Big Kitezh. Kitezh - a legendary city, interesting facts

In this article we will talk about the legendary city of Kitezh, which hid from enemies at the bottom of Lake Svetloyar (Nizhny Novgorod region). Scientists around the world have been trying to solve its mystery for several decades.

An ancient chronicle from 1251, created 13 years after the events described in it, tells how the city of Kitezh disappeared under water.

According to this literary source, in 1238, Batu Khan, having conquered almost all the Russian principalities, fought on the City River with the ruler of the Vladimir-Suzdal land, Georgy Vsevolodovich. In a hot battle, the Mongol-Tatar invaders crushed the few Russian regiments, and the prince, along with the rest of the army, took refuge in small town Kitezh, which he founded several decades ago on the shores of Lake Svetloyar.

It must be said that the approaches to the city were reliably hidden by the Vetluga forests and impassable swamps, and only a few knew the way there. Wanting to get to Prince George at any cost, Batu ordered the prisoners to be tortured in order to find out from them the way to Kitezh. Even the most terrible tortures could not break the captives, but one of them - Grishka Kuterma - still showed the invaders the way to the city, which became a refuge for the prince.

Walking along a secret path, Tatar hordes We saw before us the beautiful city of Kitezh, practically devoid of military fortifications. Its inhabitants, instead of preparing for battle, fell to their knees and prayed earnestly. Anticipating an easy victory, the invaders rushed towards the city, but then streams of water gushed out from under the ground, forcing the enemy to retreat ingloriously.

But even when the Tatar-Mongols retreated, the underground sources did not dry up. The water rose around the walls of the city, reliably covering houses, temples and residents of Kitezh. Soon, in place of the blooming city, only the surface of the lake glittered in the sun, which to this day is a silent witness to the cataclysm of bygone centuries.

Reserved place

Today, many researchers of the events of those years have a question: why did Batu, who had practically conquered the entire Russian land, need to look for a small city, lost in forests and swamps, which can hardly be called a tasty prey? Did the khan really waste time and energy searching for the treasured path to Kitezh only in order to destroy the already defeated prince?

The answer to this question is given in one of his works by the writer and historian Alexander Asov. In his opinion, Kitezh is one of the oldest cities in the Russian land, although its official history goes back only a few decades. And it was founded in pre-Christian times in a difficult, reserved place.

From time immemorial, Slavic tribes believed that Lake Svetloyar was endowed with an unknown power. That is why the Berendeys living on its shores built sanctuaries to the bright god Yaril, whose name gave the name to the lake.

In addition, according to Slavic legends, the powerful god Kitovras, who had the appearance of a half-man, half-horse, was born on this reserved land. He was a temple builder who knew all the secrets of the Universe. Here the god of wisdom and hops Kvasura was born, giving people joy and fun.

Kitezh-grad itself was first mentioned in the “Star Book of Kolyada” - the sacred chronicle of our distant ancestors. This city was patronized by many gods, and even when the Russian land became Orthodox, Christian churches were erected in places of power - the sanctuaries of Slavic deities.

The rulers of all the principalities revered Kitezh and took care of the holy city, as evidenced by the six (!) white stone churches erected here in record time. White stone was very expensive in the Middle Ages, and builders used it very carefully.

Therefore, it can be assumed that, having heard about the unusual city, Batu decided to take possession of its great power in order to conquer the whole world with its help. (It’s not clear why though great power the city did not help Georgy Vsevolodovich defeat Batu.) However, higher powers decided otherwise, hiding the sacred Kitezh under water from both enemies and friends.

What's at the bottom?!

The city of Kitezh still reminds people of itself from time to time. Many eyewitnesses claim that in clear weather at sunrise and on the eve of major Orthodox holidays, the ringing of bells and melodious singing can be heard from under the water. In addition, sometimes here you can see snow-white walls, crosses and golden domes of sunken temples under the surface of the lake.

Of course, the depths of Svetloyar were repeatedly studied by both archaeological scientists and amateur scuba divers, but traces of the drowned city were never found. The researchers came to the conclusion that the bottom of the lake can be called three-layered - consisting of three levels of underwater terraces dating back to different eras.

These terraces go deep into the lake from the shore like the steps of a giant staircase, alternating with flat areas of the bottom. On the “step”, which can be attributed to the century when the cataclysm occurred that destroyed the reserved city, located at a depth of 20 meters, shards of dishes, coins, jewelry of the 13th century were found - and nothing more significant.

However, when exploring the depths of the lake with a geolocator, an anomalous zone in the form of an oval, covered with a multi-meter sedimentary layer, was discovered at the bottom of Svetloyar. The signals from the device were rather muffled, as if something was interfering with the free passage of sound. This fact allowed researchers to suggest that this area may well contain the ruins of an ancient city, but more significant evidence of this has not yet been obtained.

Gateway to another world

Esotericists, who have also been studying the phenomenon of the disappearance of Kitezh for a long time, have their own version of its current location.

In their opinion, the city, located in a place of power, such as the Svetloyar region, could be transported to a parallel dimension, which was facilitated by the fervent sincere prayer of its inhabitants at the moment mortal danger. Moreover, the gates to another world still open slightly from time to time, for which there is also evidence.

The fact is that people sometimes come to the village of Vladimirskoye, which is located not far from Svetloyar. strange people in old clothes. These newcomers often try to buy goods in the local village store and pay for them with coins... from the 13th century - new and shiny, as if minted a couple of years ago.

In addition, in the area of ​​Lake Svetloyar, repeated disappearances of people who decided to relax in nature in these protected areas were recorded. As a rule, these “hostages of circumstances” are absent from several hours to two or three days, and when they return, they rarely remember what happened to them.

