Kitezh (Kitezh-grad, Kidish) is a mythical wonderful city, which, according to Russian legends, escaped from the troops of Batu during the Tatar-Mongol invasion in the 13th century due to the miraculous property of being invisible. When the troops approached, the city allegedly disappeared from the eyes of the astonished enemy and sank to the bottom of Lake Svetloyar. In subsequent centuries, the legend was transformed, the Old Believers described Kitezh as a refuge for the followers of the old faith.

In the XVIII-XIX centuries, Kitezh was presented as a city of the righteous, a city of social justice, where every honest Russian could go. The people endowed some other fantastic societies with similar properties, such as the kingdom of Prester John, the churches of "ancient piety" in the distant Oponsky (Japanese?) Sea, the islands of the blessed, the earthly paradise, Belovodie, the "City of Ignat", etc. In Russia at that time, stories were spread about people who gave dinner to go to Kitezh, and subsequently sent letters from there. Numerous eyewitnesses described bell ringing, which they heard, allegedly from under the water.

A lake in the Nizhny Novgorod Trans-Volga region, about 100 km east-north-east of the regional center and 1-1.5 km west of the village of Vladimirskoye, Voskresensky district, a natural monument of federal significance. The lake has the shape of an oval with dimensions of 500 x 350 m, it is distinguished by great depth , reaching 40 m. The view on the origin of the lake has changed since its study and has not yet been unambiguously resolved. For the first time, its volcanic origin was suggested at the beginning of the 20th century by the writer V. Korolenko. Various researchers at different times expressed hypotheses about the glacial, karst, oxbow, volcanic, neotectonic, salt dome and cosmic — meteorite origin of the lake. In 2009, the results of field studies were published, confirming the hypothesis of the meteorite origin of the lake.

Until now, there is a dispute in science about the reality of Kitezh and about the possible location of the "sunken" city. The most attractive version is that the legend tells of some place with supernatural properties. What kind of place is this (parallel world, astral, some kind of spatial hole) - it is useless to argue about this now, because. too much obscurity in the legend. However, attempts have been made and are being made to find a real sunken city. Most often, such searches were carried out in the area of ​​the Zhiguli bend of the Volga, where a mirage is sometimes observed over the Volga - a large ancient Russian city rising from under the water.

When the troops of Khan Batu reached the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, the Russians met them near Maly Kitezh (now it is Gorodets). Most of the squad was killed in the battle, and Prince Georgy Vsevolodovich with the surviving soldiers took refuge in the forests and built the city of Kitezh Bolshoy on the shores of Lake Svetloyar. Batu found out where the prince had taken refuge and killed him. And the inhabitants gathered in the temple and turned to God with a prayer to prevent the invaders from approaching them. God heeded the prayer, streams of water gushed out of the ground, which, without harming the inhabitants, flooded the city up to the domes of churches. But they soon disappeared. And on the site of the city, a lake spilled. Since then, this place has been revered as a saint... Such is the legend that many people believe. And they have no doubt that the small forest lake Svetloyar in the Nizhny Novgorod region is the very one in which Kitezh drowned. Orthodox people come here to pray. It is said that a handful of local land cures ailments. Water drawn from the lake stays in bottles for several years, without spoiling, like consecrated water. And if you go around the lake three times clockwise, then all cherished desires. And the version that Lake Svetloyar is related to the mysterious Shambala attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over the world. However, the only real hints of the existence of the legendary city can be found in the book "Kitezh Chronicler" (late 17th century).

Near-scientific mystics believe that there is also a passage to another time dimension on Svetloyar. And as proof, they cite stories told by residents of the nearby village of Vladimirskoye. They allegedly often meet strange peddlers in clothes that were still worn by their great-grandfathers, and for the purchased goods - mainly bread, bagels, gingerbread - they receive change from them in coppers and silver coins. “For us,” Volkov continues, “the main discovery was the confirmation of the hypothesis about the existence near Svetloyar of invisible plasma substances that have a logic of behavior, that is, they manifest themselves as living beings. Especially a lot of them appear around a group of people praying - as if they are studying. We captured them on video and photographic equipment. These plasma formations were once recorded in laboratory conditions by scientists from the Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radio Wave Propagation (IZMIRAN). Their experiments testified that millions of plasma bunches are rushing through the air in the electromagnetic range. Then it led atheists to the idea that the other world still exists. The current study of Svetloyar has shown that this hypothesis is not without common sense.

But where did the city go? Is there some real natural event at the heart of the myth?

In fact, as soon as we start researching any legend, myth or similar work of oral folk art, we find traces of events that actually took place,” said Boris Rybakov, an outstanding Russian archaeologist and historian, at one of his speeches (died in 2001. — Ed.). — Geologists are well aware that the central regions of the European part of Russia lie on a foundation of very strong rocks. But it is dissected by deep faults that go in different directions, often intersecting with each other. And geologist Vladimir Nikitin found out that Lake Svetloyar lies just at the intersection of two deep faults. In such a place, even a large reservoir could be formed surprisingly quickly - even in front of Batu Khan.

The graves of the giants Kibilek - this is the name of a place about five kilometers from Lake Svetloyar. Here is a spring supposedly with “living” water (analyses show that it has zero acidity). And nearby - in the dense Kerzhinsky forest - there are three unmarked graves. They are ancient and unusual. Firstly, who had the idea to bury someone far from populated areas? Secondly, the graves are several times larger than traditional Christian burials. It is said that giants are buried there. Namely, the skeletons of the ancient Lemurians - the inhabitants of the mysterious country of Lemuria, which, according to legend, existed somewhere in this area hundreds of thousands of years ago. Modern science does not confirm, but does not try to refute such a version of the origin of strange burials. Nobody tried to dig them out. Yes, and it's wrong. Nizhny Novgorod esotericists come to the graves at night to bow to the "unknown". And many Orthodox, on the contrary, believe that the place here is unclean. Despite the origin. They take water and leave quickly.

Legends say that during the Mongol-Tatar invasion, the whole city of Kitezh went under the water of Lake Svetloyar - the whole city, along with its defenders, along with the elderly and children. It is believed that divine intervention hid it from the eyes of the enemy for hundreds, and perhaps thousands of years. According to the legend, sooner or later another one will appear in the Nizhny Novgorod region. locality - ancient city Kitezh.

Remember the legend of Atlantis? About the mainland, which plunged into the ocean, punished by the gods because its inhabitants were mired in sins. There is a similar legend in Russia - however, it has nothing to do with sins. Rather, on the contrary, the reasons for the flooding of this city should be sought in the spiritual purity of its inhabitants.

Only the righteous and saints can see this city. Only a true believer is worthy to hear the chime of its bells. City of Kitezh. The city is a legend. Until now, many Orthodox Christians gather to make a pilgrimage to the lake, in the depths of which the legendary city supposedly rests. Centuries have passed, but people still strive here. They believe that Kitezh is at the bottom of the lake, and their faith is unshakable.

So why is the legend of the city of Kitezh so popular? Why can't people forget about this place?

Kitezh as imagined by Ivan Bilibin

The emergence of the city

The only hints of real existence Kitezh can be found in the book "Kitezh Chronicler". According to scientists, this book was written at the end of the 17th century.

According to her, the city of Kitezh was built by the great Russian Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich of Vladimir at the end of the 12th century. According to legend, the prince, returning from a trip to Novgorod, stopped on the way near Lake Svetloyar - to rest. But he did not really manage to rest: the prince was captivated by the beauty of those places. He immediately ordered to build the city of Great Kitezh on the shore of the lake.

Yuri Vsevolodovich, the founder of Kitezh, is depicted at the entrance to the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin

The case was set to work immediately. The length of the built city was 200 sazhens (a straight sazhen is the distance between the ends of the fingers spread out in different directions of the hands, approximately 1.6 meters), the width was 100. Several churches were also built, and on occasion the best masters began to “paint images”.

