four suns - four princes, Yaroslavna’s appeal to the “blessed Sun”, “The sun is shining in the sky - Prince Igor in the Russian land.” The eclipse of the sun symbolizes the darkening of the light of truth in the prince’s soul.
48. “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” anonymous, author unknown; perhaps he was a warrior of Igor who participated in the campaign, or a close associate of the Kyiv prince Svyatoslav, a supporter of the Olgovichs, who exaggerated their strength.
49. To laments and “glories” (songs of praise). "Word", "song", "story".
50. The collector of ancient manuscripts A.I. Musin-Pushkin in the 90s. XVIII century The original burned down during the Moscow fires in 1812.
51. A. N. Radishchev. “Songs sung at competitions in honor of ancient Slavic deities”; V. A. Zhukovsky. “Singer in the camp of Russian warriors”; A. S. Pushkin. "Ruslan and Ludmila"; K. F. Ryleev. "Bojan."
52. V. Zhukovsky, A. Maykov, K. Balmont, N. Zabolotsky, V. Stelletsky, I. Shklyarevsky, V. Sosnora, V. Kozhevnikov.
53. Opera by A. Borodin “Prince Igor”; paintings by V. Vasnetsov “After the massacre of Igor Svyatoslavovich with the Polovtsy”, V. Perov “Lament of Yaroslavna”, V. Schwartz “Boyan”, K. Vasiliev “Yaroslavna”.
54. “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu” (XIII century).
55. About Evpatiy Kolovrat (probably a nickname meaning “gate, shaft with levers, drill”).
56. Ten thousand.
57. Tatars about the Ryazan people and Batu about Kolovrat.
58. To the squad, “...freedom.”
59. Having learned about the death of her husband, she jumped out of the “high tower” with her little son.
60. “Zadonshchina” (XIV century), “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamaev” (XV century).
61. Sergius of Radonezh.
62. Overexposure.
63. At the place of the battle - “beyond the Don”.
64. About “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.” "...Tatar"; “Russian wives splashed with Tatar gold”; “already joy and riot have spread across the Russian land.”
65. According to this theory, it is in the Russian people that the true Orthodox faith has been preserved, therefore Moscow should become the Christian center. Byzantium. Not to happen.
66. “Weaving verbal wreaths”, i.e. praise with an abundance of complex syntactic structures, increased metaphoricality and rhetorical devices.
67. Yaroslavna addressed the Dnieper; it is a Russian border river.
68. In Novegrad and Putivl.
69. A. Blok. Cycle of poems “On the Kulikovo Field”.
70. “Domostroy”.
71. “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia” - a biblical legend about King Solomon and Sulamith, a novel about Tristan and Isolde.
72. They died on the same day and hour, and they were placed in different coffins, but the next day their bodies ended up together in a common, pre-prepared coffin.
73. “...Adam’s.”
74. “Walking across Three Seas” by Afanasy Nikitin.
75. To India, three years.
76. “Apostle” - a book of apostolic epistles for worship.
77. Prince Andrei Kurbsky - Tsar Ivan IV.
78. “The Tale of Ersha Ershovich” and “The Tale of Shemyakin’s Court.”
79. “The Tale of Woe-Misfortune.”
80. “...Woe,” “...Woe.”
81. Yes, he is saved in the monastery.
82. “...about nothing”, “... not cool.”
83. Alexey Mikhailovich.
84. Buffoons.
85. Archpriest Avvakum.
86. "...doggy."
87. About the devil, who seduced Eve and Adam and left them in trouble after being expelled from paradise.
88. “The Tale of Savva Grudtsyn” and “The Tale of Frol Skobeev.”
89. Virshi (from Latin verse - poems) - syllabic Russian poems were created according to the Polish model. When writing such poems, only the number of syllables (syllab), and not the number of stresses, was taken into account.
90. Simeon of Polotsk (city of Polotsk).
91. An orchard or vineyard in which there are many different varieties of fruits, berries, and flowers.
92. The honor of parents is not transferred to the son if he does not imitate their virtues (the eternal problem of fathers and children).
93. Eupraxia and Fevronia, Yaroslavna and Markovna, Andreeva and Svyatopolch.
94. Theophanes the Greek and Andrei Rublev. A. Tarkovsky made a film about the latter.
95. St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev (XI century), Church of the Intercession on the Nerl (XII century), Trinity-Sergius Monastery (XIV century), ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin (XIV-XVII centuries), St. Basil's Cathedral (XVI century. ), Novodevichy Convent (XVII century), Church of the Transfiguration in Kizhi (XVII century).
Until 912, Kievan Rus was ruled by Prince Oleg on behalf of Igor, since the latter was still very young. Being modest by nature and upbringing, Igor respected his elders and did not dare to lay claim to the throne during the life of Oleg, who surrounded his name with a halo of glory for his deeds. Prince Oleg approved the choice of wife for the future ruler. The Kiev prince Igor married in 903 a simple girl, Olga, who lived near Pskov.
