Kitezh-grad - the last stronghold of the Russians
The tale of the concealment of the sacred city of Kitezh is a pearl of Slavic religious belief. Based on the tale, many research books, poems, Rimsky-Korsakov's opera have been written …
What is hidden behind the beautiful tale about the city that "went" to Lake Svetloyar, not submitting to either Christian Orthodoxy or the Tatar-Mongol yoke?
Kitezh - a city dedicated to the Russian god Kitovras
The lively story of the city of Kitezh dates back to the times of the Tatar-Mongol invasion, that is, to the XIII century.
However, according to Alexander Asov, the origins of this legend should be sought in an even earlier period - the pre-Christian history of Russia. The construction of the city-temple took more than one hundred years, and, as you know, foreign Orthodoxy in Russia was finally established only after 1990 with the arrival of the many-thousand-strong Jewish army of perestroika in Russia.
This is not so easy, since Christian Orthodoxy has so tightly occupied the Russian holy places and rituals that it is rather difficult to separate which legends belong to the occupier and which myths are true Russian.
Lake Svetloyar, in which, according to legend, the sacred city of Kitezh was hidden, 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].
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The very name of the lake comes from two Old Russian words: "bright", that is, pure, righteous, and, 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. The city of Kitezh is also mentioned in them. It is mentioned in the most ancient sacred source of the Russian faith - "The Star Book of Kolyada".
According to one of the legends, in the area of Lake Svetloyar, a magical half-horse-half-human Kitovras was born - a powerful wizard and builder of ancient temples, as well as the god of wisdom and hop Kvasura. The name of the city of Kitezh originated from their names.
A Slavic tribe of Berendeys lived in the area of Lake Svetloyar. Their descendants to this day have preserved the legend that since ancient times one of the largest religious centers of the Yarila cult was located in Kitezh. This place was considered sacred for the Russian princes.
The bloody baptism of Rus deprived the native Russian faith of both the Magi and the temples, occupying the true Russian sacred places.
Allegedly, Kitezh was turned into a 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 were special - they are sources of strong positive energy. The names of the ancient gods were gradually replaced by the names of saints, but the very place of worship of the higher powers, which possesses a 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 later times. According to Christian chronicles, the city of Big 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 Dolgoruk.
Greater Kitezh was conceived as a majestic city. There were many temples in it, and it was erected all of white stone, which at that time was a sign of wealth and purity. However, the legends united these two different cities, and this is how the mystical and mysterious Kitezh-grad 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 ruin 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 Small Kitezh. However, Batu took him by storm, and the prince with the remnants of the army miraculously managed to hide in Bolshoy Kitezh.
At that time, on Russian land, Yuri Vsevolodovich remained practically the only organized force opposing the Tatar-Mongol invasion.
The rest of the princes were exterminated during the Christianization of Russia - bloody baptism.
Baty longed for power over the world and was eager to go further as soon as possible - to the Mediterranean Sea, but he was afraid to leave the proud and undefeated Russian prince in the rear. And then he ordered to torture all the captive Russians, so that they would give out the reserved roads leading to Kitezh.
The soldiers were silent, because they knew: to hand over the sacred city means to doom yourself and your family to eternal damnation.
Only one could not stand the torture - Grishka Kuterma. He was frightened of torment and death and agreed to lead the enemies to the Russian shrine.
The path was not easy and lay among impenetrable swamps and forests. But the traitor knew secret paths and was able to lead the Tatar-Mongol army to the sacred city.
Seeing the approaching enemy troops, the inhabitants 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. In front of Batu and his troops, the holy city plunged into Lake Svetloyar and did not fall for plunder, dishonor and death to a merciless enemy.
Kitezh - a city-temple of the native Russian faith
However, some facts in this legend are questionable. The remnants of the army of Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich did not really pose a real military threat to Batu. And what could the prince do on the land, on which countless hordes of nomads rolled 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.
He did not stand on trade routes, did not play any significant military or political role in the life of Ancient Rus. But he was a great spiritual center! It is not for nothing that in the chronicles about Kitezh, the greatest place was given to the description of the temples.
