The legend about the first Russian saints, princes Boris and Gleb, is widely known and very popular in our country. And few people know that the real circumstances of the death of these princes have nothing to do with their description in the canonical "Legend of the saints and noble princes Boris and Gleb". The fact is that the mentioned "Legend …" is not a historical source, but a literary work, which is a retelling of the 10th century legend about the martyrdom of the Czech prince Wenceslas, in places almost literal.
Wenceslas, Czech prince from the Přemyslid family, saint, revered by both Catholics and Orthodox, years of life: 907-935 (936)
It was written during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise's son Izyaslav around 1072 and was a reaction to a very specific historical situation: the brothers tried at that time to drive (and did) Izyaslav from the Kiev throne. The canonization of brother-loving Boris and Gleb was supposed to moderate (but did not moderate) the claims of the younger brothers of Izyaslav. The unfortunate Svyatopolk turned out to be the most suitable candidate for the role of the villain, since he had no offspring left that could protect his honor and dignity. An indirect proof that contemporaries did not consider Boris and Gleb saints is the fact that for 30 years after their murder (until the second half of the 1040s) not a single Russian prince was named by these names (either Roman or David - baptismal names of these princes). Only the sons of the Chernigov prince Svyatoslav (grandsons of Yaroslav) have the names Gleb, David and Roman. The next Roman is the son of Vladimir Monomakh (great-grandson of Yaroslav). But the name Svyatopolk appears in the prince's family during the life of Yaroslav: he was given to the firstborn of the eldest son of the prince - Izyaslav.
In this situation, the interests of Izyaslav merged with the interests of the local Orthodox clergy, which, having received the first Russian saints, could not allow competition from other sources (and even more so - discrepancies) with the "Legend …". And since the chronicles were compiled in monasteries, all the old texts were brought in line with the official version. By the way, an absolutely neutral Greek Metropolitan expressed great doubts about the "sanctity" of Boris and Gleb, this is not denied even by the "Legend …", but, in the end, he was forced to give in. Currently, this legend has been archived by serious historians and is being promoted mainly by the Orthodox Church.
"In the historiography of the twentieth century, the opinion was firmly established that princes Boris and Gleb cannot be regarded as martyrs for Christ's sake or for the sake of faith, since they became saints for reasons that had nothing to do with their religion", -
Andrzej Poppa, a professor at the University of Warsaw, confidently declares in his work.
He is not alone in his opinion. Any impartial historian studying the events of those years inevitably comes to the conclusion that "blessed", out of this world, Boris could not have become a favorite of the warlike prince Vladimir, whose character, judging by the facts of the chronicles, and not by the insertions of later scribes, has not changed a bit after the adoption of Christianity.
What happened on the territory of Kievan Rus in those early years? By the time of the death of Vladimir Svyatoslavich, his son Boris was in Kiev in fact in the role of co-ruler of a huge country, which, of course, could not please his brothers. As a result, Vladimir's eldest son, Svyatopolk, was accused of treason and thrown into prison. The German chronicler Titmar von Merseburg (July 25, 975 - December 1, 1018) reports:
"He (Vladimir) had three sons: to one of them he married the daughter of our persecutor, Prince Boleslav, with whom the Bishop of Kolobrzeg Rheinbern was sent by the Poles … him to fight, seized him with his wife and the bishop and locked him in a separate dungeon."
Titmar of Merseburg
Yaroslav, according to S. Solovyov, "did not want to be Boris's mayor in Novgorod and therefore was in a hurry to declare himself independent," refusing in 1014 to pay an annual tax of 2,000 hryvnias. The old prince began preparations for a war with him, but, in the words of the chronicler, "God will not give the devil joy": in 1015 Vladimir suddenly fell ill and died. Svyatopolk, taking advantage of the confusion in the city, fled to his father-in-law - the Polish king Boleslav the Brave (and appeared in Russia only three years later - together with Boleslav).
