There are many glorious pages in Russian history! You can talk about them endlessly. One of them is a story about a battle between two soldiers, which took place before the famous and tragic battle of Kulikovo.

Duel on - the battle is special. Literary, musical and artistic works were dedicated to this battle.

Consider today one of the artistic canvases belonging to the brush of the remarkable realist artist M.I. Avilov.

The history of the creation of the work

The full one reads as follows: "The duel between Peresvet and Chelubey on the Kulikovo field." The picture was painted by the author in the difficult year of 1943, when the fate of our country was being decided at Stalingrad. It was in that battle that the Russians won, which determined the outcome of the worst war in the 20th century.

In the picture we see a similar situation: two horsemen met in mortal combat, their spears pierce each other, their horses reared up, both warriors are full of rage, but it is not yet known which of them will be the winner.

The Russian chronicle, describing in detail the plot of the battle, ultimately speaks of the victory of Peresvet, because his horse, mortally wounded, was brought back to the Russian troops by his horse, while Chelubey died, falling out of the saddle, knocked out by a mighty blow from his opponent.

The plot of the work

The artist depicts the duel on the Kulikovo field as a dramatic clash of two forces: Russian and Tatar.

The composition of the piece is extremely clear. In the center of the canvas there are two figures of warriors sitting on horses. The faces of the soldiers are turned to each other, while Chelubey's face is hidden by a thick beard, and the audience does not see him. The face opposite is visible to those looking at the picture.

It is clear that the Russian hero is experiencing the strongest physical and mental stress, all his forces are concentrated on defeating his enemy.

The heroes are dressed differently. Chelubey is dressed in rich robes. Even his horse's blanket is made of red material with gold embroidery. On the head of the Tatar warrior is a fur-trimmed turban helmet. Its shield is painted with expensive ligature.

The Russian warrior is dressed in a simple chain mail, on his head is an iron helmet, on a horse - the usual harness. It can be seen that the Russian hero is not used to showing off his appearance.

Avilov: a duel on the Kulikovo field as a reflection of the meaning of Russian history

The duel on the Kulikovo field is the most important event in the history of our country. After all, it was one of the first major battles when the Russians, after a century of yoke of the Golden Horde, decided to defend their independence in a terrible battle with the enemy. And this was the beginning of the process of uniting the Russian lands around the Moscow principality, which helped to make the Russian state stronger.

Referring to the events of distant history, the artist seems to instill in his compatriots the hope that in 1945 our country will not be defeated, but a future victory over the terrible evil of the 20th century - fascism. Russian soldiers will always defend their homeland, they will never bend in the face of the enemy. Such an example is shown to us by the Russian hero - Alexander Peresvet, and those soldiers who stand behind him.

By the way, the Russian troops in the picture are depicted using modest gray colors, the faces of the soldiers are turned to the fighting Peresvet and his rival. The Russians are focused, they are not afraid of death, but they believe in their victory. The Tatar troops are diverse and insecure, they howl not for their homeland, but for their future booty, which they can get by once again plundering the Russian lands.

The symbolic meaning of the work

The duel on the Kulikovo field and the subsequent victory of the Russian troops over the Tatars marked the turn of Russian history from the era of feudal schism to the collection of lands. The same, according to the artist, will happen when Russian troops enter Berlin and show the whole world what a Russian victory means.

The artist foresees the events of the future, he instills in his viewers the hope that our country cannot be broken by any military force, because the strength of Russia lies in its people, in its defenders, ready to sacrifice themselves, but not to give up their native land for desecration.

Therefore, the painting "The Duel of Peresvet with Chelubey on the Kulikovo Field" enjoys such love of viewers of many generations. Indeed, the very history of our country has found its embodiment in it.

Thus, Avilova, stored today in the Russian Museum, is both a talented illustration of Russian history and a prophetic foresight of the outcome of the great liberation war waged by our country.

On September 8, 1380, near the confluence of the Nepryadva river into the Don, a battle took place, which received the name of the Battle of Kulikovo. The result of the battle on the Kulikovo field was the complete victory of the Russians. About myths and historical facts read the great event in the material "Lenta.ru".

On a field located near the confluence of the Don River Nepryadva, opposite each other at dawn, Russian and Tatar troops lined up. As soon as the fog cleared, the slaughter began, which lasted at least three hours. The result was the complete victory of the Russian regiments, which for a long time chased the fleeing enemy across the steppe.

This history is known to every more or less literate Russian, it is studied at school, it has been wandering from textbook to textbook for more than one century. Naturally, the matter is not limited to these dry facts, and the story of the battle is overgrown with details. For example, information about the number of troops, the location of the regiments, the participation of Dmitry Donskoy himself, the famous duel between Peresvet and Chelubey and many others. However, with this seemingly generally accepted information, everything is much more complicated.

The fact is that in our world there are two completely different "stories" at the same time. There is an academic subject where everything is subordinated to didactics, methodology, patriotic education and other purely pedagogical issues. Most of the descriptions and interpretations in the textbooks are unambiguous, so that it would be easier for careless schoolchildren to memorize them; there is almost always a clear division into "friends" and "strangers", "good" and "bad".

Another "history" is a complex science, where there are practically no exact answers to questions. This is a world of scientific discussions and assumptions, a complex interweaving of data from various historical disciplines and a polyphony of opinions. Historians, archaeologists, ethnographers, numismatists, chroniclers and other pundits (and ladies, of course) try to create a version of events that does not contradict many facts, which sometimes turns out to be extremely difficult. Agree in school textbook there is no need to reflect dozens of points of view on the origin of the Slavs, the appearance of the term "Rus" or the origin of Rurik, which are in modern Russian historical science... But scientists have been struggling with these questions for two and a half centuries, and there is still no definite answer.

The situation with the Battle of Kulikovo is about the same. From the point of view of the subject and the abstract ideas of history lovers, everything seems to be known and obvious. But from the point of view of professionals - sheer riddles. Let's try to take a closer look at the events of those years and figure out which of the "well-known" facts really have the right to be called that, and which are legendary.

How do we know about the Battle of Kulikovo

First, let's see what information it has modern science and how reliable they are. Let's start with the chronicle sources.

The earliest of the written sources that have come down to us is the so-called Brief chronicle tale, which, according to experts, was compiled at the very beginning of the 15th century - most likely before 1409. In any case, the Trinity Chronicle dates back to this time, which died in a fire in 1812 in Moscow, but partially survived to us according to N.M. Karamzin in the notes to his History of the Russian State. The texts that almost literally coincide with it have been preserved in the work of the Rogozhsky chronicler (mid-15th century) and the Simeon Chronicle (early 16th century), so one can almost certainly say that they had one primary source. Apparently, this is the closest in time and the most accurate description of the events of 1380, on the basis of which later works were already created.

