Famous robbers. The famous robbers of Rus', about whom people's rumors have reached our days. The prudent robber Dismas
To be honest, the Cossacks in Russia often made their living through thieves’ campaigns. But on the outskirts of the Russian State they built abatis so that Mother Rus' would not be disturbed by dashing foreigners.
Robbers have always existed in Russia. Among them were those who were known among the people as bloodthirsty villains, others became famous as noble freedom fighters. Some have become heroes of legends, and now it is difficult to figure out where in their biography is truth and where is fiction.
ERMAK
Before annexing the Siberian Khanate to the Russian state and glorifying his name in songs and folk tales, Ermak traded in robbery on the Volga, plundering merchant caravans and Tatar khans. The exact date and place of birth of the Cossack ataman have not been established - he was presumably born in 1540. According to one version, Ermak’s grandfather, a Suzdal townsman, went in search of a better life to the Ural merchants Stroganov and settled on the Chusovaya River. There his grandson Vasily was born, later nicknamed Ermak. Having led a Cossack squad, Ermak led a free life for 20 years in the region of the Dniester and Volga, and then, according to some sources, took part in the Livonian War, holding back the onslaught of the Crimean Khan Davlet-Girey on Moscow. In 1577, the Stroganov merchants invited Ermak to return with his Cossack squad to Siberia to protect their estate from the raids of Khan Kuchum, who changed his friendly policy, refused to pay tribute and tried to oust the Stroganovs from Siberia. Having successfully defended Stroganov's possessions from Kuchum, Ermak went beyond the Urals, conquering small settlements of local peoples, imposing tribute on them in exchange for protection from the raids of Khan Kuchum. By 1583, Ermak annexed the entire territory of the Lower Ob region to the Russian state, for which Ivan the Terrible granted the ataman the title of Prince of Siberia. According to some reports, Ermak was distinguished by a stern disposition, brutally dealt with conquered peoples and established the strictest discipline in his squad. He is credited with iron willpower, courage and exceptional leadership talent.
Ermak died on the night of August 6, 1585 during a surprise attack by Kuchum. The wounded chieftain drowned while trying to swim across the Irtysh in heavy chain mail, which he received as a gift from Ivan the Terrible. According to legend, Ermak's body was found by the Tatars, who shot arrows at him for six weeks. His armor, which was attributed mystical properties due to Ermak’s unprecedented military successes, went to the noble Murza Kaidaul. Now Ermak’s chain mail is kept in the Armory Chamber in Moscow.
KUDEYAR
In Russian folklore there are legends about Ataman Kudeyar, the leader of a band of robbers who operated during the time of Ivan the Terrible. Nekrasov presents him as a people's avenger, legends as a model of prowess, Saratov, Rostov, Lipetsk, Belgorod and Tambov regions are fighting for the right to consider Kudeyar their hero. According to one version, Kudeyar was the brother of Ivan the Terrible, born to the wife of Vasily III, who was exiled to a monastery, who intended to marry Elena Glinskaya, the mother of Ivan the Terrible. According to this version, Kudeyar is Prince Georgy Vasilyevich. According to another legend, Kudeyar was the name of Prince Gabor-George, the son of Zsigmond Bathory, Prince of Transylvania, nephew of the Polish king. Kudeyar, having quarreled with his father, fled to the Dnieper, joined the Cossacks and subsequently became the Tsar's guardsman. Finally, the third version considers Kudeyar Tishenkov, the son of a boyar from Belev, to be a robber, who committed treason: he showed the troops of the Crimean Khan Davlet-Girey the approaches to Moscow. Many researchers believe that “Kudeyar” could be used as a common noun to refer to several especially dashing robbers.
There are numerous legends about the looted treasures of Kudeyar. According to them, more than a hundred robber treasures have been preserved in southern Russia, especially in the Voronezh region. Kudeyarovsky treasures are distinguished by special signs: lights flash above the stones under which treasures are hidden, and twice a week at exactly midnight you can hear a child crying.