Boleslav the Brave
In Kiev, the beloved son of Vladimir, Boris, remained, who gathered troops to continue his father's work and punish the rebellious brothers. As a result, a fierce war broke out between the talented and ambitious sons of Prince Vladimir. Each of them had their own priorities in foreign policy, their allies and their own views on the further development of the country. Yaroslav, who ruled in Novgorod, was guided by the countries of Scandinavia. Boris remained in Kiev - to the Byzantine Empire, Bulgaria, and he never disdained an alliance with the Pechenegs. Unloved by his father (more precisely, his stepfather - Vladimir took the pregnant wife of his murdered brother) Svyatopolk - to Poland. Mstislav, who sat on the reign in the distant Tmutorokan, also had his own interests, and, moreover, very far from the general Russian ones. The fact is that the Slavs among his subjects were a minority, and he depended on the mixed population of this coastal principality no less than Yaroslav on the willful inhabitants of Novgorod. Bryachislav, the father of the famous Vseslav, was "for himself" and for his own Polotsk, pursuing a cautious policy according to the principle "a bird in the hands is better than a crane in the sky." The rest of Vladimir's sons died quickly, or, like Sudislav, were imprisoned, and did not play an important role in the events of those years. Yaroslav, the builder of cities and cathedrals, a scribe and educator, who later did so much to spread and consolidate Christianity in Russia, ironically found himself at that time at the head of a pagan party. In the civil war, he could only rely on the Varangians, many of whom found themselves in a foreign land because they preferred Thor and Odin to Christ, and on the Novgorodians, who could not forgive Vladimir and the Kievites who came with him for the recent "baptism with fire and sword." Having won the internecine war, Yaroslav managed to combine all of the above tendencies in his foreign policy, for which he was later named the Wise. He himself was married to a Swedish princess, one of his sons was married to the daughter of a Byzantine emperor, the other to a German countess, and his daughters were married to the kings of France, Hungary and Norway.
Yaroslav the Wise, sculptural reconstruction by Gerasimov
But let's return to 1015, in which Yaroslav, who loved to surround himself with Scandinavians, almost lost the favor of his Novgorod subjects:
"He (Yaroslav) had many Varangians, and they committed violence to the Novgorodians and their wives. The Novgorodians revolted and killed the Vikings in Poromon's courtyard."
The prince, in response, "summoned the best men for himself, who killed the Varangians, and, having deceived them, also killed them." However, the hatred of the Novgorodians towards the Kievites at that time was so great that for the sake of the opportunity to take revenge on them, they accepted Yaroslav's apology and made peace with him:
"Although, prince, our brothers have been excised, - we can fight for you!"
Everything would be fine, but as a result of these events on the eve of a decisive clash, when every professional soldier was counted, Yaroslav's Varangian squad was greatly thinned. However, news of an imminent war in Gardariki had already reached Eimund Hringson, the leader of the Vikings, who just at that time had a falling out with the local authorities:
"I heard about the death of King Valdimar from the East, from Gardariki (" Country of Cities "- Russia), and these possessions are now held by his three sons, the most glorious men. The other is called Yaritsleiv (Yaroslav), and the third is Vartilav (Bryachislav). Buritslav holds Kenugard ("Ship city" - Kiev), and this is the best principality in all Gardariki. Yaritsleiv holds Holmgard ("City on the island" - Novgorod), and the third - Paltesque (Polotsk). Now they have a discord because of the possessions, and of all, the one whose share in the division is larger and better is the most dissatisfied: he sees the loss of his power in the fact that his possessions are less than his father's, and believes that because because he is lower than his ancestors "(" A strand of Eimund "- genre:" royal saga ").
Pay attention to how accurate the information is and what a brilliant analysis of the situation!
Let's now talk a little about this extraordinary man. Eymund is the hero of two sagas, the first of which ("The Strand of Eimund") was preserved as part of the "Saga of Olav the Saint" in the "Book from the Flat Island".
A Book from Flat Island, an Icelandic manuscript containing many Old Icelandic sagas
In this saga, it is stated that Eimund was the son of a minor Norwegian king who ruled the county of Hringariki. In his youth, he became twinned with Olav - the future king of Norway, the baptist of this country, as well as the patron saint of the city of Vyborg.
Olav the Holy
Together they made many Viking campaigns. The friendship ended after Olav came to power. The hand of the future saint was heavy, among the nine minor kings who lost their lands, and some of their lives, turned out to be Eimund's father and his two brothers. Eimund himself was not in Norway at the time.
“It's nothing personal, the job is like that,” Olav explained to his brother-in-law.
After which, probably, he transparently hinted to him that there was no need for the sea kings (which Eymund, who had now lost his ancestral land), were marching into the bright future of the new and progressive Norway. However, Eymund, being an intelligent man, guessed everything himself: the fate of his brother - Hreik (Rurik), whom Olav ordered to blind, he did not wish for himself.