Beginning of reign
After Oleg died, Igor became the full-fledged prince of Rus'. His reign began with war. At this time, the Drevlyan tribe decided to leave the power of Kyiv and the uprising began. The new ruler brutally punished the rebels, inflicting a crushing defeat on them. This battle began numerous campaigns of Prince Igor. The result of the campaign against the Drevlyans was the unconditional victory of Rus', which, as a winner, demanded additional tribute from the rebels. The following campaigns were aimed at confronting the Pechenegs, who, having expelled the Ugor tribes from the Urals, continued their advance to the West. The Pechenegs, in the fight against Kievan Rus, occupied the lower reaches of the Dnieper River, thereby blocking the trade opportunities of Rus', since it was through the Dnieper that the route from the Varangians to the Greeks passed. The campaigns carried out by Prince Igor against the Polovtsians met with varying success.
Campaigns against Byzantium
Despite the ongoing confrontation with the Cumans, new wars continue. In 941, Igor declared war on Byzantium, thereby continuing the foreign policy of his predecessors. The reason for the new war was that after the death of Oleg, Byzantium considered itself free from previous obligations and ceased to fulfill the terms of the peace treaty. The campaign against Byzantium was truly outstanding. For the first time, such a large army was advancing on the Greeks. The Kiev ruler took with him about 10,000 ships, according to the chroniclers, which was 5 times more than the army with which Oleg won. But this time the Russians failed to take the Greeks by surprise; they managed to gather a large army and won the first battle on land. As a result, the Russians decided to win the war through naval battles. But this did not work out either. Byzantine ships, using a special incendiary mixture, began to burn Russian ships with oil. Russian warriors were simply amazed by these weapons and perceived them as heavenly. The army had to return to Kyiv.
Two years later, in 943, Prince Igor organized a new campaign against Byzantium. This time the army was even larger. In addition to the Russian army, mercenary detachments were invited, which consisted of Pechenegs and Varangians. The army moved towards Byzantium by sea and land. The new campaigns promised to be successful. But the surprise attack failed. Representatives of the city of Chersonesus managed to report to the Byzantine emperor that a new large Russian army was approaching Constantinople. This time the Greeks decided to avoid battle and proposed a new peace treaty. The Kiev prince Igor, after consulting with his squad, accepted the terms of the peace treaty, which were identical to the terms of the agreement signed by the Byzantines with Oleg. This completed the Byzantine campaigns.
End of the reign of Prince Igor
According to records in the chronicles, in November 945, Igor gathered a squad and moved to the Drevlyans to collect tribute. Having collected tribute, he released most of the army and with a small squad went to the city Iskorosten. The purpose of this visit was to demand tribute for himself personally. The Drevlyans were outraged and planned murder. Having armed the army, they set off to meet the prince and his retinue. This is how the murder of the Kyiv ruler took place. His body was buried not far from Iskorosten. According to legend, the murder was characterized by extreme cruelty. He was tied hand and foot to bent trees. Then the trees were released... Thus ended the reign of Prince Igor...
According to the definition of literary critic A.S. Orlov, the hero of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” is not any of the princes, but the entire Russian land. How do you understand this thought? What single thought and mood permeates the entire work? What idea, very important for its time, was expressed by the author of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”?
Guys, please help me draw up a complex plan for the essay, thanks in advance): “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” is a great monument of ancient Russian literature.Written by an unknown author, the work is not only a chronicle, but also touches on a very important idea for the state - the strength of Kievan Rus lies in unity. Prince Igor of Novgorod-Seversky is a key figure in the work, and I sympathize with this hero. During a difficult period for the state, Igor headed his principality - the Polovtsian raids depleted the Russian land, enemies tortured the people, besides this, the princes waged internecine wars, and there was no hope of help from his brother in case of trouble. In such a difficult situation, Igor decided to carry out a campaign against the Polovtsians, and although his squad was not very large, all his warriors were true patriots, ready to die for the sake of freedom and independence of Kievan Rus. Historians have ambivalent assessments of Prince Igor’s act; many believe that it was recklessness and the thirst for glory clouded Igor’s eyes, and he led his people to certain death, however, his campaign turned into defeat. However, my opinion is different: would any sane person decide to die, knowing in advance that there could be no other way out? No. I think that Igor, as a very brave, fearless and strong-willed man, counted on victory. Perhaps his military qualities were not at such a high level as to foresee everything, to calculate possible solutions to the battle. However, he was not a madman, he took with him a squad, each warrior of which was worth, perhaps, five Polovtsians, Igor counted on victory and hoped for it. I also like this hero because he is not uniquely positive, Igor has human weaknesses , and he may be wrong. The prince is not an invincible superman, he was captured, but he is very brave and managed to escape. Igor is also a wonderful husband and family man, he loves and is loved, this is evidenced by the grief of his wife Yaroslavna after the news of her husband’s defeat. And even though from a historical point of view the figure of Prince Igor is not so significant, the author of “The Lay” created the image of a noble, brave man with pure thoughts, and I like such a hero.