VANKA-KAIN
Russian thief number one Ivan Osipov, nicknamed Vanka-Cain, was born in 1718 in the Yaroslavl province and at the age of 13 was brought to Moscow to serve the merchant Filatyev. Four years later, tired of starvation and beatings, Ivan ran away from Filatyev, having previously robbed a merchant, for which he nicknamed him Cain. After several years spent with a bandit gang on the Volga, Vanka-Cain returned to the capital and began to gain fame as the Russian Cartouche. Starting as a pickpocket, he continued his “career” by raiding rich houses, fairs and entire factories. Later, Ivan became a police informer, for which all charges against him were dropped. According to his instructions, 32 people were arrested in just one day, and in total 300–500 thieves were sent to prison. Basically, he caught petty thieves, harboring big businessmen and extorting money from them. Having given bribes to officials, Vanka-Cain opened a gambling house that brought in huge profits. He kept under his control the entire Moscow police and the entire world of thieves: under his leadership, the number of thieves, robbers and other criminals in Moscow increased several times, which led to robberies and fires throughout the Mother See. In this regard, General Tatishchev was sent to Moscow, who headed the commission of inquiry into the Vanka-Cain case. From 1749 to 1755, an investigation was carried out, as a result of which Vanka-Cain was sentenced to death, but then the sentence was commuted, replacing the execution with hard labor in Siberia, where he died, leaving a memory of himself not only as a malicious thief, but also as a daredevil, a dashing, cheerful person.
KARMELIUK
Nicknamed the Ukrainian Robin Hood, Ustim Yakimovich Karmelyuk was born into a peasant family in the Vinnitsa region and at the age of 17 was given 25 years of service in the tsarist army. After an unsuccessful attempt to desert, Karmelyuk was sent to a penal battalion, from where he successfully escaped. A year later, he stood at the head of a peasant uprising against the Russian nobility, for which he was sentenced to execution, which was replaced by 25 lashes and 10 years of hard labor in Siberia, which Karmelyuk did not reach, having escaped from the Vyatka prison camp. He rejoined the rebellion and was again captured. This time Karmelyuk went to Siberia: he spent two years on the way to Tobolsk. In 1825, the Ukrainian Robin Hood made his most famous escape: at night during a strong storm, he collected the shirts of all the convicts, tied them into a long rope and, tying a heavy stone to one end, threw it over the prison fence. Using this suspension bridge, Karmelyuk and his cellmates escaped from prison. The robber was arrested several more times, but in the end he managed to escape. From 1830 to 1835, Karmelyuk led an uprising that was joined by more than 20 thousand people, mostly Ukrainians, Poles and Jews. Karmelyuk and his associates robbed rich landowners' houses, distributing money to the poor. According to the remaining evidence, the head of the uprising was distinguished by great physical strength, a sharp mind, and spoke fluent Polish and Russian without any accent. In 1835, the Ukrainian Robin Hood was killed, and his body was taken to many villages to intimidate the rebels.
VASILY CHURKIN
The famous robber, Guslitsky Robin Hood Vasily Churkin was born in the village of Barskoy near Orekhovo-Zuevo. This area was known in Russia as Guslitsy - Old Believers hiding from persecution settled there. In the Guslitsky region they managed to preserve their original culture and ancient Slavic writing, but at the same time horse theft, forgery of icons and thefts flourished there. In addition, Guslitsy was one of the centers of counterfeiting in Russia, and the Guslyaks had a reputation as people without conscience and honor. Vasily Churkin became the most famous criminal in this area. There is not much reliable information about his personality. Folklore has preserved legends that Churkin’s gang operated over a large territory - from Moscow to Vladimir: they robbed rich merchants and raided factories. Quite soon, Churkin was caught, but was able to escape, which became a legend in the Russian underworld. The staff of the prison where the robber was kept was in a state of drunkenness when his wife and her friend came to visit Churkin. They brought him women's clothing in which he was able to escape. It was extremely difficult for the police to catch him again: the entire region was covered by a “just criminal” who always shared his loot with the poor. There are still legends in Guslitsy about the existence of caches and treasures hidden by Churkin’s gang. Despite the fact that Vasily Churkin, according to many historians, is just an ordinary robber, a former factory worker, in folk legends he appears as a noble fighter for justice who helped the poor. According to legend, the dying Churkin admitted that he decided to kill only once - he took the life of the village elder Pyotr Kirov.
