Russian Atlantis: the invisible city of Kitezh. Lake Svetloyar - small Russian Atlantis Invisible ancient city at the bottom of Lake Svetloyar

On the Volga River, not far from the city of Nizhny Novgorod, there is one of the deepest lakes in this region - Svetloyar. The dimensions of the lake are 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 enters the lake from a deep fissure in its bottom. It is crystal clear and cold.

Svetloyar is sometimes called the Russian Atlantis for its legendary history. People say that sometimes the barely audible ringing of bells can be heard from under its waters, and in the depths you can see the ghostly walls of monasteries and church domes.
This is the city of Kitezh, which, as legend has it, disappeared between 1,236 and 1,242 during the first Mongol Tatar invasion of Russia. At 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, and entered into military alliances.

The name of Lake Svetloyar comes from a combination of ancient Russian words: “bright”, also meaning pure and righteous, and “yar” - not only known to everyone as a ravine, or beam, but in this case being the root on behalf of the ancient Russian solar deity Yarila, who in pre-Christian Rus' worshiped by the ancient tribes of the Slavs. Many legends of the pre-Christian period of Rus' 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 an ancient Russian legend tells, Kitovras, a magical half-horse, half-man, was born. 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, a Slavic tribe of Berendeys lived near Lake Svetloyar. To this day, their descendants have preserved the legends about the city of Kitezh and the religious center of worship of the god Yaril located in it. In ancient times, during the pre-Christian period of Rus', Kitezh was considered a sacred place among the Slavs.

After the baptism of Rus', the Slavic faith with its temples and wise men gave way to Christianity, but places sacred to people remained. Traditionally, Orthodox churches began to be built on the site of the temples, since it was believed that these places were special and were 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 since ancient times has been shrouded in legends and mysticism.

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

Alexey 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 military leader with an army that could resist the Tatar-Mongol invasion. Khan camped on the City River. Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich defended himself against him in Maly Kitezh. Khan Batu took the city by storm, but the prince and the remnants of the army managed to escape from 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 impassable swamps and forests. And then he began to torture all the captured Slavs on how to get to Kitezh. To hand over a city sacred to the Slavs meant dooming oneself and one’s 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 just a few years, he destroyed about half the population ancient Russia. Kyiv, Vladimir, Suzdal, Ryazan, Tver, and many other cities were devastated and burned by him. Rich Russian culture Ancient Rus' gone. For several decades, the construction of cities practically stopped, crafts disappeared, and the southern Russian lands lost almost all of their indigenous population.

During this tragic time, a legend about the city of Kitezh arose among the people. It tells that Batu Khan 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 the secret paths to Lake Svetloyar and the army headed towards 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 army, fountains of water began to flow from underground and the city of Kitezh disappeared under water. According to legend, the 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.

The legend of Kitezh is still alive today. People living in this area talk about the sudden appearance of strangely dressed people, the disappearances of those who come to look for Kitezh and turned out to be worthy of becoming its residents. 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 there are those who explain everything by the laws of physics, and those who believe in the secret nature of things. They all 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 Christians come here to pray. They even say that a handful of earth from this place cures many diseases, and the water from the lake lasts for several years and does not bloom or spoil - like holy water. Many people believe that if you walk around the lake three times clockwise, it will grant your wish.

Supposedly in Lake Svetloyar there is a passage to another dimension. There is another interesting, downright mystical version according to which Lake Svetloyar is connected with the mysterious Shambhala. Svetloyar attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over the world. A hint about the existence of a city at the bottom of Svetloyar can also be found in the late seventeenth-century book “The Kitezh Chronicler”.

Candidate Sergei Volkov, who organized an 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 mystical lost city theory suggest that in Lake Svetloyar there is a passage to another dimension. Proof of this is the stories of residents of the village of Vladimirskoye, located near Svetloyar. They saw puddles 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 provided only by the theory of parallel worlds.

Here is what Sergei Volkov said:
“Our main discovery is to confirm the hypothesis about the existence near Svetloyar of a plasma substance invisible to the naked eye, which has the ability to manifest itself as living beings. There are especially many of them and they mostly come in the evening around groups of praying people - they look and study. We captured them on video -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 afterworld. Svetloyar's research shows that this hypothesis is not without common sense. "

Despite myths, legends and folklore, scientists have discovered traces of real events that happened. It is well known from geology that central areas European part of Russia lie on a foundation of solid rock. But this foundation is cut through 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 the water like a staircase. 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, the lower, then after a hundred or even thousands of years - the second, and finally, relatively recently, the third.

