Since ancient times, the Astrakhan steppes were home to nomadic tribes, but our land and great civilizations - the Khazar Kaganate and the Golden Horde - knew. Both capitals of these states were located on the territory of the current Astrakhan region, and if the main Khazar city of Itil has not yet revealed its secrets to archaeologists, the remains of Saray-Batu, the richest capital of the Golden Horde, told historians a lot of new and interesting things.
I am not a historian and therefore I will not write about the formation, prosperity and decline of the khanate. I am interested in something else - the legends and traditions of the Horde associated with the Astrakhan steppes. Each legend contains all folk wisdom, echoes of history, culture and religion. So, let's open the veil of secrecy …
A long time ago, the Chingizid Batu, whom the Russians called Batu, swept through Russia as a deadly hurricane, plundering cities and killing people. Having collected so much gold that there was nowhere to put it, the descendant of the great khan settled on the Akhtuba River, erecting the great capital Saray-Batu among the steppes. Legends about this city reached the farthest corners of the mainland, and talk about the golden domes of the Saray did not subside for many years.
He stood on the bank of the Akhtuba. The name of the river contains the name of the beautiful khan's daughter. Once upon a time there lived a Khan with his daughter Tuba in the Golden Horde. As she matured, her father decided to marry her off against his daughter's wishes. Now the wedding day has arrived. The groom lived on the other side of the river. Khan and Tuba got into the boat and went to the other side. Not wanting to live according to the will of her father, Tuba jumped into the river. For a long time her father called: "Ah Tuba, Tuba", but she did not emerge. Our river Akhtuba was formed from the tears of the inconsolable khan.
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There is another, less romantic, legend about Akhtuba. A long time ago a wise khan lived in the Golden Horde. Its capital was on the river, which was so narrow that the khan's camels, standing on one bank, could nibble the grass on the other. Khan decided to eliminate the inconvenience of such shallow water and sent people to dig a canal to connect this river with the main river of the local area - the Volga. For some time, wanting to know about the success of his work, he sent others. Soon the messengers returned and announced that the canal had been dug, and the water flowed into it with such force that it represented a white hill at the confluence, in Tatar “ak-tuba”. The river was called Akhtuba.
Saray Batu was a beautiful city with palaces, mosques, running water, fountains and shady gardens. It was rumored that the khan's palace was all covered with gold, and the entrance to the capital was guarded, gleaming with ruby eyes, by two golden horses, which were cast in honor of the gallant campaigns to Russia.
According to legend, the horses were made in full height, and more than a dozen craftsmen from all the lands subject to Batu worked on their creation. It still remains a mystery whether those horses were hollow or completely gold.
Khans were replaced, but the horses relentlessly carried out their service, until one day Russia got stronger and dealt a crushing blow to the Horde. The disappearance of horses is associated with the Battle of Kulikovo. As the legend says, unable to withstand the shame, Khan Mamai, who was defeated by Dmitry Donskoy, died, and one of the horses was put in the mound, poured over his body near the walls of Saray-Berke, the new capital. The second horse was also buried nearby: the Cossacks "hijacked" it, but not being able to escape the pursuit, they threw it into the river, and every one of them died. According to another version, the Cossacks nevertheless brought the treasure to the Rostov lands, but could not transport it across one of the lakes.
Golden horses are not the only treasure of the Astrakhan steppes. If you believe the legends of different eras, then the sands store a lot of gold and precious stones. Since on the territory of the Astrakhan region there were once two capitals of the largest and richest states of that time, here, according to historical data, is one of the largest treasures on the globe. There is even a number of confirmations for this. For example, once the so-called "Golden Hillock" was discovered, located near the village of Lenino. Archaeologists have found a treasure here with gold coins, gold armor, a golden sword hilt and a golden helmet decorated with diamonds and precious stones. All this is worth over USD 10 million. Digging for gold and in the village of Fedorovka. I generally keep quiet about the Sarmatian gold. Now imagine how many were found unofficially! History, as they say,is silent …
By the way, there is another legend about treasures. Although she is not of the Golden Horde, she is also worthy of attention:
There lived a poor, very poor young fisherman. He lived in a dilapidated dugout with his old father. Once, it was at Easter, he went to sea. All the sailors came home for the holiday, and he stayed to fish. In only two days he caught only fish in his own pot. Returning from the sea on the third day of Easter, he thought: "If only I could find a treasure on the way!" And suddenly he sees: a green light is shining on one of the hillocks. The fisherman landed on the shore, got off the boat and went to the light. A luxurious underground passage opened before him. "Whatever happens!" - decided the fisherman and entered the cave. He went to the door, opened it and found himself in a room decorated in all copper. A door led from this room to another. An elderly man sat at the door and silently pointed his finger at her. The fisherman opened this door too. Another room was decorated in silver. Everything about her shone and shimmered. Here sat a man older than the first and also silently pointed to the third door. The fisherman also opened the third. An even more splendid picture appeared before him: the whole room was shining and trimmed in gold. Gold coins, precious stones, necklaces were scattered everywhere. A gray-haired old man sat and dozed in a golden armchair. In the same room stood a golden vat, filled to the brim with mirrored wine, and in it, like a duck, floated a golden ladle. The fisherman disturbed the old man from sleep and asked: "Elder, give me some coins." The old man, without looking, waved his hand in agreement.filled to the brim with glassy wine, and in it, like a duck, floated a golden ladle. The fisherman disturbed the old man from sleep and asked: "Elder, give me some coins." The old man, without looking, waved his hand in agreement.filled to the brim with glassy wine, and in it, like a duck, floated a golden ladle. The fisherman disturbed the old man from sleep and asked: "Elder, give me some coins." The old man, without looking, waved his hand in agreement.