Around the middle of the 15th century, the Extensive Chronicle Tale appears, which was included in the IV Novgorod and I Sophia Chronicles. This chronicle is no longer an informational message, but an artistic and journalistic work, in the creation of which reminiscences from "The Life of Alexander Nevsky", "Readings about Boris and Gleb", as well as numerous biblical quotes... In the description of the grief of Russian women and in the "Lament of Mamai", the apocryphal "Word for the Nativity of Christ about the Coming of the Magi" is used. Here, for the first time, we find a relatively detailed story about the course of the battle, about the dead princes and boyars, and other details. Some of the named instructions are obviously false (the people mentioned could not participate in the events of 1380, because they simply did not live then), which is explained by the desire of some people to create a genealogy for themselves - to use their ancestors in real historical events.

The two most famous sources - "Zadonshchina" and "The Legend of Mamaev massacre"- were born at least a hundred years after the events described in them. These are not historical, but rather epic works, which were supposed to become the basis of the new ideology of the Muscovy that had just gained independence, declared the Third Rome and the heir to great traditions. The historical outline is taken from the already mentioned Spatial description, but many inserts, details, enumerations of previously unknown names and so on have appeared. Perceive "Zadonshchina" and "Legend" as historical sources it is possible and necessary, but rather as unique monuments of literature and political thought of the late 15th - early 16th centuries, rather than as sources of information about events that happened a hundred years before.

In addition, it is worth keeping in mind foreign (German, Polish and Horde) references and archaeological data. The latter could give the most accurate picture, but they are very scarce. A complex expedition of the State Historical Museum has been working in the Don and Nepryadva region for quite a few years, but only recently have relatively bright artifacts begun to appear - fragments of armor, arrowheads and spearheads. The modesty of the finds should not be embarrassing: weapons in those days were of great value, and they were collected immediately after the battle, and mass graves warriors were located (according to written sources) on the high bank of the Don and could go under water when changing coastline... In addition, chernozem soils and especially fertilizers applied to them over the years are very aggressive and do not contribute to the preservation of bones and things.

Photo: Yuri Cover / Russian Look / Globallookpress.com

But recently, there have been reports of paleobotanical studies that have cleared up the picture a lot. Scientists have proven that due to climate change, the structure of forests and steppes has changed and it is not worth focusing on the current landscape when reconstructing events. Was compiled with respect to accurate map terrain for the end of the XIV century, and almost certainly the place of the battle has been determined - a relatively small clearing among the coastal forests. This is a great success, making it possible to interpret events more accurately.

Druzhinniki against the "Genoese"

If you believe "Zadonshchina" and "Legend", the number of Russian troops reached 300 thousand people. The Spatial Vault speaks of about 100 thousand. The numbers are impressive, but without a doubt grossly overpriced.

If we compare the reliable data we have on the quantitative indicators of medieval armies, it turns out that they never exceeded several tens of thousands, and more often fit into five to seven thousand people. This also correlates with the population of Rus at that time. For example, Moscow in the second half of the XIV century hardly numbered more than fifty thousand inhabitants, and the combat-ready population was, of course, many times less.

The army was gathering quickly, so there was simply no time to gather and arm the militia from distant villages. Apparently most Dmitry's armies were made up of princely squads, boyar detachments and city militia.

Based various sources it can be argued that soldiers from the Moscow, Vladimir, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Belozersky, Molozhsky, Starodubsky, Kashinsky, Smolensky, Novosilsky, Obolensky, Tarusa, possibly Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod and Murom principalities, as well as their lands, took part in the Battle of Kulikovo. In addition, there were small personal squads of landless princes, small detachments from Pskov, where Prince Andrei Olgerdovich "sat", and Novgorod. Never before had Russia assembled such a large-scale and representative army, but nevertheless, its number, according to most researchers, did not exceed thirty thousand warriors. V last years referring to the size of the battlefield (according to the already mentioned recent data), experts say about 7-10 thousand soldiers who took part in the battle.

The Tatar army, apparently, was somewhat inferior in number to the Russian. Although there are Horde sources that speak of Dmitry's two-fold superiority, most likely this is also an exaggeration. But the Russians had some slight advantage. It is worth noting that there were very few Tatar-Mongols in the Temnik (or Beklarbek) Mamai, and most of his army was hired contingents from the peoples inhabiting the Black Sea steppes, North Caucasus and Crimea. It makes sense to recall here that Mamai, who is sometimes mistakenly called the khan, was a separatist renegade in relation to the Golden Horde - at that time he controlled only the steppe regions west of the Volga, the northern Black Sea region and the Crimea. Most of the Golden Horde, right up to the northern Azov region, had already been conquered by Khan Tokhtamysh by this time. Unlike Mamai, the latter was a real Chingizid - a descendant of Genghis Khan.

In the army of Mamai there were yasses, kosogs, Burtases, Circassians, Polovtsians, there were also the notorious "Genoese" - mercenaries recruited in Cafe (Feodosia) and Sugdey (Sudak). It is unlikely that there were real Italians among them, of whom there were very few in the Crimea - rather, it was a motley port rabble.

Excommunication of Dmitry and Sergius of Radonezh

On the pediment of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, you can see a high relief (its original is in the Donskoy Monastery): Sergius of Radonezh blesses the kneeling prince Dmitry Ivanovich and his brother Vladimir Andreyevich for the battle. The warriors-monks Peresvet and Oslyabya stand behind the elder. This scene has become so firmly embedded in the souls and hearts of Russians that its authenticity is beyond doubt. Meanwhile, it is more legendary than real. Did Dmitry visit the Trinity-Sergius Lavra on the eve of the Battle of Kulikovo? This is not an idle question, since the relations between the Moscow prince and the official church at that time were very tense.

In 1378, Metropolitan Alexy reposed (in the world - Eleutherius Fedorovich Byakont), who replaced Dmitry's early deceased father and actually ruled the country in the childhood and adolescence of the prince. Theoretically, in accordance with the letter of the Patriarch, the vacant place was to be taken by Metropolitan Cyprian of Kiev and Lithuania, who immediately went to Moscow. But Dmitry did not accept the new metropolitan - moreover, Cyprian was robbed, imprisoned in a cut, and then driven out of the principality in disgrace. It is not surprising that after this the offended metropolitan anathematized the prince, about which he sent letters to all dioceses.