However, there are exceptions. So, one man from Nizhny Novgorod, who was picking mushrooms near Lake Svetloyar, disappeared in the forest for three days, and when he returned, he told his relatives that he had visited the mysterious city of Kitezh, and, to prove his words, showed a piece of bread that the “underwater inhabitants” treated the guest to. But as soon as he took out “his proof,” the “otherworldly” bread turned into stone before the eyes of witnesses.

And yet, every year many pilgrims come to the treasured lake, of various religions. Fame also draws them here. mysterious place strength, and healing water, and earth from the shores of Svetloyar, which can cope with even the most severe diseases.

In addition, it is believed that if you walk around the lake three times clockwise, it will fulfill any wish. True, this is not so easy to do, because the total area of ​​Svetloyar is 12 hectares.

The tale of the concealment of the sacred city of Kitezh is the pearl of Slavic religious belief.

Based on the tale, many research books, poems, and an opera by Rimsky-Korsakov have been written...

What is hidden behind the beautiful tale about the city that “went” into Lake Svetloyar, without submitting to either Christian Orthodoxy or the Tatar-Mongol yoke?

Kitezh is a city dedicated to the Russian god Kitovras.

A lively narrative about the city of Kitezh dates back to the times of the Tatars. Mongol invasion, that is, by the 13th century.

[!] However, according to Alexander Asov, the origins of this legend should be sought in an even earlier period - pre-Christian history of Rus'. The construction of the city-temple took hundreds of years, and, as is known, foreign Orthodoxy in Rus' was finally established only after 1990 with the arrival of a multi-thousand-strong Jewish army of perestroika in Russia.

This is not so simple, since Christian Orthodoxy has so tightly occupied Russian holy places and rituals that it is quite difficult to separate which legends belong to the occupier and which myths are truly Russian.

Lake Svetloyar, in which, according to legend, the sacred city of Kitezh hid, is located in the Volga region, and has been known since ancient times as the center of the Russian native faith [not to be confused with Christianity - Orthodoxy].

The name of the lake itself comes from two ancient Russian words: “bright”, that is, pure, righteous, and<yar>, which is the root of the name of the Russian solar deity Yarila, who was worshiped by the ancient tribes of the Slavs.

Many legends of the period before the capture of Rus' by Christians are associated with Lake Svetloyar. They also mention the city of Kitezh. It is spoken of in the most ancient sacred source of the Russian faith - “ Star Book of Kolyada».

According to one of the legends, a magical half-horse, half-man was born in the area of ​​Lake Svetloyar - a powerful wizard and builder of ancient temples, as well as the god of wisdom and hops Kvasura. The name of the city of Kitezh came from their names.

In the area of ​​Lake Svetloyar lived Slavic tribe Berendeev. Their descendants before today have preserved legends that since ancient times one of the largest religious centers of worship was located in Kitezh Yarily. This place was considered sacred for Russian princes.

The bloody baptism of Rus' deprived the native Russian faith of both the Magi and the temples, taking over truly Russian sacred places.

Allegedly, Kitezh was turned into the center of the Orthodox faith, and the princes continued to visit it as if nothing had changed.

Many Orthodox churches were built on the site of temples, since it was believed that such places are special - they are sources of strong positive energy. The names of the ancient gods were gradually replaced by the names of saints, but the place of worship itself higher powers, possessing truly magical energy, remained the same. That is why the area of ​​Lake Svetloyar has been shrouded in legends and mysticism since ancient times.

Traitor – Orthodox Jew Grishka Kuterma

Now fast forward to more late times. According to Christian chronicles, the city of Bolshoy Kitezh on the shore of Lake Svetloyar was built by Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich, the son of Vsevolod the Big Nest.

In addition to him, there was also Small Kitezh, which grew up under his grandfather - the famous Yuri Dolgoruky.

Greater Kitezh was conceived as a majestic city. There were many temples in it, and it was built entirely of white stone, which at that time was a sign of wealth and purity. However, legends united these two different cities, and so the mystical and mysterious Kitezh City appeared.

Alexey Asov, guided by the legends and chronicles of that time, was able to recreate the true picture of the events of those distant times.

In 1238, after the destruction of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, Batu Khan set up a camp on the City River. After another unequal battle, Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich with the remnants of his troops retreated to Maly Kitezh. However, Batu took it by storm, and the prince and the remnants of his army miraculously managed to escape to Greater Kitezh.

At that time, on Russian soil, Yuri Vsevolodovich remained practically the only organized force opposing the Tatar-Mongol invasion.

The remaining princes were exterminated during the Christianization of Rus' - bloody baptism.

Batu longed for power over the world and was eager to move on as quickly as possible - to Mediterranean Sea, but he was afraid to leave the proud and undefeated Russian prince in the rear. And then he ordered to torture all captured Russians so that they would give up the reserved roads leading to Kitezh.

[!] The warriors were silent because they knew: handing over the sacred city means dooming themselves and their family to eternal damnation.

Only one could not stand the torture - Grishka It's a mess. He was afraid of torture and death and agreed to lead his enemies to the Russian shrine.

The path was not easy and lay among impassable swamps and forests. But the traitor knew the secret paths and was able to lead the Tatar-Mongol army to the holy city.

Seeing the approaching enemy army, the residents of Greater Kitezh and the soldiers of Yuri Vsevolodovich began to pray to God. Seeing the suffering of the Russians from the invaders, God took pity on the besieged. Before the eyes of Batu and his troops, the holy city sank into Lake Svetloyar and was not left to the merciless enemy for plunder, dishonor and death.

