In the Volga forests there is a lake called Svetloyar.

The lake is not large, but its depth is up to thirty meters, and the water level is always the same, either in summer or in spring during high water. In winter, a special “lace” ice freezes on the lake. Svetloyarsk water is unusually clean, transparent and has healing properties. Locals say: "Drink water straight from the lake - don't be afraid, bring it home - it will stand for months, it won't go bad."

MM. Prishvin, having visited Svetloyar, wrote in the essay “Light Lake”: “... a calm, clear eye looked at me from the forest. Light Lake - a bowl of holy water in a green jagged frame.

Here, on the shore of Lake Svetloyar, a legend arose about the invisible city of Kitezh.

The legend says that in ancient times, Grand Duke Georgy Vsevolodovich set up the city of Maly Kitezh or Gorodets on the banks of the Volga, and then, having crossed over the Uzola, Sanda and Kerzhenets rivers, he came to the Lyudna River, which originates from Lake Svetloyar.

The places there were beautiful, habitable, and the prince, "at the begging of the inhabitants", built the city of Kitezh the Great on the banks of the Svetloyar, but he himself did not stay in it, but returned to Small Kitezh.

At this time, "like dark clouds across the sky", hordes of the Tatar-Mongol under the leadership of Batu Khan moved to Russia. The enemies approached Small Kitezh and took the city by storm, killing almost all of its defenders.

Prince George Vsevolodovich with the remnants of the army managed to hide in the forests. By secret paths he went to Kitezh the Great in order to gather new forces there.
Batu was unable to find traces of the prince and began to "torment" the captive inhabitants of Small Kitezh, wanting to find out the path along which the prince had left. One of the prisoners "could not endure the torment" and led Batu through the forest to Veliky Kitezh.

The Tatars laid siege to the city, but suddenly, by the will of God, Kitezh became invisible.

Terrified by the accomplished miracle, the enemies fled.

About how the Lord saved Kitezh from enemies, the people tell in different ways.

Some say that the city still stands in its place, but no one sees it, others say that the city has hidden under the high hills surrounding Svetloyar. Writer V.G. Korolenko, who visited Svetloyar at the end of the 19th century, recorded the following story of a local old fisherman: “(...) our place, brother, is not an easy place ... No, no ... Not an easy one ... It seems to you: a lake, a swamp, mountains ... But the creature here is completely other. On these mountains here (he pointed to the hills), they say there will be churches. Etto in where the chapel - the cathedral they have is the Most Pure Savior. And nearby, on another hill, is the Annunciation. Here in the old days a birch stood, so on the sa-ama, it turns out, on the church dome.

According to the third version, the city, together with its inhabitants, sank to the bottom of Lake Svetloyar. People still live in it, and sometimes the ringing of Kitezh bells is heard from under the water.
The legend of the invisible city of Kitezh existed for a long time in oral form, passed down from generation to generation.

In the 17th century, schismatic sketes began to appear in the forests of the Trans-Volga region - secret settlements of adherents of the "old faith", not recognized by the official church. It was the schismatics who in the 18th century first wrote down the legend of Kitezh in the essay "The Book of the Chronicler."

In the presentation of the schismatics, the legend acquired a pronounced religious character. In their view, the underwater city is a monastery in which the righteous elders live, and only people who truly believe can see Kitezh and hear the Kitezh bells.

Over time, Lake Svetloyar became a place of pilgrimage for believers. V.G. Korolenko said: “Crowds of people converge on the banks of Svetloyar, striving to shake off the deceptive vanity of vanity, to look beyond the mysterious boundaries, at least for a short time. Here, in the shade of trees, under the open sky, day and night, singing is heard, (...) reading in a singsong voice, disputes about the true faith boil. And at dusk and in the blue darkness of a summer evening, lights flicker between the trees, along the banks and on the water. Pious people on their knees crawl around the lake three times, then they put the remnants of candles on the chips into the water, and crouch to the ground, and listen. Tired, between two worlds, with fires in the sky and on the water, they surrender to the lulling swaying of the shores and the indistinct distant ringing ... And sometimes they freeze, no longer seeing or hearing anything from the environment. The eyes are as if blinded to our world, but clear to the unearthly world. His face cleared up, there was a “blissful” wandering smile and tears ... And those who aspired, but did not merit due to lack of faith, stand around and look in surprise ... And shake their heads in fear. It means that it exists, this other world, invisible, but real. They themselves did not see, but they saw those who see ... "

Belief in the real existence of an invisible city was preserved in the vicinity of Svetloyar even in later times. In 1982, folklorists recorded the story of a local resident: “People say that somewhere in the middle of the lake there is a hole - not very big - well, it looks like it will be like a ladle. It's just very hard to find it. In winter, the ice on Svetloyar is clean, clean. So you have to come, shovel the snow, and you can see what is happening there at the bottom. And there, they say, all sorts of miracles: white-stone houses stand, trees grow, bell towers, churches, chopped towers, people walk alive ... But not everyone will find it, not everyone will be able to find this hole.