The first layer of sediments of the lake bottom is located at a depth of 30 meters and is very ancient, the second layer is at a depth of 20 meters and dates back 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 located on the shore of the lake, there may have been real city or monastery, and then he 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” there 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 they drew a map of this area, the result was a pattern reminiscent of a city surrounded by an embankment.

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

We can only assume a fantastic option: the city exists, but is invisible. Apart from the ringing of its bells that can be heard from time to time...

During tests using a hydrophone, which is made on the principle of converting sound into an electrical signal, it suddenly began to emit sounds reminiscent of the echo of thunder during a storm. Geophysicists involved in the experiment said that these sounds come from a wave of magnetic disturbance that passes through the water and creates this effect.

In some places the water simply “screamed”, 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 the full moon. It was then, according to legend, that righteous people were given the opportunity to see the walls of a snow-white city with golden domes of temples visible in the mirror of the lake.

As for the lake water itself, chemists have come 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 there was once a city here - the center of Eurasia. As a result of an unprecedented disaster, the thriving 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. Near it in the forest there are three ancient unusual graves. No one knows who is buried there, so far from any populated area. Their size is several times larger than the traditional size of a Christian grave. They say 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 attempts were made to exhume them. Some people come to the graves at night to worship, others do the opposite. They believe that this is an unclean place, regardless of the healing spring located next to it. Still 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 quite a lot of similar stories. In a number of regions of Russia, there are still myths about how, under the threat of plunder, monasteries or entire cities went under water or hid in the mountains. It was believed that only a select few 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 them not to consider him dead. He says that he simply went to a hidden monastery with the ancient elders.

However, scientists have not come to a final conclusion: one or more hidden cities or monasteries are being 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 carried out 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 their fellow countrymen who had gone to the front.

About 20 years ago, a visiting hydrobiologist wanted to explore Svetloyar. After several dives into the water, his temperature rose sharply. The man turned to 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 did the disease recede by itself.

One day a resident came to pick mushrooms in the vicinity of Svetloyar. Nizhny Novgorod. He did not return home that day or the next. Relatives sounded the alarm. Search and rescue efforts did not yield any results. The man was put on the wanted list. A week later he returned home safe and sound. He answered all the questions evasively: he said he got lost, wandered through the forest. Then he generally said that he had a memory loss. Only later did he admit to his friend, who specially got him drunk, that he had been in the invisible city of Kitezh, where he was met by miraculous elders. “How can you prove it?” asked a friend. 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 in one of the museums, before the 1917 coup, a letter in Old Church Slavonic was allegedly kept, which was addressed from a son to his 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. A body of water 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 the 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 it used to be that an old man with a long gray beard in ancient Slavic clothes would come into an ordinary village store. He asked to sell bread, and paid with old Russian coins from the time of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. Moreover, the coins looked like new. Often the elder asked the question: “How is it in Rus' now? Isn’t it time for Kitezh to rebel?” However, local residents 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 the miracle. Even those who come from other regions feel an unusual aura.

The legend of Kitezh has come 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 cliques of the priestless Old Believers - the runners. But both components of the monument, quite separate and independent, lead back to the 17th century. At the same time, the first part, which tells about Prince George Vsevolodovich, his murder by Batu and the destruction of Kitezh, reflects legends dating back to the time of Batu’s invasion.

No matter how legendary the legend is and how far from correct the historical dates given are, it is based on actual events. “The Holy Blessed and Grand Duke Georgy Vsevolodovich” is the Grand Duke of Vladimir and Suzdal Georgy II Vsevolodovich, who fought with Batu’s army and laid down his head in an unequal battle on the river. City. The connection of Little 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 for his appanage; in 1237, when the hordes of Batu approached Vladimir, Georgy Vsevolodovich went to the Yaroslavl land, within which both cities - Big and Small Kitezh - 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 is 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 pedigree of Prince George, reinforces the motive of holiness - the leading motive of the legend.

The second part of the “Book of the Verb Chronicler” - “The Tale and Discovery of the Hidden City of Kitezh” - is devoid of any historical background; it belongs to the type of legendary-apocryphal monuments that treat of the earthly paradise. The image of the “hidden” city of Kitezh stands somewhere in the middle between the “earthly paradise” of the most ancient Russian apocrypha and Belovodye, the legendary happy land that became so popular among Russian peasants in the 18th century.

