Of course, every resident of our country has heard about Ivan Susanin. And in terms of the number of anecdotes, perhaps only Chapaev and Stirlitz can compare with Susanin. Who is Ivan Susanin really? Here are just a few stories, legends, and myths about the fate of this amazing man.

According to the official version, Ivan Susanin, a village headman (and not a serf at all) from the Kostroma province, in 1613 led a Polish detachment, looking for the new Tsar Mikhail Romanov, into impassable swamps, where the conquerors died, and Susanin himself was brutally killed.

To understand what the young king was doing in a remote village, let's go back to history. In 1605, Tsar Boris Godunov died, and the throne was taken by a series of one-day rulers, Fyodor Godunov, False Dmitry I, Vasily Shuisky... a period of “time of troubles” began in the country. After famine, a series of uprisings and lost battles, a period called the Seven Boyars began, since everything in the country ended, even the sovereigns. At this moment of crisis, the Zemsky Sobor (meeting of representatives of cities) was convened and the first representative of the Romanov family, Mikhail Romanov, was elected to reign. The Romanovs, who had previously been in disgrace, at that time lived in the patrimonial village of Domnina, where Ivan Susanin was the headman.

So why did the Russian Tsar need a Pole? It's simple - at that time, the Russian troops were bleeding from the war with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the young Russian Tsar could become an excellent trump card for the enemies in negotiations on surrender.

Since then, the Romanovs have glorified the patriot-peasant in every possible way, who saved young Mikhail Romanov at the cost of his own life.

Nicholas the First made a special effort in the 19th century. It was during his reign that the main square of Kostroma received the name Susaninskaya, and a monument to the legendary hero was erected on it.

By the way, soon after Susanin’s death, his relatives reminded the tsar of their existence. The hero's son-in-law Bogdan Sobinin turned to Tsar Mikhail with a request not to bypass Susanin's descendants with royal favor. In 1619, Sobinin took possession of the village of Dominino, Kostroma district. Mikhail exempted him from all taxes: “For his service to us and for the blood and patience of his father-in-law Ivan Susanin.”

“By the grace of God, we, the Great Sovereign, the Tsar and the Grand Duke Mikhailo Fedorovich, the autocrat of all Russia, according to our royal mercy, and on the advice and petition of our mother, the empress, the great old nun Marfa Ivanovna, granted us the Kostroma district, our village of Domnina, peasant Bogdashka Sobinin, for his service to us and for the blood and patience of his father-in-law Ivan Susanin: how we, the great sovereign, tsar and grand duke Mikhailo Fedorovich of all Rus' in the past 121 (that is, in 1613 from the Nativity of Christ!) year were in Kostroma, and at that time Polish and Lithuanian people came to the Kostroma district, and his father-in-law, Bogdashkov, Ivan Susanin at that time was taken away by the Lithuanian people and he was tortured with great, unmeasurable torture and tortured at his place where in those days we, the great the sovereign, the tsar and the Grand Duke Mikhailo Fedorovich of all Russia were, and he Ivan, knowing about us, the great sovereign, where we were at that time, suffering from those Polish and Lithuanian people unmeasurable torture, about us, the great sovereign, those Polish and Lithuanian He didn’t tell people where we were at that time, but the Polish and Lithuanian people tortured him to death. And we, the Great Sovereign, the Tsar and the Grand Duke Mikhailo Fedorovich of All Russia, granted him, Bogdashka, for his father-in-law Ivan Susanin’s service to us and for the blood in the Kostroma district of our palace village of Domnina, half of the village of Derevnisch, where he, Bogdashka, now lives, one and a half quarters of land were ordered to be whitewashed from that semi-village, and one and a half quarters were to be whitewashed on him, on Bogdashka, and on his children, and on our grandchildren, and on our great-grandchildren, no taxes and feed, and carts, and all kinds of canteens and grain supplies , and for city crafts, and for bridging, and for other purposes, they were not ordered to take any taxes from them; They ordered them to whitewash half the village in everything, their children, their grandchildren, and the whole family without moving. And if our village of Domnino will be given away to which the monastery will be given, then half the village of Derevnischi, one and a half quarters of land will not be given to any monastery with that village, they will be ordered to own it, Bogdashka Sobinin, and his children and grandchildren according to our royal salary , and to their generation forever without moving. This royal charter of ours was given in Moscow in the summer of 7128 (from the Nativity of Christ - 1619) November on the 30th day.”

It is interesting that for another 200 years the hero’s descendants were given letters of grant confirming their benefits, modeled on the royal charter of 1619.

Little is known about the biography of Ivan Susanin himself. No one can even say how old the hero was at the time of his feat. As a rule, Susanin is portrayed as a sort of gray-haired old man, although there is information that Susanin’s daughter Antonida was 16 years old at that time, and Ivan Osipovich himself, according to some historians, was 35-40 years old.

For many years, researchers were interested in the question: where was that disastrous place where Susanin led his enemies, and was his grave preserved? Although, finding Susanin’s grave is an almost impossible task, because, according to legend, he died along with the Poles. However, at the beginning of this century in the Kostroma region there was a targeted search for the remains of the savior of the royal dynasty.