In the late 1930s, such a story was recorded from a certain old man Markelov. There lived in their village "a man, such a bold one." This brave man became interested in a hole, which he discovered under the roots of a fallen birch, and climbed into it. “Lez-lez, then he sees a bright place, and bright-faced elders sit in that place and sort out peasant affairs. And he recognized his grandfather, and his grandfather threatened him with a stick, did not order him to climb anymore.

Another local resident in 1982 told from the words of his father how he "had been to the city of Kitizh - they fed him there, they gave him money." The narrator's father "went to the cart", and then one day he was contracted with a wagon train to take sacks of grain. “And the convoy set off. Just went out to the road - it got dark. I don’t know how many hours we drove and where, they only see - the gates are boarded. Kind of like a monastery. They are moving in. It's dark there, some houses are standing. While the convoy was being unloaded, everyone was taken into the house, fed, given money - and generously. And before dawn the gates were opened, and the convoy, already empty, drove back ... Where were they at night? (...) While they were judging, rowing, they turned around - but there were no gates at all.

The stories about how the Kitezhans bought bread from the peasants are taken for granted by the locals. One narrator clarifies: “The Kitezh elders bought bread from the Vyatkas.” Another cites a case “with one Vyatichi”, who “brought rye from his Vyatka region to the market in the village of Voskresenskoye to sell. And so (...) a gray-haired old man approached him, looked at the grain, tried it on his tooth and said: “I will buy a whole load of rye from you (...). Only I will ask you, kind person, take some bread to us in Vladimirskoye. I will give you an extra fee for each bag of ladies for this. Vyatich agreed. Near Vladimirsky (the nearest village from Svetloyar) he saw a monastery. The monks met him, helped to pour the grain into the barn. Having received the payment, Vyatich went back. “I drove away from the lake for some time, stopped and wanted to pray to the monastery for good luck with the sale. I looked back - but there was no monastery. ” (Recorded in 1974.)

According to them, local residents are aware of cases when Kitezhans helped people in the most mundane affairs. “I remember that my grandmother told me, as a child, that he lived here in a village by the lake - in Vladimirskoye or in Shadrin, or something, the old man was alone. So, that old man once went to the forest for mushrooms. (...) I walked and walked, and all to no avail - there is not a single mushroom! The old man got tired, tired. And so he sat down on a stump, he wanted to rest. (...) It's a shame for him that he went around a lot, but there is no collection. Then he thought something: "If only the old men of Kitezh would help." Before he had time to think, drowsiness attacked him. (...) After some time, the old man woke up, opened his eyes, looked into the basket - and does not believe his eyes: there are mushrooms in it to the brim. Yes, even some - one to one, but all white! The legend of Kitezh is often compared with the legend of Atlantis. The historicity of the invisible city (as well as Atlantis) has repeatedly tried to prove or disprove.

Since the middle of the 19th century, the legend of Kitezh has become an object of research. It aroused the interest of a variety of specialists - folklorists, literary critics, historians, archaeologists. Scientific expeditions were equipped to Svetloyar more than once. In the 50-70s of the XX century, it was established that Lake Svetloyar was formed as a result of a "failure" - a sudden, strong shift of the soil, and this happened around the time to which the legend refers to the disappearance of Kitezh. At the bottom of the lake, a certain “anomaly” was discovered - a half-meter layer of semi-liquid rock, in which fragments of wood are present in abundance. The examination showed that these fragments “have traces of cutting tools”, that is, they were processed by human hands.

The poetic image of the city of Kitezh inspired many poets, artists, and composers. Maximilian Voloshin, Nikolay Klyuev, Sergey Gorodetsky wrote about Kitezh. ON THE. Rimsky-Korsakov wrote the famous opera The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia, N.K. Roerich created a picturesque panel-curtain for this opera - "The Battle of Kerzhents".

The legend of the city of Kitezh - miraculously saved by God from devastation by enemies, sheltered and saved until better times, when it will reappear to the world, retaining its ancient root, ancient faith and truth - is one of the most cherished legends of the Russian people, which has been invaded by external enemies for centuries.

This holy noble and great prince George Vsevolodovich was the son of the holy noble and great prince Vsevolod, the Pskov miracle worker, who was named Gabriel in holy baptism. This holy noble and great prince Vsevolod was the son of the great prince Mstislav, the grandson of the holy and Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir of Kyiv, autocrat of the Russian land. The Holy Blessed and Grand Duke Georgy Vsevolodovich is the great-grandson of the Holy Blessed and Grand Duke Vladimir.