There are many churches, icons too - what else does a simple Russian person need? The city was not slow to be called "saint", and the people reached out to the lake Svetly Yar.

Svetloyar

Lake Svetloyar is located in the Nizhny Novgorod region. It is located near the village of Vladimirsky Voskresensky district, in the Lunda basin, a tributary of the Vetluga River. The length of the lake is 210 meters, the width is 175 meters, and the total area of ​​the water surface is about 12 hectares.

There is still no consensus on how the lake appeared. Someone insists on the glacial theory of origin, someone defends the karst hypothesis. There is a version that the lake arose after the fall of a meteorite. The very word "Svetloyar" can be translated as "Light Lake".

Batu invasion

Those were times far from peaceful and idyllic. Discord between the principalities, the raids of the Tatars and Bulgarians, forest predators - a rare person decided to get out of the city walls without a weapon. And in 1237, the Mongol-Tatars under the leadership of Batu Khan invaded Russia.

Now let's forget about the legend for a while and remember history.

Diorama "Heroic Defense of Old Ryazan"

Ryazan princes were the first to be attacked. They tried to seek help from Prince Yuri Vladimirsky, but were refused. The Tatars ravaged Ryazan without difficulty; then moved to the Vladimir principality. The son Vsevolod, sent by Yuri, was defeated near Kolomna and fled to Vladimir. The Tatars captured Moscow and captured another son of Yuri - Prince Vladimir.

Prince Yuri, when he found out about this, left the capital to the sons of Mstislav and Vsevolod. Went to gather troops. He set up camp near Rostov on the river Sit and began to wait for his brothers Yaroslav and Svyatoslav. In the absence of the Grand Duke, on February 3-7, Vladimir and Suzdal were taken and ruined, the family of Yuri Vsevolodovich died in the fire.

The prince managed to learn about the death of the family. His further fate was even more unenviable: Yuri died on March 4, 1238 in a battle with the troops of Batu on the Sit River. Bishop Kirill of Rostov found the decapitated body of the prince on the battlefield and took him to Rostov. Later, the head was found and attached to the body.

The death of Yuri Vsevolodovich

Here ends the facts that are confirmed by scientists. Let's get back to the legend.

Batu allegedly heard about the riches that were stored in the city of Kitezh, and sent part of the army to the holy city. The detachment was small - Batu did not expect resistance. The troops went to Kitezh through the forest, and cut a clearing along the way. The traitor Grishka Kuterma led the Tatars. He was taken in the neighboring city, Small Kitezh (now Gorodets). Grishka could not stand the torture and agreed to show the way to the Holy City. Alas, Susanin from Kuterma did not work out: Grishka led the Tatars to Kitezh.

On that terrible day, not far from the city, three Kitezh heroes were on patrol. They saw the enemy first. Before the battle, one of the soldiers told his son to run to Kitezh and warn the townspeople. The boy rushed to the city gates, but the Tatar's evil arrow caught up with him. However, the brave boy did not fall. With an arrow in his back, he ran to the walls and managed to shout: "Enemies!", and only then fell dead.

The heroes, meanwhile, tried to restrain the khan's army. Nobody survived. According to legend, at the place where the three heroes died, the holy key of Kibelek appeared - it still beats.

A variant of the legend says that George the Victorious himself descended to earth to help the defenders of Kitezh. But George's horse stumbled. Then the saint realized that saving Kitezh was not his task. And retreated. And in the place where the horse's hoof fell, the holy source of Kibelek gushed.

Vasily Maksimov "Mongols near the walls of Vladimir"

The Mongol-Tatars besieged the city. The townspeople understood that there was no chance. A handful of people against the well-armed and organized army of Batu is certain death. Nevertheless, the townspeople were not going to give up without a fight. They went out to the walls, with weapons, as well as icons and crosses in their hands. People prayed in the evening and all night long. The Tatars, on the other hand, were waiting for the morning to launch an attack.

And a miracle happened: suddenly the church bells rang, the earth shook, and before the eyes of the amazed Tatars, Kitezh began to sink into the waters of Lake Svetloyar.

And this city of Big Kitezh became invisible and guarded by the hand of God - so at the end of our many-rebellious century and worthy of tears, the Lord covered that city with his hand.

"The Tale and the Penalty of the Secret City of Kitezh"

K. Gorbatov. "The Invisible City of Kitezh"

The legend is ambiguous. And people interpret it differently. Someone claims that Kitezh went under water, someone - that he plunged into the ground. There are adherents of the theory that mountains closed the city from the Tatars. Others believe that he ascended into the sky. But the most interesting theory is that Kitezh simply became invisible. It is not clear, however, why then no one has come across the city by accident.

Amazed by the power of the "Russian miracle", the Tatars rushed to run in all directions. But God's wrath overtook them: whom the animals devoured, who got lost in the forest or simply disappeared, taken away by a mysterious force.

The city has disappeared. According to legend, he should "manifest" on the day of the Last Judgment. On the day when the dead rise from their graves, Kitezh will also rise from the water. But you can see it and even reach it now. A person in whom there is no sin will distinguish the reflection of church domes and white stone walls in the waters of Lake Svetloyar.

Kitezh modern

Fast forward now to times close to our century.

The legend of the city of Kitezh excited the minds of the intelligentsia. First of all, writers, musicians and artists. The 19th century writer Pavel Melnikov-Pechersky, inspired by Lake Svetloyar, told his legend in the novel In the Forests, as well as in the story Grisha. The lake was visited by Maxim Gorky (feature "Bugrov"), Vladimir Korolenko (feature cycle "In Desert Places"), Mikhail Prishvin (feature "Light Lake").

About the mysterious city he wrote the opera "The Legend of invisible city Kitezh" Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. The lake was painted by artists Nikolai Romadin, Ilya Glazunov and many others. The poets Akhmatova and Tsvetaeva mention the city of Kitezh in their work.

Scenery by Ivan Bilibin for Rimsky-Korsakov's opera

Nowadays, science fiction writers and especially fantasy authors are interested in the legend of Kitezh. It is clear why: the image of the hidden city is romantic and fits perfectly into a fantastic work. Of the works of this kind, one can name, for example, the story "The Hammers of Kitezh" by Nick Perumov and "Red Shift" by Evgeny Gulyakovsky.

In the Soviet TV movie The Magicians, based on the Strugatskys' novel Monday Begins on Saturday, a worker in a musical instrument factory travels to fictional Kitezhgrad. He wants to save the bride from evil spells, and finds himself in the realm of good and evil wizards.

Lake Svetloyar today

Naturally, scientists did not ignore the riddle of Kitezh. Expeditions went to Lake Svetloyar, more than once. Drilling near the shores of the lake yielded nothing. The search for archaeologists ended in nothing. There were no traces of the mysterious city on the approaches to the lake. In the 70s of the last century, the expedition was equipped by Literaturnaya Gazeta: trained divers descended to the bottom. Their work was not easy, since the depth of the lake is more than 30 meters. At the bottom there are many snags and sunken trees.

Unfortunately, they did not find irrefutable evidence of the existence of the city. For believers, this fact, of course, means nothing. It is known that Kitezh will not reveal its secrets to the wicked.

There were hypotheses that Kitezh was not at all on Lake Svetloyar. Other alleged places of "habitat" of the holy city immediately arose. They even talked about China, allegedly Kitezh and the legendary Shambhala are one and the same place.

Nicholas Roerich "Song of Shambhala"

In our time, scientists have forgotten about Kitezh - it's not up to that. But the legend was at one time speculated by businessmen who hoped to turn the legends into a source of self-financing.