“The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” tells the story of the campaign against the Polovtsians of Prince Igor Svyatoslavich Novgorod-Seversky, which took place in 1185. From historicalpoint of view, Igor does not belong to those princes who left a deep mark on the history of Russia. He did not glorify himself with anything special, and the campaign, sung by an unknown author in the Lay, ended sadly - the prince and his squad faced an inglorious defeat. Various sources allow us to think differently about the moral character of the prince. Some researchers unconditionally recognize him as a hero who selflessly defended the Russian land. Others consider him a reckless ruler - Prince Igor’s campaign was senseless and was obviously doomed to failure. But, according to these researchers, the Prince of Novgorod-Seversk, although he turned out to be a short-sighted politician, was not devoid of military valor. And still others are inclined to see in him only an insidious and unprincipled self-seeker who decided to appropriate for himself the glory of the defender of his native land, achieved by the Grand Duke Svyatoslav.
HELP HOW TO CONTINUE ESSAY PLEASE
In the 12th century, the Polovtsians were considered the most dangerous enemies for the population of Ancient Rus'. They led a nomadic lifestyle and occupied steppe territories in the Don and Dnieper valleys. Khan Konchak led the Polovtsian raids. In Rus' they called him “a godless, accursed destroyer.”
For Russian princes, military campaigns were not only a way to expand their possessions, but also to raise their own authority.
In 1185 Prince Igor went on a campaign against the Polovtsians.
Prerequisites
Quite a lot of information about Prince Igor Svyatoslavovich in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”". This ancient source describes the weapons and path of the squads, battle tactics.
First stage Prince Igor's campaign against the Polovtsians occurred in the spring of 1185. By this time the prince was 35. Previously, Igor maintained fairly friendly relations with Konchak. The Polovtsians were often involved in internecine wars over neighboring territories. In 1180, the prince, together with the Polovtsian khan, headed to Kyiv. However, the campaign was unsuccessful.
Already 3 years later, an active struggle against the Polovtsians began. Quite often, Igor acted independently: he attacked enemies only with his squad, without turning to neighboring princes for help.
IN stories about the campaign against the Polovtsians, Prince Igor characterized as a courageous and brave warrior. At the same time, he was short-sighted and reckless. He strived for glory and did not particularly care about his land.
A year before Prince Igor's unsuccessful campaign against the Polovtsians, the nomads were defeated by the joint army of Svyatoslav and neighboring princes. In Rus' they thought that nomads would no longer attack the country. However, everything turned out wrong.
The beginning of the path of the Russian army
Except Prince Igor, on a campaign against the Polovtsians his brother, nephew and son participated. The first was Vsevolod Kursky, the second was Olgovich Rylsky, the third was Vladimir Putivlsky. Yaroslav (ruler of Chernigov) sent a detachment of kuev to Igor. These were semi-nomadic peoples who lived in the southern territories of Chernigov land. The head of this detachment was Olstin Oleksich.
Having reached the borders, the Russian soldiers saw a solar eclipse. This was considered a warning sign. However, they did not take it into account and continued moving. After a while, several warriors went in search of the “language”. When he returned, he was told about a large number of nomads preparing for battle. A decision had to be made: either quickly attack the enemy, or turn back. Igor could not go for the second option, otherwise it would be a shame worse than death.
Short description
The bloody battle began in May 1185. According to sources, all tribal groups of nomads went to battle. Several Russian princes, including Igor, were captured. A small group of Russian soldiers was able to escape from the encirclement of the Polovtsians. All the others were killed.
Prince Igor managed to escape from captivity. However, his son remained with the Polovtsians. Vladimir was forced to marry the khan's daughter. Subsequently, he nevertheless returned to his homeland.
Course of events
On the first day of the battle, Prince Igor managed to win. By lunchtime the squad overtook the Polovtsians. The nomads abandoned their tents and moved to the other side of the river. Syurliy.
IN Prince Igor's campaign against the Polovtsians 6 regiments participated. In the center were his warriors, on the right were Vsevolod, on the left were his nephew. These shelves were the main ones. In front of them stood Igor’s son with a detachment of Kui from Chernigov. Another regiment was a combined one. It included archers from all other detachments.
Igor called the regiments to battle. The warriors were protected by chain mail and shields; Russian flags fluttered in the wind. Approaching the river, the warriors saw Polovtsian archers. The latter fired arrows at the Russians and began to run away.
