The history of mankind knows many examples of heroism and courage. They have come down to us thanks to chroniclers, oral tradition, 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 a feat the boy from Kiev accomplished, and at what times it happened.
Study in Literature class
Of course, The Tale of Bygone Years, written by Nestor, required translation and processing in order for this historical work to be understandable to the modern reader. The content of legends and historical events is conveyed to us by ancient Russian literature. The feat of the lad-Kievite is already described in modern Russian. Today, the legend is studied in schools by fifth grade students. For children, some old Russian words, the names of tribes, peoples remain incomprehensible. To make it easier to remember archaisms, you should compile a small dictionary for yourself: during the teacher’s explanationwrite down the meaning of expressions or individual names. Children may not know what a lad, fatherland, Pechenegs, grieve. Although at the same time in history lessons, children study Ancient Russia and hear some terms.
Quote plan
The feat of a boy from Kiev is better perceived by children if the teacher recommends that they draw up a plan for the work. It is desirable that this be a quotation plan: it is enough to use phrases from the text that reflect the content of the episode. It might look like this:
- the Pechenegs came to the Russian land;
- besieged the city with great power;
- who could get over to the other side;
- said the boy: "I'll get through!";
- will people surrender to the Pechenegs;
- sat in the boats and trumpeted loudly;
- an army is following me;
- gave Pretich a horse, saber and arrows;
- Svyatoslav returned to Kyiv.
The monument, built in honor of the victory of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich over the Pechenegs, still towers over the banks of the Dnieper in Zaporozhye.
Each part of the story is easy to remember and retold, thanks to the use of a quotation plan. The teacher can invite students to read the work in roles. At such lessons, children begin to understand the significance of the appearance of writing, books, annals for the now Christian Russia. Today, many schoolchildren know about what a feat the boy from Kiev accomplished thanks to the lessons of literature and history. Sophia Cathedral was built in honor of this feat.
Booksand chronicles
Until the 11th century, books came to Russia only from Byzantium, and then from Bulgaria. These were translations of foreign authors. The first works of already ancient Russian writers appeared only in the eleventh century: this is the work of Hilarion and the chronicle. In other countries, this genre was not known. In the XII century, the monk Nestor makes additions and corrections to the old chronicles and gives them the title "The Tale of Bygone Years". Temporary summers means past years. The chronicle describes the life and work of all the Russian princes: the author especially emphasizes the idea that only the love of the brothers and the desire for peace could unite them. Love for the Motherland, respect for the land of their ancestors - the fatherland - is the main motive of the whole work. And although the beginning of the book is similar to legends and myths, the reader receives information about the historical figures who created the first principalities of Ancient Russia. Part of the stories is a description of what a feat the youth from Kiev and the voivode Pretich performed.
The legend of the feat of the youth
It happened in the summer of 968 or, according to the calendar of those times, in 6476. Principalities were constantly attacked by eastern tribes. But this summer, for the first time, the Pechenegs encroached on the Kiev principality. At that time, Svyatoslav was not in the city of Kyiv: he was in Pereyaslavets. His mother, Princess Olga, remained here with her grandchildren, Svyatoslav's children.
These were his three sons: Oleg, Vladimir and Yaropolk. She locked herself with them in the city of Kyiv, and they were not able to get out of there:the Pechenegs laid siege to it with great force. It was not possible for the population to leave the city, it was impossible to send news and ask for help. People were exhausted from hunger and thirst.
Youth from Kiev and the feat
On the other side of the Dnieper, people also gathered who could not get to Kyiv through a huge horde of Pechenegs to help the residents of the city or deliver provisions and water there. They stood ready in the boats on the opposite bank and could not do anything.
The population of the city tried to find someone who could get through the ranks of the enemies and inform the detachments that if they did not approach Kyiv, then the Pechenegs would have to surrender. And then one lad from Kiev declared that he would make his way to "his own". The people told him, "Go!"
This boy knew the language of the Pechenegs. He took the bridle in his hands and went with it to 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, firing: but nothing could be done.
Voevoda Pretich and his cunning
People on the opposite bank noticed that the boy from Kiev rushed into the water and swam towards them. They went on the boats to meet him, lifted him on board and delivered him to the squad. Otrok said that if the soldiers did not come to the city tomorrow, then people would have to surrender to the Pechenegs. The governor was Pretich, and he offered to approach the city in boats, capture Princess Olgaand princes, rush to the opposite shore. If they do not do this, if they do not save the princes, then Svyatoslav will not forgive this and will destroy them. A real feat was accomplished by a youth from Kiev, reporting on the plight of Kyiv.
Governor Plan
According to the plan of Pretich at dawn, the squad sat in the boats and moved towards Kyiv with trumpet sounds. People in the city, hearing the sounds of trumpets, screamed. The Pechenegs rushed in all directions, in all directions: it seemed to them that Prince Svyatoslav himself had come. Princess Olga left the city with her grandchildren and her retinue and went to the boats. The Pecheneg prince, noticing this, returned to the rooks on his own and asked Pretich about who they were? To which he received an answer that these were people from the other side of the Dnieper. When asked by the Pecheneg prince whether he was Svyatoslav, Pretich replied that they were the foremost joy, and a huge army led by Prince Svyatoslav was moving behind them. He specifically said so to scare the Pecheneg prince. This resolved all the contradictions: the Pecheneg offered friendship to Pretich, and he accepted it. They shook hands and exchanged armor: the prince received a shield, sword and chain mail, and Pretich received a horse, arrows and a saber.
Defeat your enemies
Despite the truce and the retreat of the Pechenegs from the city, the danger of being captured remained. The enemy remained standing in a dense camp on the Lybed River, and it was impossible for the inhabitants to bring the horses to drink. And then the inhabitants of Kyiv decided to send a messenger to Svyatoslav with words about the danger threatening them. They reproached the prince for fighting and taking care of foreign land, heleft 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 retinue, quickly returned to Kyiv, where he was met by his mother and three sons.
He lamented a lot about what they all had to go through. Svyatoslav gathered his entire squad and drove all the Pechenegs far into the field. After that, peacetime came.
Now, to the question of what feat the boy from Kiev accomplished, everyone can say that he saved the inhabitants of the ancient city and the family of Prince Svyatoslav. Today this is called patriotism and love for the Motherland.