Robber, dashing people have always attracted attention. They became heroes of legends and traditions, songs and poems were written about them. In the popular consciousness, a robber was rarely bad, because he robbed the rich and shared with the poor.
Kudeyar
The most legendary Russian robber is Kudeyar. This personality is semi-mythical. There are several versions of his identification. According to the main one, Kudeyar was the son of Vasily III and his wife Solomeya, who was exiled to a monastery for childlessness. According to this legend, at the time of her tonsure Solomonia was already pregnant, she gave birth to a son, George, whom she handed over “to safe hands,” and announced to everyone that the newborn had died.
It is not surprising that Ivan the Terrible was very interested in this legend, since according to it Kudeyar was his elder brother, and therefore could lay claim to power. This story is most likely a folk fiction. The desire to “ennoble the robber”, as well as to allow oneself to believe in the illegitimacy of power (and therefore the possibility of its overthrow) is characteristic of the Russian tradition. With us, no matter what the ataman is, he is the legitimate king. Regarding Kudeyar, there are so many versions of his origin that would be enough for half a dozen atamans
Dmitry Silaev
Dmitry Silaev is a very real person. In the detective case of 1844 in the village of Rzhevtsy, Smolensk district, he is mentioned as the leader of the robbers who, among other things, committed “a robbery of the house of the landowner F.M. Belkin.
The raid on the landowner's house, as they say, caused a stir, and it was reported to the Tsar himself. Five years before this incident, another robber, Trishka-Sibiryak, was caught. The safety of the landowners was at risk - measures had to be taken. And they were accepted. Silaev was caught and exiled to Siberia, from where he, however, escaped with two accomplices.
However, with the arrest and exile of Silaev, everything is not so simple. The criminal case states that “he escaped six years before,” that is, the robber was in exile back in 1838, then he escaped and lived in Elninsky district with “various peasants who did not make any conscious of him,” that is, did not reported about an escaped convict.
In the criminal case, Silaev’s appearance is described in sufficient detail: “black eyes, black beard, zipun trimmed with satin, always with a pistol in his boot.” A fairly classic image of a robber, but without the idealization that is typical when describing “dashing people.”
Lyalya
Lyalya can be called not only one of the most legendary robbers, but also the most “literary”. The poet Nikolai Rubtsov wrote a poem about him, “The Robber Lyalya.” Local historians also found information about him, which is not surprising, since toponyms reminiscent of this dashing man are still preserved in the Kostroma region. This is Lyalina Mountain and one of the tributaries of the Vetluga River, called Lyalinka.
Local historian A.A. Sysoev wrote: “In the Vetluga forests the robber Lyalya was walking with his gang - this is one of the atamans of Stepan Razin... who lived in the mountains near the Vetluga River not far from Varnavin. According to legend, Lyalya robbed and burned the Novovozdvizhensky Monastery on the Bolshaya Kaksha River near the village Chenebechikhi". This may be true, since at the end of 1670 a detachment of Razins actually visited here.
Lyalya and her gang appeared in the Kostroma forests after the suppression of the Razin uprising. He chose a place for a robber camp on a high mountain in order to have a strategic advantage when robbing convoys passing nearby along the winter route. From spring to autumn, merchants transported goods on ships along Vetluga, and along the way they often stopped in Kameshnik.
The main business of the Lyali gang was collecting ransom from merchants, local feudal lords and landowners. Legends depict him, as is usual in folklore, as strict, harsh and domineering, but fair. An approximate portrait of him has also been preserved: “He was a broad-shouldered, muscular man of average height; a tanned, rough face; black eyes under bushy, frowning eyebrows; dark hair.”
They wanted to catch Lyalya’s gang more than once, but the detachments sent to catch the robber were constantly faced with the too loyal attitude of the local men towards Lyalya - they treated him rather with respect, Lyalya was warned about the appearance of the detachments, some village men even joined the gang.
However, over time, the gang still thinned out, and Lyalya became more and more burdened by his business. Therefore, he decided to bury his wealth - he drowned it in the lake (it is still called Kladov) and buried it in the mountain. Where they are still stored. Of course, if you believe the legend.
