| The Tale of Igor's Campaign (Old East Slavic: ????? ? ????? ???????, Slovo o polku Igoreve) is an anonymous epic poem written in the Old East Slavic language. The title is also occasionally translated as The Song of Igor's Campaign, The Lay of Igor's Campaign.
The poem gives an account of a failed raid of Igor Svyatoslavich (d. 1202). The authenticity of the poem is disputed. Prevailing current opinion is that the poem is authentic and dates to the medieval period (late 12th century).
The Tale has been compared to other epic poems including The Song of Roland, the Daredevils of Sasun, and The Song of the Nibelungs.
The plot of this classic work is based on a failed raid of Kniaz Igor Svyatoslavich, Prince of Novgorod-Seversk (of the Chernigov principality of ancient Rus') against the Polovtsians (Cumans) living in the southern part of the Don region in 1185.
Other Rus' historical figures are mentioned, including the bard Boyan, the princes Vseslav of Polotsk, Yaroslav Osmomysl of Halych, and Vsevolod the Big Nest of Suzdal. The author appeals to the warring Rus' princes, pleading for unity in the face of the constant threat from the Turkic East.
An interesting aspect of the text is its mix of Christianity and ancient Slavic religion. Igor's wife Yaroslavna famously invokes natural forces and Gods from the walls of Putyvl. Christian motifs present along with depersonalised pagan Gods in the form of artistic images: Svarog, Dazhd’bog and etc. Another aspect, which sets the book apart from contemporary Western epics, are its numerous and vivid descriptions of nature, and the role which nature plays in human lives.
VEDAN KOLOD:
Tatiana Naryshkina – soloist vocal, big drum, buben, flute, buzuki, vargan, kaluka.
Valerii Naryshkin – vocal, gusli, buben, vargan, flute, buzuki, gudok, kaluka, war horn.
Daryana Antipova – vocal, drum, buben, voice, sharkuncy
Special guest – Lev Skvortsov. Professor of Literature Institute of Gorkyi (1934 – 2014).
Lev Ivanovich Skvortsov, doctor of Philology, Professor of the Department of Russian language and stylistics at the Gorky Literary Institute. Author of more than 400 scientific, popular science, literary and artistic publications (including about 30 books and dictionaries). Born on July 10, 1934 in Suzdal, Vladimir region. Graduated from Lomonosov Moscow state University. Member of the Russian writers ’ Union. Academician of the Academy of Russian language and literature.
Was Daryana’s professor at Gorky Literary Institute.
The band originally hails from Krasnojarsk, Siberia’s third largest city, but has spent many years in Moscow and was also involved in different international artistic projects. They started out fifteen years ago and in the early days mainly focussed on medieval sounds. Their first album Tribes from 2005 centred around the tradition of shamanic music from Siberia. Its follow-up, The Tale Of Igor's Campaign, was the result of dealing creatively with a medieval manuscript. Gorodische finally took a closer look at the late Middle Ages and was recorded primarily on medieval instruments. In the years following, Vedan Kolod then put their focus mainly on experimental world music. |