Currently, the territory of the lake is protected by the state. The lake and its surroundings are part of the reserve, which is under the protection of UNESCO. Every year on July 6, on the day of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, Orthodox believers make a procession from the Vladimir Church in the village of Vladimir to the chapel in the name of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. The chapel was built near Lake Svetloyar in the late 1990s.

Orthodox pray on the shore of the lake. Someone is secretly looking at his reflection in the lake - will Kitezh flash by? Some believe that the earth collected in a holy place heals ailments. They take it from the graves of "killed heroes" and then take it home along with plastic bottles in which water from the holy spring splashes. There is a belief that water from Svetloyar will not deteriorate, even if it stays in a bottle for several years.

Chapel of Our Lady of Kazan on the bank of Svetloyar

Russian utopia

The city of Kitezh is a symbol of something inaccessible, but desirable. This is a heavenly place where the righteous can flee from the hardships of a cruel world. It doesn't matter if Kitezh existed - a beautiful legend gives hope to the desperate. And in the past, in search of fertile land, peasants-bast shoes fled, and now there are fanatics who go to the Nizhny Novgorod forests, where they hide from modern life.

Kitezh is a Russian utopia. This is the place where milky rivers flow in the jelly banks. For many, this is the country of Fantasy, a fabulous state in which goodness and justice rule. The most important thing about the Kitezh utopia is that people need such a city anyway. And if this legend did not exist, they would have invented another one. People need faith that it is possible to escape from this world full of pain and despair. People need a place to run to. At least in thought. And this place was the sacred Russian city of Kitezh.

Konstantin Gorbatov "The Drowned City"

Belovodie

Many medieval legends tell about the kingdoms of Goodness and Justice, like Kitezh. In these "secret places" one can supposedly hide, escape from the intrigues of evil. One of such places is the magical country of Belovodie. This is a fabulous land where sages live, who bestow eternal life and secret knowledge of the past. According to legend, the country is located somewhere in the Altai.

After the introduction of serfdom in Russia, many peasants left for the east. In the 17th century, Russian settlers moved to Altai. The reason for this was not only the "crowding" of Central Russia and poverty, but also the hope to find Belovodie. Approximately at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century, the "Traveler of Mark Topozersky" was created, which described the road to Belovodie. The "Traveller" pointed the way through Krasnoyarsk and China to the "Oponsky" (Japanese) kingdom, which lies in the middle of the "Okiyan-sea" of Belovodie.

In Russia, there are real "Kitezhs" - cities and villages flooded during the construction of reservoirs. In the photo - Krokhino in the Vologda region

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The legend of the city of Kitezh

Kitezh, Grad Kitezh, Kitezh-grad, Bolshoy Kitezh - the flooded invisible city of pious Christians, located, according to legend, at the bottom of Lake Svetloyar: sometimes a powerful sound is heard from the depths of the lake, reminiscent of the pure sound of a bell. Located approximately one and a half kilometers from the village. Vladimirskoe Voskresensky district, which is on the river. Lunda, within the boundaries of the Nizhny Novgorod Povetluzhye nature reserve.

It is believed that Kitezh-grad miraculously escaped from the conquerors during the Mongol-Tatar invasion of the 13th century. For Batu and his hordes preparing to capture the city, he became invisible and then sank to the bottom of Lake Svetloyar, along with all the pious inhabitants. According to legend, Kitezh-grad invisibly exists to this day, the righteous who please God can see the holy city.

This holy noble and great prince Georgy Vsevolodovich was the son of the holy noble and great prince Vsevolod, the Pskov miracle worker, who was named Gabriel in holy baptism. This holy noble and great prince Vsevolod was the son of the great prince Mstislav, the grandson of the holy and Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir of Kyiv, autocrat of the Russian land. The Holy Blessed and Grand Duke Georgy Vsevolodovich is the great-grandson of the Holy Blessed and Grand Duke Vladimir.

And the holy noble prince Vsevolod first reigned in Veliky Novgorod. But at one time, the Novgorodians grumbled at him and decided among themselves: our prince, unbaptized, owns us, the baptized. And they made a council, and they came to him, and cast him out. He came to Kyiv to his uncle Yaropolk and told him everything for which he was expelled by the Novgorodians. And he, having learned about this, gave him possession of Vyshgorod. And here the Pskovites already begged him to reign with them, and he came to them in the city of Pskov. And after some time he received the grace of holy baptism, and was named Gabriel in holy baptism. And he remained in great polishing and abstinence, and after one year he went into eternal rest, 6671 (1163) years, the month of February on the eleventh day. And he was buried by his faithful son and Grand Duke George. And there were many miracles from his holy relics to the glory and praise of Christ, our God, and all the saints. Amen.

This holy noble prince Georgy Vsevolodovich, after the death of his father, his noble prince Vsevolod, who was named Gabriel in holy baptism, remained in his place at the request of the people of Pskov. It was in 6671 (1163) year. The holy noble and great prince Georgy Vsevolodovich deigned to go to the noble prince Mikhail of Chernigov. And when the faithful and great prince George came to the noble prince Michael, he bowed to the noble prince Michael and said to him: “Hello, O noble and great prince Michael, for many years, shining with piety and faith in Christ, in everything like our great-grandfathers and great-grandmother our blessed Grand Duchess, Christ-loving Olga, who has found the dearest and greatest treasure - Christ and the faith of his holy prophets and apostles and holy fathers, and the faithful Christ-loving tsar and Equal-to-the-Apostles great-grandfather, our Tsar Konstantin. And the right-believing Prince Michael said to him: “May you also be healthy, O right-believing and great prince Georgy Vsevolodovich, come to me with good advice and an unenvious eye. After all, what did Svyatopolk gain because of envy of our grandfathers, who desired power and killed his brothers, faithful and great princes! He ordered Boris to be pierced with a spear, and Gleb to be slaughtered with a knife, during the years of their reign. After all, he deceived them flatteringly at the instigation of Satan, as if their mother was dying. They, like gentle lambs, became like their good shepherd Christ, did not stand against their brother, their enemy. The Lord glorified his holy saints, the noble princes and great miracle workers Boris and Gleb.

And Prince George and Prince Michael kissed each other, and celebrated spiritually, and rejoiced; and the faithful and great prince George said to the faithful prince Michael: "Give me a letter, in our Russia, in the fortified places of the church of God, build cities." And the faithful and great prince Michael said to him: “As you wish, build the churches of God to the glory and praise of the most holy name of God. For such a good intention of yours, you will receive a reward on the day of the coming of Christ.

And they feasted for many days. And when the right-believing prince George decided to return to his inheritance, then the right-believing prince Michael ordered the letter to be written and put his hand to the letter. And when the right-believing prince George went to his fatherland and city, then the right-believing prince Michael with great honor released him and saw him off. And when both princes were already on their way and bowed to each other in farewell, the right-believing Prince Mikhail gave a letter. Blessed Prince George took the letter from Blessed Prince Michael and bowed to him, and then he answered him.

And Prince George went to the cities, and when he arrived in Novgorod, he ordered to build a church in the name of the Assumption of the Most Holy Lady of Our Lady and Ever-Virgin Mary in the year 6672 (1164). From Novgorod he went to Pskov, his city, where his father, the blessed Prince Vsevolod, died, and in holy baptism Gabriel, the miracle worker of Novgorod and Pskov. And he went from Pskov-grad to Moscow, and ordered to build a church in the name of the Assumption of the Most Holy Lady of Our Lady. and Ever-Virgin Mary in the year 6672 (1164). And he went from Moscow to Pereslavl-Zalessky, and from Pereslavl-grad to Rostov-grad. At that very time, Grand Duke Andrei Bogolyubsky was in the city of Rostov. And the noble prince George in the city of that Rostov ordered to build a church in the name of the Assumption of the Most Holy Lady of Our Lady and Ever-Virgin Mary in the year 6672 (1164), the month of May on the twenty-third day. In the days of Grand Duke George, they began to dig ditches under the foundation of the church and found the buried relics of St. Leonty of Christ, Bishop of Rostov, a miracle worker, who converted people in Rostov-grad to the faith of Christ and baptized them from young to old. And the noble prince George rejoiced with great joy, and glorified God, who gave him such a valuable treasure, and sang a prayer service. And he ordered Andrei, Prince Bogolyubsky, to go to the city of Murom and build a church in the city of Murom in the name of the Assumption of the Most Holy Lady of Our Lady and Ever-Virgin Mary.

