While his father was still alive, Boris received Rostov as ruler. While ruling his principality, he showed wisdom and meekness, caring primarily about inculcating the Orthodox faith and establishing a pious way of life among his subjects. The young prince also became famous as a brave and skillful warrior. Shortly before his death, Grand Duke Vladimir called Boris to Kyiv and sent him with an army against the Pechenegs. When the death of Prince Vladimir followed, his eldest son Svyatopolk, who was in Kyiv at that time, declared himself the Grand Duke of Kyiv. Boris was returning from a hike at this time. The squad persuaded him to go to Kyiv and take the grand-ducal throne, but Prince Boris, not wanting internecine strife, disbanded his army.

However, the insidious and power-hungry Svyatopolk did not believe Boris’s sincerity; In an effort to protect himself from the possible rivalry of his brother, who had the sympathy of the people and troops on his side, he sent assassins to kill him. Boris was informed of such treachery by Svyatopolk, but did not hide. The murderers burst into the prince's tent and pierced him with spears. The body of the holy passion-bearer Prince Boris was secretly brought to Vyshgorod and laid in a church in the name of St. Basil the Great. Svyatopolk

After this, Svyatopolk just as treacherously killed Prince Gleb. Having insidiously summoned his brother from his inheritance - Murom, Svyatopolk sent his warriors to meet him to kill Gleb on the road. Prince Gleb already knew about the death of his father and the villainous murder of Prince Boris. Deeply grieving, he chose death rather than war with his brother. The meeting of Saint Gleb with the murderers took place not far from Smolensk.

The holy brothers did something that was still new and incomprehensible to pagan Rus', accustomed to blood feud - they showed that evil cannot be repaid with evil, even under the threat of death. The noble passion-bearing princes did not want to raise their hands against their brother. In 1019, Prince Yaroslav the Wise of Kiev, also one of the sons of Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, gathered an army and defeated Svyatopolk’s squad.

The noble passion-bearing princes are not only glorified by God for the gift of healing, but they are special patrons and defenders of the Russian land. There are many known cases of their appearance in difficult times for our Fatherland, for example, to Saint Alexander Nevsky on the eve of the Battle of the Ice, to Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy on the day of the Battle of Kulikovo. The veneration of Saints Boris and Gleb began very early, shortly after their death.

The material “Russian Princes Boris and Gleb” was prepared on the topic of spiritual and moral education “The Hour of Spiritual Communication”. The children are undergoing rehabilitation at the State Budgetary Institution "Rehabilitation Center for Children and Adolescents with Disabilities" and attend classes once a week.

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Regional State Institution "Rehabilitation Center for Children and Adolescents with Disabilities", Belgorod Region, Belgorod District, Veselaya Lopan Village

Theme evening scenario

The noble Russian princes Boris and Gleb

Compiled by: labor instructor

Malysheva Svetlana Nikolaevna

2014

Slide 1,2

Presenter 1: The noble Russian princes Boris and Gleb, in holy baptism Roman and David, were the children of Prince Vladimir, who introduced the Christian faith in our fatherland.

Presenter 2: Holy Prince Vladimir was baptized in 988 AD. Prince Vladimir had 12 sons. When Vladimir was baptized, he also baptized his sons.

Slide 3

Presenter 1: In our Fatherland, at first it was so that the Grand Duke ruled the main and most part of it, and divided the rest among his brothers, sons and tribesmen. In 987, Boris received Rostov, and Gleb received Mur.

Slide 4

Presenter 2: The holy princes, like their father, were very pious and loved reading holy books, the writings of the holy fathers and the lives of saints. They were kind, merciful, loved and respected their father dearly.

Presenter 1: Neither one nor the other married, although their father wanted to see them married. In their destinies they cared about the spread of the faith of Christ and in matters of government they were distinguished by justice.

Slide 5

Presenter 2: In 1015, Grand Duke Vladimir Svyatoslavich fell ill, and Boris was called to Kyiv. Soon after his arrival, it became known about the Pecheneg invasion, and his father sent him with a squad to repel their raids.