And the holy noble prince Vsevolod first reigned in Veliky Novgorod. But at one time, the Novgorodians grumbled at him and decided among themselves: our prince, unbaptized, owns us, the baptized. And they made a council, and they came to him, and cast him out. He came to Kyiv to his uncle Yaropolk and told him everything for which he was expelled by the Novgorodians. And he, having learned about this, gave him possession of Vyshgorod. And here the Pskovites already begged him to reign with them, and he came to them in the city of Pskov. And after some time he received the grace of holy baptism, and was named Gabriel in holy baptism. And he remained in great polishing and abstinence, and after one year he went into eternal rest, 6671 (1163) years, the month of February on the eleventh day. And he was buried by his faithful son and Grand Duke George. And there were many miracles from his holy relics to the glory and praise of Christ, our God, and all the saints. Amen.

This holy noble prince Georgy Vsevolodovich, after the death of his father, his noble prince Vsevolod, who was named Gabriel in holy baptism, remained in his place at the request of the people of Pskov. It was in 6671 (1163) year. The holy noble and great prince Georgy Vsevolodovich deigned to go to the noble prince Mikhail of Chernigov. And when the noble and great prince George came to the noble prince Michael, he bowed to the noble prince Michael and said to him: “Hello, O noble and great prince Michael, for many years, shining with piety and faith in Christ, in everything like our great-grandfathers and great-grandmother our blessed Grand Duchess, Christ-loving Olga, who has found the dearest and greatest treasure - Christ and the faith of his holy prophets and apostles and holy fathers, and the faithful Christ-loving tsar and Equal-to-the-Apostles great-grandfather, our Tsar Constantine. And the right-believing Prince Michael said to him: “May you also be healthy, O right-believing and great prince Georgy Vsevolodovich, come to me with good advice and an unenvious eye. After all, what did Svyatopolk gain because of envy of our grandfathers, who desired power and killed his brothers, faithful and great princes! He ordered Boris to be pierced with a spear, and Gleb to be slaughtered with a knife, during the years of their reign. After all, he deceived them flatteringly at the instigation of Satan, as if their mother was dying. They, like gentle lambs, became like their good shepherd Christ, did not stand against their brother, their enemy. The Lord glorified his holy saints, the noble princes and great miracle workers Boris and Gleb.

And Prince George and Prince Michael kissed each other, and celebrated spiritually, and rejoiced; and the faithful and great prince George said to the faithful prince Michael: "Give me a letter, in our Russia, in the fortified places of the church of God, build cities." And the faithful and great prince Michael said to him: “As you wish, build the churches of God to the glory and praise of the most holy name of God. For such a good intention of yours, you will receive a reward on the day of the coming of Christ.

And they feasted for many days. And when the right-believing prince George decided to return to his inheritance, then the right-believing prince Michael ordered the letter to be written and put his hand to the letter. And when the right-believing prince George went to his fatherland and city, then the right-believing prince Michael with great honor released him and saw him off. And when both princes were already on their way and bowed to each other in farewell, the right-believing Prince Mikhail gave a letter. Blessed Prince George took the letter from Blessed Prince Michael and bowed to him, and then he answered him.

And Prince George went to the cities, and when he arrived in Novgorod, he ordered to build a church in the name of the Assumption of the Most Holy Lady of Our Lady and Ever-Virgin Mary in the year 6672 (1164). From Novgorod he went to Pskov, his city, where his father, the blessed Prince Vsevolod, died, and in holy baptism Gabriel, the miracle worker of Novgorod and Pskov. And he went from Pskov-grad to Moscow, and ordered to build a church in the name of the Assumption of the Most Holy Lady of Our Lady. and Ever-Virgin Mary in the year 6672 (1164). And he went from Moscow to Pereslavl-Zalessky, and from Pereslavl-grad to Rostov-grad. At that very time, Grand Duke Andrei Bogolyubsky was in the city of Rostov. And the right-believing prince George in the city of Rostov ordered to build a church in the name of the Assumption of the Most Holy Lady of Our Lady and Ever-Virgin Mary in the year 6672 (1164), the month of May on the twenty-third day. In the days of Grand Duke George, they began to dig ditches under the foundation of the church and found the buried relics of St. Leonty of Christ, Bishop of Rostov, a miracle worker, who converted people in Rostov-grad to the faith of Christ and baptized them from young to old. And the noble prince George rejoiced with great joy, and glorified God, who gave him such a valuable treasure, and sang a prayer service. And he ordered Andrei, the prince of Bogolyubsky, to go to the city of Murom and build a church in the city of Murom in the name of the Assumption of the Most Holy Lady of Our Lady and Ever-Virgin Mary.

The faithful and great prince himself left the city of Rostov and arrived in the city of Yaroslavl, which stands on the banks of the Volga River. And he got into a plow, and went down the Volga, and landed on the shore at Small Kitezh, which stands on the banks of the Volga, and rebuilt it, and all the people of the city of that blessed Prince George began to pray, so that the image of the miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos Fedorovskaya would be transferred to the city to them. He fulfilled the request. They began to sing a prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos. And when they finished and wanted to carry that image to the city, the image did not leave the place, it did not move at all. Blessed Prince George, seeing the will of the Most Holy Theotokos, who had chosen a place for herself here, ordered to build a monastery in that place in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos Fedorovskaya.