The faithful and great prince himself left the city of Rostov and arrived in the city of Yaroslavl, which stands on the banks of the Volga River. And he got into a plow, and went down the Volga, and landed on the shore at Small Kitezh, which stands on the banks of the Volga, and rebuilt it, and all the people of the city of that blessed Prince George began to pray that the image of the miraculous icon Holy Mother of God Fedorovskaya transferred to the city to them. He fulfilled the request. They began to sing a prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos. And when they finished and wanted to carry that image to the city, the image did not leave the place, it did not move at all. Blessed Prince George, seeing the will of the Most Holy Theotokos, who had chosen a place for herself here, ordered to build a monastery in that place in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos Fedorovskaya.

The faithful prince George himself went from that place by land, and not by water. And he crossed the river Uzola, and the second river, named Sandu, and the third river crossed, named Sanogtu, and the fourth crossed, named Kerzhenets, and came to the lake, named Svetloyar. And I saw that place, extraordinarily beautiful and crowded; and at the begging of its inhabitants, the noble prince Georgy Vsevolodovich ordered to build a city on the shore of the lake of that Svetloyar, named Big Kitezh, because the place was unusually beautiful, and on the other side of the lake there was an oak grove.

And with the advice and command of the right-believing and Grand Duke Georgy Vsevolodovich, they began to dig ditches to strengthen this place. And they began to build a church in the name of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross of the Lord, and the second church - in the name of the Assumption of the Most Holy Lady of Our Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, and the third church - in the name of the Annunciation of our Most Holy Lady of the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary. In the same churches, Prince George commanded to make aisles in honor of other holidays of the Lord and the Mother of God. Likewise, he commanded to write the images of all the saints.

And that city, Big Kitezh, was a hundred fathoms long and wide, and this first measure was small. And the noble prince George ordered to add another hundred fathoms in length, and the measure of the hail became two hundred fathoms in length, and one hundred fathoms in width. And they began to build that stone city in the year 6673 (1165), the month of May on the first day, in memory of the holy prophet Jeremiah and others like him. And that city was built for three years, and they built it in the year 6676 (1167), the month of September on the thirtieth day, in memory of the Holy Hieromartyr Gregory, Bishop of Great Armenia.

And he went to Small Kitezh, which stands on the banks of the Volga, the right-believing Prince Georgy Vsevolodovich. And after the construction of those cities, Small and Large, he ordered to measure in the fields how much distance they have between themselves. And at the behest of the right-believing Prince George, they set out a hundred fields. And the noble prince Georgy Vsevolodovich, having learned this, gave glory to God and the Most Holy Theotokos and also ordered the chronicler to write a book. And the faithful and Grand Duke George himself ordered to serve the entire service. And having sung a prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos of Fedorovskaya, after completing that service, he sailed in his plow on his way to his previously mentioned city of Pskov. The people accompanied him great honor; and, having said goodbye to him, they let him go.

The noble prince Georgy Vsevolodovich, having arrived in his city, formerly called Pskov, spent many days in prayer, and in fasting, and in vigil, and distributed much alms to the poor, and widows, and orphans. And after the building of those cities, he lived seventy-five years. It was in the year 6747 (1239). By the grace of God, for our sins, the ungodly and godless Tsar Batu came to Russia in a war. And he destroyed the cities, and burned them with fire, and also destroyed the churches of God, and burned them with fire. He betrayed people to the sword, and stabbed small children with a knife, defiled young virgins with fornication. And there was a great cry.

Blessed Prince Georgy Vsevolodovich, hearing about all this, wept bitterly. And, having prayed to the Lord and the Most Holy Mother of God, he gathered his army, and went against the impious king Batu with his soldiers. And when both armies entered the battle, there was a great slaughter and bloodshed. At that time, the noble prince George had few soldiers, and the noble prince George fled from the impious king Batu down the Volga to Small Kitezh. And for a long time the faithful prince George fought with the wicked king Batu, not letting him into his city.

When night fell, then the noble prince George went secretly from this city to the Great City of Kitezh. In the morning, when that wicked king woke up, he attacked the city with his soldiers and captured it. And he beat and chopped all the people in this city. And, not finding the right-believing prince in that city, he began to torment one of the inhabitants, and he, unable to endure the torment, opened the way for him. The same wicked one chased after the prince. And when he came to the city, he attacked it with many of his soldiers and took that city of Great Kitezh, which is on the shores of Lake Svetloyar, and killed the faithful Prince George, on the fourth day of February. And the wicked king Batu left the city. And after him they took the relics of the right-believing Prince Georgy Vsevolodovich. And after that ruin, those cities were deserted, Small Kitezh, which stands on the banks of the Volga, and Big, which is on the banks of Lake Svetloyar.

And Big Kitezh will be invisible until the coming of Christ, which happened in former times, as the lives of the holy fathers testify, the Monasian patericon, and the Skete patericon, and the ABC patericon, and the Jerusalem patericon, and the paterikon of the Holy Mountain, and these holy books, in which the lives of the holy fathers are written, they agree that the innermost abode is not one, but there are many monasteries, and in those monasteries there is a great multitude of holy fathers, like the stars of heaven, shining with their life. As the sand of the sea cannot be exhausted, so it is impossible to describe everything. It is about them, foreseeing in the holy spirit, that the blessed prophet David the king, marveling, cries out in the holy spirit, in the inspired book of his Psalter he says: planted in the house of the Lord, they bloom in the courts of our God.” And also the same prophet King David: “Exalted are your thoughts to me, O God, how great is their number; If I begin to number them, they are more numerous than sand.” About them, foreseeing with the holy spirit, the blessed apostle Paul in his epistle speaks, foreseeing; such a word refers to us: “They wandered in sheepskin and goat skins, enduring hardships, sorrows, bitterness, those that the whole world was not worthy of.” Saint John Chrysostom also spoke the same word, in his teaching he speaks on the third week of Lent. The same word is addressed to us, foreseeing, by St. Anastasius from Mount Sinai. The same apostolic word addresses us, foreseeing, and our reverend father Hilarion the Great, about the saints, he writes: “And it will be the same in the last times: cities and monasteries will be hidden, because the Antichrist will begin to reign in the world, Then they will run to the mountains, and into dens, and into the abysses of the earth. And the philanthropic God will not leave then those who want to be saved. By zeal, and tenderness, and tears, a person receives everything from God. The divine lips proclaimed the Savior himself in the most holy Gospel that “everything that has and wants to be saved will be given.”

And after the murder of the holy and faithful and Grand Duke Georgy Vsevolodovich, and after the burial of his honest relics, in the sixth year that Tsar Batu came to fight in the Russian kingdom. The noble Prince Mikhail of Chernigov went against Batu the Tsar with his boyar Theodore. And when both armies fought, there was great bloodshed. And that wicked Tsar Batu killed the faithful and Grand Duke Mikhail of Chernigov with the boyar Theodore in the year 6750 (1241), the month of September on the twentieth day. And after the murder of the right-believing Prince Mikhail of Chernigov, two years later, that impious Tsar Batu killed the right-believing Prince Mercury of Smolensk in the year 6755 (1246), the month of November on the twenty-fourth day. And there was a desolation of the Muscovite kingdom, and other monasteries, and that city of Greater Kitezh in the year 6756 (1248).