Presenter 1: Boris did not meet the Pechenegs anywhere and, returning back, stopped on the Alta River. Here he learned about the death of his father and about the occupation of the grand-ducal table by his half-brother Svyatopolk.

Slide 6

Presenter 2: The squad offered to go to Kyiv and seize the throne, but Boris did not want to violate the sanctity of family relations and indignantly rejected this proposal, as a result of which his father’s squad left him and he was left with only his youths.

Presenter 1: The people of Kiev did not like Svyatopolk - they loved Boris very much - and Svyatopolk, in order to retain the grand princely throne, decided to commit fratricide.

Slide 7

Presenter 2: Boris was already returning home and was very sad about the death of his father. On the way, he heard that Svyatopolk was planning evil against him, but did not believe it. Saint Boris turned to God with prayer, took communion of the Holy Mysteries, but the murderers burst into the tent and pierced him with spears. This happened on the banks of the Alta River near Pereyaslavl.

Presenter 1: Boris's faithful servant Georgy wanted to shield his master from the blows of the assassins, but fell, himself struck by a spear. Boris's body was secretly brought to Vyshgorod and buried there near the Church of St. Basil. Boris was about 25 years old.

Slide 8

Presenter 2: After this, Svyatopolk decided to kill Gleb as well. At this time, Gleb stopped near Smolensk; he received from his fourth brother, Yaroslav the Wise, news of his father’s death, the occupation of Kyiv by Svyatopolk, his murder of Boris and his intention to kill him, Gleb; at the same time, Yaroslav advised him not to go to Kyiv.

Presenter 1: It was bitter for Gleb to hear about all this. When he was on the Smyadyn River, the killers did not spare him either. They threw Gleb's body on the river bank. Only after quite a long time it was found incorrupt and buried in Smolensk.

Slide 9

Presenter 2: Afterwards, the Lord struck Svyatopolk, like the fratricide Cain, with such fear that everywhere it seemed to him that he was being pursued. Svyatopolk died outside his fatherland, in the steppes of Bohemia, receiving the nickname “cursed.”

Presenter 1: Soon, signs and wonders began to appear over the graves of the holy princes: pillars of fire and burning candles were visible, or angelic singing was heard. In 1021 their holy relics were discovered.

Presenter 2: Miracles: 1st (“About chromem” - the healing of the youth of the Vyshgorod mayor Mironeg) and 2nd (“About the blind man”) served for the prince. Yaroslav's foundation should be built on the advice of Metropolitan. John in Vyshgorod, a large five-domed wooden church in the name of Boris and Gleb, consecrated on July 24, where the relics of St. princes. On this day, which coincided with the murder of Boris, an annual holiday for the saints was established. At the very first liturgy in the new church, in front of the prince and metropolitan, the 3rd miracle (“about the lame man”) occurred.

Slide 10

Presenter 1: In the 13th century, during the Tatar invasion of our Fatherland, Vyshgorod was destroyed to the ground. The place of the holy princes was hidden and remains hitherto unknown.

Slide 11

Presenter 2: Saints Princes Boris and Gleb were the first saints to be canonizedByzantine and Russian churches in the 11th century. In 1072On May 2 (May 15, new style), a holiday was established for the holy brothers, on the occasion of the transfer of their holy relics. July 24 (August 6, new style) is the feast of the memory of the holy martyrs.

Slide 12

Presenter 1: Having chosen the path of non-resistance to evil, refusal to fight in the name of the highest state, moral and religious values, the brothers became a symbol of Russian patriotism, conscientiousness and morality.

Presenter 2: Over time, faith in Saints Boris and Gleb as defenders of the Russian land and assistants to Russian princes, and later tsars, in wars against invaders became increasingly stronger.

