Evpatiy Kolovrata Biography

Maxim Kuznetsov, a monument to Evpatiy Kolovrat in Ryazan, a characteristic feature of neopagan propaganda is the desire to record in the ranks of their adherents of famous historical figures who lived after the baptism of Rus'. It looks quite ridiculous when such attempts are made in relation to St. Sergius of Radonezh and Seraphim of Sarov, but the layman who is not sophisticated by historical knowledge may well believe, for example, a neopagial myth about the “Perunov soldier of Evpatiy Kolovrata”.

Recall that the feat of Evpatiya is described in the Old Russian literary monument "The Tale of Rhazan Batu". Evpatiy Kolovrat - the Ryazan governor, with a small squad of warriors, caught up with the Batu army after the ruin of Ryazan. In an unequal battle with the Mongol-Tatars, Evpatiy defeated many best enemy warriors. The Tatars managed to defeat Kolovrat’s detachment only after they applied “vices” against him - siege stone -shaped guns.

By order of the Bata, the body of Evpatiy was given to the surviving Russian soldiers, and they themselves were released, without causing any harm. The idea of ​​paganism Evpatiy Kolovrat is actively promoted by several neopagan writers who mainly specializing in the fantasy genre and alternative history. Their main arguments in favor of the pagan religion of Evpatiya are the following: the name Evpatiy is not in the Christian holy; “Kolovrat” is a kind of pagan swastika; Courage and dedication that Evpathy possessed is characteristic exclusively for the Gentiles.

In fact, Evpatiy in authentic literary sources is written as follows: “Eupathy” is a modified Greek name Ipati in literary sources as “Ipatiy”. In Ancient Rus', this name was quite widespread, since the holy of the Holy Martyr Ipatiy Gangersky was very revered, in whose honor one of the oldest Russian monasteries was even founded in Kostroma. Small changes in pronunciation and spelling are associated with the features of the language tradition and are not something unusual.

It is enough to cite the Greek name George as an example, which in the Slavic tradition was modified in two different names - Yegor and Yuri, who also became common. In addition, in some editions of the “Tale of the Running of Ryazan Batu”, the Christian patronymic of Evpatiy - Lvovich is indicated, and also talks about his solemn funeral in the Ryazan Cathedral. Yes, and the warriors of the Evpatiya regiment themselves, according to the “Tale of the Running of Ryazan Batu,” testify to their religion: “And the Tatars from the Evpatiev regiment barely caught five military people, exhausted from the Great Rations.

The words “Kolovrat” in the meaning of “a variety of swastika” historical science does not know, in this meaning it began to be used only in a modern neopagial environment. The eight -beam swastika used by pagans, called Kolovrat, is actually the author’s drawing of the Polish artist Stanislav Yakubovsky, who published it in the year. The names like “thunder”, “Svetkrug”, “Kolovrat”, etc.

In these articles, the swastika was called the original Slavic symbol, although this statement is erroneous: the varieties of swastikas are known in many cultures. They are used in the Christian church; In particular, the book “How to choose a pectoral cross” M. Already the first Christians in the Roman catacombs depicted a gammatic cross. In Byzantium, this form was often used to decorate the gospels, church utensils, temples, embroidered on the vestments of the Byzantine saints.

In the 9th century, by order of Empress Theodora, the gospel was made, decorated with a gold ornament of gamma crosses. And in Rus', the form of this cross has long been used. It is depicted on many church objects of the pre -Mongol period, in the form of a mosaic under the dome of the Cathedral of St. Sophia of Kyiv, in the ornament of the doors of the Nizhny Novgorod Cathedral.

Gammatic crosses are embroidered on Feloni of the Moscow Temple of Nikola, which is in wad. ” Why is Evpatiy called Kolovrat? There are several versions on this score. This word consists of two semantic parts: “Kolo”, which in Devnerusky meant a circle, and “gate”, that is, rotation. In the time of Evpatiy, “self -firm -shooting” Kolovrats called a type of crossbow, for a hover of which a rotational mechanism was used in the form of a circle with a handle.

Perhaps that is why Kolovrat is an ordinary military nickname of a skilled crossbowman. There is also a version that the Kolovrat of Evpatiy was nicknamed for special military skill - conducting the battle with two swords, when the warrior quickly rotates them, hitting opponents from different sides.

In both cases, this nickname does not bear any pagan meaning. The assertion that the feat of Kolovrat is generally unusual for a Christian is completely unfounded, since it is essentially suicide, which Christians are prohibited. Here I would like to remind you that one of the most important Gospel commandments is the words of Christ: “There is no longer that love as if anyone puts his soul for his friends” in.Following her, Christian warriors were distinguished by special courage, resistance, and often saved his life at the cost of their life.

This was considered the norm and the correct confession of the Christian faith. Therefore, the feat of Evpatiya is not unique in the history of Christian warriors. For example, in battle with enemies, St. Norwegian Olaf died. Following the commandments of selfless love, Christian warriors at the price of their lives saved the comrades -in -arms with a word, Orthodoxy has always been alien to pacifism, under which, as a rule, cowardice was hidden.

That is why the words from the Epistle of St. Athanasius the Great: “It is not permissible to kill, but to exterminate the enemy in the war both legally and worthy of praise; Therefore, the distinguishing in the scolders are honored with great honors, and monuments that announce their merits are erected to them, ”were approved as a general church teaching at the VI and VII Ecumenical Councils.

In addition, from history we know many examples when the Orthodox bishops were not only spiritual pastors, but also the leaders of national liberation movements, as it was, for example, in the principality of Theodoro, Montenegro and in Cyprus. Saint Nikolai Serbsky sobered up those who spoke of the weakness of Christianity as follows: “You deceived yourself, and you were deceived.

You were deceived by those who introduced you to Christ as a wimp and saliva. Reading the gospel of the mercy of Christ and his love, they missed His formidable words about this terrible stone - which he himself is - and from these words the blood in the veins harsh. Whoever attacks Christ will break, and who he will attack, he will crush him. He threatens Kara for infidelity in love and contempt for mercy.

He is a fire that warms, but can burn ”[1]. In our opinion, it is simply impossible to disagree with this.