Kitezh - the city-temple of the native Russian faith

However, some facts in this legend are questionable. The remnants of the army of Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich in fact did not pose a real military threat to Batu. And what could the prince do on earth, over which countless hordes of nomads swept twice with fire and sword?

Then the question arises: why did Batu need to lead the army through the swamps to the city, which even in those days was considered semi-mythical?

[!] The fact is that Kitezh was of spiritual value.

It did not stand on trade routes, did not play any significant military or political role in life Ancient Rus'. But he was a great spiritual center! It is not for nothing that in the chronicles telling about Kitezh, the largest place was given to the description of the temples.

According to these chronicles, almost the entire city consisted of only temples, being essentially one of the largest temple complexes of the Russian native faith. And Orthodoxy has been striving to take possession of this city for more than a hundred years.

Among historians, the most common version of Batu’s seemingly illogical campaign against Kitezh from the point of view of military strategy is the following.

After interrogating the prisoners, Batu concluded that this city was not so much a political as a spiritual center of the Slavs.

Therefore, the Mongol Khan, called by the Orthodox as a punisher of Russians, went to Kitezh, so that thereby he would finally destroy all hope of the Slavs for revival.

After all, many peoples believed that with the destruction of their shrines, the people themselves perish, for shrines are the soul of the people. However, Kitezh did not fall to the enemy.

The Russian gods saved an army to repel the enemy

According to legend, Kitezh sank into the waters of the sacred Lake Svetloyar. The sanctity of its waters was extended to the city itself and its inhabitants. Therefore, the image of a city inhabited by the righteous was born, passing unharmed through the sacred waters and passing into better world. Legend says that the lake hid Kitezh until the end of time, and only before the end of the world it will rise again from the waters, and the army of Yuri Vsevolodovich will leave the gates of the holy city to appear with all Russian souls for God's judgment over the invaders of Rus' - Orthodox Christians.

IN Soviet times Naturally, such a view of history could not be accepted, and a version was put forward that the legend about Kitezh reflects natural disaster, as a result of which there was a rapid subsidence of the soil and the immersion of the city standing on the shore of the lake under water. Consequently, it was concluded that the remains of the legendary city can be found on great depth. An expedition was organized to Lake Svetloyar.

During underwater research, archaeologists found that its bottom consists of three layers of soil:

• first layer - at a depth of 30 meters - very ancient,
• second- at the 20-meter mark - just belonged to the 13th century,
• third- deposits of more recent times.

At a depth of 20 meters, archaeologists found objects that can be attributed to the period of the 13th century. However, these were just small things made of wood and metal. These findings made it possible to put forward the hypothesis that the city, gradually plunging into the water, went into another layer of reality. And some things remained in our world due to strong vibrations of the earth or were simply washed away by water.

But where did Kitezh go?

Only modern scientists can answer this question.

There is an assumption that at certain times and under certain circumstances different dimensions can come into contact.

IN in this case According to a number of researchers of the Kitezh riddle, the shift in the layers of reality occurred as a result of the collective prayer of the besieged. After all, this prayer was performed in an extreme situation and, moreover, at the same time a large number of people. Let's not forget that in addition to the townspeople, there was also an army in the city. Plus, it has been a sacred place since ancient times.

The time of prayer was probably not chosen by chance either. Scientists have more than once turned to the most ancient astrological source of our ancestors - “ Star Book of Kolyada", a detailed commentary to which is provided by Alexander Asov.

[results of the Orthodox occupation of Rus': It turns out that all modern Orthodox holidays coincide with our ancient Russians - relatives.]

These are special days on which the heavenly bodies occupy such a position that Parallel Worlds touch and we can see them. Thus, scientists concluded that Kitezh was simply transported to another dimension.

Expeditions to the abode of Russian gods

The expedition involved in the study of Lake Svetloyar and its environs included not only archaeologists, but also philologists and ethnographers, that is, collectors of folklore.

It turned out that local residents for many centuries have been passing on the legend of the hiding of Kitezh, supplemented by events taking place in our time.

[!] So, local residents say that on Russian holidays, bells can be heard from Lake Svetloyar. Scientists also observed a similar phenomenon, but could not explain it.

However, not everyone can get to the sacred city of Kitezh. Only a person who is absolutely pure in spirit can enter there.

Monks from neighboring Christian monasteries, who regularly come to Svetloyar, hear only the ringing of bells, and only a few manage to see the outlines of the beautiful white stone temples of Kitezh in the waters of the lake.

According to local residents, the lake has healing properties and can cure many ailments, and whoever sees the reflection of the golden domes of churches in it will be happy.

“Isn’t it time for Kitezh to rebel?”

However, the inhabitants of the otherworldly Kitezh themselves often visit our world.

Old-timers say that it used to be that an old man with a long gray beard would come into an ordinary village store. ancient Slavic clothes. He asked to sell bread, and paid with old Russian coins from the time of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. Moreover, the coins looked like new.

Often the elder asked the question:

« How is it in Rus' now? Isn't it time for Kitezh to rebel?»

However, local residents replied that it was too early. They know better, because the place around the lake is special, and people here live in constant contact with the miracle. Even those who come from other regions feel an unusual halo.

The legend of Kitezh is the most famous legend about a city hidden from the enemy. However, there are quite a lot of similar stories.

In a number of regions of Russia, there are still myths about how, under the threat of plunder by Christians, Russian churches or entire cities went under water or hid in the mountains.

It was believed that only a select few could get there from our world.

In the book " Brotherhood of the Grail“Richard Rudzitis cites a letter from a Russian sorcerer who sends a message to his loved ones and asks them not to consider him dead. He says that he simply went to the hidden temple to the ancient elders.