Trishka the Siberian
Trishka-Sibiryak, whom we have already mentioned, committed robbery in the 30s of the 19th century in the Smolensk district. News about him spread to other regions, leaving nobles and landowners in a state of trepidation. A letter from Turgenev's mother, which she wrote to her son in Berlin in February 1839, has been preserved. It contains the following phrase: “We got Trishka like Pugachev - that is, he is in Smolensk, and we are cowardly in Bolkhov.” Trishka was caught the following month; he was tracked down and arrested in Dukhovshchinsky district.
The capture of Trishka was a real special operation. Knowing the robber's caution, he was caught under the guise of pursuing another person. Almost no one knew about the true purpose of the search - they were afraid to scare them away.
As a result, when the arrest did take place, a message appeared in the Smolenskiye Vedomosti about this as an event of extreme importance. However, until the 50s of the 19th century, legends about Trishka the Sibiryak continued to excite the nerves of landowners, concerned that someday Trishka would get in their way or get into their house.
The people loved Trishka and composed legends about him, where the robber appeared as a defender of the disadvantaged.
Vanka-Cain
The story of Vanka-Cain is dramatic and instructive. He can be called the first official thief of the Russian Empire. He was born in 1718, at the age of 16 he met a famous thief nicknamed “Kamchatka” and loudly left the landowner’s house where he served, robbed him, and wrote on the manor’s gate everything he thought about work: “The devil work, not me.” ".
Several times he was taken to the Secret Order, but each time he was released, so rumors began to spread that Ivan Osipov (that was Cain’s real name) was “getting lucky.” The Moscow thieves decided to choose him as their leader. A little time passed, and Vanka was already “commanding” a gang of 300 people. So he became the uncrowned king of the underworld.
However, on December 28, 1741, Ivan Osipov returned to the Detective Prikaz and wrote a “repentant petition”, and even offered his services in catching his own comrades, and became the official informer of the Detective Prikaz.
The very first police operation, based on his tip, uncovered a gathering of thieves in the deacon's house - a catch of 45 people. That same night, 20 members of Yakov Zuev’s gang were taken from the archpriest’s house. And in the Tatar baths of Zamoskvorechye they tied up 16 deserters and opened the underground with weapons.
However, Vanka Cain did not live in peace. He had a penchant for extravagance and luxury, and got burned by the kidnapping of the 15-year-old daughter of “retired serviceman” Taras Zevakin, corruption and banal racketeering.
The case dragged on for 6 years, until in 1755 the court rendered a verdict - flogged, wheeled, beheaded. But in February 1756 the Senate commuted the sentence. Cain was given whips, his nostrils were torn out, and he was branded with the word V.O.R. and sent to hard labor - first to the Baltic Rogervik, from there to Siberia. Where he died
Nothing sounds better to the ear than a firm, stern, and quickly memorable pirate name. When people became sea robbers, they often changed their names in order to make it difficult for the authorities to identify them. For others, the name change was purely symbolic: the newly minted pirates were mastering not only a new activity, but also a completely new life, which some preferred to enter with a new name.
In addition to the many pirate names, there are also many recognizable pirate nicknames. Nicknames have always been an integral part of gangster culture, and pirates were no exception in this regard. We will talk about the most common pirate nicknames, analyze their origins and provide a list of the most popular ones.
- Blackbeard. The origin of the nickname is very trivial. had a thick black beard, and, according to legend, before battle he wove burning wicks into it, the smoke of which made him look like the devil himself from the underworld.
- Calico Jack. Nickname pirate, so he was dubbed for his love for various decorations made of chintz fabric.
- Spaniard Killer. This is what they called the famous man who was cruel and ruthless towards the Spaniards.
- Red, Bloody Henry. Two nicknames that belonged to the famous pirate. The first nickname has a direct relation to the color of his hair, and the second - to his far from merciful deeds.
- Gentleman Pirates. A nickname given to him due to his aristocratic origins.
- Vulture. Nickname of a French pirate. It is not entirely clear why this nickname stuck to him; apparently, it somehow better reflected his character and temper.
- Lanky John. Pirate nickname of a fictional pirate. In addition to this nickname, he had one more - Ham.
- Black Corsair. Nickname of the main character in the novel of the same name by Emilio Salgari.
