Kolovrat Evpatiy - an example of courage and love for his homeland

Difficult situations in life do not change a person, but only most clearly reveal those internal qualities that are. Manifestations of heroism, therefore, are not something unexpectedly arising in man, but educated by time and making an integral part of personality. And, conversely, a coward does not become an accident ...

The hero of this article is Kolovrat Evpatiy. The feat of this hero, thrilled by folk history, is a vivid illustration of the above-mentioned thesis.

The beginning of the thirteenth century was a difficult test for the Russian lands. The hordes of the Mongolian tribes, led by the grandson of Genghis Khan - Khan Baty, invaded the Russian principalities, sweeping away everything in their path. The more backward in historical development, but the militant and rallied units of the Mongols acted cunningly, swiftly and ruthlessly. The situation was complicated by the circumstance of the fragmentation of the Russian principalities, which did not allow the whole nation to jointly oppose the enemy. And yet these gloomy pages of history are sanctified by the strength of the spirit of the Russian people, among whom Kolovrat Evpatiy. But these are only a few glimpses of heroism that have survived through the ages. The Chronicler describes the events as follows.

In 1237, after the defeat of the Volga Bulgaria, the huge Batyevo army invaded the Ryazan principality. The Prince of Vladimir of Suzdal refused to help, so the prince of Ryazan turned his gaze to Chernigov, from which one could expect support. Kolovrat Evpatiy, a wealthy boyar, a strong and courageous hero, was sent for help. But the events developed much faster than our compatriots expected. It was not possible to pay off the Mongols, but the Ryazans did not intend to surrender to the enemy. Taking the city, Batu ordered to destroy the entire population, so that others could not escape. Cut out all from small to large, neither old people nor children were left alive, the city was burnt. The news of what happened quickly spread to Russian principalities. Upon learning of the incident, Evpatiy Kolovrat hurries back to his homeland with a small squad. Ryazan lay in the ashes, crows crowed over the unburied corpses. The heart of the Russian soldier was torn from grief and longing. In this situation, he takes the only possible decision for himself - to overtake the Mongolian army and enter into an unequal battle.
The rearguard of the Mongols was overtaken near Suzdal. Like a whirlwind, unexpectedly and swiftly, without fear Kolovrat Evpaty and his fellows attacked the enemy. The effect of surprise upset the ranks of the Mongols. 1500 Russian heroes swept away thousands and thousands of opponents on their way. The help of the main forces, of course, determined the outcome of the battle. Batu ordered to take Evpatia alive, but the Mongols could not fulfill this order. Only having killed the hero with the help of throwing guns, they managed to stop him. This heroic deed astonished and delighted the Khan, he ordered to extradite Kolovrat's body to the surviving companions, who were released and were able to bury their leader.

The people preserved this feat in memory, and the chronicler recorded the story of Evpaty Kolovrat as an example to the descendants. The modern pragmatic generation can say: and why it was necessary to die for nothing? But there are circumstances with which it is impossible to live, it is impossible to realize that you did not do anything where you could, showed cowardice. As long as people like our hero Kolovrat live on our land, our people will live.