One of the most amazing places on the planet, Lake Svetloyar, is located near Nizhny Novgorod, near the village of Vladimirskoye. It is famous thanks to the ancient legend of the city of Kitezh, which, according to legend, was located at the bottom of a spring. The name Svetloyar is translated from ancient Slavic as “bright” or “righteous”, and the particle “Yar” is part of the name of the ancient Slavic god Yarila. Natural monument They plan to make it one of the cultural sites in the future.

Lake Svetloyar – a legend

The legend about the city of Kitezh is somewhat reminiscent ancient legend about Atlantis. An ancient myth about Lake Svetloyar tells that under its waters still lies a mystical city built by Grand Duke George, which sank during the invasion of Batu Khan to Rus' in the 13th century. The legend says that the cruel ruler, who had already conquered many settlements, heard about the rich and beautiful ancient region, the fame of which spread throughout the world, and immediately wanted to conquer Kitezh.

For a long time, the horde could not find the mysterious city, but one of the prisoners of war, a former resident of Kitezh, let it slip to the enemies that there was a secret path along which one could get to the settlement. When the Tatar-Mongol army finally approached Kitezh-grad, the khan and his warriors were surprised that there were no fortifications or walls in front of him. Batu was delighted, believing that the victory would be easy, but it was not to be: as soon as the army came close to the city, many high-water springs gushed out from under the ground, the Tatars got scared, they had to retreat, and the water still continued to flow in huge fountains. Finally, its streams dried up, and it became clear that the city had almost completely disappeared under water. Tradition says that there was no water in Kitezh itself, and it only helped the settlement escape from enemy attack, and none of the townspeople were harmed. God saved the inhabitants of Kitezh-grad for their pious life and faith, and the place where it was located ancient settlement, began to be considered sacred.

Nowadays, many people still believe in this ancient legend about the lake. Every year, dozens of Orthodox tourists specially come to the place where he went under water. ancient city to hear the ghostly ringing of its bells, which are said to still sometimes sound near the lake. Locals who live near this mysterious place, in all seriousness they tell pilgrims and journalists visiting there that they often witness all sorts of strange incidents and inexplicable phenomena. Some see people in old-fashioned clothes making purchases and paying not with modern currency, but with ancient coins made of copper. On the lake you can also see the outlines of the walls of sunken temples and the transparent walls of monasteries. All these unusual phenomena suggest that Lake Svetloyar is a kind of portal that opens the way to a parallel world.

There is an opinion that the city that sank to the bottom of Lake Svetloyar was not in vain built on this place, because our ancestors have long built temples and settled where there was a powerful source of positive, bright energy. Pilgrims who traveled to this wonderful place claim that they were completely freed from headaches, high blood pressure, rheumatism and other diseases that tormented them. Local youth have a belief that if you walk around Svetloyar three times and make a wish, it has every chance of coming true in the near future.

Natural features of the lake

Lake Svetloyar – a legend , dating back to antiquity, and one of the most unique nature reserves on the territory of our country. This legendary reservoir has one extraordinary property: although the lake is very deep, its waters always remain clean, and the bottom is never overgrown with mud and algae. The water collected in the lake can be stored for many years in any container, while it remains transparent and clean.

Excursions to the lake

The reserve houses the Kitezh Historical and Art Museum, where master classes on ancient crafts are held for everyone, a ceramics museum and the ancient Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Virgin Mary, made entirely of wood. You can get to Svetloyar by bus; the lake is open for excursions every day.

Svetloyar is one of the most legendary and mysterious lakes in Russia: scientists have still not come to a consensus regarding its origin. A special feature of Lake Svetloyar is that its water remains clean and does not become overgrown with mud. water from Svetloyar can be stored in a container for many years without losing its purity, transparency and taste.

On Annunciation Hill there is a wooden church, consecrated in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
People pray at memorial crosses, light candles, then worship the stones located on Annunciation Hill. There is a legend that the Mother of God herself left her mark on one of the pebbles when she walked around the lake. Geologists call such stones “traces” - these are Karelian “gifts” of the Ice Age.

There is a shrine there, the footstone of the Virgin Mary.
Believers consider this stone sacred, suggesting that the footprint in the shape of a foot was left on it by the Mother of God herself. A wooden temple of the Vladimir Mother of God was built nearby.

The legend about the city that disappeared in the waters of Svetloyar inspired N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov to create the opera “The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia.”