The author of another, Swedish saga ("The Saga of Ingvar the Traveler"), decided that there was nothing to give such a hero as Eimund to the neighbors and declared him the son of the daughter of the Swedish king Eirik. This source belongs to the "sagas of ancient times" and is filled with stories of dragons and giants. But, as a prologue, an alien fragment is inserted into it - an excerpt from some historical "royal" saga, which in many respects has something in common with "The Strand of Eimund". According to this passage, Eimund's (Aki) father was only a Hovding, who killed a more suitable candidate in order to marry the king's daughter. Somehow he managed to reconcile with the king, but the "sediment", apparently, remained, because it all ended with the murder of Aki and the confiscation of his lands. Eymund was brought up at court, here he made friends with his niece - the daughter of the new king Olav Shetkonung:
"She and Eymund loved each other as relatives, because she was gifted in every way,"
it says in the saga.
This gifted girl was named Ingigerd, and later she would become the wife of Yaroslav the Wise.
Alexey Trankovsky, "Yaroslav the Wise and the Swedish Princess Ingigerd"
"She was wiser than all women and beautiful," says Ingigerd in the "royal" saga "Morkinskinna" (literally - "Moldy Skin", but in Russia she is better known as "Rotten Skin"). On my own, perhaps, I will add that the only thing that the norns have cheated Ingigerd with is a good character. If you believe the sagas, the father suffered with her until he married, and then Yaroslav got it.
But the thought of injustice did not leave Eimund ("it seemed to him that … it was better to seek death than to live in shame"), so one day he and his friends killed 12 warriors of the king, who went to collect tribute in the land that had previously belonged to his father. Eymund, wounded in this battle, was outlawed, but Ingigerd hid him, and then - "secretly brought him a ship, he went on a Viking campaign, and he had a lot of goods and people."
Who was Eymund after all - Norwegian or Swede? I like the Norwegian version more, because The Saga of St. Olav is a much more solid and trustworthy source. Here is the Swedish Jarl Röngwald for Ingigerd, of course, was his own man. She instructed him to manage Aldeygyuborg (Ladoga) and the area adjacent to this city, which she personally received from Yaroslav as a Vienna. And the Norwegian Eymund was clearly a stranger to her. The information that is then reported in "Strands …" does not correspond to the stories about the tender childhood friendship of Eimund and Ingigerd. The relationship between the princess and the "condottieri" is the relationship of opponents who respect each other. To his relative and comrade-in-arms Ragnar Eimund says that "does not trust the ruler, because she is smarter than the king." When Eymund decided to leave Yaroslav for Polotsk, Ingigerd asked for a meeting, at which, at her sign, the people who came with her tried to grab the Viking (she believed that the Norwegian would be dangerous in the Polotsk service). Eimund, in turn, later, already in the service of Bryachislav, captures the princess (or rather, kidnaps her during the night transition). Nothing terrible happened to Ingigerd, and they even worried about her honor: the capture was presented as a voluntary visit to fellow countrymen with a diplomatic mission. At the suggestion of Eimund, she acted as an arbiter and drew up the terms of the peace treaty of Yaroslav and Bryachislav, which satisfied both sides and put an end to the war (the girl, apparently, was indeed sensible). It is interesting that in this agreement (according to the author of the saga) Novgorod is called the main and best city of Russia (Kiev - the second, Polotsk - the third). But, no matter who Eymund was by nationality, the very fact of his existence and participation in the war of Vladimir's children is beyond doubt.
Both sagas unanimously report that in 1015 the land (even in Norway, even in Sweden) was literally burning under Eimund's feet. However, the sea hospitably spread the waves beneath the keels of his ships. A squad of 600 experienced warriors personally loyal to him was waiting for the order to sail even to England, even to Ireland, even to Friesland, but the situation was disposed to go to the east - to Gardariki. Eymund did not care who to fight against, but Novgorod is much closer to Kiev, besides, Yaroslav was very well known and very popular in Scandinavia.
“I have a brigade of men with swords and axes here,” Eymund confidedly told Yaroslav. in the booty, of course. Who do you think we'd better stay with: yours or your brother's?"
"Of course I have," Yaroslav smiled affectionately, "What is all inclusive in Kiev? So, there is only one name. Only now I have completely run out of silver. Yesterday I gave the last" (he was a good king, but very greedy - all Scandinavians talked about him like that) …
"Oh, okay," said Eymund, "we'll take beavers and sables."