The faithful prince George himself went from that place by land, and not by water. And he crossed the river Uzola, and the second river, named Sandu, and the third river crossed, named Sanogtu, and the fourth crossed, named Kerzhenets, and came to the lake, named Svetloyar. And I saw that place, extraordinarily beautiful and crowded; and at the begging of its inhabitants, the noble prince Georgy Vsevolodovich ordered to build a city on the shore of the lake of that Svetloyar, named Big Kitezh, because the place was unusually beautiful, and on the other side of the lake there was an oak grove.

And with the advice and command of the right-believing and Grand Duke Georgy Vsevolodovich, they began to dig ditches to strengthen this place. And they began to build a church in the name of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross of the Lord, and a second church in the name of the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, and a third church in the name of the Annunciation of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. In the same churches, Prince George commanded to make aisles in honor of other holidays of the Lord and the Mother of God. Likewise, he commanded to write the images of all the saints.

And that city, Big Kitezh, was a hundred fathoms long and wide, and this first measure was small. And the noble prince George ordered to add another hundred sazhens in length, and the hail became the measure of that in length - two hundred sazhens, and in width - one hundred sazhens. And they began to build that stone city in the year 6673 (1165), the month of May on the first day, in memory of the holy prophet Jeremiah and others like him. And that city was built for three years, and they built it in the year 6676 (1167), the month of September on the thirtieth day, in memory of the Holy Hieromartyr Gregory, Bishop of Great Armenia.

And he went to Small Kitezh, which stands on the banks of the Volga, the right-believing Prince Georgy Vsevolodovich. And after the construction of those cities, Small and Large, he ordered to measure in the fields how much distance they have between themselves. And at the behest of the right-believing Prince George, they set out a hundred fields. And the noble prince Georgy Vsevolodovich, having learned this, gave glory to God and the Most Holy Theotokos and also ordered the chronicler to write a book. And the faithful and Grand Duke George himself ordered to serve the entire service. And having sung a prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos of Fedorovskaya, after completing that service, he sailed in his plow on his way to his previously mentioned city of Pskov. The people saw him off with great honor; and, having said goodbye to him, they let him go.

The noble prince Georgy Vsevolodovich, having arrived in his city, formerly called Pskov, spent many days in prayer, and in fasting, and in vigil, and distributed much alms to the poor, and widows, and orphans. And after the building of those cities, he lived seventy-five years.

It was in the year 6747 (1239). By the grace of God, for our sins, the ungodly and godless Tsar Batu came to Russia in a war. And he destroyed the cities, and burned them with fire, and also destroyed the churches of God, and burned them with fire. He betrayed people to the sword, and stabbed small children with a knife, defiled young virgins with fornication. And there was a great cry.

Blessed Prince Georgy Vsevolodovich, hearing about all this, wept bitterly. And, having prayed to the Lord and the Most Holy Mother of God, he gathered his army, and went against the impious king Batu with his soldiers. And when both armies entered the battle, there was a great slaughter and bloodshed. At that time, the noble prince George had few soldiers, and the noble prince George fled from the impious king Batu down the Volga to Small Kitezh. And for a long time the faithful prince George fought with the wicked king Batu, not letting him into his city.

When night fell, then the noble prince George went secretly from this city to the Great City of Kitezh. In the morning, when that wicked king woke up, he attacked the city with his soldiers and captured it. And he beat and chopped all the people in this city. And, not finding the right-believing prince in that city, he began to torment one of the inhabitants, and he, unable to endure the torment, opened the way for him. The same wicked one chased after the prince. And when he came to the city, he attacked it with many of his soldiers and took that city of Great Kitezh, which is on the shores of Lake Svetloyar, and killed the faithful Prince George, on the fourth day of February. And the wicked king Batu left the city. And after him they took the relics of the right-believing Prince Georgy Vsevolodovich. And after that ruin, those cities were deserted, Small Kitezh, which stands on the banks of the Volga, and Big, which is on the banks of Lake Svetloyar.

And Big Kitezh will be invisible until the coming of Christ, which happened in former times, as the lives of the holy fathers testify, the Monasian patericon, and the Skete patericon, and the ABC patericon, and the Jerusalem patericon, and the paterikon of the Holy Mountain, and these holy books, in which the lives of the holy fathers are written, they agree that the innermost abode is not one, but there are many monasteries, and in those monasteries there is a great multitude of holy fathers, like the stars of heaven, shining with their life. As the sand of the sea cannot be exhausted, so it is impossible to describe everything. It is about them, foreseeing with the holy spirit, that the blessed prophet David the king, marveling, cries out with the holy spirit, in the inspired book of his Psalter he says: planted in the house of the Lord, they bloom in the courts of our God.” And also the same prophet King David: “Exalted are your thoughts to me, O God, how great is their number; If I begin to number them, they are more numerous than sand.” About them, foreseeing with the holy spirit, the blessed apostle Paul in his epistle speaks, foreseeing; such a word refers to us: “They wandered in sheepskin and goat skins, enduring hardships, sorrows, bitterness, those that the whole world was not worthy of.” Saint John Chrysostom also spoke the same word, in his teaching he speaks on the third week of Lent. The same word is addressed to us, foreseeing, by St. Anastasius from Mount Sinai. The same apostolic word addresses us, foreseeing, and our reverend father Hilarion the Great, about the saints, he writes: “And it will be the same in the last times: there will be hidden cities and monasteries, because the Antichrist will begin to reign in the world, Then they will run to the mountains, and into dens, and into the abysses of the earth. And the philanthropic God will not leave then those who want to be saved. By zeal, and tenderness, and tears, a person receives everything from God. The divine lips proclaimed the Savior himself in the most holy Gospel that “everything that has and wants to be saved will be given.”