These were the nicknames of the most famous real and fictional pirates. If you need unique thematic names, then in the Corsairs Online game, when creating a character, you have at your disposal a pirate nickname generator, you can try to pick up something interesting for yourself.
Pirate nicknames for a party
If you are throwing a pirate-themed party and need to somehow name everyone present, then the list below should help you with this.
Between two robbers- an expression describing the nature of the death of Jesus Christ, whose cross, according to the Gospels, was erected between the crucifixions of the criminals Dismas and Gestas, who received the nickname of the Prudent and Mad Thieves.
In a figurative meaning - a person who finds himself in a situation (company) that disgraces him, but at the same time retaining his positive qualities.
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✪ Scarlet primrose. 1982 film
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Gospel Description
| They also led two villains with Him to death. And when they came to a place called Lobnoye, they crucified Him and the villains there, one on the right and the other on the left... One of the hanged villains slandered Him and said: “if you are the Christ, save yourself and us”. |
On the contrary, in brief stories about this in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, Jesus was reviled by both thieves (Matthew, Mark).
The repentant thief received the nickname “ Reasonable"And, according to legend, he was the first to enter heaven. The thief is remembered in the Orthodox chants of Good Friday when reading Twelve Gospels: « You have vouchsafed the prudent thief in one hour to heaven, O Lord.", and his words on the cross became the beginning of the Lenten succession of figurative: " Remember me, Lord, when you come into Your Kingdom».
Interpretation in Christianity
The difference between the text of the Evangelist Luke and the texts of the other synoptics is explained by the fact that at first the future Prudent Thief also participated in the blasphemy of Christ, but then repented.
It is traditionally believed that the Prudent Thief was the first saved person of all those who believed in Christ and was the third inhabitant of heaven from people (after Enoch and Elijah, who were taken to heaven alive). The story of the Prudent Robber going to heaven is not just an illustration of the villain’s repentance. It is interpreted by the church as God’s willingness to grant forgiveness to a dying person even at the very last moment.
The question of the pious thief was considered in most detail by John Chrysostom in his conversation “ About the cross and the thief, and about the second coming of Christ, and about unceasing prayer for enemies" The saint, studying the repentance of the thief and the church tradition that he was the first to enter heaven, draws the following conclusions:
- Christ, being crucified, insulted, spat upon, reviled, dishonored, performs a miracle - he changed the vicious soul of the robber;
- Chrysostom deduces the greatness of the soul of the thief from comparing him with the Apostle Peter: “ when Peter denied the debt, then the thief confessed grief" At the same time, the saint, without blaspheming Peter, says that the disciple of Christ could not bear the threat of an insignificant girl, and the robber, seeing how the people were screaming, raging and blaspheming the crucified Christ, did not pay attention to them, but with the eyes of faith “ knew the Lord of heaven»;
- Chrysostom draws attention to the fact that the pious thief, unlike other people, “ I did not see the dead resurrected, nor the demons expelled, I did not see the obedient sea; Christ told him nothing about the kingdom or Gehenna", but at the same time he " confessed Him before everyone else».
In addition, this precedent formed the basis of the Catholic concept of baptism of desire (Baptismus Flaminis), which is interpreted as follows: if someone wished to be baptized, but could not due to insurmountable circumstances be properly baptized, he can still be saved by the grace of God.
The faith of the prudent thief as a model to be followed by all Christians is one of the oldest in church sermons (the earliest was written no later than 125 AD by Saint Aristides).
Prophecies
Apocryphal stories
Origin of the Robbers
Unlike the Gospels, which do not provide details about the people among whom Christ was crucified, apocryphal literature contains an extensive set of traditions.
Apocrypha "The Word about the Tree of the Cross" includes a description of the origins of the two robbers: during the flight to Egypt, the Holy Family settled in the desert next to the robber, who had two sons. But his wife, who had only one breast, could not feed them both. The Virgin Mary assisted her in feeding - she fed that child, who was then crucified on the right side of Christ and repented before death:
A common legend about Mysterious drop says that the Holy Family was captured by robbers, and Mary, seeing the dying baby in the arms of the robber’s wife, took him, and only a drop of her milk touched his lips, he recovered.