Historians, archaeologists, and criminologists conducted an enormous study: 360 remains were found and studied in the area of ​​the village of Isupovo, not the site of the supposed death of the national hero. A comparative DNA analysis of Susanin's descendants was carried out with finds from the 17th century. This may seem surprising, but the participants of this expedition are sure that Susanin was buried there. A medical and forensic analysis of the remains of one of the men confirms this.

It is interesting that not only streets and squares in our country are named after Susanin. For example, in St. Petersburg, a store... of navigators is named after the legendary hero.

In this article you will find several essays about the feat of Ivan Susanin.

Children love to write school essays about Ivan Susanina. After all, this is a national hero who at one time was a noble warrior, fair and faithful to his ideology. Below you will find several essays on this topic.

The image of Ivan Susanin in the Ryleev Duma: essay

Any statements by certain people of our time or the past about Ivan Susanina, always positive. After all, this is a real national hero. Here essay about image Ivan Susanin in the Ryleev Duma:

In creation Susanin seems to be a hard-working and strong, hardy peasant, a faithful, brave and persistent son of his country. We can say that it is precisely this patriotism and conviction that captivates the reader.

By the way, Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin himself treated the genre of thoughts lightly and critically, believing that this was not serious work, but only a description of historical events. However, the great Russian poet was sure that every line Ryleeva, breathes national consciousness, and the image Susanina managed to recreate it as realistically as possible.

Externally Susanin He seems like a strong man, but not young. He is not alien to such character traits as straightforwardness, determination, honesty, love for the Motherland, and thirst for justice. The hero also has the self-sacrifice that is so inherent in the Russian people. Ivan loves his homeland so much that he is ready to lay down his life on the altar in order to lure the Polish detachment into impassable, swampy swamps.

We can say that the hero symbolizes the last stronghold of autocratic ideology. He is fair, noble (despite his peasant origins), accustomed to looking fear in the face and never retreats halfway.

Susanin sincerely believes in a worthy king, despises the invaders. However, there is still some understatement about who Ivan turned out to be - a folk hero or a victim of circumstances.

What feelings does the feat of the Kostroma peasant Ivan Susanin evoke: essay, essay

We associate any person with something good or bad. It all depends on his actions or image. Image Ivan Susanina cannot cause negativity, since he was ready for a heroic act and believed in his ideals. Here is an essay, an essay on the topic: “What feelings does the feat of the Kostroma peasant Ivan Susanin evoke?”:

Feat Susanina evokes a feeling of pride in the Russian people, makes one admire their determination, resourcefulness, and courage. It cannot be said that the reader also develops hatred for the Poles. However, what is disturbing is the fact that the man did not spare his stomach in order to deal with his enemies. After all, leading enemies to a place from which there is no return, Susanin He understood that he would perish with them.

But there was no other option - either die and eliminate the enemy, or allow the invaders to dispose of their native lands. Of course this Susanin couldn't allow it. He knew perfectly well how his action would end. But his sense of duty did not allow him to violate his principles. This is what made him a folk hero. However, there is also a certain duality - it is difficult to say whether the peasant considered any other possibility at all? It is quite possible that he was not fully aware of the fact of his death, but acted intuitively, obeying some kind of spiritual impulse.

One way or another, he certainly didn’t think about deliberately committing a heroic act. Blind faith Ivana in the king and the correctness of his doctrine can certainly be considered both a plus and a minus. Since the peasants, for the most part, were illiterate and suggestible people. Consequently, the illusory ideals could not be as true as they seemed to the hero of the work. One way or another, one can only envy his dedication and patriotism. But not everyone is capable of such an act.

When was the Kostroma peasant Ivan Susanin born: date, how old was Ivan Susanin

Was born Ivan Susanin V Kostroma region V village of Derevenki. However, there is another version, allegedly the place of his birth is Domnino village, fiefdom of the nobles Shestovykh. About who he really was Ivan, there are several opinions:

• The most common one is that Susanin was a simple peasant.
• Alternatively, the national hero was a village chief.
• Weakly common - he was a clerk, lived at the court of the Shestov boyars.

The age is not specified exactly, but given the work, you can see that it is mentioned son-in-law Sobinin. That's why Susanin there was no less 35 years old. And most likely more. The average is considered to be - 40 years. However, the gradation can be expanded. More likely, Ivan Susanin’s age is from 40 to 60 years. Of course, it all depends on the source. After all, some characterize Susanina like a mature husband, and some - like a wise old man.

What is Ivan Susanin famous for: Ivan Susanin’s feat in brief

What made him famous Ivan Susanin, What is he famous for? Here is a summary of his feat:

It is known that detachments of enemies, Lithuanians and Poles, moved to Ivan’s native village. Unexpectedly, the strangers met two Russian men - Susanina and his son-in-law, Bogdana Sobinina. They ordered Ivan to show them the way to the court; they wanted to see the young king.

Reluctantly, Susanin agreed. However, later he came up with the idea that it was too early to just give up, he could fool his enemies around his finger. Moreover, they do not know the way in these parts. Ivan He led the enemy not to the king, but in the opposite direction, to the marshy swamps. There were impenetrable jungles around. Therefore, even after learning about the guide’s cunning, the enemies could no longer find the way on their own.