And after the murder of the holy and faithful and Grand Duke Georgy Vsevolodovich, and after the burial of his honest relics, in the sixth year that Tsar Batu came to fight in the Russian kingdom. The noble Prince Mikhail of Chernigov went against Batu the Tsar with his boyar Theodore. And when both armies fought, there was great bloodshed. And that wicked Tsar Batu killed the faithful and Grand Duke Mikhail of Chernigov with the boyar Theodore in the year 6750 (1241), the month of September on the twentieth day. And after the murder of the right-believing Prince Mikhail of Chernigov, two years later, that impious Tsar Batu killed the right-believing Prince Mercury of Smolensk in the year 6755 (1246), the month of November on the twenty-fourth day. And there was a desolation of the Muscovite kingdom, and other monasteries, and that city of Greater Kitezh in the year 6756 (1248).

Legends say that during the Mongol-Tatar invasion, the whole city of Kitezh went under the water of Lake Svetloyar - the whole city, along with its defenders, along with the elderly and children. It is believed that divine intervention hid it from the eyes of the enemy for hundreds, and perhaps thousands of years. According to the legend, sooner or later another settlement will appear in the Nizhny Novgorod region - the ancient city of Kitezh.

Remember the legend of Atlantis? About the mainland, which plunged into the ocean, punished by the gods because its inhabitants were mired in sins. There is a similar legend in Russia - however, it has nothing to do with sins. Rather, on the contrary, the reasons for the flooding of this city should be sought in the spiritual purity of its inhabitants.

Only the righteous and saints can see this city. Only a true believer is worthy to hear the chime of its bells. City of Kitezh. The city is a legend. Until now, many Orthodox Christians gather to make a pilgrimage to the lake, in the depths of which the legendary city supposedly rests. Centuries have passed, but people still strive here. They believe that Kitezh is at the bottom of the lake, and their faith is unshakable.

So why is the legend of the city of Kitezh so popular? Why can't people forget about this place?

Kitezh as imagined by Ivan Bilibin

The emergence of the city

The only hints of the real existence of Kitezh can be found in the book "Kitezh Chronicler". According to scientists, this book was written at the end of the 17th century.

According to her, the city of Kitezh was built by the great Russian Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich of Vladimir at the end of the 12th century. According to legend, the prince, returning from a trip to Novgorod, stopped on the way near Lake Svetloyar - to rest. But he did not really manage to rest: the prince was captivated by the beauty of those places. He immediately ordered to build the city of Great Kitezh on the shore of the lake.

Yuri Vsevolodovich, the founder of Kitezh, is depicted at the entrance to the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin

The case was set to work immediately. The length of the built city was 200 sazhens (a straight sazhen is the distance between the ends of the fingers spread out in different directions of the hands, approximately 1.6 meters), the width was 100. Several churches were also built, and on occasion the best masters began to “paint images”.

There are many churches, icons too - what else does a simple Russian person need? The city was not slow to be called "saint", and the people reached out to the lake Svetly Yar.

Svetloyar

Lake Svetloyar is located in the Nizhny Novgorod region. It is located near the village of Vladimirsky Voskresensky district, in the Lunda basin, a tributary of the Vetluga River. The length of the lake is 210 meters, the width is 175 meters, and the total area of ​​the water surface is about 12 hectares.

There is still no consensus on how the lake appeared. Someone insists on the glacial theory of origin, someone defends the karst hypothesis. There is a version that the lake arose after the fall of a meteorite. The very word "Svetloyar" can be translated as "Light Lake".

Batu invasion

Those were times far from peaceful and idyllic. Discord between the principalities, the raids of the Tatars and Bulgarians, forest predators - a rare person decided to get out of the city walls without a weapon. And in 1237, the Mongol-Tatars under the leadership of Batu Khan invaded Russia.

Now let's forget about the legend for a while and remember history.

Diorama "Heroic Defense of Old Ryazan"

Ryazan princes were the first to be attacked. They tried to seek help from Prince Yuri Vladimirsky, but were refused. The Tatars ravaged Ryazan without difficulty; then moved to the Vladimir principality. The son Vsevolod, sent by Yuri, was defeated near Kolomna and fled to Vladimir. The Tatars captured Moscow and captured another son of Yuri - Prince Vladimir.