Meanwhile, Dmitry sent an embassy to Constantinople headed by the priest Mikhail-Mitya, who was close to him, whom he asked to be ordained as metropolitan. But the young and healthy Mityai unexpectedly died upon his arrival in Byzantium. Perhaps not without someone's help. Then the archimandrites who were in the embassy decided to nominate a new candidate from their team, which was Pimen, hegumen of the Goritsky monastery in Pereslavl-Zalessky. Patriarch Nile approved him as Metropolitan of Kiev and Russia, but at the same time Cyprian became the Metropolitan of Lithuania and Little Russia, by this time he had already returned to Constantinople to seek protection.

As a result, Cyprian left for Lithuania, and Pimen moved to Moscow. But as soon as the new Metropolitan reached Kolomna, they seized him, chained him in iron and exiled to Chukhly - Dmitry considered him an impostor. It turned out that there is no supreme ecclesiastical authority in Moscow, and the prince seems to be anathematized by the completely legitimate hierarch of the church. Given the mentality of the people of that time, this could create serious problems for Dmitry when collecting troops. The blessing of Sergius of Radonezh as an unconditionally revered spiritual leader would immediately change the picture, although it would require the elder to go against the line of the official church.

And yet, it seems that Dmitry did not meet with Saint Sergius before the Battle of Kulikovo. In the early texts there is no mention of this, this plot appears only in the "Legend of the Mamayev Massacre" and in the "Life of Sergius of Radonezh". But last monument, originally created by Epiphanius the Wise at the beginning of the 15th century, has come down to us only in the late, so-called pachomian (written by Pachomius Logofet) editions, which appeared even later than the Legend. Most likely, the beautiful story about Dmitry's arrival to Sergius migrated to the "Life" from the "Tale", where he appeared for the first time.

There are many inconsistencies in this story, both chronological and factual. After analyzing them, most researchers agree that the described visit of the prince and the blessing of Sergius in reality, probably, were, but it happened in 1378 - before the battle on the Vozha River, in which Dmitry's soldiers defeated the detachment of Mamaev's Murza Begich. Apparently, this was discussed in the original text of Epiphanius, and a hundred years later the plots were intertwined, and the times in the "Tale" were mixed. In principle, in the relationship between the revered elder and the prince, this does not change anything, it only clarifies the situation. In any case, without looking back at his relationship with the Metropolitan, Sergius of Radonezh took upon himself a great responsibility and blessed the prince to fight the Tatars. And perhaps he even sent the monks Peresvet and Oslyabya with him, which will be discussed later. By the way, according to other sources it is known that going to the Don Russian army in Kolomna, the local archbishop Gerasim blessed.

(The ending follows)

The Battle of Kulikovo became a visible embodiment of the ideas of patriotism. The events leading up to the battle and the battle itself remained in the spotlight for centuries creative people... Historians, writers, sculptors and painters never tire of turning to the battle theme. Darya Roshchenya's selection contains ten paintings depicting the famous battle.

On September 21, the Day of Military Glory of Russia is celebrated - the Day of the victory of the Russian regiments led by Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy over the Mongol-Tatar troops in the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380. Historians are unanimous when they talk about the Battle of Kulikovo: on that windy autumn day near the banks of the Nepryadva River, the future of the Russian land was decided. At one point grief and patience, the thirst for liberation from the yoke, strength, will and faith were combined. In one place coincided in their aspirations greatest people of their time: active, wise, far-sighted, strong-willed monks and warriors. Venerable Sergius, Abbot of Radonezh, and Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich, nicknamed Donskoy after the battle, their predecessors, Metropolitans of Moscow and All Russia Peter and Alexy, who raised Prince Dmitry, as well as hundreds of thousands of nameless Russian soldiers - here they are, the winners.

Military feat became also a spiritual feat, a sacred feat. As a catalyst, he launched powerful processes that contributed to the unification of disparate lands into a single state. No, the Battle of Kulikovo was not the final victory over the Tatar-Mongols. The yoke was dropped only a hundred years later. However, it was the Battle of Kulikovo that dispelled the myth of the invincibility of the Golden Horde, gave hope and gave birth to heroes.

XVI-XVII centuries: hagiographic icon

The Battle of Kulikovo remains in the field of attention of artists for many centuries. And if in the XVI-XVII centuries it comes about rare and canonical images within the annalistic lists and hagiographic stamps on icons, then three centuries later, with the development of interest in history and historical picture, - the plot of the Battle of Kulikovo becomes one of the central themes of the historical genre.

The historical genre in painting has been ideological at all times. But this has never stopped artists from making their work a conceptual statement and personal experience.

In 1959, restorers uncovered one of the icons of the Yaroslavl school. Under a dark layer of linseed oil and the upper inscriptions, the so-called cladding (that is, an addition to the icon) with the plot of the "Mamay Massacre" was discovered. Apparently, the dressing was made in the eighties of the 17th century.

In the center of the composition is depicted the legendary duel of Peresvet with Chelubey, on the right - the army of Dmitry Donskoy, ready for battle, on the left - the camp of Mamai. At the very bottom of the composition, the meeting of the winners and the burial of soldiers who died for their friends are depicted. The icon is in the collection of the Yaroslavl Art Museum.

First half of the 19th century: "Raising famous ancestors from the grave"

The development of art, the vector of its movement directly depends on the environment and society, time and its fashion. War shocks early XIX centuries, the victorious march of Napoleon across Europe, the war of 1812 - these events in one way or another affected almost all spheres of Russian life and determined a surge of interest not only in the present, but also in the heroic past of the country.

Published in 1918, "History of the Russian State" by Karamzin literally blew up public opinion and for a long time became the subject of heated discussion in the salon. Peru Karamzin also owned the article "On cases and characters in Russian history, which can be the subject of art." With this article, the historian set the bar and defined the current topic in art:

“The idea of ​​asking artists objects from national history worthy of your patriotism and is The best way to revive for us its great characters and incidents, especially while we do not yet have eloquent historians who could raise our famous ancestors from the grave and reveal their shadows in a radiant crown of glory ... We must teach Russians to respect their own; must show that it can be the subject of inspiration by the artist and the powerful action of art on the heart. Not only the historian and poet, but also the painter and sculptor are organs of patriotism ...