Of course, they discovered the deception, tortured the peasant, and persuaded him to tell them the truth. But the Russian turned out to be persistent. In the end they cut the body Susanina into small pieces. However, they were never able to get out of the wilds. They died there.

This story once again clearly shows the determination, endurance and patriotism of the Russian people. After all, if Ivan was weaker in body and spirit, he could well have given up during torture, shown the right path, and perhaps would have remained alive. But even when I die, Susanin I didn’t change my decision and didn’t regret it.

My attitude to the feat of Ivan Susanin: essay

As mentioned above, every person has a good attitude towards Ivan Susanin. After all, he was a hero - fearless and not afraid of anything. An essay about “My attitude to the feat of Ivan Susanin”:

Regardless of the differences between eras, each of which dictates its own political, national and moral ideals, Ivan Susanin amazes me with his resilience and fortitude. I am sure that few in his place would have endured all the torment and pain that the foreigners inflicted on him during the torture process, and would have taken the secret of the right path with them to the grave.

After all, no matter what “right” cause a person stands for, sometimes circumstances arise when everyone understands that their own life is more valuable. But Ivan did not back down, did not commit treason and did not spoil his reputation. He chose to die for his beliefs (no matter whether they were true or not), which already speaks of his strong will, unbending character, which is impossible not to admire.

Saying that "everyone is in place Susanina I would have done the same thing” is very stupid. Because this is not true. Often, even grown men who are strong in spirit and body can break under the pressure of external circumstances. Therefore, it is difficult to say whether in his place I could have endured with dignity all the tortures through which the Poles and Lithuanians tried to extort Susanina the right path.

In my opinion, Ivana It is not for nothing that he is called a folk hero. Even if the legend about him is fiction, then his image can be regarded as a collective image, as the embodiment of a great, invincible, brave, desperate and decisively Russian man who does not give up in the fight against the enemy until the last.

Who was Ivan Susanin: biography

A student should know the biographies of many famous people and, moreover, national heroes. Here is the biography and description of who he was Ivan Susanin for essay:

A folk hero was born in the second half 16th century in the village Villages. His death occurs on 1613. You can call him a savior Mikhail Romanov from enemy troops. It is believed that Ivan Susanin belonged to the serfs Shestovykh, families of a noble family.

By the way, the area Kostroma region, in which Ivan was (presumably) born, now called Susaninsky. Childhood, adolescence, youth Ivan Susanina do not have any historical representations. They were not much different from the milestones in the lives of representatives of this class.

However, some sources say that Ivan was not just a peasant, but a clerk or patrimonial headman. These versions have a right to exist, because for some reason it was he who was assigned to lead the detachment, and not another person. This confirms the makings of a leader.

Other resources say that Ivan was a manager at the boyar court. The hero's age is at least 35-40 years. Although most sources claim that Ivan it was far past 40, since he had an adult, married daughter and son-in-law. More likely, 55-60 years.

About personal life Susanina little is known. He lost his wife early. The second time, most likely he did not marry. In those centuries this was not accepted. Daughter's name was Antonida, she was married and had children.

Ivan Susanin: interesting facts from life

The recency of the events forces us to put forward more and more new versions of events and potentially possible facts regarding the national hero. Here are interesting facts from life Ivan Susanina for essay:

Fact 1. The secret of the name

• Name "Ivan" known for sure. But was he really Susanin?
• The catch is that in those centuries peasants did not have official surnames.
• Middle names were often used. Let’s say Mishka Petrov is the son of Peter, Stepka Dmitriev is the son of Dmitry.
• However, it was precisely on this principle that Russian surnames were formed.
• By the way, some sources say that Susanin, Ivan remembered by his mother's name Susanna.
• It turns out, Ivan - Sunannin son. Child Susanna.
• Quite realistic version. Despite the fact that such identification nicknames were given not by mother, but by father, it is possible that the peasant grew up without a father, so the nickname was given to him in connection with his mother’s name.

Fact 2. Descendants of the hero

• U Susanina had a daughter Antonida.
• At that time she was already married to Bogdn Sobinin. Judging by some sources, the hero already had 2 grandchildren – Konstantin and Daniil.
• By the way, on 1631 Sobinin is already listed as deceased, and the owners are his sons, who, according to many sources, had families.

Fact 3. Gratitude

• Later 100 years after the death of the hero, dynasty Romanovs repaid for the rescue Mikhail.
• Andrey Semenov and Ivan Sobinin freed from peasant duties and expressed gratitude.

Fact 4. Was the son-in-law involved?

• Participated. Yes, he didn’t go to the swamps, but exactly Sobinina, Ivan sent to Mikhail Romanov with news of impending danger.
• At least that's what the descendants talked about.

Fact 5. Burial place

• There is a version that the king ordered the hero’s body to be found.
• Susanina found. Allegedly, he was buried in Ipatiev Monastery.
• However, this version is questioned. Some researchers are inclined to believe that he was buried in his homeland, in Domnino.

Fact 6. Who killed Susanin?

• It is believed that the Poles are being tortured.
• However, this could have been done either by robbers or rebels who wandered through the forest.
• Accordingly, the peasant could escape from the hands of the enemy.

