Summary of “Zakhar Berkut” Frank
Boyar Tugar Wolf comes to the Carpathian village of Tukhla. Prince Daniel granted him these lands. The wolf sets out to hunt bears with guests and the brave, beautiful daughter, Miroslava. She received a male education, possesses a strong spirit and possesses the skills of a true knight. “There’s a girl! Such a man would be a man to be” – admire the Tyler, seeing her. The conductor boyars take Maxim Berkut, son of the authoritative in the rural community of the elder Zakhar.
During the hunt, Miroslava falls into the den of the bear. At the decisive moment from death, she is rescued by Maxim. As a token of gratitude, the girl warmly squeezes the rescuer’s hand. Young people are fascinated by each other.
Maxim Berkut leads Tugar and Miroslav to his village. Tukhla is in a valley surrounded on all sides by rocks, in a kind of boiler. Here falls a mountain stream by a waterfall, “wriggling with a snake through the valley”. The young
In the canyon they see the Watchman – a huge stone pillar, the Tuchole shrine. Maxim tells a legend about him. Once there was a huge lake on the site of the village, the power over which was the goddess of Moran’s death. There was nothing alive in it. Once the king of giants quarreled with Moran, broke the rocks surrounding the lake, all the water from it emerged and lost its strength. Then the goddess of death turned the king into this stone. Now he protects the valley.
Maxim dares to ask the hands of Miroslava from her father. The wolf is furious: he considers insolence impudent slave. Maxim answers him:
You have risen too high on the wings of pride, but beware! Fate usually most highly raises those who are going to be pushed below all.
The girl swears before the sun, what will happen to Maxim and kisses him. The boyar is stunned, but his daughter does not
“Zakhar Berkut was gray as a dove, an elder, the eldest in the entire Tuchol community, he was over ninety years old… tall, majestic, with austere face…” In his youth, he walked a lot on other edges, observed customs and morals, learned medicine and for many years already unerringly selects medicinal herbs. Three years he spent in the monastery of the monastery. Zakhar grew stronger in mind and spirit and returned to his native village not only as a doctor, but also as a citizen. To Zakharov’s word they listen even in other villages that live freely, like Tukhla.
But the boyars did not like this situation very much; they were waiting for the coming of the war, as if there were some kind of a holiday, for then they were smiling with hope – to immediately take power into their own hands…
And now the old man is present at the community court. Tugar Volk did many things in their region. Not wanting to recognize the independent way of life of the Tucholts, the boyar tried to show his power and superiority over them. The cruel punishment of the forest ranger becomes the limit of people’s patience.
At the trial the elders call on Tugar to come to them to recognize them as free people or leave the region. They already have an enemy – the Mongolian horde is approaching, exciting and destroying everything in its path. The wolf offers the Touchelites to unite with him against the enemy. He is an experienced and brave fighter: he participated in inter-war wars and was already fighting against the Mongols on the Kalka River. But among the villagers there is a cripple exposing the boyar’s lies. Tucholets fought along with Volk. Tugar kills a mole with an ax in the eyes of the community, not allowing to reveal the secret. The community promises to expel the boyar from his land.
A wolf with his daughter arrives at the camp of the Mongols. Tugar knows their language and promises to help in conquering the region: he will lead them in a safe short way. Miroslava with horror understands that her beloved father is a traitor to his homeland, and knowledge of the Mongolian language testifies that betrayal is not the first. The wolf leaves in the evening with the army, promising his daughter not to kill Maxim.
Maxim with other fellows comes to the boyar’s estate. Tucholtsy unite against Tugar with his soldiers. Here they are attacked by Mongols led by Volk. They interrupt all but Berkut: knowing that captivity for Maxim is worse than death, the boyar takes him prisoner.
In Tuhle already know about the bloody battle. Miroslava appears and tells Max’s plan: people need to leave the village without leaving a crumb of bread there, and close the way out of the hollow to the Mongols. Only so they can win.
As soon as the enemy enters the valley, the villagers throw stones at the exit. The army tries to climb the rocks, but the Tucholts give them a rebuff. Protect Ruthenians and all forest paths. The Mongols are burning the village, fearing the Tucholt attack from the roofs of the houses. Miroslava makes his way to the enemy camp – here her father and Maxim. From the Mongol military commander, the girl received the ring of Mstislav, obtained in the battle of Kalka. With it it is always missed. Maxim, seeing his beloved, lights up with a desire to live.
Tugar is going to talk to Zakhar. The Wolf’s hatred for Maxim gradually fades away, it is replaced by admiration for the steadfastness of the spirit and honesty of the young man. Boyarin asks in exchange for Maxim to release them from the basin. Zahar refuses. The elder understands that he can not exchange the life of one person on the lives of entire villages, which the Mongols are going to attack. Miroslava in despair. Tucholtsy come up with another plan: they roll the Watchman and build a wall of stones: this wall blocks the outlet of the water from the source. Now she will gather in the valley.
Having unraveled their plan, Maxim hopes to be saved by concluding an agreement with the chief of the Mongolian army. Only when the water is already arriving in the valley, it shows a secret passage into the forest, where the Tucholians are now. But the water is flooding the dug-out. The governor does not let go of Maxim: although the young man did not deceive, the Mongols can not leave anyway. The enemy army builds a platform of stones, which they attacked Tucholtsi, then to be saved on them. But when the valley is completely filled with water, it does not help. Some are drowning, others are swallowed up by a whirlpool, others kill each other for a place on the rocks. The Mongolian chief again offers to exchange Maxim for the remnants of his army, but Zakhar, realizing how terrible the revenge of the Mongol with the new army is, refuses. The voevoda wants to hack Maxim with an ax, but Tugar saves the young man. The Mongolian chief and Maxim fall into the water.
Maxim is saved. Zahar blesses the happy Miroslava and Maxim. Zahar feels that his hour has come and before the death speaks parting words:
Today’s our victory is a great thing for us… while you live in a communal system, keep together, unshakably stand for one and one for all – until then no enemy force will defeat you.
Zakhar predicts bad times for the people: “A brother will abandon his brother, a son will renounce his father, and great strife and strife will begin in the Russian land… and then all the people will fall into bondage to strangers and their rapists, and they will make him a humble servant his whims and working will… But sooner, whether later, he will remember the life of his ancestors and wish to follow in their footsteps… These will be fine days, days of spring, days for the revival of the people! “
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