The fisherman filled his pockets full of money and went to his boat. But then he did not calm down. He took the bag and went back to the dungeon. For courage he drank a ladle of crystal wine from a golden vat. He filled the bag with gold and went to the boat. But again he did not calm down: he took the second bag and decided to fill it not only with gold, but also with precious stones. He approached the cave, and neither her nor the light was gone. Everything disappeared …
The fisherman floats home and thinks: “Now I will be rich. I will start a fishing industry. I will hire workers. If they work badly and carelessly, I will lower three skins from them. Finally he reached his village. He opened the hatch of the booth and gasped: there were no jewelry there, and instead of them, horse droppings lay at the bottom of the boat. The fisherman opened a slate, and there were only a few coins. He picked them up and was glad of that. At home his old father was waiting for him. The son told his father everything and showed the coins. When the fisherman took off his outer clothing, his father saw a golden ladle behind his belt. The old man looked at the money and said: - These coins are minted from the times of Ivan the Terrible. - Then I told my son a memorable story. - Stepan Razin was driving in our land. Here, in one of the hillocks, he buried his treasure, which he wanted to distribute to poor people. The treasure was given to you, but you, my son, turned out to be greedy. This is science for you for your greed.
But back to the Golden Horde. There were also other kinds of wealth - women. The most beautiful maidens were taken to Sarai-Batu from all over Russia, but there were also Mongolian beauties. Among them, the brightest and most beautiful of all was the wonderful dancer Tuvali, who won the hearts of many townspeople, including the khan. Noble guests and visiting merchants admired her external and internal beauty, intelligence and ingenuity. Her dances mesmerized and drove the most resilient family men and betrothed rich people crazy. Tuvali was the favorite of an inn in the city center and never, for anything, allowed herself to be humiliated. But, as always and at all times, the girl's fame and beauty haunted wealthy ladies and rich wives, whose husbands sat for a long time over an intoxicating drink in an inn, gazing at the beauty of the dance and the charm of Tuvali. Even the most implacable of them united for all sorts of cunning intrigues in order to turn men away from their favorite resting place. Once unknown people grabbed a girl in the most crowded place of the city so that everyone could see that beauty and charm had come to an end, tied her in a black sack, threw her on a horse and took her to the lower reaches of the Volga to the habitats of unconquered semi-savage tribes.
Whatever the bloodthirsty kidnappers were, they repeatedly untied the sack, spread the carpet and asked Tuvali to dance. It was heart and soul tearing dances, the riders wept after each of them … The chronicle of this story says: “The horses of the river swam four times and three times they galloped along the swampy island shores, until they saw a lone tree among the high chakan near the dark bank of a half-overgrown channel … It was noon on the second day of the journey. They tied a bag to a dry branch and hit it several times with a dagger. The blood stained the green grass. Eagles appeared in the sky. The riders galloped away. But every time at noon they could be seen in that inn where Tuvali danced, pouring a stupefying drink over what they had done.
For a long time, the male city was dull and quiet. For many years, riders in black came to a dry tree on the bank of a channel lost among the delta thickets, having overcome hundreds of kilometers of floodplain meadows, riders in black came and threw flowers on the bloody ground near the tree, as a tribute of recognition and love to the most beautiful girl-dancer on earth, who took their hearts with her and souls. They say that to this day the steppe in those places sings a sad and very beautiful melody about it …
Another woman who held the entire Horde in her hands was Khansha Taydula, the mother of Khan Janibek. Her name became familiar to many thanks to the film "Horde", which was released not so long ago. By the way, my photographs were taken in the city built by filmmakers. Now there is a tourist complex.
So, according to legend, once Tidula went blind. Her son drove the shamans, sorcerers and healers to the Sarai in droves, but to no avail. Once Janibek heard about the Russian saint Alexy, who allegedly works various miracles and heals the sick. Soon, on pain of the ruin of Moscow, the priest was brought to the Horde. It is not clear what exactly Alexy did to the khansha, but after a while she regained her sight, and the khan vowed not to attack Russia.
Another legend about paradise on Earth is connected with the name of Taidula - the rich and mysterious city of Gulistan. Say, the beloved wife of a khan lived there, who secretly converted to Christianity, for which she was killed. However, the legends are legends, but there is also documentary evidence of the connection between Gulistan and Taidula. So, the travel letter was signed by Aleksiy khansha in Gulistan. The name of the city also appears on some of the coins found in the steppe. True, if you believe these copper and gold storytellers, the city did not last long - only 16 years.
What is this mysterious city? What is this city of flowers, as it was once called? Scientists believe that this is a suburban residence of the khans not far from Saray-Batu. Perhaps Gulistan was previously called Saray-Berke - the new capital of the Horde, located near the village of Tsarev. Indeed, the remains of the city were found there, but it is not known whether they have anything to do with Gulistan. One way or another, for many Gulistan was a blossoming paradise, where there are no diseases or deaths …
One can wonder for a long time if there is truth in these stories, but is it worth destroying the legend with evidence? Fairy tales should remain fairy tales, so that humanity has at least a small, but hope for a miracle …