Lake Svetloyar is located on the territory of the reserve of the same name. This lake is very clean water, a perfect oval shape, it is one of the largest and deepest lakes in Nizhny Novgorod region. The area of ​​Lake Svetloyar is about 12 hectares, length - 410 m, width - 315 m, maximum depth - about 29 m.

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The great depth of Lake Svetloyar (up to 36 m), its oval shape with a funnel-shaped bottom, and the purity of the water make the origin of this lake mysterious and were the basis for the widespread belief about its karst origin. However, studies carried out in the area of ​​Lake Svetloyar by the geological survey party of the Gorky geological exploration expedition did not confirm this. An almost 300-meter well drilled near the lake showed that to a depth of about 250 meters there are no rocks susceptible to karst. This quarter-kilometer thickness is represented mainly by rocks such as loams, clays, sandstones, and marls. And the deeper-lying limestones, gypsum, and anhydrites are not affected by karst processes. The expedition's research led to the conclusion that Svetloyar is a remnant of the ancient bed of the Lunda River (the right tributary of the Vetluga), half a kilometer from which it is located. The lake has a flow into Lundu and abundant spring feeding, which explains the purity and freshness of its water.

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The Legend of the City of Kitezh

Even before the arrival of the Tatars, Grand Duke Georgy Vsevolodovich built the city of Maly Kitezh (present-day Gorodets) on the Volga, and then, “crossing the quiet and rusty rivers Uzola, Sanda and Kerzhenets,” he went to Lunda and Svetloyar to the “very beautiful” place where established the city of Kitezh the Great. This is how the glorious Kitezh city appeared on the shore of the lake. Six domes of churches towered in the center of the city. And Greater Kitezh was great and famous.

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But the black year came - Batya’s invasion swept across Rus'. In 1238, after the destruction of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, Batu Khan set up a camp on the City River. After another unequal battle, Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich with the remnants of his troops retreated to Maly Kitezh. However, Batu took it by storm, and the prince and the remnants of his army miraculously managed to escape to Greater Kitezh. The Mongol-Tatars burned Little Kitezh, filled it with blood, and tortured the prisoners: where is Big Kitezh, in which the prince took refuge, how to find the way there? One of them could not stand the torment - he led his enemies through the Trans-Volga taiga. But Kitezh, when it was surrounded by enemies, did not surrender to them: its inhabitants prayed to God, and he protected them. The city sank down, and it was covered from above by earthen caps - hills and a lake. Horror seized the enemies, and they fled away from this miracle.
Now there is a path to the lake, which is called the Batu Trail. It can lead to glorious city Kitezh, but not for everyone, but only for those who are pure in heart and soul. Since then, the city has been invisible, but intact, and the especially righteous can see the lights of religious processions in the depths of the lake and hear the ringing of its bells.
According to legend, the city of Kitezh sank to the bottom of this lake.

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Mikhail Mikhailovich Prishvin, preparing for his trip to Svetloyar, wrote this: “I’m thinking about that unknown Trans-Volga region, where I have to go in the summer. It's decided, I'm going there. Even though everything has been studied there, even if everything is known, but I know almost nothing and almost no one in the world knows me. I'll tear off a piece of the big one mysterious world and I will tell other people in my own way.”
“Having become acquainted with the wonderful lake, after that I more than once came to it with a stick in my hands and a knapsack over my shoulders, so that, mingling with the crowd, I could watch, listen and catch the living stream of folk poetry among the motley flashes and noise.”

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The legend of the miraculous immersion of the city of Kitezh in its waters, which did not surrender to Batu Khan, formed the basis of Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera “The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia” and served as material for the paintings of Vasnetsov, Nesterov, and Roerich.

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And these are the lines of Vladimir Galaktionovich Korolenko.
There was a noisy fair on the shore of Svetloyar. Simple peasant goods were sold. Behind the rows of tents there were tables with samovars. Drunk people on the lake were rare.
Above the fair, on the mountains, stood a chapel around it and went straight. Disputes about faith. The shores of the lake were a haven of freethinking. People of different faiths came here along all the roads and paths: schismatics, sectarians, warlocks, Old Believers, home-grown philosophers, Tolstoyans. They walked with heavy books. They went to prayer and a great debate. What were they talking about? Yes about faith - whose faith is closer to the truth. Visiting observers were amazed by one of the rituals performed here. After fervent prayers and bows, the lake had to be crawled three times. They say that women did this during the Great Patriotic War, begging God for the life of their husbands, sons, and brothers.

