The history of mankind knows many examples of heroism and courage. They came to us thanks to chroniclers, oral creativity, myths and legends. This is very important for future generations: descendants should be proud of their national heroes, even if the events took place more than a thousand years ago! Not everyone knows what feat the Kiev youth accomplished, and at what times this happened.
Learning Literature
Of course, The Tale of Bygone Years, recorded by Nestor, required translation and processing so that this historical work was clear to the modern reader. The content of legends and historical events is brought to us by ancient Russian literature. The feat of the youth-Kiev is already set forth in modern Russian. Today, the legend is studied in schools by fifth-grade students. For children, some old Russian words, the name of tribes, peoples remain incomprehensible. To make archaisms easier to remember, you should create a small dictionary for yourself: during the teacher’s explanation, write down the meaning of expressions or individual names. Children may not know what a lad, a fatherland, a Pecheneg, or a gripe are. Although in parallel in the lessons of history, children study Ancient Russia and hear some terms.
Quote Plan
The feat of the boy from Kiev is better perceived by children if the teacher recommends them to draw up a work plan. It is desirable that this be a quotation plan: it is enough to use phrases from the text that display the contents of the episode. It might look like this:
- the Pechenegs came to Russian land;
- besieged the city by great power;
- who would be able to cross to the other side;
- said the lad: “I will make my way!”;
- people will surrender to the Pechenegs;
- got into the boat and loudly blew;
- an army follows me;
- gave Pretich a horse, a saber and arrows;
- Svyatoslav returned to Kiev.
The monument, built in honor of the victory of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich over the Pechenegs, now towers above the Dnieper in Zaporozhye.
Each part of the story is easily remembered and retold, thanks to the use of the quote plan. The teacher can invite students to read the work in roles. In such lessons, children begin to understand the importance of the appearance of writing, books, annals for becoming a Christian Russia. Today, many schoolchildren know what feat the Kiev youth accomplished thanks to the lessons of literature and history. In honor of this feat, St. Sophia Cathedral was built.
Books and annals
Until the eleventh century, books came to Russia only from Byzantium, and then from Bulgaria. These were translations of foreign authors. The first works of ancient Russian writers appeared only in the eleventh century: this is the work of Hilarion and the annals. In other countries, this genre was not known. In the XII century, the monk Nestor makes additions and corrections in the old chronicles and gives them the name "The Tale of Bygone Years." Temporary summers mean past years. The annals describe the life and work of all the princes of Russia: the author especially emphasizes the idea that only the love of brothers and the desire for peace could unite them. Love for the motherland, respect for the land of their ancestors - the motherland - is the main motive of the whole work. And although the beginning of the book is similar to traditions and myths, the reader receives information about the historical figures who created the first principalities of Ancient Russia. Part of the tales is a description of what feat was accomplished by the Kiev youth and governor Pretić.
The legend of the hero's deed
This happened in the summer of 968 or, according to the calendar of those times, in 6476. The principalities were constantly subjected to attacks by eastern tribes. But this summer, for the first time, the Pechenegs encroached on the Principality of Kiev . At this time, in the city of Kiev was not Svyatoslav: he was in Pereyaslavts. Here his mother remained - Princess Olga with her grandchildren, the children of Svyatoslav.
These were his three sons: Oleg, Vladimir and Yaropolk. She locked herself with them in the city of Kiev, and they did not have the opportunity to get out of there: the Pechenegs besieged him with great force. It was not possible for the population to go outside the city, it was impossible to send news and ask for help. People were exhausted from hunger and thirst.
Kiev youth and feat
On the other side of the Dnieper, people also gathered who could not get to Kiev through a huge horde of Pechenegs to help the city residents or deliver food and water there. They stood ready in the boats on the opposite bank and could not do anything.
The population of the city was trying to find someone who could get through the ranks of the enemies and inform the detachments that if they did not approach Kiev, they would have to surrender to the Pechenegs. And one Kiev youth declared that he would make his way to “his”. People told him: “Go!”
This boy knew the language of the Pechenegs. He picked up the bridle and went with her into the camp of the enemy. He ran through their ranks and asked if anyone had seen his horse? They mistook the young man for their man. Having reached the Dnieper, he threw off his clothes and threw himself into the water. The Pechenegs saw his maneuver and rushed after him, fired: but nothing could be done.
Voivode Pretić and his trick
People on the opposite bank noticed that the Kiev youth had thrown himself into the water and swam towards them. They went on boats to meet him, lifted him aboard and brought him to the squad. The lad said that if warriors do not approach tomorrow, people will have to surrender to the Pechenegs. The governor was Pretich, and he offered to approach the city in the boat, capture Princess Olga and the princes, and rush off to the opposite bank. If they do not do this, save the princes, Svyatoslav will not forgive this and destroy them. This feat was accomplished by a Kiev youth, reporting on the difficult situation of Kiev.
Governor's plan
According to Pretich’s plan, at dawn, the squad sat down in the boat and with trumpet sounds moved to Kiev. People in the city, having heard the sounds of trumpets, screamed. The Pechenegs scattered in all directions: it seemed to them that it was Prince Svyatoslav himself who came. Princess Olga withdrew from the city with her grandchildren, a retinue, and headed for the boats. The Pecheneg prince, having noticed this, returned to the rooks on his own and asked Pretich about who they were? To which I received an answer that these are people from the other side of the Dnieper. To the question of the Pecheneg prince if he was Svyatoslav, Pretić answered that they were the foremost joy, and a huge army headed by Prince Svyatoslav was moving behind them. He specifically said so to scare the Pecheneg prince. This solved all the contradictions: the Pecheneg offered Pretich friendship and he accepted it. They shook hands and exchanged armor: the prince received a shield, a sword and chain mail, and Pretich received a horse, arrows and saber.
Victory over enemies
Despite the truce and the retreat of the Pechenegs from the city, the danger of being captured remained. The enemy remained standing as a dense camp on the Lybed River, and it was impossible for the inhabitants to bring horses to drink. And then the residents of Kiev decided to send a messenger to Svyatoslav with words about the danger that threatens them. They reproached the prince for fighting and taking care of a foreign land, he left his native side. And the Pechenegs almost captured both his mother and his children. Residents called the prince for help, asked to protect. As soon as these news reached him, Svyatoslav, together with his team, quickly returned to Kiev, where his mother and three sons met him.
He very much lamented what all of them had to endure. Svyatoslav gathered his entire squad and drove away into the field of all the Pechenegs. Then came the peace time.
Now, to the question of what feat the Kiev youth accomplished, everyone can say that he saved the inhabitants of the ancient city and the family of Prince Svyatoslav. This is today called patriotism and love for the motherland.