Used Books:

1. Orthodox calendar “Lives of the Saints” 2014. Moscow, Artos-Media LLC, 2013.
2. Electronic version of the "Orthodox Encyclopedia", website -

1 of 9

Presentation on the topic: Life of Boris and Gleb

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“The Life of Boris and Gleb” is an example of an ancient Russian book life. It was created at the end of the 11th – beginning of the 12th century and has come down to us in two versions: “Tale” and “Reading”. The author of the story is unknown, “Reading” belongs to Nestor. These works of ancient Russian literature are based on the plot of the martyrdom of princes Boris and Gleb, killed by their brother Svyatopolk in the struggle for the Kiev throne.

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In 1015, Prince Vladimir died. Power in Kyiv was seized by his son Svyatopolk. By order of the prince, his brother Boris was killed, and a month later - another brother Gleb. But the third brother Yaroslav went on a campaign against Svyatopolk, defeated him and established himself in Kyiv. Boris and Gleb were buried in Vyshgorod near the Church of St. Basil. Their graves became a place of pilgrimage1. During the construction of a new church to replace the burned one, it was discovered that the bodies of Boris and Gleb were incorruptible. This circumstance was the reason for declaring them saints. The cult of Boris and Gleb had an important political meaning: it “sanctified” and approved the state idea, according to which all Russian princes are brothers, and at the same time emphasized the obligatory subordination of the younger princes to the elders. The Life focuses on the death of the brothers. Boris and Gleb are portrayed as ideal Christian martyred heroes. They voluntarily accept the crown of martyrdom.

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Boris is submissive to the elder princes in everything. At the behest of his father, Prince Vladimir, he goes on a campaign against the Pechenegs. On the way back, he learns that his father has died, and the Kiev throne was seized by Svyatopolk. Boris mourns the death of his father. The squad invites him to go to Kyiv, but, obeying the duty of a vassal, he refuses and prefers death to treason. “Walking along the road, Boris thought about his beauty and kindness and burst into tears, and wanted to restrain himself from them, but could not. And everyone who saw him in tears cried about the nobility and honest mind of his youth, and everyone in his soul grieved in heartbreak, and everyone was in sadness... Boris's appearance was sad, his gaze and contrite heart, like that of a saint. The blessed one was truthful, generous, quiet, meek, humble, had mercy on everyone and cared for everyone.”2 Boris thought: “I know that for the sake of evil, people will push my brother to kill me and destroy me.”

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If he sheds my blood, then I will be a martyr before my Lord, and the Lord will accept my soul.” Boris’s sorrow was replaced by the consolations of God: “Whoever loses his soul for the sake of me and my teaching will find and preserve it in eternal life.” And joy filled Boris’s heart. He turned to God, saying: “Do not reject, most merciful Lord, me who trusts in you, but save my soul.”4 Boris begins to prepare for death. At the thought that he is about to die, he experiences fear. The premonition of death turns into confidence. Anxiety grows, Boris is unable to contain his heartfelt excitement. The conspirators sent by Svyatopolk surround the tent where the prince is praying and hit him with spears. Mortally wounded Boris asks for time to pray. He is taken on a cart to the city, and two Varangians finish off the martyr with a blow of a sword to the heart. Gleb is the same hero-martyr as Boris. When Svyatopolk calls him to Kyiv, he immediately sets off. Not far from Smolensk, he is overtaken by assassins sent by Svyatopolk, and Gleb meekly, without offering any resistance, allows himself to be killed. However, the image of Gleb does not repeat Boris in everything. Unlike Boris, tormented by a gloomy premonition, Gleb does not suspect anything, even when he learns about the death of his father and the death of his brother. He only expresses a desire to quickly meet his beloved brother in heaven, if not on earth.

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Gleb is naively enthusiastic about the world around him; he does not believe that he can be killed. When he sees the killers approaching him in a boat, he, not noticing their gloomy faces, rejoices at the meeting. Gleb only realized that they were going to kill him when they began to “jump” into his boat, holding swords in their hands. Gleb, trembling all over, asks for mercy, as children ask: “Don’t touch me, don’t touch me!” He does not understand what and why he must die. Gleb's defenselessness is very touching. This is one of the brightest images of ancient Russian literature.