THE STORY AND REPRESENTATION ABOUT THE CITY OF SECRET KITEZH

If a person promises to truly go into it, and not falsely, and from his zeal begins to fast, and sheds many tears, and goes into it, and he promises it is better to die of starvation, and not leave him, and endure many other sorrows and even death die, know that God will save such that his every step will be known and recorded by an angel. For he went on the path of salvation, as books testify, such as the patericon of Skitsky. There was a certain father, and he turned one harlot from fornication. The harlot went with him to the monastery. And she came to the gates of that monastery, and died. And she was saved. And the other also went into the wilderness with her father, and died. And the angels took her soul, and led her up the stairs to heaven.

Same with that person. If it happens and he dies, he will judge according to the divine Scripture. For he who flees is spiritually similar to one who flees from the harlot of Babylon, the dark and full of filth of this world, about which St. John the Theologian wrote in Revelation, his book. He speaks of the end times as of a woman sitting on a seven-headed beast, naked and shameless. In her hands, she holds a cup full of all filth and stench, and gives it to those who live and love it in the world - first of all to patriarchs, kings, and princes, and governors, and all rich rulers, and to all people in this world. vain, loving its sweetness.

The one who wants and wants to be saved, it is fitting to flee the world and its sweetness. As the same John said, foreseeing in the holy spirit: “The woman will run into the wilderness, and the serpent will chase after her, the one that seduces from the right path those who want to live humbly and spiritually.” And that accursed serpent teaches to walk in a wide and spacious way, the path of malice, and leads astray from the right path, and seduces, and orders to live a corrupt life, and frightens those who walk along the right path.

But the one who wants, and seeks, and desires salvation, that person is most enlightened by the grace of God, and helps him, and teaches, and leads him to a perfect spiritual humble life. For no one has ever been left anywhere by the Lord. Whenever he called, he heard. And when he asks, will he not be pleased with him? And what does he not seek, will he not gain from him? For the Lord accepts everyone who comes to him, with joy and calls everyone. After all, usually even the powers in heaven do not see the face of God. And when a sinner repents on earth, then all heavenly powers clearly see the face of Christ, and the glory of his deity is revealed, and they see his face. For only for the sake of the soul of a sinful repentant joy happens in heaven to all the powers of heaven and to all his saints. And the forces are angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, principles, and authorities, and dominions. And the saints - this is who they are: prophets, and apostles, and saints, and reverends, and the righteous, martyrs, and martyrs, and other saints. For the sake of a single sinner of repentance, there is joy to all the powers of heaven and to all his saints.

And the one who does not want, does not strive, does not want to receive salvation for himself, the Lord does not force need and captivity. But according to the zeal and desire of the heart, the Lord does everything for man. When someone with a non-hypocritical mind and unshakable faith makes a vow and does not think about anything vain in himself, then even if he turns back without telling his father, mother, sisters, or brothers, then the Lord also opens the way for such a person and directs him to such a good and quiet haven by the prayers of our venerable fathers, who work day and night unceasingly. The prayer of their mouths is like a fragrant censer. They also pray for those who want to be saved with a sincere heart, and not with a false vow. And if someone wants to be saved and prays, who will turn to them, such is accepted with joy as being instructed by God. And whoever wants to go to such a holy place has no thought not to have a crafty and depraved one, confusing the mind and leading the thoughts of that person who wants to go to the side. Strongly guard the thoughts of the evil ones, seeking to excommunicate from that place. And don't think about this and that. Such a person will be directed by the Lord to the path of salvation. Or a notice will come to him from that city or from the monastery of the one that is hidden both, the city and the monastery. After all, there is also a chronicler-book about the monastery. I will return to the first word.

If he goes, and begins to doubt, and praises everywhere, then the Lord will close the city to such. And it will seem to him a forest or empty space. And he will not receive anything, but only his labor will be in vain. And temptation, and reproach, and reproach to him will be for this from God. Execution will take here and in the next century, condemnation and pitch darkness for desecrating such a holy place, over a miracle that appeared at the end of our century: the city became invisible, just as in former times there were many monasteries that became invisible, about this was written in the lives of the holy fathers, you can read more there.

And this city of Big Kitezh became invisible and guarded by the hand of God - so at the end of our many-rebellious century and worthy of tears, the Lord covered that city with his hand. And he became invisible at the prayer and petition of those who worthily and righteously fall to him, who will not see sorrow and sorrow from the beast-antichrist. Only we are grieved day and night, about our retreat, our entire Moscow state, because the Antichrist reigns in it and all his commandments are filthy and unclean.

The fathers tell about the desolation of that city, and they heard from the former fathers who lived after the destruction of the city and a hundred years after the impious and godless king Batu. For he destroyed all that Zauzol land and burned villages and villages with fire. And the whole Zauzol country was overgrown with forest. And from that time that city and the monastery became invisible.

We wrote this book-chronicler in the year 6759 (1251), and approved the council, and gave the holy church of God for strengthening to all Orthodox Christians who want to read or listen, and not blaspheme this divine scripture. If any person insults or mocks this scripture, approved by us, let him know that he did not blaspheme us, but God and his most pure mother, our mistress the Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary. In whom she is glorified, and magnified, and commemorates her great name, the mother of God, those she also observes, and preserves, and covers with her hand, bringing prayer for them to her son: “Do not leave in contempt my, O dear son, petitions. You, who washed the whole world with your blood, have mercy on these and save and keep those who call on my name with undoubted faith and a pure heart. And therefore the Lord covered them with his hand, about which we wrote, and approved, and informed.

And to this our decision, neither add nor subtract, and in no way change, not a single dot or comma. If anyone adds or changes in any way, let him be, according to the holy fathers of tradition, cursed, according to tradition, they announced this and confirmed it. If anyone thinks this is unfaithful, then read the lives of the former saints and find out that there was a lot of this in former times. Glory in the trinity to the glorious God and his most pure Mother of God, who observes and preserves the place, and to all the saints. Amen.

Kitezh (Kitezh-grad) - in the legends, a mystical city that allegedly became invisible and sank to the bottom of Lake Svetloyar during the Mongol-Tatar invasion of the 13th century. Also, it was believed that Kitezh was inhabited only by the righteous, and the wicked were not allowed there. According to legend, it was located in the northern part of the Nizhny Novgorod region, not far from the village of Vladimirskoye, on the shores of Lake Svetloyar near the Lunda River.

For many years, submarine archaeologists have been trying to solve the mystery of Lake Svetloyar, where, as they say in folk legends, the magical city of Kitezh is buried.

Legends of Kitezh

According to legend, Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich built the city of Bolshoy Kitezh on the banks of the Svetloyar. Particular emphasis is placed on the fact that the city was built in just 3 years - from 1165 to 1168 - and immediately made of stone, which was an unimaginable feat for forest Russia of that era. When the hordes of Batu invaded Russia, they captured and ravaged the city of Small Kitezh (or Gorodets) and, fleeing from the Mongol army, Prince Yuri took refuge in Big Kitezh, lost among the thickets of the Volga region.

But Batu found out the way to Bolshoi Kitezh and laid siege to it. Its inhabitants tirelessly prayed to the Mother of God to stand up for them. The defenders of the city stood to death, Prince Yuri was killed in battle. However, the forces were too unequal. Just about the enemies were supposed to break into Kitezh-grad, when suddenly a miracle happened. The city began to disappear before the eyes of Batu - Kitezh churches and buildings disappeared under water ... Frightened by the miracle that had happened, the enemy fled.