Prince Yuri, when he found out about this, left the capital to the sons of Mstislav and Vsevolod. Went to gather troops. He set up camp near Rostov on the river Sit and began to wait for his brothers Yaroslav and Svyatoslav. In the absence of the Grand Duke, on February 3-7, Vladimir and Suzdal were taken and ruined, the family of Yuri Vsevolodovich died in the fire.

The prince managed to learn about the death of the family. His further fate was even more unenviable: Yuri died on March 4, 1238 in a battle with the troops of Batu on the Sit River. Bishop Kirill of Rostov found the decapitated body of the prince on the battlefield and took him to Rostov. Later, the head was found and attached to the body.

The death of Yuri Vsevolodovich

Here ends the facts that are confirmed by scientists. Let's get back to the legend.

Batu allegedly heard about the riches that were stored in the city of Kitezh, and sent part of the army to the holy city. The detachment was small - Batu did not expect resistance. The troops went to Kitezh through the forest, and cut a clearing along the way. The traitor Grishka Kuterma led the Tatars. He was taken in the neighboring city, Small Kitezh (now Gorodets). Grishka could not stand the torture and agreed to show the way to the Holy City. Alas, Susanin from Kuterma did not work out: Grishka led the Tatars to Kitezh.

On that terrible day, not far from the city, three Kitezh heroes were on patrol. They saw the enemy first. Before the battle, one of the soldiers told his son to run to Kitezh and warn the townspeople. The boy rushed to the city gates, but the Tatar's evil arrow caught up with him. However, the brave boy did not fall. With an arrow in his back, he ran to the walls and managed to shout: "Enemies!", and only then fell dead.

The heroes, meanwhile, tried to restrain the khan's army. Nobody survived. According to legend, at the place where the three heroes died, the holy key of Kibelek appeared - it still beats.

A variant of the legend says that George the Victorious himself descended to earth to help the defenders of Kitezh. But George's horse stumbled. Then the saint realized that saving Kitezh was not his task. And retreated. And in the place where the horse's hoof fell, the holy source of Kibelek gushed.

Vasily Maksimov "Mongols near the walls of Vladimir"

The Mongol-Tatars besieged the city. The townspeople understood that there was no chance. A handful of people against the well-armed and organized army of Batu is certain death. Nevertheless, the townspeople were not going to give up without a fight. They went out to the walls, with weapons, as well as icons and crosses in their hands. People prayed in the evening and all night long. The Tatars, on the other hand, were waiting for the morning to launch an attack.

And a miracle happened: suddenly the church bells rang, the earth shook, and before the eyes of the amazed Tatars, Kitezh began to sink into the waters of Lake Svetloyar.

And this city of Big Kitezh became invisible and guarded by the hand of God - so at the end of our many-rebellious century and worthy of tears, the Lord covered that city with his hand.

"The Tale and the Penalty of the Secret City of Kitezh"

K. Gorbatov. "The Invisible City of Kitezh"

The legend is ambiguous. And people interpret it differently. Someone claims that Kitezh went under water, someone - that he plunged into the ground. There are adherents of the theory that mountains closed the city from the Tatars. Others believe that he ascended into the sky. But the most interesting theory is that Kitezh simply became invisible. It is not clear, however, why then no one has come across the city by accident.

Amazed by the power of the "Russian miracle", the Tatars rushed to run in all directions. But God's wrath overtook them: whom the animals devoured, who got lost in the forest or simply disappeared, taken away by a mysterious force.

The city has disappeared. According to legend, he should "manifest" on the day of the Last Judgment. On the day when the dead rise from their graves, Kitezh will also rise from the water. But you can see it and even reach it now. A person in whom there is no sin will distinguish the reflection of church domes and white stone walls in the waters of Lake Svetloyar.

Kitezh modern

Fast forward now to times close to our century.

The legend of the city of Kitezh excited the minds of the intelligentsia. First of all, writers, musicians and artists. The 19th century writer Pavel Melnikov-Pechersky, inspired by Lake Svetloyar, told his legend in the novel In the Forests, as well as in the story Grisha. The lake was visited by Maxim Gorky (feature "Bugrov"), Vladimir Korolenko (feature cycle "In Desert Places"), Mikhail Prishvin (feature "Light Lake").

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov wrote the opera The Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh about the mysterious city. The lake was painted by artists Nikolai Romadin, Ilya Glazunov and many others. The poets Akhmatova and Tsvetaeva mention the city of Kitezh in their work.

Scenery by Ivan Bilibin for Rimsky-Korsakov's opera

Nowadays, science fiction writers and especially fantasy authors are interested in the legend of Kitezh. It is clear why: the image of the hidden city is romantic and fits perfectly into a fantastic work. Of the works of this kind, one can name, for example, the story "The Hammers of Kitezh" by Nick Perumov and "Red Shift" by Evgeny Gulyakovsky.

