One of the most famous Russian heroes is considered Alyosha Popovich. He is a character in epics and tales in which the exceptional courage of the mythologized hero is described, comparable only with the strength of Svyatogor. The main occupation of Alyosha Popovich is working in the service of the Kiev prince and protecting the common people from external enemies.
Where did Alyosha Popovich come from
The birthplace of Alyosha Popovich is Rostov the Great. Already in the 13th century, Alexander, or Olesha Popovich, was mentioned in one of the annals. The word "hero" is of Turkic origin, it appeared together with the Tatars after the death of Alexander. Alesha Popovich is known mainly for the victory over Tugarin. The main occupation of Alyosha Popovich is the achievement of feats. Together with Ilya Muromets and Dobrynya Nikitich, Alyosha forms the famous heroic trinity.
Character of a hero
Despite the great fame, the qualities of Alyosha Popovich are not based on strength, but on cunning and resourcefulness. The image of this hero shows a dual and contradictory nature. Courageous and daring, he shows boastfulness, treachery and craftiness. Alyosha’s funny and carefree jokes sometimes turn into evil and insidious ridicule. This gives rise to the comrades to express condemnation to the hero, censure such behavior. A share of dissatisfaction with Dobrynya Nikitich was also caused by the matchmaking of Alyosha to his wife - Nastasya Mikulishne - during the absence of her husband. According to Dobrynya, Alyosha has "envious eyes and raking hands." Envy and pride are a weakness of Popovich’s character. The epic says that once the prince put Ilya of Muromets in a place of honor. This angered Alyosha Popovich so much that he threw a knife at Ilya. Bragging is also a characteristic feature of the character of the hero. Every now and then the hero says to the named brothers: “I am the most remote. I’ve got a little horse. ” According to one version, boasting ultimately ruined not only Alyosha Popovich, but also all the heroes. Despite the vices, Alyosha is a deeply religious person. They said about him, "Aleshkina's prayer reaches God." This hero is very prayerful, it is not without reason that he is the son of the Rostov Protopop. From here came the nickname Alyosha - Popovich.
What did Alyosha Popovich do
What Alesha Popovich was doing before arriving in Kiev, the epic is not narrated. The ancient epos is characterized by cyclization around this city. In this regard, the main occupation of Alyosha Popovich is associated with Kiev exploits. The most archaic plot of his battles is, of course, the battle with Tugarin. This battle overshadows the other exploits of Alyosha Popovich. Tugarin is most often compared with a Polovtsian khan named Tugor-kan. It was he who repaired a lot of evil and misfortune on Russian soil in the second half of the 12th century. With the Russian prince of the khan, related ties were connected. However, this did not stop him from besieging Russian cities and robbing the local population. The gluttony and greed of Tugor-Kan is ridiculed by Alyosha Popovich. Bylina tells us that the hero drove Tugarin from Kiev. In fact, Tugor-kan could be present at the feast at Prince Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, since he had a father-in-law.
The battle with Tugarin
After Alyosha Popovich drove the villain from the banquet, the power of myth turns Tugarin into a dangerous serpent. In response to threats of the enemy to smother him with smoke, to fill up with sparks, to destroy with a flame of fire, to shoot with bunts the hero takes battle. The battle takes place near water. According to one version of the epic, this happens at the Safast River. As a result, Alyosha Popovich defeats Tugarin and cuts his corpse, scattering the remains in a clean field. According to another version, the hero distracted the attention of the enemy, forcing him to look back. At the moment when Tugarin lost his vigilance, Alyosha Popovich cut off his head.
The prototype of the Russian hero Popovich
As in many epics, there was a prototype of the brave hero Alesha Popovich. It was a certain Alexander Popovich, for whom courage was one of the main professional qualities. According to the Tver Chronicle of the XIII century, Alexander Popovich came to Kiev from the Rostov land. The Suzdal Chronicle speaks of the participation and death of this warrior in the battle of 1224 near the Kalka River. However, most of the descriptions of the life of Alexander Popovich were borrowed from the chronicles of folk epics. According to research, in the XIII century a cult of this character was already formed.
Thus, the main occupation of Alyosha Popovich was to protect the Russian land from enemy Tatar forces. One of the most high-profile battles was a duel with Tugarin, which turned out to be a victory for Alyosha and a resounding glory. Subsequently, the battle was mythologized: Tugarin-kan turned into a terrible monster, resembling the Serpent of Gorynych and Idolische Poganoe. In different epics, the battle of Alyosha and Tugarin is described in his own way. Despite several versions of this story, she has only one ending: the hero defeats the villain with his ingenuity and cunning.