Further along the river the main Polovtsian regiments were located. They also took off running. Vladimir and Svyatoslav with their soldiers began to pursue the nomads. Igor and his brother walked slowly, without disbanding their troops. A lot of booty was captured in the nomadic camp: gold, fabrics, clothes. Polovtsian girls were also captured.
At this time, the nomads pulled their ranks to the battlefield.
Environment
It started at dawn. The Polovtsians began to advance in huge numbers from all sides. The princes decided to leave the encirclement. The warriors got off their guard and began to fight with the nomads.
Vsevolod showed particular courage on the battlefield. Prince Igor was wounded in the arm. The weather was hot, people and horses, who were in the ring of nomads, were cut off from the river. Everyone was thirsty.
The battle lasted all day. Many Russian soldiers were killed and wounded. The next day, the Kui began to flee the battlefield. Igor tried to stop them, but could not. On the way back to the battle site, he was captured.
The best warriors remained in the center of the battle and fought to the death. Captured Igor watched his relatives die and saw the death of Vsevolod.
Consequences of defeat
Unsuccessful ending Igor's campaign against the Polovtsians became a real shock for the Russian people.
Having won the victory, the nomads began the destruction of ancient Russian cities. The invasion was successful, also due to the intense internecine war. None of the princes wanted to help their neighbors. Everyone tried to separate themselves. Moreover, the princes attacked each other frequently. They sought to seize territories and expand their principality.
The nomads, who won the battle, began to move in spiritual directions. First of all, they went to Pereyaslav. The second part headed along the shore of the Seim. The defense in Pereyaslav was held by Vladimir Glebovich. The regiments of the Kyiv prince were sent to help him. The Polovtsians, in turn, decided not to engage in a clash and turned back. On the way to their steppes, they burned the city of Rimov.
conclusions
Igor's defeat in the battle with the Polovtsians clearly showed that the principality alone was unable to cope with the invasion of nomads on its own. The reason for the failure of the campaign is the lack of unity on Russian soil.
After the defeat from the Polovtsians, the borders of Rus' from the steppe became open. This allowed the nomads to freely penetrate Russian soil, destroy cities, and take people captive. Moreover, the Polovtsy carried out raids not only on the border lands, but also went deep into the Old Russian state.
The internecine war between the Russian princes lasted a very long time. Principalities passed from one hand to another. The common people suffered the most from this. If the warriors received at least some income from the battles in the form of captured booty, then the people who worked on the land were left without a harvest after each raid or clash.
Conclusion
Many states wanted to seize Russian lands. However, nomads have always posed a particular danger to the population. They had strong and cruel rulers who managed to unite all the scattered tribes into one horde. It was in unity that their strength lay. In addition, they were mobile, sat well in the saddle, showed courage in battles, felt good in field conditions, and often resorted to cunning.
The lack of unity of the Russian principalities led to very disastrous consequences. The state did not have time to recover from constant raids. As a result, the Tatar-Mongol yoke hung over the principalities for a long time. And it was possible to get rid of him only after the unification of the princes and their squads and the beginning of civil strife in the Horde itself.
"The Tale of Igor's Campaign" in literature, music and painting
Topic: "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" in literature, music and painting
The purpose of the lesson: repetition and consolidation of knowledge; revealing the living connection of the “Word” with the literature of the 19th-20th centuries and other forms of art.
Equipment: music player, portraits of Borodin, Favorsky, engravings of Favorsky.
During the classes
I. The teacher's word.
Communication with the “Word” always gives rise to deep thoughts and strong experiences in a person, awakens the soul and imagination. And this is understandable. “The Word” is the youth of Russian literature, the youth of dreams, noble impulses, passionate desire to help the fatherland, desire for heroic deeds. That is why it is unusually fresh, like a wild flower. He called “The Word” a wild flower of the field, “fragrant, fresh, bright.” And it remains so to this day. And therefore it is not surprising that for more than two centuries the “Word” has been in the field of view of translators, poets, artists, and composers.
2. Checking homework: (computer presentation)
Answers to test questions
Test for the story “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”
1.What real historical fact was used as the basis for “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”?
a) Igor’s unsuccessful campaign against the Polovtsians in 1185;
b) victory over the Polovtsians, won by the Kyiv prince Svyatoslav in 1184;
c) campaign against the Polovtsy of Vladimir Monomakh;
d) internecine feuds of the southern Russian princes
2. The main idea of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” is:
a) glorification of Igor’s feat;
b) condemnation of Igor’s campaign;
c) a passionate appeal to the Russian princes for unity;
d) glory to the Kyiv prince Svyatoslav
3. Which of the heroes of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” “uttered a golden word mixed with tears”?