"The Word about the Tree of the Cross" does not report the names of these robbers, unlike "Gospel of Nicodemus" which calls them Dijman- a prudent robber, and Gesta- one who blasphemed Christ. Also in this "Gospels" contains a description of the surprise of the Old Testament righteous people who were led out of hell by Christ and saw the thief who had gone to heaven before them. The author of the apocrypha gives the following story from Dijman:
...I was a robber, committing all sorts of atrocities on earth. And the Jews nailed me to the cross along with Jesus, and I saw everything that was done by the cross of the Lord Jesus, on which the Jews crucified Him, and I believed that He is the creator of all things and the Almighty King. And I asked Him: “Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom!” And immediately accepting my prayer, He said to me: “Amen, I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” And He gave me the sign of the cross, saying: “Carry this on your way to heaven.”.
In medieval art, the Prudent Thief is sometimes depicted accompanying Jesus during the Descent into Hell, although this interpretation is not based on any surviving texts.
Cross of the Prudent Thief
There is an apocryphal version of the origin of the tree for the cross of the Prudent Thief. According to legend, Seth received from the angel not only a branch from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but also another one, which he later lit on the banks of the Nile and which burned for a long time with an unquenchable fire. When Lot sinned with his daughters, God told him to atone for redemption by planting three brands from that fire and watering them until a large tree grew. The cross of the pious thief was then made from this wood.
The Cross of the Prudent Robber, according to the traditional version, was installed by Empress Helena on the island of Cyprus in 327. It contained a particle of the Life-Giving Cross and one of the nails with which the body of Christ was pierced. The Monk Daniel reports about this cross in his "The Walking of Abbot Daniel"(XII century):
Daniel repeats the earliest record of the Stavrovouni monastery, surviving from 1106, which tells of a cypress cross supported in the air by the Holy Spirit. In 1426, the robber's cross was stolen by the Mamelukes, but a few years later, as monastic tradition says, it was miraculously returned to its original place. However, then the shrine disappeared again and remains unfound to this day.
A small piece of the Prudent Robber's Cross is kept in the Roman Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme. Her appearance in Rome is associated with Empress Helena.
Cross of the Mad Bandit
The history of the material for the cross on which the Mad Robber was crucified is contained in the Russian apocrypha " A Word about the Tree of the Cross"(-XVI century). According to him, the cross was made from a tree planted by Moses at the bitter-salty source of Marrah (Ex.) from three branches of a tree woven together, brought from paradise during the global flood. During the excavations of Saint Helena in Jerusalem, three crosses were found for her " one is the blessed one, on whom Christ hung, and the others, on whom two thieves were crucified and died" However, the cross of the Mad Robber was not recognized as a relic and its further fate is unknown.
Names of the robbers
The names of the Prudent and Mad robbers are known from the apocrypha, which, however, call them differently:
The prudent robber Dismas
Dijman and Gesta(in the Western version - Dismas and Gestas (Dismas and Gestas)) is the most common form of names for robbers in Catholicism. The name "Dismas" is derived from the Greek word for "sunset" or "death." Spelling options include Dysmas, Dimas and even Dumas.
The feast day of Saint Dismas is celebrated on March 25th. A city in California, San Dimas, is named after him. Saint Dismas is the patron saint of prisoners; many prison chapels are dedicated to him.
The prudent robber Rakh
"Rah"- the name of a robber, most often found in Orthodox icon painting. Domestic researchers cannot find literary sources of the origin of this name. Perhaps the evolution of the name Barbarian-Varakh-Rah. An icon with his image was placed on the northern altar doors of the iconostasis.
Iconography
Art historians note that the robbers on the sides of Christ in scenes of the Crucifixion appeared starting from the 5th-6th centuries (the earliest known image is an icon from the monastery of St. Catherine, dating from the 6th century).
The prudent thief was crucified on the right side of Christ (right hand), so the Savior’s head is often written inclined in this direction. This indicates his acceptance of a repentant criminal. In Russian icon painting, the inclined crossbar under the feet of Jesus is also usually directed upward towards the Prudent Thief. The prudent robber was written with his face turned to Jesus, and the Mad Thief was written with his head turned away or even his back turned.
