Last fight of Alyosha Popovich

Importance. Despite the fact that in our time the interest of Russian scientists in the history of Ancient Rus has significantly increased, some of its pages remain almost unexplored. For example, Alyosha Popovich, repeatedly mentioned in Ancient Rus’ chroniques and bylinas, remains for many modern researchers only a folklore character. Meanwhile, a detailed analysis of the key moments of the biography of the historical prototype of the bylina’s bogatyr will allow modern scientists to more deeply explore the historical processes that took place in the Ancient Rus’ society of the pre-Mongol era.Materials and methods. In the course of the research, special methods of cognition (historicalanalytical and problem-chronological) were used. The materials that form the basis of the research have been studied and analyzed taking into account the chronology of events, the need to obtain historical information from the scientific sources being studied. When comparing different theoretical views on the analyzed problems, the method of comparative and retrospective analysis was used. Chroniques and chronographs of the 15th–17th centuries, as well as Ancient Rus’ bylinas, the main character of which was Alyosha Popovich, became the basis of the source base of the research.Results and Discussion. Based on the analysis of Ancient Rus’ chroniques and chronographs, as well as the text of the folk bylina “Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin the Serpent”, the authors refuted the hypothesis that recently dominated in Russian science that Alyosha Popovich is a collective image of the ancient defenders of native land. The historical reconstruction of the biography of the most probable historical prototype of the bylina’s bogatyr is also presented.Conclusion. The main historical prototype of bylina’s bogatyr Alyosha Popovich was the Rostov warrior Alexander Popovich. He served in the druzhinas of the Old Russian knyazs Vsevolod Yuryevich and Konstantin Vsevolodovich and under their command participated in military campaigns and internecine wars.

Alexander Popovich, knyaz Vsevolod Yurievich, knyaz Konstantin Vsevolodovich, knyaz Yuri Vsevolodovich, Battle of Lipitsa, Battle of Kalka