We have approached in our historical recollections the disastrous times of Russia; and if the painter puts down his brush, the sculptor will take his chisel in order to preserve the memory of Russian heroism in misfortunes, which most of all reveal strength in the character of people and nations. The shadows of our ancestors, who wanted to perish rather than accept chains from the Mongol barbarians, await the monuments of our gratitude on a place stained with their blood. Can art and marble find better uses for themselves? "

But long before the Karamzin article, the professors of the Academy of Arts offered graduates the theme “Dmitry Donskoy on the Kulikovo Field” as an examination test, and the program clearly stipulated how the prince should be portrayed: “ Imagine the Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy, when, according to the content of the victory over Mamai, the remaining Russian Princes and other soldiers find him in the grove at their last almost gasping, blood still flowed from his wounds: but the joyful news of the complete defeat of the Tatars revives the dying Grand Duke».

One such academic work is the painting Orest Kiprensky, written by him in 1805 and named "Dmitry Donskoy on the Kulikovo field". The work of Vasily Sazonov, created twenty years later, in 1824, has the same name.

Orest Kiprensky. Dmitry Donskoy on the Kulikovo field

The best works the Italian and Flemish schools of painting were landmarks for the young Orest Kiprensky, who took up the development of the plot final exam at the Academy of Arts. This is probably why in his picture the heroic defender of the fatherland, Prince Dmitry Donskoy, least of all resembles the Russian prince, as we are used to imagining him. The absence of national flavor did not bother the author at all, just as it didn’t surprise the examiners.

« The head of the Grand Duke is full of expression. And the joy of the victory won, he is animated, with gratitude to the Almighty, vividly depicted in his languid gaze, directed to heaven. This work is the first experience of this work young artist who gives a lot of hope about himself", - said in the review of the work of the future first Russian portrait painter. On September 1, 1805, Kiprensky was awarded a large gold medal for the painting. Now the work is in the collection of the Russian Museum (St. Petersburg).

Vasily Sazonov. "Dmitry Donskoy on the Kulikovo field"

Serf of Count Nikolai Rumyantsev Vasily Sazonov was identified as his patron in 1804 to study at the Academy of Arts. The successes of the young painter in the field of drawing were so outstanding that the count gave the serf his freedom. A brilliant graduate of the Academy, Sazonov, with the support of the Count, continued his studies in Italy, where he made copies of the works of Caravaggio and Titian.

Returning to Russia, the artist turned to study topic Academy of Arts and painted the painting "Dmitry Donskoy on the Kulikovo field." Sazonov depicted a wounded prince surrounded by soldiers. Before him are kneeling Cossacks and a man in armor and royal robes. Apparently, this is the boyar Mikhail Brenok, with whom the prince exchanged clothes and a horse at the very beginning of the battle. For this picture, as well as copies made in Italy, Sazonov was awarded the title of academician in 1830. The painting is in the collection of the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.

Second half of the 19th century: unattainable historical accuracy

TO mid XIX century, the history of the Battle of Kulikovo disappears from the field of vision of artists, giving way to modern subjects. And even the attempts of Nicholas I to turn Winter Palace, having survived a terrible fire in December 1837 in the "New Vatican", remained unrealized. Perished in that fire unique interiors executed by Rastrelli, Montferrand, Quarenghi, and the murals describing key events in Russian history were lost. A new cycle of paintings from Russian history did not work out, but the official request did not go unnoticed by the academic community.

In 1850, commissioned by Nicholas I, a French battle painter Yvon Adolphe in Paris he paints the monumental painting "The Battle of the Kulikovo Field". It was originally planned that the painting would decorate the interiors of the lower corridor of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, conceived as a temple-monument to the heroes of the war of 1812. However, plans have changed. Today, the work adorns the flight of stairs (entrance hall) leading to the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace.

In the 1870s, the Battle of Kulikovo was included as a theme in the interior design program of the Historical Museum. One of the panels was ordered Valentin Serov, whose historical consultant was Ivan Zabelin. Zabelin was not only the head of the Historical Museum, but also one of the most authoritative specialists in history. Ancient Rus... On the walls of the museum, he wanted to see folk epic, which will not leave the viewer indifferent and will make you feel the connection of times.

But neither Serov nor Sergei Malyutin, who was commissioned to make the panel after Serov, nor Sergei Korovin, completed the work. Too many contradictions arose between customers and performers. All the requirements of scientists have never been met by any painter. The frame in which it was planned to mark the panel was empty until 1950, when a neutral landscape with views of Moscow was placed in it.

Valentin Serov. After the Battle of Kulikovo, sketch

Serov worked hard on the sketch for the panel. In 1894, he visited the Kulikovo field, worked on the composition in detail. Hundreds of sketches and eight sketches have survived, some of which were done in oil. The work was regularly discussed at meetings of the Academic Council of the Historical Museum, changed compositionally and even artistically at the insistence of Zabelin.

At first, Serov obediently followed the instructions, but in 1898, after a regular meeting, he refused to continue working on the sketch and returned the money given to him Historical Museum in payment for the painting. Numerous sketches are kept in collections today. Tretyakov Gallery and the Historical Museum.

A little earlier, a native of the Ufa merchant class turned to the topic of the events of the Battle of Kulikovo Mikhail Nesterov... However, the graduate of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture was interested not only in the battle side of the events of 1380.

Nesterov was the artist who was one of the first to turn to the theme of the country's religious identity and made the hero of the painting - the hermit saint. The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, next to which the artist settled (he stayed at the Mamontovs' estate in Abramtsevo), firmly entered his life. Here he drew inspiration and strength.

The first work on the image of the saint was the painting "The Vision to the Youth Bartholomew" (1889-90). The work was bought by Tretyakov, was a success, but the public was evaluated ambiguously. But Nesterov himself was confirmed in his desire to write a "life" of the great ascetic of the Russian land, especially since in 1892 Russia was supposed to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Dormition of St. Sergius, abbot of Radonezh. This is how The Youth of St. Sergius (1892), the triptych The Works of St. Sergius (1896-97) and St. Sergius of Radonezh (1899) appeared.

With each new job the image of the saint became more expressive, more monumental and deeper. Nesterov could not ignore the meeting of Prince Dmitry with the Monk Sergius.

The entire Russian land, and not only his personal destiny, went to defend the young prince Dmitry. He firmly believed in God's help: and when before the Don icon Mother of God I read “God is our refuge and strength,” and when he came to take the blessing of the elder, he would engage in battle with the atheists.