However, scientists have not come to a final conclusion: about one or more hidden cities or temples we're talking about on the issue of Kitezh.

One way or another, the prevalence of such legends and their undoubted similarity once again proves the authenticity of this story. However, the more research is carried out on Lake Svetloyar, the more questions scientists have that have yet to be answered.

We see that the hidden Russian churches will soon appear and they will drive the invaders - Orthodox Christians from the Russian land. And our faith will rise above Russia - the Russian faith, our dear faith, the righteous faith!

Hurry, those who are still Orthodox or any other Christian, or a foreign invader - a Jew, a Muslim - hurry to hide from the damask voice of the Russian faith. For soon Russian warriors, hidden in a parallel dimension, will come and liberate our Rus', O Judeo-Christians!

Kitezh (Kitezh-grad) is a mystical city in legends that supposedly became invisible and sank to the bottom of Lake Svetloyar during the Mongol-Tatar invasion of the 13th century. Also, it was believed that Kitezh was inhabited only by the righteous, and the wicked were not allowed there. According to legend, it was located in the northern part of the Nizhny Novgorod region, near the village of Vladimirskoye, on the shores of Lake Svetloyar near the Lyunda River.

For many years, submarine archaeologists have been trying to solve the riddle of Lake Svetloyar, where, as folk legends say, the magical city of Kitezh is buried.

Legends about Kitezh

According to legend, Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich built the city of Bolshoi Kitezh on the banks of Svetloyar. Particular emphasis is placed on the fact that the city was built in just 3 years - from 1165 to 1168 - and immediately made of stone, which was an unthinkable feat for forest Rus' of that era. When the hordes of Batu invaded Rus', they captured and destroyed the city of Maly Kitezh (or Gorodets) and, fleeing from the Mongol army, Prince Yuri took refuge in Greater Kitezh, lost among the Trans-Volga forest thickets.

But Batu found out the way to Greater Kitezh and besieged it. Its inhabitants tirelessly prayed to the Mother of God to come to their defense. The defenders of the city fought to the death; Prince Yuri was killed in battle. However, the forces were too unequal. The enemies were about to break into Kitezh-grad, when suddenly a miracle happened. The city began to disappear before Batu’s eyes - Kitezh churches and buildings disappeared under the water... Frightened by the miracle that had happened, the enemy fled.

From time to time, according to legends, the ringing of bells can be heard from the bottom of Lake Svetloyar and from under the hills, and from time to time Kitezh old men appear, buy bread from the peasants, talk, and then disappear again. A righteous person can not only “see the vision” of Kitezh, but also get into the enchanted city and stay there forever...

The legend about the invisible Kitezh-grad existed for a long time in oral form, passed down from generation to generation. In the 17th century, schismatic monasteries began to appear in the forests of the Volga region - secret settlements of adherents of the old faith, not recognized official church. It was the schismatics in the 18th century who first recorded the legend of Kitezh in the work “The Book of the Chronicler.” In their presentation, the legend acquired a pronounced religious character. According to their idea, the underwater city is a monastery in which righteous elders live, and only people who are true believers can see Kitezh and hear the bells of Kitezh, as mentioned above.

“The fog cleared, and the domes of Kitezh shone with an unearthly light over the lake. The heavenly city of the righteous appeared in all its splendor. The main gates of the city opened, and a radiant old man appeared from them. He invited us to enter the miracle city and stay in it forever.” This is how a pilgrim described her meeting with the legendary city, crawling around Lake Svetloyar three times on her knees. As a reward for her spiritual feat, the heavenly city appeared before her, and the residents of Kitezh invited the old woman to their place. But she, frightened, refused to enter the monastery of the righteous.

Belief in the reality of the existence of Kitezh persisted in the vicinity of Svetloyar in a later period. 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 - it looks like it will be like the size of a ladle. It's just very difficult to find. IN winter time The ice on Svetloyar is pure and pure. So you need 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, living people walk... But not everyone will see it, not everyone will be able to find this hole.”

Locals say they know of cases where Kitezh residents helped people in the most ordinary matters. “When I was still a little boy, my grandmother told me that there was an old man who lived here in a village by the lake. That old man once went into the forest to pick mushrooms. I walked and walked, and all in vain. Tired, he sat down on a stump... Then he thought: “If only the old people of Kitezh would help.” Before he had time to think, he fell asleep. After some time, the old man woke up, opened his eyes, looked into the basket - and couldn’t believe his eyes: it was filled to the brim with mushrooms. And what kind of ones - one to one, and all white!”

They said that one lost shepherd even had dinner in the city of Kitezh and wanted to get there another time, but could no longer find the way there.

1843 - the magazine “Moskvityanin” introduced the Russian people to this beautiful legend. She attracted the attention of scientists and inspired poets and writers. Rimsky-Korsak wrote an opera dedicated to the city of Kitezh, which went under water. And already a hundred years ago the idea of ​​searching for the legendary city at the bottom of Lake Svetloyar appeared.

Lake Svetloyar

Research

However, underwater archeology was not even dreamed of in those days. The search began only in our days. Initially, archaeologists excavated Small Kitezh, that is, Gorodets. Traces of a powerful fire were discovered there, which destroyed the city in the first half of the 13th century. It became clear that this was done by Batu’s army. This may mean that the legend is right in the part when it says that Maly Kitezh was burned by the Tatar-Mongols. Well, what about Big Kitezh, which sunk to the bottom of Lake Svetloyar? 1959 - the first expedition of archaeological submariners went to the lake. She was unable to achieve success. But perhaps we need to conduct a more thorough search?