These interesting facts have already been proven. Although some of them are still in doubt, however, it is still considered true.

In what year was “Ivan Susanin” written: date

To write an essay you will definitely need a date, in what year it was written "Ivan Susanin". Here is the information:

Kondraty Fedorovich Ryleev sang the feat Ivan Susanin in 1822. As for the opera of the same name M. Glinka, it was created a little later - in 1836. However, few people know that these are not the first attempts to revive the historical events of that time. In fact, there is an even more ancient source - opera Katerino Kavosa – "Ivan Susanin". Its premiere took place in 1815. It should be noted that the creation was designed in the style of a French comic opera, in which dialogues occupied approximately equal amounts of space with music.

Ivan Susanin - Russian national hero: essay

"Ivan Susanin - Russian national hero"- this topic is often asked at school in Russian language and literature for writing works. Here is an option on how to write such an essay:

There is probably not a person who does not remember the name of the hero who did not spare his life for the king and the freedom of his native land. The memory of him passes from generation to generation. Patriotism Susanina one can only envy. It is not for nothing that his bright image is reflected in music and literature. Moreover, there are even monuments to this man.

There was a lot of violence and looting at that time. Popular outrage raged. That is why the king was chosen by the people. ascended the throne Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. The Poles found out about this and decided to kill the young king. They came to Russian lands and demanded that the peasant lead them to the village. However Ivan outsmarted his adversaries. He sent his son-in-law to Romanov with a warning, and he led the enemies into the wilds that surrounded the marshy swamps. So that they can no longer get out of there.

By the way, in deception Susanin He confessed himself and accepted the torture with dignity. It is impossible not to admire his courage. The hero's descendants were generously rewarded by the royal family. No wonder, after all Romanovs owe him our lives Mikhail. Susanina in his Duma he sang not only Ryleev, but also many other artists. This is the image of a fearless people's defender.

Response to the feat of the Kostroma peasant Ivan Susanin: briefly

You may need to write a response to your essay. Here is a short excerpt about the feat of a Kostroma peasant Ivan Susanina:

Being devoted to the king, Ivan He did not allow himself to bring enemies to him personally, but sacrificed his own life in order to eliminate the troops and protect the ruler from attack. He acted not only as a devoted citizen of his country, but also as a man - strong, courageous, selfless and noble.

The significance of Ivan Susanin’s feat: important

The significance of that event for the family Romanovs and Russia overall, huge. Everyone knows about this. This is how you can describe the significance of the feat Ivan Susanina:

From the outside it seems that simply leading the enemy “in the wrong direction” is not such a difficult matter. Moreover, the stranger does not know the area and trusts the guide. But despite the fact that Susanin did not rush at the enemy with weapons at the ready, but acted by other methods; his feat is of great importance. After all, the result was the salvation of the king himself.

By the way, the act Ivan Susanina proves that, sometimes, in order to protect Fatherland and your ideals, you don’t have to get involved in an open fight. You can eliminate the enemy with ingenuity, using other advantages. In essence, the peasant deprived the ruler of a direct threat to his life, which means he did a lot for the country as a whole.

Video: Film “Ivan Susanin”

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Publications in the Music section

Two operas by Mikhail Glinka in 10 facts

Glinka's pen works opened a new stage in the development of Russian musical theater. There were two works - “Ivan Susanin” (“Life for the Tsar”) and “Ruslan and Lyudmila”, and both of them predetermined the future path of Russian national opera. We traced the fate of productions to the music of Mikhail Glinka and selected 10 little-known facts.

"Ivan Susanin" ("Life for the Tsar")

Ilya Repin. Portrait of Mikhail Glinka. 1887

Fedor Fedorovsky. Set design for the final scene of Mikhail Glinka's opera "Ivan Susanin". 1939

Set design for Mikhail Glinka's opera "Ivan Susanin". 1951. Illustration: art16.ru

1. The idea of ​​creating an opera about the feat of Ivan Susanin was suggested to Glinka by his friend Vasily Zhukovsky: “... as if by magic, a plan for an entire opera was suddenly created, and the idea of ​​contrasting Russian music with Polish music; finally, many themes and even details of development - all this flashed into my head at once,” the composer later recalled.

2. Working on an opera has its own canons: it is customary to write music based on the word. However, Glinka acted on the contrary, which created difficulties in creating the poetic text of the libretto. Nestor Kukolnik, Vladimir Sologub, Prince Vladimir Odoevsky and Zhukovsky himself tried to keep up with Glinka’s music. But for the most part only Baron Georg von Rosen succeeded. What Glinka most appreciated was his ability to compose words for ready-made music: “Rosen had already prepared poems laid out in his pockets, and I had to say what kind, that is, size, I needed and how many poems, he took out so many of each type, as much as necessary, and each variety from a special pocket. When the size and thought [did not] fit the music and [did not] agree with the course of the drama, then extraordinary stubbornness appeared in my piet. He defended each of his verses with stoic heroism.”