For Nesterov, the key theme was the tension at the moment when the monk blessed the kneeling prince. However, the sketch "Blessing of Dmitry Donskoy by Sergius of Radonezh at the Battle of Kulikovo" was never completed by Nesterov. He was not satisfied with his sketches and wrote about them to Elizaveta Mamontova: “... the theme had long been outlined by me for a series of paintings to the history of the Radonezh miracle worker, but all the sketches that I did were not more interesting than any programs ... "In 1897," The Youth of the Monk "," The Works of the Monk "and the watercolor" The Monk Sergius of Radonezh blesses Dmitry Donskoy for the battle with the Tatars "were donated by the artist to the city gallery of the Tretyakov brothers.

XX century: the main character is the people

In the most difficult and difficult years of the Second World War, the ideological machine started working. All forces were mobilized, including the visual arts, which had a goal through the resurrection popular memory, through examples of valiant victories over the aggressor to support the spirit of the people. Alexander Bubnov writes his famous "Morning on the Kulikovo Field" (1943-47), and the battle artist Mikhail Avilov creates "Duel on the Kulikovo Field" (1943).

Alexander Bubnov graduated from the Higher Art and Technical Institute. Carried away by the work of the Itinerant artists and Russian realism, he focused on historical genre... Young romantic, Bubnov at the beginning of his creative career sinned by excessive idealization of Soviet reality. But it was during the years of the Great Patriotic War while working on campaign posters and leaflets, he turns seriously to the historical genre.

In 1943, Bubnov was working on his program work "Morning on the Kulikovo Field". The idea of ​​"Morning" came to the artist back in 1938. The original theme of his painting was the story of the battle on Lake Peipsi, however, turning to documents and a serious immersion in historical literature it was the Battle of Kulikovo that convinced Bubnov to write.

A year and a half of work on sketches, the search for images and plastic solutions, a long and careful study of details, excluding even a hint of sham characters, allowed the artist to create a characteristic canvas. The picture contains not only historical truth, it reads an epic scope and message: main character any battle - the people.

For the painting "Morning on the Kulikovo Field" in 1948, Bubnov was awarded State Prize THE USSR. His painting, reproductions of which were included in history textbooks, is in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

Mikhail Avilov. Duel of Peresvet with Chelubey

A graduate of the battle workshop of the Academy of Arts, a participant in the First World War and civil wars, Mikhail Avilov in his works, he demonstrates not only the skill of the painter, he amazes with the convincing depiction of battle scenes.

As early as 1917, Avilov turned to the theme of the duel between the hero-monk Alexander Peresvet and the Tatar murza Chelubey. But then the picture did not work out and was even destroyed by the author.

In 1942, having arrived in Moscow from evacuation, the artist received a large workshop, which allowed him to return to the theme of the Battle of Kulikovo. "Dmitry Donskoy at Sergius of Radonezh", "Dmitry Donskoy decides to cross the Don", "Battle of Kulikovo", "Flight of Mamai" - four large sketches were created by Avilov, but only one of them - the confrontation between the Russian knight and the Tatar hero - became a complete work , included in the annals of the world visual arts... In 1946 Avilov was awarded for the painting "The Duel of Peresvet with Chelubey on the Kulikovo Field Stalin Prize first degree. Currently, the painting is in the collection of the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.

1980th: new wave interest

The 80s of the XX century became the next period and a new wave of interest in the topic of the Battle of Kulikovo: in 1980, the country celebrated the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Kulikovo. The cycle "Kulikovo Field" by Ilya Glazunov, the triptych "Kulikovo Field" by Yuri Raksha were timed to this anniversary, and at the Mosfilm film studio directed by Roman Davydov cartoon"Swans of Nepryadva".

Ilya Glazunov. Cycle "Kulikovo Field". Dmitry Donskoy. 1980

Ilya Glazunov. Cycle "Kulikovo Field". Eve. 1978

Leningrader, blockade, Ilya Glazunov, like many, lost in that terrible war parents. After evacuation, he returned to Leningrad, graduated from the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after I.E. Repin. Studying historical literature, chronicles, lives, Glazunov devoted twenty years of his life to work on the cycle "Kulikovo Field", which included thirty paintings. In the sixties, the first canvases appeared: "The Messenger", "Storming the City", "Khan Mamai", and the public's acquaintance with the cycle was timed to coincide with the grandiose anniversary, the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Kulikovo.

In 1980, Glazunov was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR. Speaking about his cycle, Glazunov explains that he strove “to convey only the vital reliability, the truth of what is happening, so that once again our contemporary touches the great past of the Motherland, with new strength I would feel the inextricable connection of times, the connection of generations, my involvement in the events of bygone eras. "

Yuri Raksha. Triptych "Kulikovo Field". 1980. Left side- "Blessing for Battle"

Yuri Raksha from childhood he was fond of not only drawing, but also history. He graduated with a silver medal from Surikovskaya art school, VGIK, worked at Mosfilm, participated in the filming of a dozen films and never left painting. Each New film gave birth to a concept for the future canvas. So it was with the painting "Ascent" based on the novel by V. Bykov. “Without the scene of the execution of the main character, Sotnikov,” Raksha recalled, “I would not have dared to venture into the bulk of Kulikov Field.”

On September 8, exactly 630 years ago, in the early morning, the Russian army crossed the Don and went to the Kulikovo field to fight the Horde.

A.P. Bubnov. "Morning on the Kulikovo field" ". 1943-47.

The Russians were led by the Moscow prince, the grandson of Ivan Kalita, Dmitry Ivanovich, the Horde - the temnik Mamai.

V. Motorin. Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich

The army of Prince Dmitry Ivanovich. The princely squad. Reconstruction of armor.

The army of Prince Dmitry Ivanovich. Infantry Reconstruction of armor.

On the flanks were the regiments of the right and left hand. A reserve regiment was left in the rear.

The army of Prince DmitryIvanovich. Cavalry. Reconstruction of armor.

Mikhail Shankov, Ambush Regiment, 1991

A strong ambush regiment took refuge in the oak grove. It was commanded by Dmitry Ivanovich's cousin Prince Vladimir Serpukhovskoy and his son-in-law Dmitry Bobrok-Volynsky.

Prince Vladimir Andreevich Serpukhovskoy.

V. Motorin. Bobrok-Volynsky.

Before the battle, Dmitry Moskovsky drove around all the troops lined up on the field and appealed to stand up for the Russian land.

Parting words of the Reverend Sergei of Radonezh: "Go, sir, go ahead. God and the Holy Trinity will help you!"

The Horde cavalry army appeared on the horizon at about 10 o'clock in the morning. Mamai was an experienced commander. He immediately realized that on the Kulikovo field he would not be able to use his main advantage in the cavalry.

Mamai's army. Reconstruction of armor.