1968 - the science department of the Literary Gazette organized a comprehensive expedition to Lake Svetloyar. It included folklorists, an archaeologist, a historian, a geologist, a lake scientist, a hydrologist and a group of scuba divers. The purpose of the expedition was to find out what is the connection with reality, with Lake Svetloyar, of the legend about Kitezh-grad, which became a symbol of faith in the undying Russia, in the incorruptibility of Russian culture, in the final victory over all disasters. Could the city really sink to the bottom of the lake?

Research by submarine archaeologists

Geologist V.I. Nikishin came to the conclusion that Svetloyar is a “failure” in the earth’s crust that filled with water and became a lake. Having descended to its bottom, scuba divers and hydrologist D.A. Kozlovsky were able to establish that the coastal slope of Svetloyar goes under the water in three ledges to a depth of 30 meters.

The first terrace, with a gentle slope, is located at a depth of 8–9 meters. The second, separated by a steep slope, is at a depth of 22–23 meters and, in the end, the “last bottom”, the deep-water part of the lake, is submerged to a depth of 30 meters. According to Kozlovsky, the deep-sea part of the lake was formed approximately one and a half thousand years ago. Then, 700–800 years ago, a new “failure” occurred, and a terrace appeared at a depth of 22–23 meters. And already, 350–400 years ago, the last, shallow terrace was formed.

Perhaps the city of Kitezh once stood on one of the terraces? After all, the time of formation of the second terrace surprisingly coincides with the date of its death, which is spoken of in legends... Submarine archaeologists began to study the bottom of the lake in detail. The “shallow” terrace was explored using a special water scope. This is a cone made of sheet steel with a plexiglass bottom. Its diameter is 60 cm. The rubber part of the mask was attached to the narrow part of the waterscope cone, and the “viewing” began. The water in Svetloyar is very clean and transparent, visibility is excellent.

In the southwestern part of the lake, in shallow water, archaeologists found the remains of piles. City of Kitezh? No. Local residents say that in the 19th century there was a bathhouse built by a local landowner. They couldn’t find anything on the second terrace either. Scuba divers A. Gogeshvili and G. Nazarov sank under the water and walked the entire lake from north to south. However, Kitezh-grad with fortress walls and gilded church domes is not at the bottom of Svetloyar!

True, the bottom is covered with a thick multi-meter layer of silt. On a shallow-water terrace, 50 meters from the shore, at a depth of 6–8 meters, scuba divers found the remains of trees. The top of one of them was cut down and sent for analysis to the Geological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Radiocarbon dating showed that the tree died 350–400 years ago. And this corresponds to the time period for the formation of the shallow terrace, calculated by D.A. Kozlovsky!

So, one of the terraces was actually formed as a result of a “failure”? And if the dates that were proposed by Kozlovsky are accurate, then the second “failure” occurred during the era of the Mongol invasion - during the times associated with the death of the legendary Kitezh City!

On next year submarine archaeologists arrived at Lake Svetloyar along with a group of Leningrad scientists armed with a geolocator. The ZGL device was installed on a fishing boat. 62 echo-sounding tacks were made on Svetloyar, the lake was cut up and down with “profiles” that made it possible to penetrate through a multi-meter layer of silt. In the northern part of Svetloyar, on the terrace of “Batyev” times, a sound sonar showed a certain oval-shaped formation. Traces of a fenced structure? However, this formation may also have a natural origin.

“Another year later, exploration geologists made 5 test drillings in the middle of the lake according to our instructions,” wrote expedition leader Mark Barinov. “They extracted pieces of wood from under a 10-meter layer of silt, on which forensic experts in Moscow found traces of human activity. Thus ended our reconnaissance on Lake Svetloyar. Have we found Kitezh? There is no answer to this question yet. The word belongs to archaeologists, armed with powerful modern technology.”

N.K. Roerich "The Battle of Kerzhenets"

“He blossomed on fertile land until greedy enemies attacked him. The city defended itself for three days. And when there were no more warriors left capable of holding weapons, the enemies rejoiced. But proud Kitezh did not surrender, and in front of the amazed eyes of the enemies slowly disappeared, plunging into the depths of the sea. God made the city invisible to the human eye, but the time will come and Kitezh will return,” says the ancient legend.”

According to another version of this legend " the earth opened up and swallowed the city. The enemies fled in fear and Lake Svetloyar appeared in place of the city. That city is still intact with white stone walls, churches, monasteries, princely towers, boyar stone chambers, houses cut down from wood that does not rot. The hail is intact, but invisible. Only the righteous and saints can see this city, only a true believer is worthy of hearing the ringing of its bells."

This legend became an inspiration for Rimsky-Korsakov, who wrote the brilliant opera "The Tale of invisible city Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia", for which N.K. Roerich made a picturesque curtain.

Did this city really exist? If yes, where? There is a book “The Kitezh Chronicler”, created in the 80-90s of the 18th century by Old Believers, which says: “ Grand Duke Vladimirsky Georgy Vsevolodovich built the city of Maly Kitezh on the banks of the Volga. And then he went deep into the forests, beyond the Kerzhenets River, on the shores of the beautiful Lake Svetloyar, he ordered the construction of the city of Big Kitezh. And that city of Great Kitezh was two hundred fathoms wide, and a hundred fathoms wide. And they began to build it on the first day of May, and they built that city for three summers." If Kitezh is just a legend, then where did these details come from? The conclusion that the book appeared in the 18th century was made by linguists.

In the Nizhny Novgorod forests, 40 kilometers from the city of Semenov, there is amazing beautiful lake called Svetloyar. There is a belief that this is where the invisible city of Kitezh is located. They say that on a quiet summer morning it can be seen reflected in the water with towers and domes. And from somewhere below comes the quiet ringing of bells.