3. The audience did not appreciate Glinka’s music and even called it “peasant”, “coachman’s”, “common”. In the opera “Life for the Tsar,” the composer turns to the genre of Russian folk song, trying to show the national flavor. This was alien to court listeners, accustomed to numbers in the spirit of the Italian aria. But Nicholas I was very pleased with the opera and, as a sign of his admiration, gave Glinka a diamond ring.

4. After the revolution of 1917, attempts were made to change the plot of the opera and transfer it to Soviet realities: “The first edition was to transfer the time of action to the era of the Bolshevik revolution. In accordance with this, Ivan Susanin turned into a “chairman of the village council” - into an advanced peasant standing up for the Soviet homeland. Vanya was converted to a Komsomol member. The Poles remained in place because at that time there was a war with Poland, where Tukhachevsky advanced.” The final anthem was paraphrased: “Glory, glory, Soviet system” (Leonid Sabaneev. “Memories of Russia”).

Peter Williams. Sketch of the set "Dominino" for Mikhail Glinka's opera "Ivan Susanin". 1939. Illustration: tamart.ru

Drawing based on Mikhail Glinka’s opera “Ivan Susanin”. Illustration: intoclassics.net

Fedor Fedorovsky. Set design for Mikhail Glinka's opera "Ivan Susanin". Theater named after Kirov. 1940. Illustration: megabook.ru

5. However, another production of the opera became famous - in 1939, it was based on the libretto of the poet Sergei Gorodetsky. His version of the libretto greatly changed the plot: new characters “arrived” in the opera in the person of Minin and Pozharsky. King Sigismund sends a detachment to defeat the Russian militia. The army ends up near Kostroma, in the village where the peasant Ivan Susanin lives. The Poles demand that he show them the way to Minin’s camp. The new version did not say anything about the fact that Susanin saved Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, who was in a monastery near Kostroma. Moreover, in the text of the libretto there was no mention of the king at all. By decree of Stalin, the opera began to be called “Ivan Susanin”. With such a plot and title, the work was performed on all opera stages of the Soviet Union.

"Ruslan and Ludmila"

Nikolay Ge. "Ruslan and Ludmila". Second half of the 19th century

Ivan Bilibin. Chernomor Palace. Scenery sketch for Mikhail Glinka's opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila". 1900. Illustration: belcanto.ru

Konstantin Somov. Lyudmila in the Chernomor garden. Based on the poem by Alexander Pushkin “Ruslan and Lyudmila”. 1897. Illustration: belcanto.ru

1. Alexander Pushkin knew about Glinka’s intention to create an opera based on his poem and was even going to help him write the libretto, because he believed that the text of “Ruslan and Lyudmila” needed to be changed. But Glinka never found out exactly what changes Pushkin wanted to make. The sudden death of the poet prevented their collaboration. Work on the opera and libretto dragged on for five years.

2. Glinka excluded ironic and frivolous scenes, focusing on the national Russian character. He gave his creation features of epic monumentality: paintings contrasting in content slowly replace each other.

3. Glinka came up with a new orchestral technique - imitation of the gusli in the sound of the pizzicato harp and piano. Later Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov used it in the operas “The Snow Maiden” and

Ivan Bilibin. Chernomor Gardens. Set design for Mikhail Glinka's opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila". 1913 Illustration: belcanto.ru

5. Nicholas I defiantly left the premiere without listening to the end of the opera. And all because in the play he saw a mockery of himself. In Act IV, Chernomor marches with his retinue to the sounds of a march performed by a brass military band on stage (everyone knew the emperor’s love for military parades); then in the Chernomor castle they dance the Caucasian dance - the Lezginka (under the leadership of the emperor, Russia waged a protracted and not always successful war in the Caucasus). Soon after the premiere, the theater management, “for the sake of economy,” abandoned the military orchestra on stage, and this was the reason for shortening the march in subsequent productions.

Arseny Zamostyanov talks about Ivan Susanin, his feat and the significance of this story for Russian statehood.

The feat of Ivan Susanin

The three-hundred-year reign of the Romanov dynasty began with Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich - and this happened after a dashing, shameful decade of unrest.

“Not a single royal house began as unusually as the house of the Romanovs began. Its beginning was already a feat of love. The last and lowest subject in the state brought and laid down his life in order to give us a king, and with this pure sacrifice has already inextricably bound the sovereign with the subject,” these are the words of Gogol.

This last subject is the peasant Ivan Osipovich Susanin, a key figure in autocratic ideology. Remember Count Uvarov’s triad - “Orthodoxy, autocracy, nationality”? The Minister of Public Education formulated it in the 1840s, but in historical reality this ideology existed for centuries. Without her it would have been impossible to overcome the turmoil. This very “nationality” was personified by Ivan Susanin, a peasant from the village of Domnina, seventy miles from Kostroma, a serf of the Shestov nobles. The nun Marfa Ivanovna, aka Ksenia, the wife of boyar Fyodor Romanov and the mother of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, bore the surname Shestov as a girl, and the village of Domnino was her patrimony.

The name of Ivan Susanin is known to everyone in Russia, but only fragmentary and vague information has been preserved about his life. Orthodox Christians - especially Kostroma residents - revere the hero, but in response to the age-old question about canonization, a reasonable answer sounds: “We need to study, research the biography of the martyr. We need to find out more about him...”