Dense oak forests and rivers with swampy banks reliably covered the flanks of the Russians from the detour. There was only one thing left - to attack the Moscow army head-on, from the front. Mamai ordered part of his horsemen to dismount to help the hired Italian infantry.

Mamai's army. Reconstructionarmor.

Army of the Golden Horde. Allies are Genoese mercenaries. Reconstructionarmor.

He placed heavily armed cavalry on the flanks, and a strong reserve beyond Red Hill.

Army of the Golden Horde. Reconstruction of armor.

The battle began at about 12 o'clock with a duel between the Russian warrior monk Peresvet and the Horde hero Chelubey. Two knights met on spears and both died.

M. Avilov. "Fight of Peresvet with Chelubey"

After that, the Horde light cavalry attacked the Russian cavalry guard regiment. Tatar archers met stubborn resistance from the princely warriors. The Horde army launched an attack across the entire width of the Kulikovo field. The sentry regiment had to retreat to the front line, but he could not withstand the onslaught either. Then a large infantry regiment entered the battle. The fierce battle went on for two hours, breaking up into separate single combats, each "defeat your opponent isakshe."

Mamai still found a way to break through to the rear of the Russian position. On its left flank in front of the grove there was a rather wide hollow, the flat bottom of which allowed the heavily armed horsemen to gain ramming speed. Mamai threw the reserve cavalry here. She broke through the formation of the Russian regiment of her left hand and found herself between the Don and the rear of a large regiment that was fighting. Ordyntsev stopped the Russian reserve, which immediately entered the battle.

From the battle formation of the Russian army, under the onslaught of the superior forces of the Horde, only the regiment of the right hand survived.

V. Motorin. Attack of the Ambush Regiment.

At a critical moment, a Russian ambush regiment flew out of the oak grove. He struck in the rear and flank of the Horde cavalry that had broken through to the Don. This blow allowed the Russian princes and governors to rebuild the regiments to continue the battle.

It lasted about another hour. Mamaev's army was utterly crushed and fled.

Mamai's ally, the great Lithuanian prince Jagailo, who was 30-40 km from the Kulikovo field, having learned about the terrible defeat of the troops of the Golden Horde, turned back.

Allies of Mamai. The army of the Lithuanian prince Jagailo. Reconstruction of armor.

Russian cavalry pursued the enemy literally on the heels - from the Kulikovo field to the tributary of the Don River Beautiful swords... The chase continued until dark.

N.S. Prisekin. Battle of Kulikovo

The Russians won the victory at a high price. The losses of the parties were enormous. Among the dead were many Russian princes and boyars. The Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich himself bravely and staunchly fought in the ranks of the large regiment.

Per great victory On September 8, 1380, Prince Dmitry received the name Donskoy, and his cousin Prince Vladimir Serpukhovskoy began to be called the Brave.

Fragments of A. Shishov's article "Dmitry Donskoy" from the book "100 Great Military Leaders", materials from Wikipedia and sites were used:

On September 21, the Day of Military Glory of Russia is celebrated - the Day of the victory of the Russian regiments led by Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy over the Mongol-Tatar troops in the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380. Historians are unanimous when they talk about the Battle of Kulikovo: on that windy autumn day near the banks of the Nepryadva River, the future of the Russian land was decided. At one point grief and patience, the thirst for liberation from the yoke, strength, will and faith were combined. In one place the greatest people of their time coincided in their aspirations: active, wise, far-sighted, strong-willed monks and warriors. Saint Sergius, Abbot of Radonezh, and Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich, nicknamed Donskoy after the battle, their predecessors, Metropolitans of Moscow and All Russia Peter and Alexy, who raised Prince Dmitry, as well as hundreds of thousands of nameless Russian soldiers - here they are, the victors.

Military feat became also a spiritual feat, a sacred feat. As a catalyst, he launched powerful processes that contributed to the unification of disparate lands into a single state. No, the Battle of Kulikovo was not the final victory over the Tatar-Mongols. The yoke was dropped only a hundred years later. However, it was the Battle of Kulikovo that dispelled the myth of the invincibility of the Golden Horde, gave hope and gave birth to heroes.

XVI-XVII centuries: hagiographic icon

The Battle of Kulikovo remains in the field of attention of artists for many centuries. And if in the XVI-XVII centuries we are talking about rare and canonical images within the framework of annalistic lists and hagiographic stamps on icons, then three centuries later, with the development of interest in history and historical painting, the plot of the Kulikovo battle becomes one of the central themes of the historical genre.

The historical genre in painting has been ideological at all times. But this has never stopped artists from making their work a conceptual statement and personal experience.

In 1959, restorers uncovered one of the icons of the Yaroslavl school. Under a dark layer of linseed oil and the upper inscriptions, the so-called cladding (that is, an addition to the icon) with the plot of the "Mamay Massacre" was discovered. Apparently, the dressing was made in the eighties of the 17th century.

In the center of the composition is depicted the legendary duel of Peresvet with Chelubey, on the right - the army of Dmitry Donskoy, ready for battle, on the left - the camp of Mamai. At the very bottom of the composition, the meeting of the winners and the burial of soldiers who died for their friends are depicted. The icon is in the collection of the Yaroslavl Art Museum.

First half of the 19th century: "Raising famous ancestors from the grave"

The development of art, the vector of its movement directly depends on the environment and society, time and its fashion. The military upheavals of the early 19th century, the victorious march of Napoleon across Europe, the war of 1812 - these events in one way or another affected almost all spheres of Russian life and determined a surge of interest not only in the present, but also in the heroic past of the country.

Published in 1818, "History of the Russian State" by Karamzin literally blew up public opinion and for a long time became the subject of heated salon discussions. Peru Karamzin also owned the article "On cases and characters in Russian history, which can be the subject of art." With this article, the historian set the bar and defined the current topic in art:

“The idea of ​​giving artists objects from Russian history is worthy of your patriotism and is the best way to revive for us its great characters and incidents, especially while we do not yet have eloquent historians who could raise our famous ancestors from the grave and reveal their shadows in a radiant crown of glory … Russians should be taught to respect their own; must show that it can be the subject of inspiration by the artist and the powerful action of art on the heart. Not only the historian and poet, but also the painter and sculptor are organs of patriotism ...