The number of Varangians in Yaroslav's army, of course, was much more than 600 people. Around this time, two more large Norman detachments were operating in Russia: the Swedish Jarl Rognwald Ulvsson and the Norwegian Jarl Svein Hakonarson (who, like Eymund, decided to spend a certain amount of time away from the "Saint" Olav). But there was no person who would write his saga about them.
Meanwhile, Eymund was not in vain and very timely, because soon Buritslav approached with the Kiev army. Now let's try to figure out which of the Russian princes is hiding under this name. The second translator of "Strands …" OI Senkovsky suggested that this is a synthetic image of Svyatopolk the Damned and his father-in-law Boleslav the Brave. What is it? There were polkans in Russia - people with dogs' heads, why shouldn't there be a "Bolepolk" (or "Svyatobol")? Let him stand aside next to Sineus (sine hus - "his kind") and Truvor (thru varing - "faithful squad"). Even N. N. Ilyin, who in the middle of the 20th century was the first to suggest that Boris was killed by order of Yaroslav the Wise, continued to view Buritslav as a collective image of Svyatopolk and Boleslav. Since childhood, the alien legend embedded in the consciousness did not let go, literally shackling hands and feet. It was only in 1969 that Academician VL Yanin "called the cat a cat", announcing that Buritslav could not be anything other than Boris. Deep down, the researchers of this problem had long suspected this, but the strength of the tradition was still strong, so the "tempest in a teacup" was a success. When the waves in the glass subsided a little, all more or less adequate researchers realized that, whether someone liked it or not, it was now simply indecent and impossible to call Boris Svyatopolk. Therefore, we will consider him precisely Boris. In any case, with Svyatopolk, who was at that time in Poland, Yaroslav in 1015 could not have fought on the banks of the Dnieper, even with a very strong desire. This battle is described in both Russian and Scandinavian sources. Both "The Tale of Bygone Years" and "The Strand of Eimund" report that the opponents did not dare to start the battle for a long time. According to the Russian version, the initiators of the battle were Novgorodians:
"Hearing this (the mockery of the Kievites), the Novgorodians said to Yaroslav:" Tomorrow we will cross over to them, if no one else comes with us, we will hit them ourselves "(" The Tale of Bygone Years ").
"A strand …" asserts that Yaroslav entered the battle on the advice of Eymund, who told the prince:
"When we came here, at first it seemed to me that there were few warriors in each tent (at Buritslav's), and the camp was built just for the sake of appearance, but now it’s not the same - they have to put up more tents or live outside … sitting here, we missed the victory … ".
And here is how the sources tell about the course of the battle.
"A TALK OF TIME YEARS":
"Having landed on the shore, they (Yaroslav's warriors) pushed the boats from the shore, and went on the offensive, and both sides met. There was a fierce battle, and because of the Pecheneg lake they could not come to the aid (of the Kievites) … the ice broke under them, and Yaroslav began to prevail."
Please note that the Russian chronicler in this passage contradicts himself: on the one hand, Yaroslav's soldiers are ferried to the other bank of the Dnieper on boats and the Pechenegs cannot come to the aid of the Kievites because of the unfrozen lake, and on the other, the ice is breaking under the opponents of Novgorodians.
"ABOUT EIMUND":
"Eymund the king answers (to Yaroslav): we, the Normans, have done our job: we have taken up the river all our ships with military equipment. We will go from here with our squad and go to their rear, and let the tents stand empty; Prepare for battle with your squad as soon as possible … The regiments converged, and the fiercest battle began, and soon many people fell. to the warriors "- to the berserkers) … and after that Buritslav's line was broken and his people ran."