In the Soviet TV movie The Magicians, based on the Strugatskys' novel Monday Begins on Saturday, a musical instrument factory worker travels to fictional Kitezhgrad. He wants to save the bride from evil spells, and finds himself in the realm of good and evil wizards.

Lake Svetloyar today

Naturally, scientists did not ignore the riddle of Kitezh. Expeditions went to Lake Svetloyar, more than once. Drilling near the shores of the lake yielded nothing. The search for archaeologists ended in nothing. There were no traces of the mysterious city on the approaches to the lake. In the 70s of the last century, the expedition was equipped by Literaturnaya Gazeta: trained divers descended to the bottom. Their work was not easy, since the depth of the lake is more than 30 meters. At the bottom there are many snags and sunken trees.

Unfortunately, they did not find irrefutable evidence of the existence of the city. For believers, this fact, of course, means nothing. It is known that Kitezh will not reveal its secrets to the wicked.

There were hypotheses that Kitezh was not at all on Lake Svetloyar. Other alleged places of "habitat" of the holy city immediately arose. They even talked about China, allegedly Kitezh and the legendary Shambhala are one and the same place.

Nicholas Roerich "Song of Shambhala"

In our time, scientists have forgotten about Kitezh - it's not up to that. But the legend was at one time speculated by businessmen who hoped to turn the legends into a source of self-financing.

Currently, the territory of the lake is protected by the state. The lake and its surroundings are part of the reserve, which is under the protection of UNESCO. Every year on July 6, on the day of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, Orthodox believers make a procession from the Vladimir Church in the village of Vladimir to the chapel in the name of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. The chapel was built near Lake Svetloyar in the late 1990s.

Orthodox pray on the shore of the lake. Someone is secretly looking at his reflection in the lake - will Kitezh flash by? Some believe that the earth collected in a holy place heals ailments. They take it from the graves of "killed heroes" and then take it home along with plastic bottles in which water from the holy spring splashes. There is a belief that water from Svetloyar will not deteriorate, even if it stays in a bottle for several years.

Chapel of Our Lady of Kazan on the bank of Svetloyar

Russian utopia

The city of Kitezh is a symbol of something inaccessible, but desirable. This is a heavenly place where the righteous can flee from the hardships of a cruel world. It doesn't matter if Kitezh existed - a beautiful legend gives hope to the desperate. And in the past, in search of fertile land, peasants-bast shoes fled, and now there are fanatics who go to the Nizhny Novgorod forests, where they hide from modern life.

Kitezh is a Russian utopia. This is the place where milky rivers flow in the jelly banks. For many, this is the country of Fantasy, a fabulous state in which goodness and justice rule. The most important thing about the Kitezh utopia is that people need such a city anyway. And if this legend did not exist, they would have invented another one. People need faith that it is possible to escape from this world full of pain and despair. People need a place to run to. At least in thought. And this place was the sacred Russian city of Kitezh.

Konstantin Gorbatov "The Drowned City"

Belovodie

Many medieval legends tell about the kingdoms of Goodness and Justice, like Kitezh. In these "secret places" one can supposedly hide, escape from the intrigues of evil. One of such places is the magical country of Belovodie. This is a fabulous land where the sages live, who bestow eternal life and secret knowledge of the past. According to legend, the country is located somewhere in the Altai.

After the introduction of serfdom in Russia, many peasants left for the east. In the 17th century, Russian settlers moved to Altai. The reason for this was not only the "crowding" of Central Russia and poverty, but also the hope to find Belovodie. Approximately at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century, the "Traveler of Mark Topozersky" was created, which described the road to Belovodie. The "Traveller" pointed the way through Krasnoyarsk and China to the "Oponsky" (Japanese) kingdom, which lies in the middle of the "Okiyan-sea" of Belovodie.

In Russia, there are real "Kitezhs" - cities and villages flooded during the construction of reservoirs. In the photo - Krokhino in the Vologda region

THE LEGEND ABOUT THE CITY OF KITEZH

For many years, scientists have been trying to unravel the mystery of the small Russian lake Svetloyar. According to legend, a city once stood on its banks - Big Kitezh. Fate decreed that it acquired a special symbolic meaning, becoming the mystical secret of the Russian land.

LAND OF THE UNSPEAKED LIGHT

The image of the enchanted city is widely reflected in Russian literature. Let us recall at least the famous novel by Melnikov-Pechersky "In the Forests", dedicated to the way of life of the Old Believers. The writer says: “Horse Trans-Volga is a free land ... Traditions about Batu's defeat are fresh there. They will point out both the "Batiyev path" and the place of the invisible city of Kitezh on Lake Svetly Yar. That city is still intact - the city is intact, but invisible. Sinful people will not see the glorious Kitezh. And until now, that City stands invisible - it will open before the terrible Judgment Seat of Christ.

