There are many places on Earth that are surroundedsecret for seven seals. They excite the imagination of man, feed him with legends and conjectures. And they convey the spirit of the people who live there or once lived. On the territory of Russia, one of these places is Svetloyar Lake, at the bottom of which lies the ghostly city, and the Batyeva trail leading to it. But first things first.
Traditions of antiquity
Let's deal with the fact that such Batyiv trail.The legend of the city of Kitezh tells that in ancient times, when Christianity only came to the territory of Kievan Rus, the clear Prince George Vsevolodovich built a glorious city near the Volga River - Little Kitezh. At some distance from him on the shore of a picturesque lake, he built another city - Big Kitezh. When the Mongol-Tatars came to these lands, they first attacked a smaller settlement, but they could not find the roads to the big city. Brutally torturing one of the prisoners, the warlord of the Horde learned a secret path. On that trail, they went to a wonderful lake and surrounded Kitezh. Local residents refused to surrender, but when the invaders went to the assault, they did not resist. Bells sounded in the city, and springs sounded from under the ground, which gradually filled the city. The Mongols retreated before an unprecedented miracle, and the unbroken city rested at the bottom of Svetloyar. The road along which the Horde walked is now known as the Batu lane trail.
The origins of the legend
Итак, что такое Батыева тропа, уже ясно.And it seems everything is clear with the legend: people who survived the brutal invasion wanted to believe that somewhere there is a city that did not give up, did not submit, remained faithful to its traditions. This supported their patriotic spirit and gave hope. However, some researchers doubt that the story was born in the thirteenth century. They assume that it appeared much earlier.
What is the Batu trail?The path to something hidden, miraculously saved from the cruelty of the Mongol khan. But perhaps the name Batyya dragged to a more ancient legend? The pre-Christian period of ancient Russia is a dark time and little studied by modern scientists. However, there is accurate information that Lake Svetloyar, located in the Nizhny Novgorod region among the dense forests between the rivers Vetluga and Kerzhenets, and the adjacent territory were the center of the pagan faith. This is mentioned by the Slavs of the Berendei tribe, who have lived here for centuries.
Even if you look at the name of the reservoir itself,it becomes clear that it is dedicated to the deity. “Yar” is short for Yaryla-sun, and “light” is made from “light, pure, righteous”. Who knows, maybe a city lies in the lake, which did not want to worship a new god? It is known for certain that the large Christian centers were located in the places of the largest pagan temples. But they were also cruelly destroyed, erased from the face of the Earth.
Mysterious Kitezh
Теперь все знают, что такое Батыева тропа.The city to which she once led is mentioned in the Star Book of Kolyada, an ancient source of that period. And the very name of the settlement could have come from the name of the magical half-horse, half-man (centaur?) Kitovras, who was born here. And let the names of mythical creatures and ancient gods be forgotten, replaced over time with the names of Orthodox saints, the place itself remained and lured people with invisible force. But only occasionally from the water surface comes the sound of bells, as if coming from the depths. Every traveler can listen, and maybe he is lucky enough to hear this elusive sound. But is it worth it, because he warns about the misfortune - death, war, catastrophe?
Eyewitness accounts
What is the Batyev trail and what secret is hidden onthe depths of the lake Svetloyar? This issue is of concern to scholars, not just romance enthusiasts. The inhabitants of the villages in this area tell about the ghostly city, which only occasionally reveals its secret. The one who gets there either does not return at all, or varies greatly externally and internally, and then dies after some time. He even identified them with the city of the dead, the abode of ancestors who had long since left this earth.
The tales also say that in the waters of the lakethere is a big fish or a monster that does not touch people, but only scares almost to death. At night it goes ashore, as evidenced by the numerous traces of large size. Probably, this is the keeper of the mystery of mysterious Kitezh.
Site Studies
In 2013, on July 7, a unique lake beganresearch by Dmitry Schiller. Divers examined the bottom of the reservoir, took samples of silt and bottom water, took pictures. The first dive was eleven meters, further - even deeper. The water in Svetloyar is cold (two degrees in all), but the visibility is good - four meters. They drew attention to the fact that in the study site the bottom is covered with silt in a thick layer, but it looks quite unusual, like a cloud, dense and mobile. In this substance, divers found a lot of trunks of drowned trees. Their pieces were sent for dendrochronological examination, which should give an answer about the age of the breed. Perhaps the discovery will shed light on the secret of the city of Kitezh and Svetloyar Lake, will tell you about the Batiyev trail. The answer, as always, is hidden under the dust of history.