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Internal monologues are also introduced into the Tale. They are pronounced, as the chronicler writes, by the heroes, “speaking in their hearts.” The psychological state of the characters is also reproduced in the author’s descriptions. The author even tries to convey to readers the contradictory feelings that gripped the heroes. So, in Boris’s soul one feeling gives way to another: grief in connection with the premonition of death and joy in anticipation of the martyrdom of the ideal Christian hero. This is a living spontaneity in the expression of feelings, characteristic of ancient literature, moreover, these are already clearly expressed features of psychologism. The monologues of Boris and Gleb are not devoid of imagery and lyricism. So, for example, Boris’s cry for his deceased father: “Woe is me, the light of my eyes, the radiance and dawn of my face, the bridle of my youth, the instruction of my foolishness! Alas for me, my father and lord! To whom will I resort, to whom will I look? Where will I receive such good teaching and instructions from your mind? Alas for me, alas for me! My sun has set, and I was not with you!”5. In this monologue, the author turned to oratorical prose and at the same time to the imagery of people’s lament. Folk poetry gave the hero's speech a certain lyricism and made it possible to more clearly express the feelings of filial grief. Two feelings are mixed in Gleb's soul - grief from the premonition of death and the joy that an ideal martyr hero should experience in anticipation of a martyr's end.

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In the image of Prince Svyatopolk, the world of light and goodness, as in Russian folklore, is sharply contrasted with the world of darkness and evil. Already at the beginning of the work, the author attributes to him the epithet “cursed”; when depicting him, he does not spare black colors. Svyatopolk is the “damned one,” “the second Cain, whose thoughts are caught by the devil,” he has “very nasty lips,” “an evil voice.” For the crimes committed, Svyatopolk bears a worthy punishment. Defeated by Yaroslav, he flees from the battlefield in panic. The author writes: “The accursed Svyatopolk ran and a demon attacked him. And his body weakened so much that he could not sit on a horse. And they carried him on a stretcher.” He constantly hears the tramp of horses of Yaroslav pursuing him: ““We’re running!” They’re following us!” And they sent to look, but there were no pursuers or pursuers. And he, lying sick, exclaimed, saying: “Let's run! They're being chased again!" And he couldn’t stay in one place. And he ran to the Lyash land, driven by the wrath of God. And he ran to an uninhabited place between the Czechs and Poles and here he ended his life in agony. And he accepted retribution from God, who sent upon him destructive plagues and, after death, eternal torment.” And, if the brothers he killed are considered saints, then from the grave of Svyatopolk “a stench emanates as a warning to people... And from that time on, sedition on Russian soil ceased.” This emphasizes the author’s desire for the unity of Rus'.

THE FIRST RUSSIAN SAINTS. GLORIFICATION BY PRINCE YAROSLAV THE WISE OF THE INNOCENT BROTHERS – PRINCE BORIS AND GLEB. THE END OF SVYATOPOLK THE ACCURSED

Lesson objectives:

Educational:

give the concept of legend as a genre of spiritual literature;

introduce students to the biography of the Russian princes Boris and Gleb and their canonization;

identify the main Christian commandments of “The Tales of Boris and Gleb.”

Educational:

to cultivate patriotism and moral values ​​in children (distinguishing between the concepts of good and evil, duty and honor, truth and conscience, the meaning of human life);

create conditions for developing students’ interest in the history and culture of their people, using historical images;

to cultivate awareness of the true meaning of human existence on earth.

Developmental:

develop observation techniques, analytical thinking;

develop the ability to highlight the main thing;

replenish your vocabulary.

Equipment: computer, projector, screen, teaching materials “Orthodox culture grades 5-6”, icons of Saints Boris and Gleb, text for analysis “The Tale of Boris and Gleb”, multimedia presentation.