a) Efrosinya Yaroslavna, Igor’s wife;
b) Svyatoslav, Prince of Kiev;
c) Vsevolod, Igor’s brother;
d) Prince Igor himself
4. Indicate how “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” ends (in terms of plot):
a) the death of Igor and his squad;
b) Igor’s escape from captivity and return to his homeland;
c) Igor remains in captivity;
d) execution of Igor
5. Indicate what type of literature “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” can be classified as.
b) lyrics;
d) lyro-epic
b) Vsevolod;
c) Svyatoslav; d) Yaroslavna
Quiz answers
Questions for the quiz based on the story “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”
1. What question does “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” begin with?
3. Who is the legendary singer Boyan compared to in the creative process: “if anyone wants to create a song, then...”
4. Is the translation accurate: “mice” is a thought?
5. With whom did Prince Igor go on a campaign?
6. How does Prince Igor define the purpose of his campaign: “to drink...”? What does this expression mean?
7. Which Polovtsian khans are mentioned in the Tale...?
8. Will we find out the name of Konchak's daughter?
9. What refrain, dedicated to farewell to one’s native land, sounds in “The Lay...”?
10. On the bank of which river was Prince Igor defeated?
12. What “word” does the Kiev prince Svyatoslav pronounce?
13. What forces of nature does Yaroslavna conjure, asking her to return her beloved, to help her “lada”?
14. Who helped the prince escape from captivity?
15. Heroes are often compared to birds and animals. Give examples.
17. By whom and when was one of the lists of “Words...” found? What was its subsequent fate?
18. What poetic translations of “The Word…” do you know?
19. What musical and pictorial works can you name based on the themes of “The Words...”?
Answers to the test based on the story “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”: 1 a) 2 c) 3 b) 4 b) 5 a) 6 c)
Answers to the quiz based on the story “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”
1. “Isn’t it stupid for us, brothers, to begin with the old words of difficult stories about Igor’s campaign, Igor Svyatoslavlich?”
2. Boyana - the legendary Russian singer.
3. Stick to actual events (however, he himself turns to fiction, Svyatoslav’s dream)
4. “...will spread like a cape over a tree, like a gray wolf across the earth, like a gray eagle under the skies” (“mice” is translated either as a thought or as a squirrel)
5. With brother Vsevolod, son Vladimir and nephew Svyatoslav
6. “...by the shelom of the Don2. Drinking water from the river of a defeated country is a symbol of victory.
7. Gzak and Konchak
8. No, the khans call her “red maiden”
9. “Oh Russian land, you are already over the hill1”
10. Kayaly – from the verb “kayati” (to mourn, to regret).
11. With plowing and harvest, with feast, with thunderstorm
12. “Golden word mixed with tears”
13. Wind, Dnieper and the sun: the first patronizes the Polovtsians, the latter – the Russians, and the Dnieper Slovutich is the border Slavic river (in Pushkin, Prince Elisha refers to the wind, the sun and the month)
14. Polovchanin Ovlur
15. Igor gallops like a wolf, an ermine, swims like a gogol, flies like a falcon; Yaroslavna cries like a zegzice, “a lonely cuckoo crows early in the morning”
17. Collector of ancient manuscripts - Pushkin in the 90s of the 19th century. The original burned down during the Moscow fires in 1812
18. V. Zhukovsky, A. Maykov, K. Balmont, N. Zabolotsky, V. Stelletsky. I. Shklyarevsky, V. Sosnory
19. Borodin “Prince Igor” Vasnetsov “After the massacre of Igor Svyatoslavovich with the Polovtsians”, V. Perov “Yaroslavna’s Lament”, K Vasilyeva “Yaroslavna”, V. Schwartz “Boyan”
3. Individual response
ON RESEARCH ON "THE TELL OF IGOR'S CAMPAIGN" |
Many enthusiasts and lovers of the ancient history of our country, including Musin-Pushkin, Sulukadzev and others, took part in the research of the mysteries associated with the ancient manuscript “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”, including Musin-Pushkin, Sulukadzev and others. Since the 70s of the 20th century. to this day, the “Museum of the Word of Igor’s Campaign” operates on a voluntary basis, where writers, poets, scientists and others present the results of their research on the problems of the “Word...” and the history of our peoples. Trips were repeatedly organized to the places where Igor’s regiments traveled in search of battle areas and burial places of fallen soldiers. Articles and books by both domestic and foreign researchers, including Chinese ones, were published in the press about the results of the research. |
Byzantium, pushing Igor on this campaign, pursued its political and economic goals: expanding the territory of Christian influence of Byzantium, and establishing control over land and water trade routes in the Don and Volga basin. To solve these problems, Igor first wanted to capture the headquarters (capital) of the Polovtsians, which was located 10 km south of the modern village of Sovetskaya on the western bank of the river. Chir. |
In the manuscript “Words...” there is the name of the mysterious bird “Zegzitsa”. Zegsica is a waterfowl, larger than a wild duck, reed-colored and with a large aura (energy field). It has been exterminated on the territory of Ukraine. Currently, this bird species is preserved in India, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. The size of the zegzitz along the body: up to 40 cm in height, and in length with beak and tail - up to 70 cm. There are fewer secrets of the “Word...”.4. “The Word” in literature.
