Today we will consider "The Legend of Belgorod kissel." A summary of the story is given below. If you don’t have time to read the full version, our article will help you.
Steppe peoples
If you want to plunge into the distant days of Kievan Rus, read "The Legend of Belgorod kissel." We begin with a summary of how the Pechenegs once came to Belgorod. During the time of Kievan Rus, the steppe peoples often attacked this state. The Pechenegs also came with a war, however, they could not take the city with an attack. Then they surrounded him and began to besiege him.
Cunning
The next part of the famine begins tells the story of the Belgorod kissel. The summary will continue with a description of the state of siege. Exhausted people were gripped by unprecedented despair. And they decide to surrender to the Pechenegs. The short story “The Legend of Belgorod Kissel” will continue with a description of the veche that was collected on this issue. That was the name of the assembly in the times of ancient Rus. The people declared that they wanted to surrender to the Pechenegs and would allow them to kill whom they wanted, and whom they wanted to let go, because such a way out is better than certain death from starvation.
After some time, an elderly man rises and gives smart advice. He suggests not giving life to enemies, but trying to outwit them. The elder gave the task to collect at least one handful of bran, wheat or oats from each of the yards. When everything was needed, local women made a talker. After that, they dug a well and placed a small tub in it, poured a chatter into it. A day later, residents in the city invited several Pechenegs to negotiations. Seeing how people get food from the well, and then eat it, the opponents were very surprised. The townspeople then told the Pechenegs that the people of Belgorod could not be defeated even in ten years, since they received food from the land itself. Enemies believed that nature itself was on the side of Kievan Rus and realized that they could not stand the Russians. So the enemies left the city walls empty-handed.
Notes
"The Legend of Belgorod kissel" - literature that refers to the "Tale of Bygone Years." To understand it, one should know the meaning of some Old Russian words. For example, clay pans, which had high edges, as well as a hollow handle, were called patches. Belgorod is a city on the Irpeni River, which is the right tributary of the Dnieper. It was located near Kiev, was founded in 991. Korchaga is a large vessel made of clay, which has one or two handles.
"The Legend of Belgorod kissel" was composed by the Russian people and passed it on to subsequent generations. Ordinary people have become authors of many legends. It was they who became the first folk art and formed the basis of the Russian state, its cultural and artistic embodiment. The traditions reflect various folk ideals, among which are love for the homeland, resourcefulness and intelligence. Now you know what the “Tale of Belgorod kissel tells”. A summary of the epic we gave above.