Artists sometimes emphasized the difference between Jesus and the thieves on either side of him, as well as the difference between the two criminals:
| Jesus Christ | Robbers | |
|---|---|---|
| cloth | loincloth | perizoma |
| cross | Life-giving cross, clear geometric shapes |
ugly, wild, curved trunks, T-shaped cross |
| fastening | nails | tied with ropes |
| hands | straight, elongated | tied behind the cross |
| pose | peaceful | writhing |
| shins | are kept intact | killed by warriors swinging hammers |
You can also trace the differences between the two robbers, the Prudent and the Mad: in the first centuries of Christianity, when the memory of the ancient beardless ideal of male beauty was still preserved, the Prudent robber did not have a beard, and the Mad was bearded. But with the development of the Christian worldview, the beard became one of the important signs of the image of Christ in a person, and therefore the beard became an attribute of positive characters (Jesus and the Prudent Thief), and the third executed man became beardless.
In Russian icon painting, the image of the Prudent Thief, in addition to traditional compositions of the Crucifixion of Christ, is also placed:
- in the scene of the descent into hell (connected with the illustration of the apocryphal legends “The Tale of the Entry of John the Baptist into Hell” and “About the Robber Who Suffered with Christ”). The scene of the dialogue between the Pious Thief and the prophets Elijah and Enoch at the gates of heaven, guarded by a fiery cherub, is depicted;
- on the northern doors of the altar leading to the altar. The robber is depicted on a white background surrounded by paradise attributes (flowers, birds, plant shoots), which symbolically indicates his stay in paradise. A cross is traditionally placed in the hands of the Pious Thief. In the mid-19th century, it was widely believed that the placement of this image on the northern doors of the altar was an Old Believer tradition, but this is probably explained by the relocation of ancient icons to Old Believer churches and prayer houses after the reforms of Patriarch Nikon.
Reverence
The Orthodox Church venerates the Prudent Thief as an example of true repentance (see the “” section for more details). The prudent robber does not have a separate day of remembrance in the month. His story is reflected in hymnography (especially in the chants of Good Friday; the most famous is the luminary " Thou hast vouchsafed the prudent thief in one hour of heaven..."), and the words of the thief addressed to Jesus Christ became the refrain to the troparions for the blessed. Also, a mention of the Prudent Thief is contained in the prayer read before communion, in which the repentance of the thief and his confession of Jesus Christ are contrasted with the betrayal of Judas: “ I will not tell your enemy the secret, nor give you a kiss like Judas, but like a thief I will confess to you».
Throughout the pre-revolutionary history of Russia, the peasantry experienced oppression from the landowners, and therefore treated with sympathy those who fought the oppressors. Therefore, popular rumor made robbers, even those very far from the ideals of justice, almost heroes opposing the unjust tsarist order. After all, they, as a rule, robbed landowners and merchants, and not those from whom there was nothing to take. But some robbers managed to go down in history, and their names are remembered even centuries later.
Mythical Kudeyar
One of the legendary characters is Kudeyar, the ataman, whose name is given to numerous villages, caves and burial mounds in Russia. There are many stories and legends about him, but it is still not known for certain whether they are true.Information about its origin appears in many sources of the 16th century and differs. The most common version is that the ataman was the son of Vasily III and his wife Solomiya. She gave birth to him in a monastery, to which she was exiled for being infertile, after which Kudeyar was taken to the forests, where he was raised secretly. In addition, according to this information, it follows that the ataman was the brother of Ivan the Terrible and could well lay claim to the royal throne.
Other sources indicate that Kudeyar was the son of the prince of Transylvania - Zsigmond Bathory. After a quarrel with his father, he ran away and joined the Cossacks, and also served as a guardsman for the Tsar. After the tsar's disgrace, he began to make a living in robbery.
According to legend, Kudeyar put together his own army of robbers and robbed the carts of the rich.
Due to numerous raids and robberies, residents of many Russian provinces associated him with a symbol of terrifying power. Legends say that he left behind untold wealth, which no one has been able to find until now.
Stenka Razin: violent robber or hero?