Teacher's message
“The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” has become a living phenomenon not only of ancient literature, but also of modern literature - the 19th-20th centuries. Poets not only translated, but also used his images in their works. Radishchev (in “Songs sung at competitions in honor of ancient Slavic deities”), V. Zhukovsky (in “The Singer in the Camp of Russian Warriors”), (in the poem “Ruslan and Lyudmila”) introduced poetic inlays from “The Lay” into their poetry. , K. Ryleev (in the poems “Boyan”, “Vladimir the Holy”, “Rogneda”), A. Ostrovsky (in the drama-fairy tale “The Snow Maiden”). The images of the “Word” were used with amazing skill in poems about Blok and in the works of I. Bunin. B. Lavrenev populates his story “The Bloody Knot” with images of the “Word”; “The Word” sounds in the poems of Prokofiev, Tychina, Rylsky, Bazhan and many others. Expressive reading by heart of an excerpt from A. Blok’s cycle about Russia “On the Kulikovo Field.”
The images of “The Word..” carry amazing poetic power; they were used by poets along with images of folk poetry. Introduced into modern poetry, they help to feel the connection of times, the eternity of patriotic feelings, the eternity of the landscapes of our Motherland - especially the steppe ones. “The Word” was translated by many word artists: Zhukovsky, Maikov, Mei, Balmont, Zabolotsky.
5. Reading the textbook article “The Word in Literature”
6. Expressive reading of poems (see textbook)
7. “Word” in music.
1) The first student makes a report about.
“A first-class chemist, to whom chemistry owes a lot...”
“Equally powerful and talented in symphony, opera, and romance.”
“Founder, guardian, champion of women’s medical courses, support and friend of students”
This is what contemporaries and the first Russian women doctors said about the same person - about Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin, who was a brilliant composer, one of the creators of organic chemistry, and an outstanding teacher. Borodin possessed two passions: a passion for chemistry and a passion for music. Chemists complained that music distracted Borodin from science, and fellow artists complained that science did not allow him to study music
“Unfortunately, the academic service, committees and laboratory... terribly distracted Borodin from his great work” (critic Stasov)
“Borodin would have stood even higher in chemistry and would have brought even more benefits to science if music had not distracted him too much from chemistry” (Mendeleev)
And yet, how much he did!
42 scientific works, a number of chemical compounds obtained for the first time, powerful symphonies, a large number of chamber instrumental and piano works, romances and songs, often with the words of Borodin himself (he was also a poet!), brilliant articles about music and musicians - this is an incomplete list of what that Borodin created.
Borodin combined in himself what is usually considered incompatible. The question inevitably arises: how could he be both a chemist and a composer? After all, these are such different areas, far from each other. But are they as far away as they seem? The sun of the creative mind illuminates the way for science and art as they search for the truth of life.
Teacher: Many scientific discoveries belong to Borodin, and he wrote many musical works, but Borodin’s most cherished dream, as he admitted, was to write an epic Russian opera.
2) Second student talks about working on the opera “Prince Igor”.
This dream was destined to come true. Borodin began composing the opera in the late 60s of the 19th century. Music critic Stasov suggested to him “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” as a subject. This captivated the composer. Thus began the composer’s inspired and painstaking work on the opera “Prince Igor”.
Borodin's thoroughness as a scientist was also reflected in his approach to composing. The list of historical sources - scientific and literary, which he worked through before starting to create the opera, speaks volumes. Here are various translations of the Lay, and all the fundamental research on the history of Russia. Not only that, Borodin studied Russian chronicles, studies about the Polovtsians, Russian folk songs and tales, songs of Turkic peoples and much more.
But loyalty to historical truth did not blind Borodin to the high poetry of the main source from which he himself created the libretto. This literary monument formed the basis of the opera “Prince Igor”.
3) Third student reveals the ideological content of the opera
Like the author of “The Lay,” Borodin wanted to emphasize that the failed campaign of the Seversky prince was only one episode of the centuries-old clash of peoples. In this clash, land-owning Rus' is on one side, and the nomadic East is on the other. Pechenegs, Polovtsy, Tatars replaced each other like wandering waves of the sea, trying to flood the earth.
It was a struggle between two eras, culture and barbarism, advanced and backward - that struggle in which the destinies of peoples and the destinies of people were forged.
Borodin saw in the Lay not just the campaign of one of the Russian princes against the Polovtsian khans, but a powerful movement of an entire people against the barbarian invasion.
The opera is called “Prince Igor”. But Igor is presented in it not as an individual person, but as an exponent of the will of many thousands of Russian people.