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Soviet composer S. N. Vasilenko wrote the cantata “The Legend of the City of Great Kitezh and the Quiet Lake Svetloyar.” K. A. Korovin, M. P. Klodt, A. M. Vasnetsov, N. K. Roerich, I. S. Glazunov dedicated their paintings to Svetloyar.

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It was reflected in the works of A. Melnikov-Pechersky, M. M. Prishvin, poems by A. N. Maykov, M. A. Voloshin, A. A. Navrotsky were dedicated to him. The scientific and popular science literature about Svetloyar is very extensive. In recent years, it has been replenished with two interesting sources: in 1982, K. G. Pysin’s book “On the Natural Monuments of Russia” was published, which describes the lake, and in 1985 and 1989 - a collection of legends about Svetloyar “The City of Kitezh”, compiled by V. N. Morokhin.

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For Orthodox Christians, Lake Svetloyar is a place of pilgrimage that should be treated with reverence. A special day in Svetloyar is July 6 (June 23, old style) - the feast of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. In the village of Vladimir, July 6 is a patronal holiday. A lot of people come. Believers go in procession from the Vladimir Church (after the temple that has stood in the village since 1766, it is called Vladimir) to the chapel of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, built on the “mountains” on the shore of the lake, and a prayer service is served there.

Lake SvetloYar

130 km from Nizhny Novgorod, in the Kerzhen forests, not far from the town of Semenov, famous throughout the world for its Khokhloma paintings, there is Lake Svetloyar. It is famous for the legend of the city of Kitezh. Kitezh (Kitezh-grad, Kidish) is a mythical wonderful city, which, according to Russian legends, escaped from Batu’s troops in the 13th century thanks to the miraculous property of being invisible. As 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 followers of the old faith. But, unlike other mythical lost cities, Kitezh did not suffer for the sins of its inhabitants - on the contrary, it is believed that divine intervention hid it from the eyes of the enemy for hundreds, and perhaps thousands of years.

The only hints about the real existence of Kitezh can be found in the book “The 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 Vladimirsky at the end of the 12th century. According to legend, the prince, returning from a trip to Novgorod, stopped along the way near Lake Svetloyar to rest. But he was unable to really rest: the prince was captivated by the beauty of those places. He immediately ordered the construction of the city of Big Kitezh on the shore of the lake. 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 water mirror- about 12 hectares. There is still no consensus on how the lake came into being. Some insist on the glacial theory of origin, others defend the karst hypothesis. There is a version that the lake arose after the fall of a meteorite. The name of the lake itself comes from two ancient Russian words: “bright”, that is, pure, righteous, and, which is the root of the name of the Russian solar deity Yarila, who was worshiped by ancient Slavic tribes.
Many legends of the period before the capture of Rus' by Christians are associated with Lake Svetloyar. They also mention the city of Kitezh.

According to one legend, in the area of ​​Lake Svetloyar the magical half-horse-half-man Kitovras, a powerful wizard and builder of ancient temples, as well as the god of wisdom and hops Kvasura, were born. The name of the city of Kitezh came from their names.

In the area of ​​Lake Svetloyar lived the Slavic tribe of Berendeys. Their descendants have preserved to this day the legend that since ancient times, one of the largest religious centers of the cult of Yarila was located in Kitezh. This place was considered sacred for Russian princes.

The bloody baptism of Rus' deprived the native Russian faith of both the Magi and the temples, taking over truly Russian sacred places.

Allegedly, Kitezh was turned into the center of the Orthodox faith, and the princes continued to visit it as if nothing had changed.

Many Orthodox churches were built on the site of temples, since it was believed that such places are special - they are sources of strong positive energy. The names of the ancient gods were gradually replaced by the names of saints, but the very place of worship of higher powers, which has truly magical energy, remained the same. That is why the area of ​​Lake Svetloyar has been shrouded in legends and mysticism since ancient times.

Greater Kitezh was conceived as a majestic city. There were many temples in it, and it was built entirely of white stone, which at that time was a sign of wealth and purity.

The length of the built city was 200 fathoms (straight fathom - the distance between the ends of the fingers, arms outstretched in different directions, approximately 1.6 meters), width - 100.

Those were times not best suited for peaceful existence. Discord between the principalities, raids of the Tatars and Bulgarians, forest predators - a rare person dared to get out of the city walls without weapons.