Basic concepts and terms: saints, Prince Yaroslav the Wise, legend, canonization.

Lesson location: office with computer, projector, screen.

Lesson type: learning new material.

DURING THE CLASSES

Epigraph

Avoid evil, do good,

find peace and drive away evil, and live forever and ever.

Vladimir Monomakh

I. Organizational moment

(Greeting. Emotional mood. Checking students' readiness for the lesson).

Guys, today we have guests at our lesson. Let's welcome them. Get yourself into a working mood. Smile at each other.

II. Announcing the topic of the lesson, setting lesson goals(Slide 1-3)

Updating the topic of the lesson, setting up a problem-cognitive task

Why are Boris and Gleb saints? What should we learn from them? (Slide 4)

III. Preparing students for active learning

Teacher's word

The great Russian writer F.M. Dostoevsky wrote: “Oh, Holy Rus'! Faith and truth, love and humility, hope and asceticism are heard in these words. Warriors, farmers, monks, princes “pushed” us towards something better and brighter, protecting and strengthening our spiritual values... Little by little, holiness was added to the country’s halo. Who are you, the first Russian saints?” Spiritual literature gives us the answer to this question. (Slide 5)

Questions

1. What does “spiritual literature” mean? What do you mean by this concept?

(Students express different opinions).

2. What books can be classified as spiritual literature? Give examples (Bible).

– Guys, spiritual literature is not only the Bible. This includes stories about holy people.

3. Who are the saints? (Refer to glossary.) And where do you think the saints can be seen? They lived a long time ago, there were no photographs yet (It is true that saints, like Jesus Christ and the Mother of God, were and are depicted on icons).

4. What is a symbol of holiness, how can we determine this by looking at the icon? (Nimbus).(Slide 6)

Working on an epigraph for the lesson

It is no coincidence that the epigraph to the lesson was the words of Vladimir Monomakh: “Avoid evil, do good, find peace and drive away evil, and live forever and ever.” Highlight the key words in this statement (Good, peace) and may peace and goodness always reign in your life. (Slide 7)

IV. Learning new knowledge

Vocabulary work

Spiritual literature also includes such genres as legends, teachings, and hagiographies.

How do you understand the meaning of the word “legend”? Choose words with the same root.

Legend = tale, tale, storyteller, say.

Let's turn to the Explanatory Dictionary of S.I. Ozhegova:

“A legend is a genre of ancient Russian literature of historical or legendary content” (The definition is written down and explained).

– One of the first legends to appear in Rus' was “The Tale of Boris and Gleb.” We will read an adaptation of this historical text made by the writer E. Poselyanin. Reading a life is not easy. But, after reading it carefully, try to answer the question: why did the holy princes Boris and Gleb not resist Svyatopolk? But before we begin to get acquainted with the images of Russian saints, we need to remember that distant time, and our historians and literary scholars will help us with this (Student reports)(Slide 8,9)

Historical reference

Every person in our country has a last name, first name and patronymic. But it was not always so. In Ancient Rus', at birth a child received a name, at baptism he could receive a different name, and only later he received a nickname. The princes were no exception: Vladimir Krasnoe Solnyshko, Andrei Bogolyubsky, Mstislav Udaloy, and later the first Russian Tsar, Ivan the Terrible. In one word - deep information about a person. In the same situation, one person becomes a hero, and another a coward, one becomes Wise, another becomes Damned, each makes his own choice and this leaves an imprint on his entire life.

The sons of Prince Vladimir, nicknamed the Red Sun, who baptized Rus', lived in the 11th century. The youngest of twelve brothers are Boris (reigned in Rostov) and Gleb (in Murom). The elder brother Svyatopolk (adopted by Vladimir) seized the throne in Kyiv after the death of his father, treacherously killing his younger brothers. For his atrocities, he was popularly nicknamed the Damned. This sad event in our history occurred in the summer of 1015.