From time to time, according to the legends, from the bottom of Lake Svetloyar and from under the hills the ringing of bells is heard, from time to time the Kitezh old men appear, buy bread from the peasants, talk, and then disappear again. A righteous person can not only "see the vision" of Kitezh, but also get into the enchanted city and stay there forever...

The legend of the invisible city of Kitezh existed for a long time in oral form, passed down from generation to generation. In the 17th century, schismatic sketes began to appear in the forests of the Trans-Volga region - secret settlements of adherents of the old faith, not recognized by the official church. It was the schismatics who in the 18th century first wrote down the legend of Kitezh in the work “The Book of the Chronicler”. In their presentation, the legend acquired a pronounced religious character. According to their idea, the underwater city is a monastery in which the righteous elders live, and only people who are true believers can see Kitezh and hear the Kitezh bells, as mentioned above.

“The fog cleared, and the domes of Kitezh shone with an unearthly light over the lake. The heavenly city of the righteous appeared in all its splendor. The main gates of the city opened, and a radiant old man appeared from them. He invited to enter the miracle city and stay there forever.” This is how a pilgrim who crawled around Lake Svetloyar three times on her knees described her meeting with the legendary city. As a reward for her spiritual feat, the heavenly city appeared before her, and the inhabitants of Kitezh invited the old woman to their place. But she, frightened, refused to enter the monastery of the righteous.

Belief in the reality of the existence of Kitezh was preserved in the vicinity of Svetloyar and in a later period. 1982 - folklorists recorded the story of a local resident: “People say that somewhere in the middle of the lake there is a hole - not very big - well, as if it would be like a ladle. It's just very hard to find it. In winter, the ice on Svetloyar is clean, clean. So you have to come, shovel the snow, and you can see what is happening there, at the bottom. And there, they say, all sorts of miracles: white-stone houses stand, trees grow, bell towers, churches, chopped towers, living people walk ... But not everyone will find it, not everyone will be able to find this hole.

The locals say they know cases when the people of Kitezh helped people in the most mundane matters. “To me, as a little boy, my grandmother told me that an old man lived alone here in a village by the lake. That old man once went to the forest for mushrooms. Walked and walked, and all in vain. Tired, he sat down on a stump... Then he thought: "If only the old men of Kitezh would help." No sooner had he thought about it than drowsiness overtook him. After some time, the old man woke up, opened his eyes, looked into the basket - and did not believe his eyes: there were mushrooms in it to the brim. Yes, even some - one to one, but all white!

It was said that one lost shepherd even dined in the city of Kitezh and wanted to get there another time, but could no longer find the way there.

1843 - the Moskvityanin magazine introduced the Russian people to this beautiful legend. She attracted the attention of scientists, inspired poets and writers. Rimsky-Korsak wrote an opera dedicated to Kitezh-grad, which had gone under water. And already a hundred years ago, the idea of ​​​​search for the legendary city at the bottom of Lake Svetloyar appeared.

Lake Svetloyar

Research

However, underwater archeology was not even dreamed of in those days. Searches are engaged only in our days. At first, archaeologists excavated Small Kitezh, that is, Gorodets. There were found traces of a powerful fire that destroyed the city in the first half of the 13th century. It became clear that this was done by Batu's army. This may mean that the legend is right in that part when it says that Small Kitezh was burned by the Tatar-Mongols. Well, what about Big Kitezh, which went to the bottom of Lake Svetloyar? 1959 - the first expedition of submarine archaeologists went to the lake. She was not successful. But, perhaps, we need to conduct a more thorough search?

1968 - the department of science of the Literaturnaya Gazeta organized a complex expedition to Lake Svetloyar. It included folklorists, an archaeologist, a historian, a geologist, a lake historian, a hydrologist and a group of scuba divers. The purpose of the expedition was to find out what is the connection with reality, with Lake Svetloyar, of the legend of Kitezh-grad, which has become a symbol of faith in undying Russia, in the incorruptibility of Russian culture, in the final victory over all disasters. Could the city really go to the bottom of the lake?

Research by submarine archaeologists

Geologist V.I. Nikishin came to the conclusion that Svetloyar is a "failure" of the earth's crust, which filled with water and became a lake. Having sunk to its bottom, scuba divers and hydrologist D.A. Kozlovsky was able to establish that the coastal slope of Svetloyar goes under water in three ledges to a depth of 30 meters.

The first terrace, with a gentle slope, is located at a depth of 8–9 meters. The second, separated by a steep slope, is at a depth of 22–23 meters and, in the end, the “last bottom”, the deep part of the lake, is submerged to a depth of 30 meters. According to Kozlovsky, the deep-water part of the lake was formed about one and a half thousand years ago. Then, 700–800 years ago, a new “failure” occurred, and a terrace appeared at a depth of 22–23 meters. And already, 350-400 years ago, the last, shallow terrace was formed.

Perhaps the city of Kitezh once stood on one of the terraces? After all, the time of formation of the second terrace surprisingly coincides with the date of his death, which is mentioned in the legends ... Archaeologists-submariners began to study the bottom of the lake in detail. The “shallow” terrace was examined using a special waterscope. It is a sheet steel cone with a Plexiglas bottom. Its diameter is 60 cm. The rubber part of the mask was fixed on the narrow part of the cone of the waterscope, and the “viewing” began. The water in Svetloyar is very clean and transparent, visibility is excellent.

In the southwestern part of the lake, in shallow water, archaeologists have found the remains of piles. City of Kitezh No. Locals say that in the 19th century there was a bathhouse built by a local landowner. Nothing could be found on the second terrace either. Scuba divers A. Gogeshvili and G. Nazarov went down under the water and passed the entire lake from north to south. However, there is no Kitezh-grad with fortress walls and gilded church domes at the bottom of Svetloyar!

True, the bottom is covered with a thick multi-meter layer of silt. On a shallow terrace, 50 meters from the shore, at a depth of 6–8 meters, scuba divers found the remains of trees. The top of one of them was cut down and sent for analysis to the Geological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Radiocarbon analysis showed that the tree died 350-400 years ago. And this corresponds to the time period of the formation of a shallow terrace, calculated by D.A. Kozlovsky!

So, one of the terraces was actually formed as a result of a "failure"? And if the dates proposed by Kozlovsky are accurate, then the second "failure" occurred in the era of the Mongol invasion - at the time associated with the death of the legendary Kitezh-grad!

The following year, submarine archaeologists arrived at Lake Svetloyar along with a group of Leningrad scientists armed with a geolocator. The ZGL device was hoisted onto a fishing boat. 62 echo-sounding lines were made at Svetloyar, the lake was cut along and across by “profiles”, which made it possible to penetrate through a many-meter layer of silt. In the northern part of Svetloyar, on the terrace of the "Batu" times, the sound sonar showed a certain formation of an oval shape. Traces of a fenced structure? However, this formation may also have a natural origin.

“A year later, in the middle of the lake, exploration geologists made 5 test drillings according to our instructions,” wrote the expedition leader Mark Barinov. - They removed pieces of wood from under a 10-meter layer of silt, on which forensic experts in Moscow found traces of human activity. Thus ended our reconnaissance on Lake Svetloyar. Did we find Kitezh? There is no answer to this question yet. The floor is up to the archaeologists, armed with powerful modern technology.”

On the Volga River, not far from the city of Nizhny Novgorod, there is one of the most deep lakes this region - Svetloyar. The size of the lake is not large - half a kilometer in length and a little more in width. The depth of Svetloyar is 39 meters, which is a record in the region. Water in the lake comes from a deep fault in its bottom. It is crystal clear and cold.