Kitezh is mentioned in historical chronicles. In the winter of 1237, the advanced detachments of Batu Khan appeared within the Ryazan principality. Ryazan could not alone resist the numerous hordes of conquerors and turned to the Prince of Vladimir Yuri Vsevolodovich with a request for help. However, he, wanting to weaken a strong and wealthy rival, did not provide any support to the Ryazan people. Having captured Ryazan, the hordes of Batu moved on. Kolomna, Moscow, Suzdal, Vladimir were taken by storm and burned, and in the latter, the entire family of the prince died, which they did not have time to take to a safe place. And soon, in the battle that took place, the troops of Yuri Vsevolodovich were also defeated. He, too, fell on the battlefield.

Chronicles testify that a certain traitor showed the enemy the way to Bolshoy Kitezh. The invaders laid siege to it and stormed the city walls for several days. The forces were unequal, and the Horde had already broken through the gate, when suddenly a miracle happened! Before the eyes of the astonished warriors, the city disappeared - its churches, towers, and towers disappeared under the water.

Since then, as the legends say, a ghostly bell ringing is sometimes heard from the waters of the lake, and righteous people can not only hear it, but also see the missing Kitezh.

By the 19th century, there were three versions of the legend about Kitezh. According to the first, the city is located at the bottom of the lake, like a fabulous palace of the sea king. According to another, told by the writer M. Prishvin, Kitezh is located underground, and the surrounding hills are its churches. The third version tells about the city, still standing on the banks of Svetloyar, but invisible to the human eye. Only the most righteous pilgrims who came here on the day of the feast of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God (July 6, according to the old style) could see in the waters of the lake a reflection of Kitezh spread out on the hills.

I must say that this place has been famous since pagan times as unusual and remarkable. The lake was named after the Slavic god of the sun - Yarila, and religious ceremonies were held on its shores. On the top of a high bald hill, which jutted into the lake with two capes, on the night of Ivan Kupala, the Magi performed their divine services, and then everything around was illuminated by the light of torches, and fiery wheels, symbolizing the sun, rolled down from the mountain into the water.

When Russia adopted Christianity, the Orthodox clergy began to eradicate ancient customs. On the eve of the Yarilin holiday, crowds of believers with crosses and icons appeared on the sacred hill. The matter at times came to bloody hand-to-hand fights with fellow tribesmen who did not deviate from the faith of their fathers and grandfathers. Time passed, and Yarila's supporters became less and less, and more and more Christians, so that by the 17th century the lake finally became a place known exclusively by the name of Kitezh.

But this city is known, revered and kept in the memory of the people, of course, not because it hid under water and from time to time shows miracles. People's faith in the existence of a spiritual and mystical center on the Russian land was connected with Kitezh, where holy people live, opposing the Antichrist and all evil. Kitezh is the city of last hope for all the unfortunate, sick and offended, a place where you can hide from the wrath of the king, and from the oppression of the master.

I must say that there are many legends about such mysterious cities in the world. This is Camelot - the capital of the valiant King of the Britons Arthur, and the magical island of Avalon - a haven of sorcerers, elves and heroes, and Agartha - a city of knowledge and spiritual understanding, located underground, where the wisest of people live, gifted with eternal youth and crowned with divine knowledge. And, of course, the mysterious Shambhala is an invisible and practically unattainable abode of mahatmas, the spiritual teachers of mankind.

Russia has its own Shambala - Kitezh-grad. For a long time there lived a belief among the people that some righteous people, distinguished by high virtue, managed to visit the elders living in the invisible city. “They accept into their brotherhood only those who have earned this right with their spiritual achievements, those who with invincible heroism of heart have endured the fiery test of life,” writes the Latvian poet and thinker R. Rudzitis in his book Brotherhood of the Grail.

In this regard, let us recall the majestic opera by Rimsky-Korsakov, in which the city of Kitezh is depicted as “the country of the inexpressible Light”, where the wise noble maiden Fevronia ended up, because she “dedicated her three preserved gifts to the God of Light: the meekness of a dove, the nobility of love and tears of compassion ". She teaches her fiancé, Prince Vsevolod, to love every person, no matter who he is - a sinner or a righteous person, because a spark of divine beauty is reflected in every soul. If a person suffers, it is all the more necessary to caress him, to surround him with heavenly joy.

The Russian people lived many legends about invisible cities and monasteries, the ringing of bells which reach the ears of believers on quiet summer nights. Such, for example, are the legends about the Mlevsky monasteries (Tver province), which went underground, where the holy hermits continue to live; about the miraculous elders of Small Kitezh (Gorodets), who leave the Cyril Hill early in the morning and show themselves to God-fearing wanderers. Similar to them is the Altai legend about the Chud people, who did not want to lose their freedom. “The Chud went underground and filled up the passage with stones ... But the Chud didn’t leave forever. When the happy time returns and people from Belovodye come and give great science to all the people, then the Chud will come again, with all the treasures they have obtained, ”N. Roerich writes in the book“ Heart of Asia ”...