The brothers were especially loved by the people as the first Russian saints among a large host of saints who came from Byzantium during the years of baptism. Images of Boris and Gleb began to appear already in the 11th century, and later churches and monasteries of the same name. To this day, there are cities called Borisoglebsk in the Yaroslavl and Voronezh regions. Temples of Russian saints were erected in Byzantium and the Czech Republic.

Another son of Vladimir, Yaroslav, who reigned in Novgorod at that time, avenged the death of his brothers: after a fierce struggle that lasted almost four years, Yaroslav defeated Svyatopolk, and he fled from the Russian land. Later, having become the great prince of Kyiv, Yaroslav, nicknamed the Wise by the people, obtained from Constantinople the canonization of Boris and Gleb. (Slide 10,11)

Literary reference

The event of the murder of Boris and Gleb was reflected in a number of works of the 11th-12th centuries that make up the Boris and Gleb cycle. In addition to the abbreviated versions of the life intended for worship, this included the chronicle story under the year 1015 (as part of the “Tale of Bygone Years”), “Reading about the life and destruction of the blessed passion-bearers Boris and Gleb” by Nestor the chronicler, as well as “The Legend, Suffering and Praise Holy Martyrs Boris and Gleb" (Slide 12)(work of the late 11th and early 12th centuries).

Physical education minute (Slide 13)

Working with the textbook

Reading the text pp. 114-117, conversation on the content:

Who is Svyatopolk? (Eldest son of Prince Vladimir)

What nickname did he get and why? (Cursed, for killing brothers)

Who are the passion-bearers? (Martyrs are saints who accepted torture and death for their faith

in Jesus Christ)

What does “model of Christian virtues” mean? (True love, meekness, humility, kindness)

What is "canonization"? (Canonization of the deceased)

Who is Yaroslav the Wise? (Son of Prince Vladimir, who ruled Rus' after his death)

(Slide 14, 15)

Reading a legend

– Dedicated to the holy princes and passion-bearers Boris and Gleb. (The teacher reads the story with small comments)(Slide 16)

Blitz survey

Name the main characters.

Why did Prince Vladimir love his younger sons so dearly?

- “...And they both accepted the heavenly crown, which they were striving for, and rejoiced with great and inexpressible joy, which they received.” Who is opposed to Boris and Gleb? (Svyatopolk)

– Let’s return to the question that I asked you before reading the life: why did the holy princes Boris and Gleb not resist Svyatopolk? Confirm with text. (“...The height of their moral perfection is amazing: contempt for death, faith in God, humility and truth, obedience to elders...)

So, princes Boris and Gleb became saints because they drew closer to God.

What happened to Svyatopolk the Accursed?

How do you imagine Svyatopolk externally and internally?

Why did he plan to destroy the brothers?

In which episode does Boris's true Christianity manifest itself?

Why doesn’t Boris, who knew about his imminent death, try to avoid it and resist Svyatopolk? (Seniority is an unconditional value for a Russian person of that time.)

With the name of Christ, Boris calmly accepts his death.

What caused Svyatopolk's reprisal against Gleb?

How does Gleb die?

– Is it possible to classify princes Boris and Gleb as saints based on the hagiographic spiritual portrait?

Why are the noble princes Boris and Gleb also called passion-bearers?

(Slide 17)

V. Consolidation of new knowledge

Completing training tests for § 2.4 No. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and training exercises No. 3, 4 (Slide 18)

VI. Summing up the lesson, grading the lesson

Guys, did you like the story? What exactly?

How can the legend be interesting to us living in the 21st century?

(We think about good and evil, about the need to respect elders. Boris and Gleb lived according to God’s commandments, and if we try to live like this, then wars will stop on earth, violence will disappear).

- Guys, today we met you with only one legend, but many have been written. Our ancestors were very fond of reading spiritual literature. And this is not our last encounter with this genre. I hope that you will now want to get acquainted with other fairy tale literature on your own.

