What was the main occupation of Alyosha Popovich? Characteristic qualities of Alyosha Popovich

One of the most famous Russian bogatyrs is Alyosha Popovich. He is a character of epics and legends, in which he narrates about the exceptional boldness of the mythologized hero, comparable only to the power of Svyatogor. The main occupation of Alyosha Popovich is to work in the service of the Kiev prince and to protect the common people from external enemies.

Where did Alyosha Popovich come from?

The homeland of Alesha Popovich is Rostov the Great. Already in the XIII century, one of the chronicles mentions Alexander, or Olesha Popovich. The word "hero" is of Turkic origin, it appeared together with the Tatars after the death of Alexander. Known Alyosha Popovich mainly a victory over Tugarin. The main occupation of Alyosha Popovich is the accomplishment of feats. Together with Ilya Muromets and Dobrynia Nikitich, Alyosha forms the famous heroic trinity.

Character of the hero

Despite the great glory, 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 bold, he shows boastfulness, cunning and craftiness. Jolly and carefree jokes Alyosha sometimes turn into evil and artful ridicule. This gives the comrades an opportunity to express their condemnation to the hero, condemnation of such behavior. The share of discontent of Dobrynya Nikitich was also caused by Alyosha's marriage to his wife - Nastasya Mikulishna - during her husband's absence. According to Dobryni, Alyosha has "eyes that envy and hands grabbing." Envy and pride are the weak side of Popovic's character. In the bylina it is said that one day the prince put Ilya Muromets in a place of honor. This angered Aliosha Popovich, that he threw a knife into Ilya. Bragging is also a characteristic feature of the character's character. Every now and then the hero speaks to his brothers: "I'm far away from everyone. My horse is more rusty. " According to one of the versions, boasting eventually ruined not only Alesha Popovich, but all the heroes. Despite the vices, Alyosha is a deeply religious person. About him they said "Alyoshka's prayer reaches God". This hero is very religious, for good reason he is the son of the Rostov archpriest. Hence the nickname Alyosha - Popovich.

What did Alyosha Popovich do

What he did before arriving in Kiev, Alesha Popovich, epic does not tell. The ancient epic is characterized by a cyclization around this city. In this regard, the main occupation of Alyosha Popovich is associated with Kiev's exploits. The most archaic plot of his fights is, of course, the battle with Tugarin. This fight overshadows 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 troubles in the Russian land in the second half of the 12th century. With the Russian prince the khan was related by kinship. However, this did not prevent him from besieging Russian cities and robbing the local population. The insatiability and greed of Tugor-kan is ridiculed by Alyosha Popovich. Bylin tells us that the hero drove Tugarin out of Kiev. In fact, Tugor-kan could attend the feast of Prince Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, because he had to be a father-in-law.

The battle with Tugarin

After Alyosha Popovich drove the villain from the feast, the power of the myth turns Tugarin into a dangerous snake. In response to threats by the enemy to strangle him with smoke, to fill up with sparks, to destroy with the flame of fire, to shoot the bogatyrs with battles takes battle. The battle takes place near the water. According to one version of the epic, it takes place at the Safast River. As a result, Alyosha Popovich fights Tugarin and dissects his corpse, sweeping the remains of the clean remains of the field. According to another version, the hero drew attention of the enemy, forcing him to look back. At the time when Tugarin lost his vigilance, Alyosha Popovich cut off his head.

The prototype of the Russian warrior Popovich

As in many bylinas, there was a prototype of the brave warrior Alesha Popovich. They became a certain Alexander Popovich, for whom one of the main professional qualities was courage. 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 Kalki River. However, most of the descriptions of Alexander Popovich's life were borrowed from chronicles from folk epics. According to research, in the XIII century, a cult of this character has 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 for Alyosha victory and loud glory. Subsequently, the battle was mythologized: Tugarin-kan turned into a terrible monster, reminiscent of Snake Gorynycha and Idolishche Poganoy. In different epics the battle between Alyosha and Tugarin is described in its own way. Despite several versions of this story, the finale is one: the hero defeats the villain with his savvy and cunning.