Official version

How was it? Let's turn to the official version - on which all the Romanovs were raised.

In February 1613, a Polish detachment scoured the Kostroma region in search of Mikhail Romanov and his mother, nun Martha. They intended to capture or destroy the real Russian contender for the Moscow throne. Or maybe they wanted to capture him to demand a ransom. According to a legend that was passed down from generation to generation in the Domnina parish, the future tsar, having learned about the approach of the Poles, fled from the village of Domnina and ended up in the settlements, in Susanin’s house. The peasant treated him to bread and kvass and hid him in a barn pit, covering it with firebrands and burnt rags.

The Poles raided Susanin's house and began to torture the old man. He did not give Mikhail away. The Poles failed to find him with the dogs: the firebrands interrupted the human smell. The intoxicated enemies chopped up Susanin and galloped away. Mikhail got out of hiding and, accompanied by peasants, went to the Ipatiev Monastery.

Another interpretation of events is better known. Not far from Domnin, the Poles met the village head Ivan Susanin and ordered him to show the way to the village. Susanin managed to send his son-in-law, Bogdan Sabinin, to Domnino with instructions to equip Mikhail Romanov to the Ipatiev Monastery. And he himself led the Poles in the opposite direction - to the swamps. He was tortured and executed - but it was Susanin’s feat that allowed Mikhail to reach Ipatievsky unharmed.

They buried Susanin first in his native village, and a few years later they transferred the ashes to the Ipatiev Monastery - which became a symbol of the salvation of the dynasty. True, this version is often questioned - there are several supposed graves of Ivan Susanin. And ten years ago, archaeologists (not for the first and probably not the last time) discovered the site of Susanin’s death...

In a word, a mystery shrouded in a secret. Even the hero’s memorial day has not been established. The most likely date of feat and death is February 1613, 400 years ago... Before the revolution, honors were brought to the savior of the first royal Romanov on September 11, on the feast of the Beheading of the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John. A special funeral commemoration of the national hero was performed. This tradition was revived in the 21st century.

The late His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II addressed the fellow countrymen of the legendary hero: “Kostroma, for several centuries called the “cradle of the House of Romanov,” overshadowed by the all-Russian shrine - the miraculous Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God - had a special significance in the events of 1613, which marked the beginning of overcoming the Time of Troubles. We see the appeal to the memory of Ivan Susanin as a good sign of the spiritual revival of the Kostroma region and all of Russia. Lovingly remembering Our visit to the places of life and deeds of Ivan Susanin in 1993, now with the entire Kostroma flock We offer Our High Hierarchal prayers for the blessed repose of the servant of God John in the villages of the righteous, “where there is no sickness, no sorrow, no sighing, but endless life "

The story is symbolic, parable, mysterious.

Why was the legend about Ivan Susanin necessary?

The point is not only that the village headman became a model of sacrificial, selfless devotion to the sovereign. A striking (albeit mysterious) episode of the reprisal against a peasant who lured a Polish detachment into impassable swamps became the last manifestation of the troubled times - and remained so in the people's memory. Troubles are a civil war, and anarchy, and betrayal of the ruling circles, and the brutalization of the people, and rampant imposture, and the atrocities of the conquerors... Ivan Susanin gave his life in the name of ending this disaster.

Skeptics will throw up their hands: he couldn’t think about such matters as saving statehood or national sovereignty... At best, the peasant showed vassal loyalty.

Perhaps he was hostile to Catholics of other faiths, but Susanin was not and could not be any kind of conscious statesman... Yes, Susanin was hardly a politically literate patriot. It is unlikely that he thought in such categories as “state”, “sovereignty”, “war of liberation”. Perhaps he did not even have a chance to see the great Russian cities. But the meaning of any act is determined over decades...

In 1619, during a pilgrimage, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich remembered the winter of 1613. Most likely, it was then, hot on the heels of events, that he was told about the dead peasant. Russian autocrats often made trips to monasteries - but Mikhail Fedorovich chose the Trinity Makaryevsky Monastery, on the Unzhe River, for a prayer of thanks. This monastery is associated with the works of St. Macarius of Zheltovodsk. The holy elder lived 95 years, died in 1444 - and was in Tatar captivity, in Kazan, which had not yet been conquered. They prayed to him (even before his canonization, which took place during the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich) for the salvation of the captives. The tsar's father, Patriarch Filaret, was released from captivity alive and unharmed - and the Romanovs saw this as the protection of the Zheltovodsk elder. There is a version that in February 1613, when Ivan Susanin killed the Polish detachment, Martha and Mikhail were heading to Unzha, to the Trinity-Makarevsky Monastery.