According to these chronicles, almost the entire city consisted of some temples, being in fact one of the largest temple complexes of the Russian native faith. And Orthodoxy has been striving to seize this city for more than a hundred years.
For historians, the most common version of Batu's campaign against Kitezh, seemingly illogical in terms of military strategy, is the following.
After interrogating the captives, Batu concluded that this city is not so much a political as a spiritual center of the Slavs.
Therefore, the Mongol Khan, called by the Orthodox as a punisher of the Russians, went to Kitezh, in order thereby to finally destroy any hope of the Slavs for revival.
Indeed, 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.
Russian gods saved an army to repel the enemy
According to legend, Kitezh plunged 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, passed unharmed through the sacred waters and passed into a better world. Legend has it that the lake hid Kitezh until the end of time, and only before the end of the world will it rise again from the waters, and the army of Yuri Vsevolodovich will leave the gates of the holy city in order to appear with all Russian souls for the judgment of God over the invaders of Russia - Orthodox Christians.
In Soviet times, naturally, such a view of history could not be accepted, and a version was put forward that the legend of Kitezh reflects a natural cataclysm, as a result of which there was a rapid sinking of the soil and the immersion of the city standing on the shore of the lake under water. Therefore, it was concluded that the remains of the legendary city can be found at great depths. An expedition was organized to Lake Svetloyar.
In the course of underwater research, archaeologists found out that its bottom consists of three layers of soil:
the first layer - at a depth of 30 meters - is very ancient, the second - at the 20-meter mark - just belonged to the XIII century, the third is the deposits of later times.
At a depth of 20 meters, archaeologists have found objects that can be attributed to the period of the XIII century. However, these were just small things made of wood and metal. These findings just made it possible to put forward a hypothesis that the city, gradually sinking 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 may touch.
In this case, according to a number of researchers of the Kitezh mystery, the displacement of 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 by a large number of people. Let's not forget that in addition to the townspeople, there was also an army in the city. Plus - a sacred place since ancient times.
The time for prayer was probably also not chosen by chance. Scientists have more than once turned to the most ancient astrological source of our ancestors - the Star Book of Kolyada, to which Alexander Asov leads a detailed commentary.
These are special days in which the heavenly bodies occupy such a position that the parallel worlds touch, and we can see them. Thus, the scientists concluded that Kitezh was simply transported to another dimension.
Expeditions to the abode of the Russian gods
The expedition, which was engaged 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 the locals for many centuries have been transmitting the legend of the concealment of Kitezh, supplemented by events taking place in our time.
So, local residents say that on the days of Russian holidays, bells are heard from Lake Svetloyar. Scientists also observed a similar phenomenon, but could not explain it.
However, not everyone can get into 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 bell ringing, 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 is capable of curing many ailments, and those who see the reflection of the golden domes of churches in it will be happy.
"Isn't it time for Kitezh to rise?"
However, the inhabitants of the otherworldly Kitezh themselves often visit our world.
Old-timers say that it happened that an old man with a long gray beard in old Slavic clothes came into an ordinary village store. He asked to sell bread, and paid with old Russian coins of the times of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. Moreover, the coins looked like new.
The elder often asked the question:
“How is it now in Russia? Isn't it time for Kitezh to rise?"
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 areas feel an unusual halo.
The legend of Kitezh is the most famous legend about the city hidden from the enemy. However, there are quite a few such 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 "The Brotherhood of the Grail" Richard Rudzitis quotes a letter from a Russian sorcerer who sends a message to his loved ones and asks 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: one or more hidden cities or temples are discussed in the question of Kitezh.
One way or another, the prevalence of such legends and their undoubted similarity once again proves the reliability of this story. However, the more research is carried out on Lake Svetloyar, the more questions scientists have that still have to be answered.
But we see that hidden Russian churches will soon appear and they will drive the invaders - Orthodox Christians - from the Russian land. And our faith will become over Russia - Russian faith, dear, righteous faith!
Hurry up those who are still Orthodox or any other Christian, or a foreign invader - a Jew, a Muslim, - hurry to hide from the voice of the bulat Russian faith. For soon Russian soldiers, hidden in a parallel dimension, will come and free our Rus from the Jews!