The lake has long been considered holy. Many pilgrims have always flocked to it and are now flocking to it in the hope of either being healed by washing there, or atonement for their sins by crawling along the shore. Near the lake there is a chapel and a worship cross. A few kilometers away is the village of Vladimirskoye, which has become a tourist center. It is now called Russian Shambhala, and Kitezh - Russian Atlantis. In general the place is popular. Kitezh became such an Orthodox fetish, a spiritual center, a symbol of the heroic struggle of Orthodox Rus' against the “Mongol-Tatar hordes.”

The persistence of this legend is amazing. Maybe it really has some basis? It often happens that legends reflect the distant past. For example, the legends of the peoples of the north reflect the events of the flood, when there was no land, and the supreme god Nomi-Torum took it from the bottom, etc. Or maybe this is after all a beautiful legend that became popular thanks to poets, a composer...

For more than a hundred years, scientists have been trying to prove or disprove the existence of a mysterious city here. That's what's strange. By its origin, Svetloyar cannot be attributed to any of the known species lakes: neither glacial, nor karst, nor meteorite. How did this come about? amazing lake? An amazing incident occurred in 1903 in the neighboring Kazan province, not so far from the lake. Here is a newspaper report from that time: “Recently, the residents of the village of Shari were terribly frightened by an incomprehensible crackling and noise coming from somewhere underground. The inhabitants rushed in the direction of the sounds and saw that a huge hole had formed in the middle of the forest, into which mature trees easily entered. And even more It’s amazing that water immediately came out from under the ground, and a lake formed at the site of the failure.”

Maybe something similar happened here too? Maybe there was a city on the shore and it sank to the bottom of the hole?

In 1968, an expedition was organized to Svetloyar and made a strange discovery. Using a sound geolocator, I discovered an anomaly at the bottom. The image of one section of the bottom was sharply different from the others. The expedition called this zone Zone K. To determine what is in anomalous zone, then several wells were drilled in it. Unexpectedly for everyone, there were a lot of small wood chips in them. But how did they get there? For some reason, not a single scientific institute undertook to study these pieces of wood at that time. Nobody wanted to waste time studying legends. And then the police helped. Forensic experts compiled a document stating that 6 out of 10 pieces of wood they examined had traces of cutting tools. This means that they were processed by human hands.

Enthusiasts planned to continue research at Svetloyar in the 70s. However, these plans were not destined to come true. Already in our time, specialists came to the lake with a unique device - ground penetrating radar. Its capabilities make it possible to literally illuminate the bottom of the lake using electromagnetic radiation. The depth of the lake turned out to be very large - 37 meters. Of these, more than ten are silt layers. Ground penetrating radar detects many small objects in the silt. They certainly don't look like any buildings at all. But what kind of anomaly was discovered in 1968? Then the sample samples showed that the silt layer of the “K” zone was different from the others.

Geologists suggested that these samples contained a large number of minerals, that is, zone “K” was the bottom of an ancient paleo-reservoir. That is, the anomaly of the zone is a natural phenomenon, and everything else is nothing more than guesswork. But then what about wood chips with traces of processing? Then no one determined their age.

If you turn to the book "Kitezh Chronicler". It says that Prince Georgy Vsevolodovich began building the city in the summer of 6673, that is, in 1165 according to the usual calendar. But historians say that this same prince was born only 24 years later in 1189. Such a problem. At the indicated time, George's grandfather Yuri Dolgoruky, the founder of Moscow, ruled. What if the Old Believers who wrote the book in late XVIII centuries just mixed up the princes? Yuri Vladimirovich Dolgoruky also has confusion with his date of birth, and besides, Yuri and Georgy are the same name.

In 2012, near Lake Svetloyar, Nizhny Novgorod archaeologists discovered traces of a medieval settlement. Shards of ceramic dishes, fragments of iron knives, flint flint and stone millstones were found. The finds date back to the end of the 14th - beginning of the 15th centuries, that is, this is later than the date indicated in the book. The artifacts were discovered on Mount Krestovozdvizhenskaya behind the chapel. In the ruts, a cultural layer was exposed at a depth of half a meter, covering an area of ​​slightly less than a hectare. Archaeologists believe that there was a settlement here - an unfortified settlement with one residential yard for 10-15 people. Perhaps the settlement was larger, part of it could have gone with landslides to Svetloyar.

It is known that in Moscow there is the oldest district of Kitay-Gorod ("China" - wall, fortification, the same name was given to the wall built by the Slavs on far east for protection from southern neighbors). Please note that the beginning of the words Whale- ay and Whale- hedgehogs match. There is a legend that not far from the Kremlin walls, Prince Yuri Dolgoruky ordered the digging of a huge dungeon. In the 12th century, there were numerous internecine wars, when princes fought for power and captured cities from each other. Perhaps Yuri Dolgoruky created an underground shelter. Now on the territory of Kitai-Gorod there are some of the most ancient underground structures in Moscow.

It is known that Dolgoruky built a lot of white stone. The buildings of that time can be recognized by the amazingly carefully fitted stones. It was not possible to find such buildings in the dungeons of Moscow.

Prince Georgy Vsevolodovich

That's what's interesting. The pronunciation of Kitezh with an emphasis on the “i” came into use only after Rimsky-Korsakov wrote his famous opera. Before this, the emphasis was on “e” and came from the Old Russian “kitekhsha”, which means “abandoned place”. This word appeared in Rus' during the time of the advent horde (as it now turns out, there was no “Mongol-Tatar invasion” in our awesomely funny history). It was then that Georgy Vsevolodovich ruled. The book says that the prince gathered an army and set out to meet the khan. However, he lost the battle. Russian chronicles mention a major battle between the Russians and the Horde on March 4, 1238 on the Sit River. It is believed that the Rkusskys were completely defeated, and the prince died. However, the “Kitezh Chronicler” says that it was after this battle that Prince Georgy Vsevolodovich retreated to Kitezh.

