"The Word of Igor's Regiment": a summary of the chapters

In the 12th century, an unknown author created the "Word of Igor's Campaign". A summary of this work is brought to your attention.

Prince Igor leads the campaign of the northern princes. He observes the solar eclipse that occurred on May 1, 1185 and portends a defeat, but still decides to fight to the end and sets off with his squad. From the very beginning of the campaign, Igor’s regiment was haunted by bad omens. The team was supposed to go to the sea, deep into the steppes, to Korsun, Surozh and Tmutorokani, as the author of the story "The Word about Igor's Campaign" writes. A brief summary of parts of this work, like the story itself, begins with the following events.

Omens

The author mentions the omens only briefly, describing them in the paintings: the howl of animals in the night, the click of the Diva, the creak of Polovtsian carts hiding from the Russian squad. Only the night remains until the upcoming first battle. It ends successfully, the army receives rich booty and is located in order to rest in the field. Igor’s squad falls asleep ...

Harsh battles

We continue to talk about the work "The Word of Igor's Campaign". A summary of the following events. There are severe battles with the Polovtsy from Friday to Sunday, which coincide with their description in the Ipatiev Chronicle. The courage of the Russian people is depicted in the martial arts of Prince Vsevolod. He, like the hero of the Iliad, sparkles with a golden helmet and cuts through the hated enemies. Vsevolod thinks neither of the honor of princely tables, nor of his "stomach" (life), nor of Chernigov, nor of the beautiful Glebovna. Such are the princes in the story "The Word of Igor's Campaign". But the bravery of this warrior is vain in the battle on the Kayale River, which became fatal for the Russian squad.

Campaigns of Oleg Svyatoslavich

The author of the story "The Word of Igor's Campaign", a brief summary of the chapters of which is presented in this article, continues to tell us about further events. The campaigns of Oleg Svyatoslavich, the ancestor of Igor, the latter renamed Gorislavovich, evoke sad and heavy memories from the narrator. In princely feuds, people and princes perished. Arrows streaked, the sound of swords was heard, and jackdaws and crows circled over the fields.

At the sight of St. Sophia, the author is mentally transported to Kayale, where the battle has been going on for the third day. Igor turns the shelves to free Vsevolod, his brother, from captivity. But it was too late - on the shore of the Kayala, brave warriors were killed. Perhaps this name is a common noun from the Polovtsian Kaig, Kaigu (the name of the woeful place), or is it Kalmius, Kagalnik, Kalchik. Igor's regiment is defeated.

The Golden Word of Svyatoslav

This is an important part of the work "The Word of Igor's Campaign". A summary of it will be described below. The story continues to cry for the dead, it is said about the further advance of the Polovtsy on the Russian land, the strife is recalled. The author believes that the reason for the current moans of Kiev, its sadness and adversity of the Polovtsy is the imprudence of the princes, their internecine strife, claims to others.

The scene is now moving to Kiev. The Venetians, Germans, Greeks and Moravians are happy about the successes of Prince Svyatoslav and empathize with the misfortune that befell Igor. Svyatoslav has a dream, and then his interpretation of the boyars follows. After that, we are talking about the famous "golden word" of Prince Svyatoslav. In a dream he sees a strange and, as the author says, a spoiled place. The Grand Duke dreamed that a beam cracked in the "golden-domed tower", crows carked and flew to the sea from Obolon. The prince began to prepare for burial, and then mourn.

Boyars answer

This ominous dream of the boyars was interpreted by Svyatoslav. They said that two falcons flew out of the “father’s golden table”, they were captured in Putin's shoes and “wings” to the birds. They mean four captive Russian princes: Vsevolod, Igor, Svyatoslav and Oleg. The speech of the boyars gradually turns into a figurative cry.

Then Svyatoslav pronounces the "golden word", where he reproaches Igor and Vsevolod for arrogance. He wants to avenge his nest, but he already knows how Vladimir Glebovich groans under the Polovtsian sabers.

Appeal to the princes

Then, either the author or the Svyatoslav calls on the forces of all Russia and the princes: Vsevolod and Glebovich, David and Rurik, Rostislavich, Yaroslav Osmomysl and Mstislav with Roman. All of the above are brave warriors. Yaroslav Chernigovsky wins with the steppes of the shelf with one click. Prince Vsevolod can sprinkle the Volga with oars, and scoop up Don with shelles. Rurik and David are not afraid of either blood or wounds.

Then, after mentioning the princes of Polotsk, who are descendants of Vseslav the Prophet, the narrator goes to their ancestor - Vseslav. He is shown in actions near Novgorod and Kiev. In Kiev, he hears the bells of St. Sophia. The hero recalls the once strong connection with Vladimir, at a time when there was no discord between the princes. This is indicated by the author to call for revenge for Igor’s insult.

Igor Returns

What follows is the return of the Grand Duke. His imprisonment is not described at all. The author does not recall a word about the other princes who were captured, as well as the actions of the Polovtsy. The most important actor is still Igor. An important place is also given to his wife, Yaroslavna, who mournes the wounds of her husband and the defeat of the Russian squad, anticipating their imminent return.

Crying Yaroslavna

This episode is rightfully considered one of the most lyrical motifs of the work. On the city visor, in the city of Putivl (located near Kursk), at dawn Yaroslavna mourns her husband. She refers to the elements: the Dnieper-Slovutich, the wind, the sun. The Dnieper can only carry its tears to the sea, the wind - to dispel its joy on the feather grass, and the sun - to pull the bows with thirst for the Rus in an anhydrous field, making them unable to pull the bow.

Igor's escape from captivity

The work "The Word about Igor's Regiment" is coming to an end. You can write a summary for the reader’s diary based on this article by including quotes from the story.

Further events are as follows. The annals of Igor say that God did not leave the righteous in the hands of sinners. And in the "Word" tells of his escape. The author describes in detail how dexterously this prince was chosen, how he overcame the steppes, hiding and hunting for food, how he swam across the Don.

An unknown author recalls the song about the death of Rostislav, the brother of Prince Vladimir Monomakh, which happened a hundred years earlier than Igor went on his campaign. Konchak and Gzak tried to catch the fugitive, but were forced to come to terms with the escape, they even started to count on him as a friend who might turn out to be close by language, customs, and marriage to the steppes. But they were mistaken - Igor is faithful to the Russian land. The author quickly transfers the hero to Kiev, to the delight of people.

The “Word of Igor’s Regiment” ends, a brief summary of which was presented above, in a word to the Russian princes, perhaps still captured, as well as to his dead brave squad.

This work is undoubtedly very important for the history of our country and the further development of Russian literature. But not only writers and poets turned in their work to the work to which this article is devoted (its summary). The opera The Word of Igor's Campaign was created by the great composer Borodin and reflects all the features of the musicality and rhythm of this story.