| Summary: | The origins of the old-Russian legend about the invisible Kitezh-town
can be traced back to the Mongol invasion of Russia: according to the
legend, God showed mercy on Kitezh, besieged by the cruel khan Batyj,
and made the town invisible. After the schism in the Ortodox Church,
the old Believers changed the original nucleus of the legend, which now
urged the faithful to leave the corrupt world ruled by Antichrist and
enter the holy Kitezh-town. A rich folklore developed around the Kitezh
theme; it was so dear to the Russian people that they even worshipped
the lake (Svetlojar) upon whose shores they believed the miraculous
town stood. Since the second half of the 19th century Kitezh has found
its way into Russian literature, becoming a symbol for many writers and
poets up to the present day.
|
|---|