Susanin's feat prevented the plunder of the monastery and the capture of the future king. The king, having bowed to the relics of the Monk Macarius, decided to reward the relatives of the fallen hero. It was then that the sovereign drew up a letter of commendation to Ivan Susanin’s son-in-law, Bogdan Sobinin. This is the only document testifying to the feat! Let's not forget: these lines were written six years after the February events of 1613, when the memory of them had not yet faded:

“By the grace of God, we, the Great Sovereign, the Tsar and the Grand Duke Mikhailo Fedorovich, the autocrat of all Russia, according to our royal mercy, and on the advice and petition of our mother, the empress, the great old nun Marfa Ivanovna, granted us the Kostroma district, our village of Domnina, peasant Bogdashka Sobinin, for his service to us and for the blood and patience of his father-in-law Ivan Susanin: how we, the great sovereign, tsar and grand duke Mikhailo Fedorovich of all Rus' in the past 121 (that is, in 1613 from the Nativity of Christ!) year were in Kostroma, and at that time Polish and Lithuanian people came to the Kostroma district, and his father-in-law, Bogdashkov, Ivan Susanin at that time was taken away by the Lithuanian people and he was tortured with great, unmeasurable torture and tortured at his place where in those days we, the great the sovereign, the tsar and the Grand Duke Mikhailo Fedorovich of all Russia were, and he Ivan, knowing about us, the great sovereign, where we were at that time, suffering from those Polish and Lithuanian people unmeasurable torture, about us, the great sovereign, those Polish and Lithuanian He didn’t tell people where we were at that time, but the Polish and Lithuanian people tortured him to death.

And we, the Great Sovereign, the Tsar and the Grand Duke Mikhailo Fedorovich of All Russia, granted him, Bogdashka, for his father-in-law Ivan Susanin’s service to us and for the blood in the Kostroma district of our palace village of Domnina, half of the village of Derevnisch, where he, Bogdashka, now lives, one and a half quarters of land were ordered to be whitewashed from that semi-village, and one and a half quarters were to be whitewashed on him, on Bogdashka, and on his children, and on our grandchildren, and on our great-grandchildren, no taxes and feed, and carts, and all kinds of canteens and grain supplies , and for city crafts, and for bridging, and for other purposes, they were not ordered to take any taxes from them; They ordered them to whitewash half the village in everything, their children, their grandchildren, and the whole family without moving. And if our village of Domnino will be given away to which the monastery will be given, then half the village of Derevnischi, one and a half quarters of land will not be given to any monastery with that village, they will be ordered to own it, Bogdashka Sobinin, and his children and grandchildren according to our royal salary , and to their generation forever without moving. This royal charter of ours was given in Moscow in the summer of 7128 (from the Nativity of Christ - 1619) November on the 30th day.”

Please note: Susanin is called not Ivashka, but Ivan - with respect. And his son-in-law is Bogdashkoy. In those years, autocrats rarely accorded such honor to the “vile people.”

Ivan Susanin: martyr's crown

Since then, Russia has not forgotten about Ivan Susanin.

“True to Christian duty, Susanin accepted the crown of martyrdom and blessed, like the righteous Simeon of old, God, who vouchsafed him, if not to see, then to die for the salvation of the youth, whom God anointed with holy oil and called him the Tsar of Russia,” in this spirit they wrote about Susanin by the beginning of the 19th century. This is how schoolchildren and high school students recognized the hero.
Is it possible to forget the thought of Kondraty Ryleev - which was studied in school in the Soviet years? True, instead of “for the Tsar and for Rus'” in our anthologies it was written: “For our dear Rus'.” In the Soviet tradition, Susanin is a hero of the liberation struggle of the Russian people against the interventionists; monarchical aspirations were kept silent.

These lines are unforgettable:

“Where have you taken us?” - The old Lyakh cried out.
- “Where you need it!” - Susanin said.
- “Kill! torture me! - my grave is here!
But know and strive: - I saved Mikhail!
You thought you found a traitor in me:
They are not and will not be on Russian land!
In it, everyone loves their homeland from infancy,
And he will not destroy his soul by betrayal.” —

“Villain!”, the enemies shouted, boiling:
“You will die under swords!” - “Your anger is not terrible!
Whoever is Russian at heart, cheerfully and boldly
And joyfully dies for a just cause!
Neither execution nor death and I am not afraid:
Without flinching, I will die for the Tsar and for Rus'!” —
“Die!” The Sarmatians cried out to the Hero -
And the sabers flashed over the old man, whistling!
“Die, traitor! Your end has come! —
And the hard Susanin fell covered in sores!
The snow is pure, the purest blood is stained:
She saved Mikhail for Russia!

Russian opera also began with Ivan Susanin, in which a peasant in a sheepskin coat made himself so impressively known, singing in his bass the wonderful unborrowed tunes: “They smell the truth! You, dawn, quickly shine, quickly usher in, usher in the hour of salvation!” A great opera image. By the way, Glinka’s “Life for the Tsar” was not the first opera about that feat. Back in 1815, Katerino Cavos created the opera Ivan Susanin. This plot was perceived as state-forming. But then the time came to revise the usual ideas about the history of Rus'. The gilding was falling off the monarchical myths. “Are these shrines? A complete lie!

“It could be that the robbers who attacked Susanin were the same kind of thieves, and the event, so loudly glorified later, was one of many that year,” wrote historian Nikolai Kostomarov, an eternal troublemaker of academic peace and a subverter of ideals.

