Classics of Russian Literature | The Church and the Folk in Old Kiev (Lecture 2)

Lecture 2: When Prince Vladimir’s agents and allies tried to spread the new Christian beliefs and ceremonies among the people - mostly illiterate, but by no means stupid peasants, there arose a genuine and stubborn conflict: the old pre-Christian legends and gods versus the new ideas of salvation and grace through Jesus Christ and his powerful preaching. The result, which lasted for centuries, was called dvoeverie (two faiths, side by side). The new faith was literarily represented by St. Cyril’s magnificent translations. The old faith persisted in oral folklore of an equally powerful expression. By the 13th century, the political situation changed substantially, with the invasion of Eastern peoples—the Tatars—under their famous leader Genghis Khan, whose military strategy and technology were very advanced for their time. One of Russia’s most precious literary productions, an epic poem called “The Tale of Prince Igor,” deals with Kiev’s initial defeat at the hands of the Polovetsians, precursors of the Tatars.

Suggested Reading:
Robert Mann, trans., The Song of Prince Igor.
Serge A. Zenkovsky, ed., Medieval Russia’s Epics, Chronicles, and Tales.