Svetloyar is sometimes called the Russian Atlantis for its legendary history. People say that sometimes a barely audible ringing of bells is heard from under its waters, and in the depths you can see the ghostly walls of monasteries and the domes of churches.
This is the city of Kitezh, which, according to legend, disappeared between 1236 and 1242 during the first invasion of Russia by the Tatar-Mongol. On the border of the third and fourth decades of the 13th century, the ancient Russian state was fragmented into dozens of principalities. The princes fought among themselves for power and new lands, entered into military alliances.

The name of Lake Svetloyar comes from a combination of the Old Russian words: “light”, which also means pure and righteous, and “yar” - not only known to everyone as a ravine, or beam, but in this case being the root of the name of the ancient Russian solar deity Yarila, who in pre-Christian Russia worshiped by the ancient tribes of the Slavs. Many legends of the pre-Christian period of Russia are also associated with Lake Svetloyar. The city of Kitezh is also mentioned in the sacred book of the ancient Russian faith - the Star Book of Kolyada.

In the area of ​​​​Lake Svetloyar, as the old Russian legend tells, Kitovras was born - a magical half-horse, half-man. He was a powerful wizard and helped the Slavs build cities and temples. Kvasura, the ancient god of wisdom and hops, also lived there. It is believed that their names gave the name to the city of Kitezh.

In ancient times, the Slavic tribe of the Berendeys lived near Lake Svetloyar. Until today, their descendants have preserved the legends about the city of Kitezh and the religious center of worship of the god Yarila located in it. In ancient times, in the pre-Christian period of Russia, Kitezh was considered a sacred place by the Slavs.

After the baptism of Russia, the Slavic faith with its temples and magi gave way to Christianity, but places sacred to people remained. On the site of temples, according to tradition, they began to build Orthodox churches, as it was believed that these places are special and are strong sources of positive energy. The names of the ancient Slavic gods gradually changed to the names of saints, but the places of worship of higher powers remained the same. Such places include Lake Svetloyar, which has been shrouded in legends and mysticism since ancient times.

On the shore of this lake, the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yuri (George) Vsevolodovich, (November 26, 1188 - March 4, 1238), the son of Vsevolod the Big Nest, built the Big Kitezh City. In addition to him, there was also Maly Kitezh (presumably modern Gorodets), built during the time of his grandfather, Yuri Dolgoruky. Big Kitezh was built entirely of white stone with six churches in the center of the city, which at that time was a sign of wealth. It seems that the legends united these two cities into the mystical and mysterious Kitezh-grad.

Aleksey Asov helped to recreate the true picture of the events of those distant times. He took the chronicles and legends of those times as the basis for this.

In 1238, Batu Khan defeated the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich remained at that time the only commander with an army that could resist the Tatar-Mongol invasion. The Khan camped on the River City. Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich defended himself against him in Small Kitezh. Batu Khan took the city by storm, but the prince with the remnants of the army managed to leave Small Kitezh and take refuge in Big Kitezh.

Batu intended to continue his campaign to mediterranean sea, but it was impossible to leave the Russian prince with his army in his rear. The path to the city lay among impenetrable swamps and forests. And then he began to torture all the captured Slavs how to get to Kitezh. To issue a city sacred to the Slavs meant dooming yourself and your family to eternal damnation. According to legend, only one was afraid of torment and death - Grishka Kuterma. He agreed to lead Batu's army to Kitezh.

Batu Khan was the founder of the Mongol Empire and the grandson of Genghis Khan. In a few years, he destroyed about half the population ancient Russia. Kyiv, Vladimir, Suzdal, Ryazan, Tver, and many other cities were ravaged and burned by him. Rich Russian culture Ancient Russia did not. For several decades, the construction of cities practically ceased, crafts disappeared, and the southern Russian lands lost almost all of their indigenous population.

In this tragic time, a legend about the city of Kitezh arose among the people. It tells that Khan Batu learned about the city of Kitezh and ordered to conquer it. It was difficult for the Tatar-Mongol army to find the city, but one of the Russian prisoners told the Mongols about secret ways to Lake Svetloyar and the army headed for Kitezh. When they approached it, they saw that the city was not fortified and rejoiced at the upcoming easy victory. But at the sight of the troops, fountains of water gushed out of the ground and the city of Kitezh disappeared under water. According to legend, water did not enter the city itself, it only hid it from enemies and the townspeople did not drown. So God saved the people of Kitezh for their prayers and piety. This place has become sacred.

To this day, the legend of Kitezh lives on. People living in this area talk about suddenly appearing strangely dressed people, the disappearances of those who come to look for Kitezh and turned out to be worthy of becoming its inhabitants. The lake has long been of interest to archaeologists and geologists - employees of research institutes, as well as numerous people independently investigating the mystery of Lake Svetloyar. Among them are those who explain everything by the laws of physics, and those who believe in the secret nature of things. All of them strive to unravel the mystery of Lake Svetloyar and the city of Kitezh that has sunk into it.

This is a legend, but many people believe in it. And there is no doubt that Lake Svetloyar is the same ancient lake about which there are ancient legends. Orthodox people come here to pray. They even say that a handful of earth from this place cures many diseases, and the water from the lake stays for several years and does not bloom or deteriorate - like holy water. Many people believe that if you walk around the lake three times in a clockwise direction, it will grant your wish.

Presumably in Lake Svetloyar there is a passage to another dimension. There is another interesting, directly mystical version, according to which Lake Svetloyar is associated with the mysterious Shambhala. Svetloyar attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over the world. A hint of the existence of a city at the bottom of Svetloyar can also be found in the book of the late seventeenth century "Kitezh chronicler".

Candidate Sergei Volkov, who organized the expedition in search of the mythical city, says that people disappear in this place - some forever, others return and do not remember anything that happened to them. He spoke seriously about the possibility of them visiting lost city Kitezh. But only true believers can enter it.

Proponents of the theory of the mystical lost city It is believed that in Lake Svetloyar there is a passage to another dimension. Proof of this is the stories of residents of the village of Vladimirskoye, adjacent to Svetloyar. They saw a puddle in the clothes their ancestors wore. When these strange people bought goods in the village - mainly bread and bagels - they paid with perfectly preserved ancient copper and silver coins. A possible explanation for this is given only by the theory of parallel worlds.

Here is what Sergey Volkov said:
“Our main discovery is to confirm the hypothesis of the existence near Svetloyar of a plasma substance invisible to the naked eye, which has the ability to manifest itself as living beings. -and photographic equipment. These plasma formations were once recorded in the laboratory by scientists from the Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radio Wave Propagation. Experiments at this institute showed that there are millions of plasma clots in the air in the electromagnetic range, let's call them substance. This leads atheists to think that there is a parallel, afterlife. Svetloyar's research shows that this hypothesis is not without common sense. "

Despite the myths, legends and folklore, scientists have found traces of real events happened. It is well known from geology that central regions the European part of Russia lie on a foundation of solid rock. But this foundation is cut by deep depressions directed in different directions and often intersecting with each other. And based on this fact, according to geologists, Lake Svetloyar is located at the intersection of two very deep and large depressions. In such places, even a very large water reservoir can form very quickly.

Scientists scuba divers explored Svetloyar and discovered natural anomalies. They found underwater terraces at the bottom of the lake - the shore goes under water like a ladder. Large steep underwater slopes of Svetloyar alternate with horizontal sections of the bottom. This leads to the conclusion that Lake Svetloyar was formed in parts - the first, lower, then after a hundred or even thousands of years - the second, and finally, relatively recently, the third.

The first layer of sediments from the bottom of the lake is located at a depth of 30 meters and is very ancient, the second layer is located at a depth of 20 meters and belongs to the 13th century, and the third terrace has deposits of very recent times.
At a depth of 20 meters, scuba divers found small objects made of wood and metal from the 13th century. On one of these underwater terraces, which was formerly on the shore of the lake, there may have been a real city or monastery, and then it disappeared into the waters of Lake Svetloyar.