We have approached in our historical recollections the disastrous times of Russia; and if the painter puts down his brush, the sculptor will take his chisel in order to preserve the memory of Russian heroism in misfortunes, which most of all reveal strength in the character of people and nations. The shadows of our ancestors, who wanted to perish rather than accept chains from the Mongol barbarians, await the monuments of our gratitude on a place stained with their blood. Can art and marble find better uses for themselves? "

But long before the Karamzin article, the professors of the Academy of Arts offered graduates the theme “Dmitry Donskoy on the Kulikovo Field” as an examination test, and the program clearly stipulated how the prince should be portrayed: “ Imagine the Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy, when, according to the content of the victory over Mamai, the remaining Russian Princes and other soldiers find him in the grove at their last almost gasping, blood still flowed from his wounds: but the joyful news of the complete defeat of the Tatars revives the dying Grand Duke».

One such academic work is the painting Orest Kiprensky, written by him in 1805 and named "Dmitry Donskoy on the Kulikovo field". The work of Vasily Sazonov, created twenty years later, in 1824, has the same name.

Orest Kiprensky. Dmitry Donskoy on the Kulikovo field

The best works of the Italian and Flemish schools of painting were guidelines for the young Orest Kiprensky, who took on the development of the plot of the final exam at the Academy of Arts. This is probably why in his picture the heroic defender of the fatherland, Prince Dmitry Donskoy, least of all resembles the Russian prince, as we are used to imagining him. The absence of national flavor did not bother the author at all, just as it didn’t surprise the examiners.

« The head of the Grand Duke is full of expression. And the joy of the victory won, he is animated, with gratitude to the Almighty, vividly depicted in his languid gaze, directed to heaven. This work is the first experience of the labors of this young artist, who gives great hope of himself.", - said in the review of the work of the future first Russian portrait painter. On September 1, 1805, Kiprensky was awarded a large gold medal for the painting. Now the work is in the collection of the Russian Museum (St. Petersburg).

Vasily Sazonov. "Dmitry Donskoy on the Kulikovo field"

Serf of Count Nikolai Rumyantsev Vasily Sazonov was identified as his patron in 1804 to study at the Academy of Arts. The successes of the young painter in the field of drawing were so outstanding that the count gave the serf his freedom. A brilliant graduate of the Academy, Sazonov, with the support of the Count, continued his studies in Italy, where he made copies of the works of Caravaggio and Titian.

Returning to Russia, the artist turned to the educational theme of the Academy of Arts and painted the painting "Dmitry Donskoy on the Kulikovo field." Sazonov depicted a wounded prince surrounded by soldiers. Before him are kneeling Cossacks and a man in armor and royal robes. Apparently, this is the boyar Mikhail Brenok, with whom the prince exchanged clothes and a horse at the very beginning of the battle. For this picture, as well as copies made in Italy, Sazonov was awarded the title of academician in 1830. The painting is in the collection of the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.

Second half of the 19th century: unattainable historical accuracy

By the middle of the 19th century, the history of the Kulikovo battle disappears from the field of vision of artists, giving way to modern subjects. And even the attempts of Nicholas I to turn the Winter Palace, having survived a terrible fire in December 1837, into the "New Vatican", remained unrealized. In that fire, the unique interiors made by Rastrelli, Montferrand, Quarenghi were destroyed, and the murals describing the key events of Russian history were lost. A new cycle of paintings from Russian history did not work out, but the official request did not go unnoticed by the academic community.

In 1850, commissioned by Nicholas I, a French battle painter Yvon Adolphe in Paris he paints the monumental painting "The Battle of the Kulikovo Field". It was originally planned that the painting would decorate the interiors of the lower corridor of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, conceived as a temple-monument to the heroes of the war of 1812. However, plans have changed. Today, the work adorns the flight of stairs (entrance hall) leading to the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace.

In the 1870s, the Battle of Kulikovo was included as a theme in the interior design program of the Historical Museum. One of the panels was ordered Valentin Serov, whose historical consultant was Ivan Zabelin. Zabelin was not only the head of the Historical Museum, but also one of the most authoritative specialists in the history of Ancient Rus. On the walls of the museum, he wanted to see a folk epic that will not leave the viewer indifferent and will make him feel the connection of times.

But neither Serov nor Sergei Malyutin, who was commissioned to make the panel after Serov, nor Sergei Korovin, completed the work. Too many contradictions arose between customers and performers. All the requirements of scientists have never been met by any painter. The frame in which it was planned to mark the panel was empty until 1950, when a neutral landscape with views of Moscow was placed in it.

Valentin Serov. After the Battle of Kulikovo, sketch

Serov worked hard on the sketch for the panel. In 1894, he visited the Kulikovo field, worked on the composition in detail. Hundreds of sketches and eight sketches have survived, some of which were done in oil. The work was regularly discussed at meetings of the Academic Council of the Historical Museum, changed compositionally and even artistically at the insistence of Zabelin.

At first, Serov obediently followed the instructions, but in 1898, after a regular meeting, he refused to continue working on the sketch and returned the money given to him by the Historical Museum to pay for the painting. Numerous sketches are now kept in the collections of the Tretyakov Gallery and the Historical Museum.

A little earlier, a native of the Ufa merchant class turned to the topic of the events of the Battle of Kulikovo Mikhail Nesterov... However, the graduate of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture was interested not only in the battle side of the events of 1380.

Nesterov was the artist who was one of the first to turn to the theme of the country's religious identity and made the hero of the painting - the hermit saint. The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, next to which the artist settled (he stayed at the Mamontovs' estate in Abramtsevo), firmly entered his life. Here he drew inspiration and strength.

The first work on the image of the saint was the painting "The Vision to the Youth Bartholomew" (1889-90). The work was bought by Tretyakov, was a success, but the public was evaluated ambiguously. But Nesterov himself was confirmed in his desire to write a "life" of the great ascetic of the Russian land, especially since in 1892 Russia was supposed to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Dormition of St. Sergius, abbot of Radonezh. This is how The Youth of St. Sergius (1892), the triptych The Works of St. Sergius (1896-97) and St. Sergius of Radonezh (1899) appeared.

With each new work, the image of the saint became more expressive, monumental and deeper. Nesterov could not ignore the meeting of Prince Dmitry with the Monk Sergius.

The entire Russian land, and not only his personal destiny, went to defend the young prince Dmitry. He firmly believed in the help of God: both when before the Don icon of the Mother of God he read “God is our refuge and strength”, and when he came to take the blessing of the elder to engage in battle with the atheists.

For Nesterov, the key theme was the tension at the moment when the monk blessed the kneeling prince. However, the sketch "Blessing of Dmitry Donskoy by Sergius of Radonezh at the Battle of Kulikovo" was never completed by Nesterov. He was not satisfied with his sketches and wrote about them to Elizaveta Mamontova: "... the theme had long been outlined by me for a series of paintings on the history of the Radonezh miracle worker, but all the sketches that I did were not more interesting than any program ..." , "The Works of the Monk" and the watercolor "The Monk Sergei of Radonezh blesses Dmitry Donskoy for the battle with the Tatars" were donated by the artist to the city gallery of the Tretyakov brothers.