In Borodin, the image of the people appears generalized, strong, calmly majestic. And in his music there is not only determination, strength, but also captivating beauty, which speaks of physical and spiritual power, of the high morality of the Russian person.
4) Fourth student talks about the images of the opera.
The lyrical images of the opera “Prince Igor” also attract attention. These images complement the heroic principle and are the embodiment of high spirituality, complementing the physical beauty and strength of the Russian person.
The central image of the opera is that of Prince Igor. For Igor, being a prince means serving the Russian land, protecting it, fighting its enemies. Igor is the embodiment of the idea of patriotic duty, the embodiment of honor.
To fall with honor or defeat enemies
And return with honor.
The image of Yaroslavn was especially dear to the composer. When he first started working on the opera, he began by writing “Yaroslavny’s Dream.”
...Yaroslavna is crying early on the wall, wailing...
There are few works in world poetry where the power of love, more powerful than all the forces of nature, is so beautifully expressed.
Borodin managed to create in music what the author of “The Lay” created in poetry
In “Yaroslavna’s Lament” we hear the living voice of a woman who has long been no longer in the world. It sounds the eternal grief of many mothers and wives. This is a groan that will not cease until the roar of battles ceases forever throughout the entire earth.
An excerpt from the opera “Prince Igor” is played.
8. “Word” in painting
Teacher: Thanks to the talented music and its originality, the opera “Prince Igor” occupies one of the first places in Russian classical music. But opera is an extraordinary musical genre. This is a genre that combines theatrical performance, music and painting.
1) First student talks about Roerich’s decorations for the opera “Prince Igor”.
Noisy, well-deserved success befell Roerich in 1909, when the first “Russian season” opened at the Chatelet theater in Paris. Diaghilev brought the achievements of Russian art to the attention of the demanding French public. The music of Mussorgsky, Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Borodin sounded in the hall. Chaliapin and Smirnov sang. Pavlova, Karsavina, Fokine, Nijinsky danced. The scenery and costumes were made according to sketches by Benois, Korovin, and Roerich.
“These are the colors! What a decoration! I just returned from Russia, and it’s like this everywhere!” - said the artist Maurice Denis.
He was unanimously supported by other famous masters. Jacques Blanche admired: “I would like to visit the Chatelet every evening precisely for these colors, to saturate my vision with them.”
Roerich designed “Polovtsian Dances” from the opera “Prince Igor” by Borodin
The same Jacques Blanche wrote to the Le Figaro newspaper: “I do not have the honor of knowing Roerich personally. I judge him only by the scenery in “Chatelet” and find it wonderful... As for the scenery of “Igor”, from the very beginning it is a complete enchantment for the eye.”
Roerich's success was also welcomed by his compatriots. V. Serov wrote to Nikolai Konstantinovich: “I congratulate you on the success of your decorations in Paris - I really liked them.”
In 1908 – 1909 he wrote sketches of “Putivl”, “Galitsky’s Courtyard”, “Yaroslavna’s Tower”.
Teacher: “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” is a literary work. A literary work lives in a book. Every book is made richer by being decorated with illustrations. Especially famous are the illustrations for “The Lay” made by the Palekh artist Golikov, as well as engravings by Favorsky. Let's turn to them.
2) Student messages about Favorsky's engravings
V. And Favorsky admitted: “I really love the epic poem “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.” I designed and illustrated “The Lay” because this epic work, when you turn to it, always delights me. It is difficult, in my opinion, even in world literature to find anything epic equal to “The Word.” Its characteristic feature is that which is also characteristic of ancient Russian painting: in Russian art, painting and poetry, one encounters monumental painting.”
When an artist undertakes to illustrate a perfect literary work of art, one of the most difficult tasks facing the book artist is to convey the style of the literary work in design. And the artist coped with this task.
Favorsky read “The Tale” wonderfully, and therefore, thanks to his sensitive understanding of the text, he managed to create a synthesis of a poetic legend with a historical document.
The people living in the engravings are full of human passions and psychological in the best sense. As Fedin wrote, “the fabulous life of our forefathers is understandable, close, and touching to us, as if it happened in our memory and is quite real.” The story about Igor's tragedy is perceived as an imperishable fairy tale, filled with song charm and sublime.
With his heart and mind, the master approached that epic time and heard within himself the wonderful voice of the author of the “Word”, enriched the poetic essence of the “Word” into visible images full of majestic beauty.
The heroes of the poem live and act among nature, their life resonates in it.
How wonderfully the closeness of man to nature and the worship of her powers are expressed in the scene “Yaroslavna’s Lament”! Conquers the quiet vastness of the distances - the word of man is addressed to them. Yaroslavna’s poetic recitative finds a full-voiced response in the bushes across the river, and in the waters of the Dnieper, and in the radiance of the sun:
I'll fly like a cuckoo along the Danube,
I’ll wet the beaver sleeve in the Kayala River,
In the morning the prince will see his bloody wounds
on his mighty body.