After that, Yaroslav entered Kiev, and the Novgorodians there paid in full for the humiliation of their city: acting by the methods of the well-known Dobrynya (uncle Vladimir "Saint"), they burned all the churches. Naturally, they did not ask Yaroslav's permission, and the prince was too wise a man to openly interfere with the "innocent" amusements of his only allies. And where, if you believe the Scandinavian sources, the army of Boris retreated, what do you think? To Bjarmland! If you have already read here the article “Travel to Biarmia. Mysterious land of the Scandinavian sagas”, then you understand that Boris could not break through to the distant Biarmia, to the north, closed by Yaroslav’s army, even if he really wanted to ride“on fast-moving deer”. Remains near Biarmia - Livonian. From there, a year later, Boris will come to fight Yaroslav once again, and there will be many biarms in his army. According to "Strands of Eimund", during the siege of an unnamed city in the saga, Yaroslav, defending one of the gates, will be wounded in the leg, after which he will be severely limping for the rest of his life. The anatomical study of his remains by D. G. Rokhlin and V. V. Ginzburg seems to confirm this evidence: at about the age of 40, Yaroslav received a fracture of the leg, complicating congenital lameness, which his opponents always reproached him with. And then Boris will come again - with the Pechenegs. Eymund, apparently, began to get bored with such importunity, and, after the victory, he asked Yaroslav:
"But what about, sir, if we get to the king (Boris) - to kill him or not? After all, there will never be an end to strife as long as you both are alive" ("A Strand About Eimund").
According to the same source, Yaroslav said then to the Varangian:
"I will not force people to fight my brother, but I will not blame the man who kills him."
Having received this answer, Eimund, his relative Ragnar, the Icelanders Bjorn, Ketil and 8 other people, disguised as merchants, entered Boris's camp. At night the Varangians simultaneously burst into the prince's tent from different sides, Eymund himself chopped off Boris's head (the author of "Strand …" sets out this episode in great detail - the narrator is clearly proud of this, of course, brilliant operation). The turmoil in the camp of the Kievites allowed the Varangians to leave without loss into the forest and return to Yaroslav, who reproached them with excessive haste and arbitrariness and ordered to solemnly bury their "beloved brother." No one saw the killers, and Yaroslav's people, as representatives of the closest relative of the deceased Boris, calmly came for the body:
"They dressed him up and put his head on the body and took him home. Many people knew about his burial. All the people in the country went under the arm of Yaritsleiv the king … and he became the king over the principality that they had previously held together" ("Strand about Eimund").
The death of Boris did not solve all of Yaroslav's problems. The warrior-prince Mstislav of Tymutorokansky was still waiting for an opportune moment. Ahead was also an unsuccessful war with the Polotsk prince Bryachislav (during which Ingigerd unexpectedly had to act as an arbitrator and arbitrator). The reason for the wars with Bryachislav and Mstislav, most likely, was the injustice of the seizure of the legacy of the murdered brothers by Yaroslav alone: according to the traditions of that time, the allotment of the deceased should be divided among all living relatives. Therefore, Yaroslav easily agreed to transfer part of Kenugard to Bryachislav - not the city of Kiev, and not the great reign, but part of the territory of the principality of Kenugard. Eymund, according to the saga, received from Bryachislav þar ríki er þar liggr til - some kind of "near (Polotsk) lying area" (and not Polotsk, as they often write) - in exchange for the obligation to protect the borders from the raids of other Vikings. In the same way, Yaroslav would easily make concessions to Mstislav after the defeat at the Battle of Listven in 1024 (in turn, the victorious Mstislav would not claim "excess", and would not enter Kiev, although there was no one to stop him). And Svyatopolk, thanks to the help of his father-in-law Boleslav the Brave, will defeat Yaroslav's army on the Bug. The saga does not report this military campaign - it is assumed that it fell on the period of the quarrel between Yaroslav and Eymund: both sides were constantly trying to change the terms of the contract, Yaroslav delayed the payment of salaries, and Eymund in any case convenient for him (but very inconvenient for the prince) demanded to replace payments with silver for gold. However, perhaps the author of the saga simply did not want to talk about the defeat. Yaroslav then found himself in the most desperate situation. He received no help from the Kievites offended by him and returned to Novgorod with only four soldiers. To prevent his flight "overseas", the Novgorod mayor Kosnyatin (son of Dobrynya) will order all ships to be cut. And the townspeople who entered Kiev Svyatopolk arranged a solemn meeting with the participation of the nine daughters of Vladimir and the Metropolitan, accompanied by the clergy with the relics of saints, crosses and icons. But "in the desert between Lyakha and Chekha" Svyatopolk, who could not resist in Kiev, will soon die (this, by the way, is not a description of the area, but a phraseological unit meaning "God knows where"). And in 1036 Yaroslav will nevertheless become the autocratic ruler of Kievan Rus, will rule until 1054 and will make his country one of the largest, strongest, richest and most cultured states in Europe.