XX century: the main character is the people

In the most difficult and difficult years of the Second World War, the ideological machine started working. All forces were mobilized, including fine arts, which had a goal to support the spirit of the people through the resurrection of the people's memory, through examples of valiant victories over the aggressor. Alexander Bubnov writes his famous "Morning on the Kulikovo Field" (1943-47), and the battle artist Mikhail Avilov creates "Duel on the Kulikovo Field" (1943).

Alexander Bubnov graduated from the Higher Art and Technical Institute. Carried away by the work of the Itinerant artists and Russian realism, he focused on the historical genre. A young romantic, Bubnov, at the beginning of his creative career, sinned by over-idealizing Soviet reality. But it was during the years of the Great Patriotic War, working on propaganda posters and leaflets, that he seriously turned to the historical genre.

In 1943, Bubnov was working on his program work "Morning on the Kulikovo Field". The idea of ​​"Morning" came to the artist back in 1938. Initially, the theme of his painting was the history of the battle on Lake Peipsi, but an appeal to documents and a serious immersion in historical literature convinced Bubnov to write precisely the Battle of Kulikovo.

A year and a half of work on sketches, the search for images and plastic solutions, a long and careful study of details, excluding even a hint of sham characters, allowed the artist to create a characteristic canvas. The picture contains not only historical truth, it reads an epic scope and message: the main character of any battle is the people.

For the painting "Morning on the Kulikovo Field" in 1948, Bubnov was awarded the State Prize of the USSR. His painting, reproductions of which were included in history textbooks, is in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

Mikhail Avilov. Duel of Peresvet with Chelubey

A graduate of the battle workshop of the Academy of Arts, a participant in the First World War and the Civil War, Mikhail Avilov in his works, he demonstrates not only the skill of the painter, he amazes with the convincing depiction of battle scenes.

As early as 1917, Avilov turned to the theme of the duel between the hero-monk Alexander Peresvet and the Tatar murza Chelubey. But then the picture did not work out and was even destroyed by the author.

In 1942, having arrived in Moscow from evacuation, the artist received a large workshop, which allowed him to return to the theme of the Battle of Kulikovo. "Dmitry Donskoy at Sergius of Radonezh", "Dmitry Donskoy decides to cross the Don", "Battle of Kulikovo", "Flight of Mamai" - four large sketches were created by Avilov, but only one of them - the confrontation between the Russian knight and the Tatar hero - became a complete work , included in the annals of the world of fine arts. In 1946 Avilov was awarded the Stalin Prize of the first degree for the painting "The Duel of Peresvet with Chelubey on the Kulikovo Field". Currently, the painting is in the collection of the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.

1980: new wave of interest

The 80s of the XX century became the next period and a new wave of interest in the topic of the Battle of Kulikovo: in 1980, the country celebrated the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Kulikovo. The cycle "Kulikovo Field" by Ilya Glazunov, the triptych "Kulikovo Field" by Yuri Raksha were timed to this anniversary, and the animated film "Nepryadva Swans" was shot at the Mosfilm studio by director Roman Davydov.

Ilya Glazunov. Cycle "Kulikovo Field". Dmitry Donskoy. 1980

Ilya Glazunov. Cycle "Kulikovo Field". Eve. 1978

Leningrader, blockade, Ilya Glazunov, like many others, lost his parents in that terrible war. After evacuation he returned to Leningrad, graduated from the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after I. E. Repin. Studying historical literature, chronicles, lives, Glazunov devoted twenty years of his life to work on the cycle "Kulikovo Field", which included thirty paintings. In the sixties, the first canvases appeared: "The Messenger", "Storming the City", "Khan Mamai", and the public's acquaintance with the cycle was timed to coincide with the grandiose anniversary, the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Kulikovo.

In 1980, Glazunov was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR. Speaking about his cycle, Glazunov explains that he strove "to convey only vital certainty, the truth of what is happening, so that once again our contemporary touches the great past of the Motherland, with renewed vigor he would feel the inextricable connection of times, the connection of generations, his involvement in the events of bygone eras" ...

Yuri Raksha. Triptych "Kulikovo Field". 1980.
Left side - "Blessing for battle"

Yuri Raksha from childhood he was fond of not only drawing, but also history. He graduated with a silver medal from the Surikov Art School, VGIK, worked at Mosfilm, participated in the filming of a dozen films and never left painting. Each new film gave birth to an idea for the future canvas. So it was with the painting "Ascent" based on the novel by V. Bykov. “Without the scene of the execution of the main character, Sotnikov,” Raksha recalled, “I would not have dared to venture into the bulk of Kulikov Field.”

He began working on the painting in 1879 and already then realized that it would become his main and last creation. In November, the doctors made a terrible diagnosis - leukemia, and promised “a maximum of a month”. The artist's wife recalls how Yuri worked to the point of exhaustion, bravely fought death and tried to hide his physical torment. “He was in a hurry,” Irina Raksha recalled, “he held on to his hand like a lifeline, and then he said that everyone should have their own Kulikovo field.”

Yuri Raksha. Triptych "Kulikovo Field". Central part - "Anticipation"

Raksha loved Nesterov's works and was guided by them in his idea, but his compositional solution was still different, cinematic. Three locations scattered over time are given at the same time. This author's find, which has iconographic origins, allows the viewer to consistently perceive events. "Blessing for battle", "Seeing off the militia" and the key center "Anticipation" - give rise to the state of the national spirit. Spiritual feat is accomplished precisely here and now, when the holy hermit and the prayer book, mothers, sisters and wives, among whom are the humble and courageous Evdokia and the soldiers, peering into the distance, are standing side by side, where the enemy is camped.

Yuri Raksha. Triptych "Kulikovo Field". Right side - "Seeing off the militia"

Raksha wrote about his painting: “Why did the Kulikovo field remain for centuries? Yes, because here the idea and belief in the Russian statehood was affirmed. Russia believed in itself. Russia became Russia ... as before, the main thing should be in the faces, in the eyes, and I highlight them, and therefore there is less costume and entourage. The landscape is very important. A single horizon for all parts unites Moscow, the Trinity Monastery, and the Kulikovo field. It unites into one whole, and all this is the Motherland. Our blessed homeland, which must be defended».