(Slide 19)

VII. Reflection

"Thermometer"(on a large sheet of paper there is a thermometer with marks of “temperature” in the lesson: “friendly”, “warm”, “pleasant”, “zero”, “cool”, “cold”, “disgusting”.

VIII.Homework(optionally):

1. Draw an illustration for “The Tale of Boris and Gleb.”

2. Compose a crossword puzzle based on “The Tale of Boris and Gleb.”

3. Write an essay “What is holiness?”

4. Make a presentation on the topic “The Legend as a Genre of Old Russian Literature”

(Slide 21)

Bibliography

Ozhegov S.I. Explanatory Dictionary M.: Education, 1999.

Great Encyclopedia of Cyril and Methodius ( http://www.km.ru/)

Man and history in ancient Russian literature:

"The Tale of Boris and Gleb"

Literature is a testimony to life. It accompanies history in a huge stream, following on its heels in different eras. But a particularly close connection between literature and the historical process was observed in Ancient Rus'. At that time, works were rarely created on clearly fictional subjects. Fiction is a lie, and from a medieval point of view this is unacceptable.

The creations of ancient Russian authors are always attached to a specific historical event and historical person. This feature is present in a variety of genres - in stories about battles, about princely crimes, about trips to the Holy Land and about people - mainly about saints and prince-commanders. It is precisely these heroes that we will see in “The Tale of Boris and Gleb.” Written hundreds of years ago by an unknown author, this work has not lost its relevance for today’s reader. The eternal problems of duty and honor, loyalty and betrayal, brotherhood and civil strife are still important today. In addition, we will find out why the names of princes Boris and Gleb are so revered in Rus', why their history so often inspired ancient Russian authors to create new stories.

It is interesting that the creation of the cult of Boris and Gleb was not accidental and served two purposes. Firstly, the canonization of the first Russian saints raised the ecclesiastical authority of Rus' (primarily in the face of Byzantium), testified that Rus' was “honored before God” and was honored with its “holy saints.” Secondly, there was also an important political subtext: the state idea was affirmed that all Russian princes are brothers, but at the same time, the “conquest” of the younger princes by the “elders” was mandatory.

What historical events influenced the plot of “The Tale of Boris and Gleb”? In 1015, Prince of Kiev Vladimir I Svyatoslavich died. The throne was taken by one of his twelve sons - Svyatopolk, who, during his father’s lifetime, in alliance with the Polish king Boleslav I the Brave, tried to organize a conspiracy against him. Svyatopolk decides to eliminate the most dangerous rivals. On his secret order, Vladimir's sons Boris, Gleb and Svyatoslav were killed. The ruler of Novgorod, Vladimir’s son Yaroslav, later nicknamed the Wise, entered the struggle for the Kiev principality. As a result of a stubborn and lengthy struggle that lasted until 1019 and ended with the defeat and death of Svyatopolk, Yaroslav established himself on the Kiev table until his death in 1054.

But“The Tale of Boris and Gleb” is wider than the scope of the chronicle. It is written in the genre of hagiography - this is one of the main forms of church literature, depicting the feat of faith of a historical person or group of persons revered as saints. The origins of the lives lie in ancient times: in mythological stories about gods and heroes, in ancient genres of biography. However, above all, life is under the direct influence of the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. Here the standard of suffering for faith and Christ is set. The highest form of holiness becomes martyrdom. And it is the martyrdom of Boris and Gleb that becomes the center of the narrative in “The Tale.” They unquestioningly obeyed their elder brother Svyatopolk, honoring him as a father, but he used their brotherly obedience for evil. Therefore, the name of Svyatopolk the Accursed becomes a common noun for a villain throughout the ancient Russian literary tradition, and Boris and Gleb, who accepted the crown of martyrdom, are declared holy defenders of the Russian land.

Based on the features of the genre, the author strives to show the heroes as ideal Christians. However, when creating the image of this or that prince, the author reports a lot of historical information about the military exploits and successes of the heroes, about the attitude towards the squad, the people, feasts, outlines the general political picture of a given time, sometimes introduces elements of folk song epic, folk legends motives.