No, Ivan Susanin’s feat is not a falsification, not someone’s fantasy, the peasant really fell victim to the interventionists in the Kostroma swamps. But the main thing in this feat is the parable, the legend, the historical context. If young Mikhail Romanov had not become the first king of a powerful dynasty, it is unlikely that history would have preserved the name of the pious peasant. In those years, Russian people often became victims of atrocities - and the first to die were those who remained faithful to the faith and legitimate authority. History itself wove a laurel wreath for Ivan Osipovich - and the disgrace of noble ideals has never brought happiness to anyone. We are told about the slavish (“dog”) devotion of the serf Susanin to his masters. But what grounds do skeptics have for such a cruel diagnosis? According to many testimonies (including the testimonies of foreign guests of Rus'), Muscovite peasants, despite their slave status, had a developed sense of self-esteem. Do not throw mud at loyalty, do not treat it arrogantly.

Of course, Susanin did not know that a conciliar decision had been made in Moscow to call Mikhail Fedorovich to the throne. No matter how hard it is to believe, there was no radio or Internet in those years. But it can be assumed that word reached the wise peasant that this young boyar is our future autocrat. And he felt the high significance of the feat - to save the young man, not to let the enemy into Domnino, to give his life with prayer for others...
The Russian land is glorious for its heroes. Many exploits have peasant roots. And Susanin remained the first in people’s memory - he was (I hope that he remains!) an example for posterity. He will still serve the Fatherland: heroes who died for the Motherland do not die. A village does not stand without a righteous man - and without legends and myths.

The story of the feat Ivan Susanina probably known to everyone. A simple man, at the cost of his life, led an enemy detachment away from the village in which the founder of the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich, was located. This version of the patriotic peasant was popularized from generation to generation by representatives of the royal family. However, there are many points of view that question this scenario.

According to the generally accepted version, the serf Ivan Susanin lived in the village of Domnino (about 75 km from Kostroma). There, on the estate, in the winter of 1613, the newly elected Tsar Mikhail Romanov was with his mother nun Martha. Having learned about this, the Lithuanian-Polish detachment went to the village to prevent Romanov from ascending to the Russian throne.

On the way to Domnino, the Poles met the patrimonial elder Ivan Susanin. They forced him to show the way to the king, and he, in turn, led the detachment in the other direction. At the same time, he managed to send his son-in-law Bogdan Sobinin with a message to Mikhail Romanov.

When the Poles realized that Susanin was taking them in the other direction along the Isupovsky (Chistoe) swamp, they brutally tortured him, and then completely “chopped him into small pieces.” During this time, the Tsar found refuge in the Kostroma Ipatiev Monastery.

The story of Ivan Susanin’s feat has been passed down from generation to generation. From time to time it acquired new details. In 1836, the premiere of Mikhail Glinka’s opera “A Life for the Tsar” took place at the Bolshoi Theater in St. Petersburg. The libretto (text for a musical work) enshrines the final version of the story about Ivan Susanin as the savior of Tsar Mikhail, the founder of the Romanov dynasty. But what exactly happened in the vicinity of the village of Domnino 200 years before the premiere of the opera is not known for certain.

There is real confirmation that Ivan Susanin actually existed in the form of a royal document from the 17th century. When the Time of Troubles ended and Mikhail Romanov sat firmly on the throne, a certain Bogdan Sobinin presented a petition to the sovereign. In response, Mikhail Fedorovich granted a charter, according to which the village of Domnino passed into the possession of Sobinin:

“As we, the Great Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Duke Mikhail Fedorovich of All Rus', were in Kostroma last year, and in those years Polish and Lithuanian people came to the Kostroma district, and his father-in-law, Bogdashkov, Ivan Susanin was taken away by the Lithuanian people, and he tortured with great immeasurable torment, but they tortured him, where in those days we, the great sovereign, the tsar and the Grand Duke Mikhail Fedorovich of All Rus' were, and he, Ivan, knowing about us, the great sovereign, where we were in those times, suffering from those Polish and Lithuanian people were subjected to immeasurable torture, about us, the great sovereign, he did not tell those Polish and Lithuanian people where we were at that time, and the Polish and Lithuanian people tortured him to death.”

In addition to this, the king completely exempted the village from all taxes and gave them freedom:

“We were not ordered to take any taxes from them, feed, carts, all kinds of canteens and grain supplies, and for city handicrafts, and for bridging, and for any other taxes... and their children, and grandchildren, and all the way motionless."

The exact reason why the king showed such mercy is not indicated in any official document.

Polish historians have their own opinion on this matter, according to which there could be no nobles in Kostroma in March-April 1613. After all, Mikhail Romanov was in the status of an already elected tsar, so there was no point in killing him in order to again elevate the Polish pretender to the throne.

Isupovskoe (Clean Swamp) also cannot be called impassable; at its widest point it reached only 5 km. The enemy could not get lost in that area, because the dome of the church in the village of Domnino was visible from everywhere.

Scientists argue about who could have been robbing the Kostroma district then. Many are inclined to believe that the armed detachment could well have been Cossacks who came from the banks of the Dnieper, Don, Yaik (Ural) or Terek. During the Time of Troubles, they supported those who would pay the most (including the Poles), and along the way they robbed everyone they came across. Most likely, it was they who had the opportunity to be led away from the village by Ivan Susanin.