Maybe traces of the mysterious city should be looked for in the area of ​​the Sit River? Now this river flows along the border of Tverskaya and Yaroslavl regions. its length is only 150 km. This small river made its way into history thanks to the battle. And although the exact location is not known, mounds are scattered throughout the City, which, according to legend, are mass graves Russian soldiers. I still have the feeling that everything here is filled with the memory of that terrible slaughter. Back in the 19th century, in villages located along the banks of the City, folklore collectors recorded most of the legends about the city of Kitezh. But now the lower reaches of the river are flooded with the waters of the Rybinsk Reservoir, built during Stalin’s times. It swallowed up 700 villages. Just like the legendary Kitezh, the ancient Russian cities of Maloga and others went under water. A beautiful legend turned into a tragic reality.

There is another version. Researcher Vladimir Ratov studied ancient pagan legends and rituals for many years and came to the conclusion that traces of Kitezh should be looked for on the Maloga River. Why? Firstly, this is the legend of Veles - a Slavic god who, while in the Black Sea, fought with dark forces. His soul hardened, he needed to get to Svarga. Svarga is an earthly paradise according to Slavic Vedic mythology, a place where gods live and milk rivers flow with jelly banks. Maybe Kitezh, which in legends is considered the abode of all those who suffer, is that same Svarga? On the banks of Mologa, Vladimir Ratov discovered stones with mysterious designs. But do they have anything to do with Kitezh?

The "Kitezh Chronicler" says that Kitezh was located among dense forests. A secret road led into it from the river along which the enemies came to the city. This road is called "Batu's Path" in the book. Batu destroyed Russian cities on the right side of the Volga. Now by alternative history It is believed that the Horde - the same Slavs - ravaged only Christian Russian cities, but did not touch the Vedic ones. Batu (Batya) crossed to the left side and for some reason went deeper into the dense forests. For what? There is a version that there was a pagan Slavic temple there. Since the goal of the Horde invasion was the destruction of Christianity, and Kitezh was an Orthodox city, it should have been destroyed.

The Slavic Vedic faith says that the path to Svarga goes along the RA (Volga) river. Further along the Smorodina River. This is what they called and still call the Mologa River for the huge number of currant bushes growing along its banks. By the way, the very word MOLOGA is consonant with the Milk River, which, according to legend, flows in a hidden country. There really are huge stones near Mologa, although there are no drawings. But still, a stone with some drawings was found not on the shore, but in the forest. That’s where Kitezh is located, according to Ratov. There are lines on the stone, a triangle, but what is it? It is impossible to say with certainty that these drawings are man-made.

They say that back in the 30s, before the flooding, the abbess of one monastery wrote down her dream - a vision. She walks towards the monastery through the field and suddenly water begins to flow from everywhere. Soon the water covered both the monastery and the entire surrounding area. And the nun kept walking and walking until the water began to recede. And the monastery again opened up to God's light.

Yes and the invisible city of Kitezh, as the legend says, will appear to the world again when faith and goodness are reborn in people.

From the book by Irina Nilova

It was a city of ancient Russians who lived on the banks of a great river. The Drevlyans, under the influence of aliens from other tribes, quarreled with their Sages and Leaders and wanted to usurp power over the rest of their relatives. That is, they began to live according to Krivda. After which the vibrational components in the service of the Sages were distorted and the city received a blow equal to an explosion nuclear bomb. The news of the instant death of an entire city from fiery energy quickly spread and the place began to evoke fear. The lake that formed at the site of the explosion is the remnant of a bygone river that went underground.

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

Remember the legend of Atlantis? About a continent that sank into the ocean, punished by the gods because its inhabitants were mired in sins. There is a similar legend in Rus' - 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 its bells ringing. City of Kitezh. Legendary city. 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 come here. They believe that Kitezh stands at the bottom of the lake, and their faith is unshakable.

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

Kitezh as imagined by Ivan Bilibin

The appearance of the city

The only hints about real existence Kitezh can be found in the book “The 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 Vladimirsky at the end of the 12th century. According to legend, the prince, returning from a trip to Novgorod, stopped along the way near Lake Svetloyar to rest. But he was unable to really rest: the prince was captivated by the beauty of those places. He immediately ordered the construction of the city of Big Kitezh on the shore of the lake.

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

They got down to business immediately. The length of the built city was 200 fathoms (straight fathom - the distance between the ends of the fingers, arms outstretched in different directions, approximately 1.6 meters), width - 100. Several churches were also built, and on the occasion the best masters began to “paint images.”

There are many churches, icons too - what else does an ordinary Russian person need? The city was immediately nicknamed “saint”, and people flocked to 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, 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 came into being. Some insist on the glacial theory of origin, others defend the karst hypothesis. There is a version that the lake appeared after a meteorite fell. The word “Svetloyar” itself can be translated as “Bright Lake”.

Invasion of Batu

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

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

Diorama “Heroic Defense of Old Ryazan”

The Ryazan princes were the first to be attacked. They tried to turn to Prince Yuri Vladimirsky for help, but were refused. The Tatars ravaged Ryazan without difficulty; then they moved to the Vladimir Principality. The son Vsevolod sent by Yuri was defeated at Kolomna and fled to Vladimir. The Tatars captured Moscow and captured Yuri's other son, Prince Vladimir.