The main rebel of the 17th century was Stepan Timofeevich Razin, nicknamed Stenka. He was not just a daring Don Cossack and ataman, but also a good organizer, leader and military man.In connection with the tightening of serfdom, peasants who fled from the internal provinces of Russia began to flock to the Cossack regions. They had no roots and property, so they were called “golutvennye”. Stepan was one of them. Supplying the “golytba” with the necessary provisions, local Cossacks helped them in thieves’ campaigns. They, in turn, shared the spoils. For the people, Razin was a “noble robber” and a hero who hated serfdom and the tsar.
Under his leadership, in 1670, a campaign against the Volga was organized, accompanied by numerous peasant uprisings. Cossack order was introduced in every captured city, merchants were robbed, and government officials were killed. In the autumn of the same year, the chieftain was seriously wounded and taken to the Don. Having grown stronger, Stepan again wanted to gather supporters, but the local Cossacks did not agree with this. In the spring of 1671, they stormed the town of Kagalitsky, where Razin was hiding. After which he was captured (along with his brother Frol) and handed over to the royal governors. After the verdict was pronounced, Stepan was quartered.
Vanka-Cain
Vanka-Cain is a famous robber and thief of the 18th century. Ivan Osipov was born in the village of Ivanovo, Yaroslavl province, into a peasant family. At the age of 13, he was transported to the master's courtyard in Moscow, and at 16, having met a thief nicknamed "Kamchatka", he decided to join his gang, simultaneously robbing his master and writing down the master's gate. With the words “the devil work, not me,” Osipov clearly described his position in life.Soon it was returned to its former owner. While Vanka was in the shackles, he learned that the owner had a “sin.” When guests came to the master, he told everyone that due to the owner’s omission, a garrison soldier died, whose body was thrown into a well. For this denunciation Vanka-Cain received his freedom, and returning to his gang he became their leader.
In 1741, Osipov wrote a “repentant petition”, where he said that he himself was a thief and was ready to assist in the capture of his accomplices. With his help, many deserters, thieves and bandits were caught. For the betrayal of “his own” he received the nickname “Cain”.
But he didn't stop there. He was arrested in 1749 for kidnapping the 15-year-old daughter of a retired serviceman. And only in 1755 the court decided to execute Vanka-Cain by flogging and beheading, but the sentence was commuted by the Senate. In 1756 he was flogged and his nostrils were torn out. Having branded Cain “V.O.R,” he was sent into exile, where he died.
Vasily Churkin: Guslitsky Robin Hood.
Vasily Vasilyevich Churkin became a prominent character of the criminal world in the 19th century. The exact date of birth is unknown. It is assumed that he was born between 1844-1846, in the village of Barskaya, Guslitskaya volost.Young Churkin began his “career” in a gang of Guslitsky robbers who operated in 1870 on the highways: from Moscow to Vladimir. Later, due to the serious illness of the leader, the pack broke up. Here Vasily was not at a loss and in 1873 he created his own gang. He was soon caught, but did not remain under arrest for long because he escaped.
In addition to robberies, Vasily and his gang helped the poor, thereby winning popular fame and recognition. He robbed only rich barns, and collected a small tribute of 25 rubles from factory owners several times a year. The manufacturers did not mention his name, so as not to bring trouble on their own heads. Thus, Churkin created a reliable rear for himself, which protected him from the police. He never raised his dachshund and severely punished those who violated this custom.
When it became unsafe to stay in Guslitsy, Vasily hid in other places. There are many versions of the death of Guslitsky Robin Hood, but the exact cause remains unknown.
Trishka the Siberian
Another folk hero of the 19th century was Trishka the Siberian. Quite a bit of information about the criminal authority has been preserved, however, according to legends, he terrified the landowners and nobles. The people composed legends and fairy tales about him, representing the robber as a protector of the disadvantaged. He was unusually careful and cunning. Carrying out raids on the farms of landowners, Trishka the Siberian gave part of the loot to the serfs. People said that he didn’t offend anyone too much, but he could punish the “dashing peasant” master, for example, by cutting the veins under the knees so that he wouldn’t run “fast.” This is how he taught them “wits.”
Even after his arrest, rumors about him did not allow the nobles to live in peace for a long time. And they caught him only because the search for Trishka was a closely guarded secret, since the authorities were wary of his ingenuity and cunning. The further fate of Trishka-Sibiryak is unknown.