When the lake was checked with an echo sounder, and later its echogram was taken by a geolocator, an oval anomaly became clearly visible. It was distinguished by a multi-meter sedimentary layer. Moreover - not far from this "oval" is another area. There, in the mud, the signals reflected from the bottom by a thin layer of soil were different, as if something was blocking the sound. At great depths there were hidden solid objects. When a map of this area was drawn, a pattern was obtained, reminiscent of a city surrounded by an embankment.

Thus, the existence of the city of Kitezh on this site is quite possible. But he did not mysteriously disappear somewhere, but simply collapsed underground as a result of tectonic activity. Only now, for 50 years, scuba divers have not been able to find any trace of this. Schliemann discovered Troy guided only by the stories of the Iliad. And here the address is exact and the lake is in front of our eyes - and all underwater searches have yielded nothing.

It remains to assume a fantastic option: the city exists, but is invisible. Except for the ringing of its bells heard from time to time ...

During tests with the help of a hydrophone, which is made on the principle of converting sound into an electrical signal, he suddenly began to make sounds reminiscent of the echo of thunder during a storm. The geophysicists involved in the experiment said that these sounds come from a wave of magnetic disturbance that travels through the water and creates this effect.

In some places, the water just "shouted", in others there was dead silence. But the most unexpected surprise of Lake Svetloyar was a low buzzing sound recorded by hydrophones, reminiscent of a loud bell. Most often, the lake emitted it before sunrise and full moon. It was then, according to the legend, that righteous people were able to see how the walls of a snow-white city with golden domes of temples are visible in the mirror of the lake.

As for the water of the lake itself, scientists and chemists came to the conclusion that it can remain for many days without changing its properties, thanks to the sources located at the bottom of the lake with a high content of calcium and bicarbonate.

There is also a hypothesis that once there was a city - the center of Eurasia. As a result of an unprecedented disaster, the flourishing city was submerged under water.

Five kilometers from the lake there is a source of "living" water - tests have shown that its acidity is zero. Next to him in the forest are three ancient unusual graves. No one knows who is buried there, so far away from any inhabited place. Their size is several times larger than the traditional size of a Christian grave. It is said that perhaps giants are buried in them - the ancient Lemurians, inhabitants of the mysterious country of Lemuria, which, according to legend, existed somewhere in this area thousands of years ago.

Modern science does not confirm, but does not try to refute this version of the origin of the burials. But no attempt was made to exhume them. Some people come to the graves at night to worship, others the other way around. believe that this is an unclean place, regardless of who is next to it healing spring. Others take water from it and quickly leave.

The legend of Kitezh is the most famous legend about a city hidden from the enemy. However, there are many such stories. In a number of regions of Russia, myths still exist about how, under the threat of plunder, monasteries or entire cities went under water or hid in the mountains. It was believed that only the chosen ones could get there from our world. In the book The Brotherhood of the Grail, Richard Rudzitis cites a letter from a Russian monk who sends a message to his loved ones and asks not to be considered dead. He says that he simply went to a hidden monastery to the ancient elders.

However, scientists have not come to a final conclusion: one or more hidden cities or monasteries are discussed in the question of Kitezh. One way or another, the prevalence of such legends and their undoubted similarity once again proves the authenticity of this story. However, the more research is being done on Lake Svetloyar, the more questions scientists have that have yet to be answered.

Modern legends about Kitezh

During the Great Patriotic War, old people made pilgrimages around Svetloyar, praying for fellow countrymen who had gone to the front.

About 20 years ago, Svetloyar wanted to investigate a visiting hydrobiologist. After several dives into the water, his temperature rose sharply. The man went to the doctors, but they could not even make a diagnosis: an unknown disease developed without any objective reasons.
And only when the hydrobiologist left these places, the disease receded by itself.

Once, in the vicinity of Svetloyar, a resident came to pick mushrooms. Nizhny Novgorod. He did not return home that day or the next. Relatives sounded the alarm. Search and rescue operations did not yield results. The man was put on the wanted list. A week later he returned home alive and unharmed. He answered all questions evasively: they say, he got lost, wandered through the forest. Then he generally said that he had a memory lapse. Only later did he confess to his friend, who specially made him drunk, that he was in the invisible city of Kitezh, where he was met by miraculous elders. "How can you prove it?" the friend asked. And then the mushroom picker took out a piece of bread, which he was treated to in Kitezh. However, in an instant, the bread turned into stone.

They also say that before the 1917 coup, one of the museums allegedly kept a letter in Old Slavonic, which was addressed from son to father. Its content boiled down to the following: a young man ended up in Kitezh thanks to some miracle and asks his parents not to bury him ahead of time.

In the recent past, divers dived to the bottom of Svetloyar. The most interesting thing is that they do not tell anyone about the results of their research. According to rumors, they never found the bottom and were very frightened by this circumstance. The reservoir cannot be bottomless! There is a belief that
the secrets of the lake are guarded by a miracle fish, a kind of Loch Ness monster, only in a Russian way.

There is an even more fantastic legend about Lake Svetloyar. Locals say that it has an underground bottom and connects with the waters of Lake Baikal. And again, no confirmation of this was found. However, these popular beliefs were not refuted.

However, the inhabitants of the otherworldly Kitezh themselves often visit our world. Old-timers say that an old man with a long gray beard in ancient Slavic clothes used to come into an ordinary village shop. He asked to sell bread, and paid with old Russian coins from the time of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. And the coins looked like new. Often the elder asked the question: “How is it in Russia now? Isn't it time for Kitezh to rise up? However locals They replied that it was too early. They know better, because the place around the lake is special, and people here live in constant contact with a miracle. Even those who come from other areas feel an unusual halo.

The legend of Kitezh has come down to us in the literary adaptation of the Old Believers: "The book of the verb chronicler" in its final form took shape in the second half of the 18th century. among one of the interpretations of the Old Believers-bespopovtsev - runners. But both components of the monument, quite isolated and independent, are taken away in the 17th century. At the same time, the first part, which tells about Prince Georgy Vsevolodovich, his murder by Batu and the ruin of Kitezh, reflected legends dating back to the time of the Batu invasion.

No matter how legendary the legend is and how far the given historical dates are not true, it was based on actual events. “The Holy Right-Believing and Grand Duke Georgy Vsevolodovich” is the Grand Duke of Vladimir and Suzdal Georgy II Vsevolodovich, who fought with the army of Batu and laid down his head in an unequal battle on the river. City. The connection of Small Kitezh (Gorodets) with the name of Georgy Vsevolodovich has a completely historical background: from 1216 to 1219 (before the occupation of the Vladimir table), the prince went there to receive his inheritance; in 1237, when the hordes of Batu approached Vladimir, Georgy Vsevolodovich went to the Yaroslavl land, within which both cities, Big and Small Kitezhi, were located, and where the battle lost by the Russians took place.

Of course, the legendary image of the prince is not completely identical to the historical one. Georgy Vsevolodovich was given a fictitious pedigree: he descends from the holy prince Vladimir and is the son of the holy Vsevolod Mstislavich of Novgorod. This invented genealogy, which does not correspond to the actual genealogy of Prince George, strengthens the motive of holiness - the leading motive of the legend.

The second part of the “Book of the verbal chronicler” - “The Tale and the Requisition about the Secret City of Kitezh” - is devoid of any historical background, it belongs to the type of legendary-apocryphal monuments that treat the earthly paradise. The image of the “secret” city of Kitezh stands somewhere in the middle between the “earthly paradise” of the most ancient Russian apocrypha and Belovodie, the legendary happy land that became so popular among Russian peasants in the 18th century.