Nature in Favorsky’s illustrations is not indifferent to the fate of the Russian people! A bright song of joy sounds in the meadows, fields and forests of his native land, along which Igor hurries from captivity.
People are rejoicing, the earth is flooded with festive light. And how convincingly this idea is expressed! We cherish the bearded ancestors who send greetings to the prince with dignity. And the wonderful children, running wildly to meet the recent captives!
I would like to say about the engravings in the words of Pushkin: “What depth! What courage and what harmony!..”
The main advantage of Favorsky's engravings is that they are organically fused with the book, with the text.
Precision and depth of thought are the primary quality of book engraving. When a person picks up a book, he is prepared for the active work of thought.
Favorsky's engravings for the Lay do not distract, but help to read. As he noted, “tears fall on such drawings, the Russian soul lives on.”
Work with engravings by Favorsky. Exercise: choose titles for the engravings using lines from the “Words”.
Teacher: The subjects of “The Lay” were widely used in Russian painting. Let us recall Schwartz’s paintings “Yaroslavna’s Lament” and “Boyan”, Perov’s painting “Yaroslavna’s Lament”, Maksimov’s “Prophetic Eclipse”. Particularly famous is the painting by V. M. Vasnetsov “After the Battle of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsians.”
3) Student message about the picture.
The large historical canvas was completed by Vasnetsov in 1880. This work, which resurrected the distant past, uniquely reflected the thoughts and feelings that worried the artist’s contemporaries. Vasnetsov, in a beautiful military story imbued with sadness, “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”, found thoughts and images that were in tune with his time.
The epigraph to Vasnetsov’s work is the lines of “The Lay”:
Igor's regiments fell.
There's not enough bloody wine here,
Here the brave Russians finished the feast, |
They got the matchmakers drunk and died themselves
For the Russian land.
Being an artist of a lyrical nature and passionately loving his homeland, Vasnetsov found poetic motives for his future work in “The Lay”. His painting is an epically majestic work that evokes deep admiration for the heroic death of the heroes who fell for their homeland.
Solemn silence reigns on the battlefield. The steppe is covered with the bodies of killed soldiers - Russians and Polovtsians. Russian heroes rest majestically. They died the death of heroes. A deep impression is left by the mighty hero who fell with his arms outstretched wide, and by the beautiful young man pierced by an arrow in the heart. These images determine the idea of the painting - the greatness, nobility and beauty of the accomplished feat.
All over the field next to the Russians lie defeated Polovtsians. They died in convulsions and lay face down, on their sides, on their backs, twisting painfully. Eagles fight in the air. In the foreground on the left is an eagle preening its feathers. The horizon is covered with blue clouds, the moon is dark, red, as if washed in blood. Dusk falls on the steppe.
Landscape plays a big role in the film “After the Massacre.” It is poetic and epically deep. The whole tone of the landscape with gloomy thunderclouds, a heavy blue veil, the reigning dead stillness, which is not disturbed by the eagles grappling in battle, and the alarmingly gloomy appearance of the rising moon are expressed by the inspired images of “The Lay.” The entire structure of the picture and its pictorial solution are poetic and expressive. It comes from the imagery and mood of the “Word”
9. Final word from the teacher.
On one Greek tombstone the following words are read: “I was not, - was, - never will be.”
These words need to be argued. Dying, a person continues to live - he lives in his affairs. And it is important to note that only the best has lived, lives and will live in man. The best in man is immortal. This applies even more to monuments of art. The best works of art and, in particular, the best works of literature continue to participate in the life of the people and their literature.
That is why “The Lay,” which continues to live in the works of the 19th and 20th centuries, we have the right to consider a work not only of ancient, but also, to a certain extent, of modern literature. It is alive and active, infects with poetic energy, teaches literary skill and love for the homeland.
For more than seven and a half centuries, the “Word” has lived a full-blooded life, and the power of its influence not only does not weaken, but continues to grow and expand. Such is the power of “The Lay of Igor’s Campaign” over time, its living connection with the worldview and creativity of the entire people.
Used Books.
1. D. Likhachev. “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” - the heroic prologue of Russian literature” - Leningrad, ed. “Fiction”, 1967
2. P. Belikov, V. Knyazeva “Roerich” ZhZL - M.: White Guard, 1973
3. M. Ilyin, E. Segal “Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin” - M.: Pravda, 1989
4. M. Tretyakova “Russian music of the 19th century” - M.: Education, 1976.
5. “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” in engravings - M.: Art, 1987
6. Old Russian literature. - M.: Bustard: Veche, 2002.
7. Abas-, teacher of Russian language and literature Development of a literature lesson “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” in literature, music and painting