To create vivid images of princes, the author skillfully develops lyrical material and enhances the dramatic expressiveness of monologues and dialogues. Having learned about the death of his father, Boris utters a lament-monologue: “Woe is me, the light of my eyes, the radiance and dawn of my face... the instruction of my misunderstanding. Alas for me, my father and lord! To whom will I resort, to whom will I turn? Will I be able to be satisfied again with the good teaching and punishment of your mind? Woe to me, woe to me... »

Gleb’s cry is just as pathetic, but softer and more lyrical. In it one can hear the motifs of folk lamentations and lamentations: “Oh, alas for me, my lord! I cry and groan, grieve and grieve... Woe is me, woe is me! I cry tearfully for my father, but I especially suffer for you, my brother and master, Boris... “Addressing the murderers, Gleb prays to them: “Do not ruin my young life, do not cut off the unripened ear, do not cut the vine that is not fully grown, but fruitful.”

The author draws on many supporting quotations from biblical books, a rhetorical element, ecclesiastical lyrics (mainly prayers), and a final eulogy in eulogy. A wide variety of stylistic devices, rhetorical questions and appeals to saints in various heightened intonation forms are used here: “You are heavenly people, earthly angels, pillars and affirmation of our land.” The author expands his praise, turning first to the tomb of the saints, then to the church where they are buried, to Vyshgorod, where this church is located, and finally ends the “Tale” with a lyrical prayer appeal. The author calls Boris and Gleb “the visor of the Russian land,” a double-edged sword that defeats “the filthy insolence,” that is, the invasion of nomads.

So, “The Tale of Boris and Gleb” is the most interesting and literaryly perfect monument of ancient Russian literature, it is an entertaining historical and hagiographic story, written in a clear, figurative, flexible language. “Deeds of Bygone Days” seemed to come to life under the pen of the ancient Russian author, forcing one to sympathize and empathize with the heroes; the distant became close and understandable. Reading this work, we learned why the spiritual feat of Saints Boris and Gleb is so revered in Rus', we felt our involvement in the history of our native land and pride in its glorious sons.

QUESTIONS AND TASKS for the text being studied:

Using vocabulary and reference material, find out how the genre of hagiography is defined and how it is characterized, what its composition and style are.

Do the following artistic techniques belong to hagiography as a genre: three-part composition, a solemnly upbeat style combined with a factual narrative about life, a strictly defined image of the hero (“villain”, “saint”), as well as an image of the hero close to icon painting?

Show specific examples of the genre features of “The Life of Boris and Gleb.” Find out its connections with oral folk art.

Briefly retell the content of the work, preserving its style and conveying the author’s attitude to what is depicted.

How is the life connected with the idea of ​​condemning the fratricidal feuds of princes and the patriotic idea of ​​the “great Russian country”?

Compare its plot with the story of the blinding of Vasilko Terebovlsky. What general ideas are the authors concerned with? Why does the chronicle describe them in such detail?

What expression does “the world of light and goodness” find in the work?

How is the aura of Boris' holiness created? Why can we say about him that he is a saint?

What human traits are inherent in his appearance? Follow through the text examples of the manifestation of Boris's living human feelings.

What place does the motif of tears occupy in Boris’ characterization? Support with words from the text.

What distinguishes Gleb from Boris? What features of his character does the author emphasize?

How is the dramatic situation developing around the young prince?

Retell the scene of Gleb's murder.

What means does the author use to reveal the inner world of the characters (monologues, laments, prayers and other artistic means)?

Read the praise for Boris and Gleb. What role do these saints play, according to the author, what did they do for the Russian land?

What place does the idea of ​​unity and protection of the Russian land occupy in this glorification?

Why were historical figures canonized?

In what other monuments of ancient Russian literature and for what purpose was the hagiographic story about Boris and Gleb included?