Russian Heroic Epic

Summary

In the book "Russian Heroic Epic," Vladimir Yakovlevich Propp explores the origins, structure, and artistic nature of bylinas—the gems of Old Russian oral tradition—with remarkable depth and subtlety. The author immerses the reader in a world of heroic feats, unveiling the inner laws of epic construction, its symbolism, and motifs. Propp traces the evolution of heroic figures, analyzes their connection to historical realities and mythological archetypes, and reveals the unique worldview reflected in bylina plots. The book becomes not only a scholarly work but also a kind of guide to the mysterious and majestic world of the Russian epic, where past and present, fiction and truth, dream and reality merge into one.