In 1237, the Mongol-Tatars under the leadership of Batu Khan invaded the territory of Rus'.

The Ryazan princes were the first to be attacked. They tried to turn to Prince Yuri Vladimirsky for help, but were refused. The Tatars ravaged Ryazan without difficulty; then they moved to the Vladimir Principality.

The son Vsevolod sent by Yuri was defeated at Kolomna and fled to Vladimir. The Tatars captured Moscow and captured Yuri's other son, Prince Vladimir. Prince Yuri, when he learned about this, left the capital to his sons Mstislav and Vsevolod. I went to gather troops.

He set up a camp near Rostov on the Sit River 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 devastated, and the family of Yuri Vsevolodovich died in a 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 Batu’s troops on the Sit River. Rostov Bishop Kirill found the headless body of the prince on the battlefield and took him to Rostov. Later they found and attached the head to the body.

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

Batu heard about the wealth that was kept 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 marched to Kitezh through the forest, and along the way they cut a clearing. The Tatars were led by the traitor Grishka Kuterma. He was taken in the neighboring city, Maly Kitezh (present-day Gorodets). Grishka could not stand the torture and agreed to show the way to the Holy City. Alas, Susanin did not succeed from Kuterma: Grishka led the Tatars to Kitezh.
On that terrible day, three Kitezh heroes were on patrol near the city. They were the first to see the enemies. Before the battle, one of the warriors 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.
Meanwhile, the heroes tried to restrain the Khan’s army. No one survived. According to legend, at the place where three heroes died, the holy spring of Kibelek appeared - it still flows.
The Mongol-Tatars besieged the city. The townspeople understood that there was no chance. A handful of people against Batu’s well-armed and organized army is certain death. Nevertheless, the townspeople were not going to give up without a fight. They came out onto the walls with weapons. People prayed in the evening and all night long. The Tatars waited for the morning to launch an attack.
And a miracle happened: the bells suddenly rang, the earth shook, and in front of the eyes of the amazed Tatars, Kitezh began to plunge into the waters of Lake Svetloyar.

The legend is ambiguous. And people interpret it differently. Some claim that Kitezh went under water, others that it sank into the ground. There are adherents of the theory that the city was closed off from the Tatars by the mountains. Others believe that he took to the skies. But the most interesting theory says that Kitezh simply became invisible.

Struck by the power of the “Russian miracle,” the Tatars began to run in all directions. But God's wrath overtook them: those who were devoured by the animals, those who got lost in the forest or simply went missing, taken away by a mysterious force. The city disappeared.

According to legend, he should “manifest” only before the end of the world. But you can see it and even achieve it now. A person in whom there is no sin will discern the reflection of white stone walls in the waters of Lake Svetloyar.

According to legend, Kitezh sank into the waters of the sacred Lake Svetloyar. The sanctity of its waters was extended to the city itself and its inhabitants. Therefore, the image of a city inhabited by the righteous was born, passing unharmed through the sacred waters and passing into a better world.

Let us now fast forward 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 its legend in the novel “In the Woods”, as well as in the story “Grisha”. The lake was visited by Maxim Gorky (essay “Bugrov”), Vladimir Korolenko (essay cycle “In Desert Places”), Mikhail Prishvin (essay “Bright Lake”).

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov wrote the opera “The Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh” about the mysterious city. 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 works.

Nowadays, science fiction writers and especially fantasy authors have become interested in the legend of Kitezh. It’s clear why: the image of a hidden city is romantic and fits perfectly into a fantasy work. Among works of this kind, we can name, for example, the story “The Hammers of Kitezh” by Nik Perumov and “Red Shift” by Evgeny Gulyakovsky.

Naturally, scientists did not ignore the mystery of Kitezh. Expeditions were sent to Lake Svetloyar, more than once.

Drilling near the shores of the lake yielded nothing. The searches of archaeologists also ended in nothing. On the approaches to the lake there are traces mysterious city did not have. 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. There are a lot of snags and sunken trees at the bottom.

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.

Hypotheses arose that Kitezh was not located on Lake Svetloyar. Other supposed places of “habitat” of the holy city immediately arose - there was even talk about China (allegedly Kitezh and the legendary Shambhala are the same place).

In our times, scientists have forgotten about Kitezh - there is no time for that. But at one time the legend was speculated upon 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 surrounding area are part of a nature reserve, which is protected by UNESCO.