Prince Yuri, when he learned about this, left the capital to his sons Mstislav and Vsevolod. I went to gather troops. He set up a camp near Rostov on the Sit River 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 devastated, and the family of Yuri Vsevolodovich died in a 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 Batu’s troops on the Sit River. Rostov Bishop Kirill found the headless body of the prince on the battlefield and took him to Rostov. Later they found and attached the head to the body.

Death of Yuri Vsevolodovich

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

Batu allegedly heard about the wealth that was kept 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 marched to Kitezh through the forest, and along the way they cut a clearing. The Tatars were led by the traitor Grishka Kuterma. He was taken in the neighboring city, Maly Kitezh (present-day Gorodets). Grishka could not stand the torture and agreed to show the way to the Holy City. Alas, Susanin did not succeed from Kuterma: Grishka led the Tatars to Kitezh.

On that terrible day, three Kitezh heroes were on patrol near the city. They were the first to see the enemies. Before the battle, one of the warriors 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.

Meanwhile, the heroes tried to restrain the Khan’s army. No one survived. According to legend, at the place where three heroes died, the holy spring of Kibelek appeared - it still flows.

A version of the legend says that St. George the Victorious himself descended to earth to help the defenders of Kitezh. But George's horse stumbled. The saint then realized that saving Kitezh was not his task. And he retreated. And in the place where the horse’s hoof fell, the holy spring of Kibelek began to flow.

Vasily Maksimov “Mongols at the Walls of Vladimir”

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

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

And this city of Greater Kitezh became invisible and is protected by the hand of God - so at the end of our century of rebellion and tears worthy, the Lord covered that city with His hand.

“The Tale and Request for the Hidden City of Kitezh”

K. Gorbatov. "The Invisible City of Kitezh"

The legend is ambiguous. And people interpret it differently. Some claim that Kitezh went under water, others that it sank into the ground. There are adherents of the theory that the city was closed off from the Tatars by the mountains. Others believe that he took to the skies. But the most interesting theory says that Kitezh simply became invisible. It is not clear, however, why no one has yet come across the city by accident.

Struck by the power of the “Russian miracle,” the Tatars began to run in all directions. But God's wrath overtook them: those who were devoured by the animals, those who got lost in the forest or simply went missing, taken away by a mysterious force.

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

Kitezh modern

Let us now fast forward 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 its legend in the novel “In the Woods”, as well as in the story “Grisha”. The lake was visited by Maxim Gorky (essay “Bugrov”), Vladimir Korolenko (essay cycle “In Desert Places”), Mikhail Prishvin (essay “Bright 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 works.

Scenery by Ivan Bilibin for the opera by Rimsky-Korsakov

Nowadays, science fiction writers and especially fantasy authors have become interested in the legend of Kitezh. It’s clear why: the image of a hidden city is romantic and fits perfectly into a fantasy work. Among works of this kind, we can name, for example, the story “The Hammers of Kitezh” by Nik Perumov and “Red Shift” by Evgeny Gulyakovsky.

In the Soviet television film “Sorcerers,” which was based on the Strugatskys’ novel “Monday Begins on Saturday,” a worker from a musical instrument factory travels to the fictional Kitezhgrad. He wants to save his bride from evil spells, and finds himself in the kingdom of good and evil wizards.

Lake Svetloyar today

Naturally, scientists did not ignore the mystery of Kitezh. Expeditions were sent to Lake Svetloyar, more than once. Drilling near the shores of the lake yielded nothing. The searches of archaeologists also 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. There are a lot of snags and sunken trees at the bottom.

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.

Hypotheses arose that Kitezh was not located on Lake Svetloyar. Other supposed places of “habitat” of the holy city immediately arose. There was even talk about China, supposedly Kitezh and the legendary Shambhala are one and the same place.

Nicholas Roerich "Song of Shambhala"

In our times, scientists have forgotten about Kitezh - there is no time for that. But at one time the legend was speculated upon 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 surrounding area are part of a nature reserve, which is protected by UNESCO. Every year on July 6th Vladimir icon Orthodox believers make a procession of the Mother of God 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 Christians pray on the shore of the lake. Someone is secretly looking at his reflection in the lake - will Kitezh flash by? Some believe that soil collected in a holy place cures ailments. They take it from the graves of the “slain 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 spoil even if it sits in a bottle for several years.

Chapel of Kazan Mother of God on the shore 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 escape from adversity cruel world. It doesn’t matter whether Kitezh existed - the beautiful legend gives hope to the desperate. And in the past, bastard peasants fled in search of fertile land, 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 a place where milk rivers flow in the jelly banks. For many, this is the country of Fantasy, a fabulous state where goodness and justice rule. The most important thing about the Kitezh utopia is that people need such a city anyway. And if this legend had not existed, they would have invented another one. People need faith that they can escape from this world full of pain and despair. People need a place to escape to. At least in my thoughts. And this place became the sacred Russian city of Kitezh.

Konstantin Gorbatov “The Drowned City”

Belovodye

Many medieval legends tell of kingdoms of Good and Justice, like Kitezh. In these “hidden places” one can supposedly hide and escape from the machinations of evil. One of these places is Wonderland Belovodye. This is a fabulous land where sages live who give eternal life and secret knowledge of the past. According to legend, the country is located somewhere in 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 of finding Belovodye. Around the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century, “The Traveler of Mark Topozersky” was created, which described the road to Belovodye. The “Traveller” pointed the way through Krasnoyarsk and China to the “Opon” (Japanese) kingdom, which lies in the middle of the “Okiyan-sea” of Belovodye.

In Russia there are real “Kitezhi” - cities and villages flooded during the construction of reservoirs. In the photo - Krokhino in the Vologda region