"Svetoslavich, the Enemy’s Pet" by Alexander Veltman, summary Automatic translate

This book is an early example of Slavic historical fantasy, published in 1835. The plot centers on a mystical struggle between good and evil, unfolding against the backdrop of historical events in Ancient Rus’ during the Christian era. The author blends historical facts with pagan mythology, folklore, and fairy tale motifs.

The curse of Svetoslav and the reign of Vladimir

In Kyiv, Prince Svyatoslav and his wife Inegilda argue over the name of their unborn child. In a fit of rage, the prince curses the child in its mother’s womb, crying, "Damn your womb!" Dark forces register this curse. The evil spirits dwelling in the Dnieper Pool conduct a kind of casting, a meticulous selection of candidates for the status of earthly ruler. They want to raise the cursed infant as a pagan and banish the Christian cross from the Kyivan hills. The evil spirit secretly steals the child. Leaving his wife in fear, Svyatoslav sets out on a military campaign beyond the Danube. There, he perishes at the hands of his enemies.

Vladimir’s uncle, Dobrynya, serves as a trusted negotiator. He proposes that the Novgorodians elect his nephew as their prince. The Novgorodians gladly accept. Vladimir arrives in Novgorod and visits the ancient pagan temple of the god Volos. During a sacrificial rite, he notices a beautiful girl in the upper window. The image of the young stranger is forever imprinted in his memory. The people welcome the new ruler, calling him the Red Sun. Vladimir accepts power, kisses the golden seal, and vows to defend the Novgorod land. The locals believe in his wisdom and justice. Vladimir rules with integrity, but longing for the beautiful maiden troubles him.

Miraculous Growing Up and the Will of the Underwater King

Mokosh, the guardian of the prince’s sacred meadows, finds a baby in the forest. The child lies in a cradle suspended from the branches of a linden tree. Invisible beings feed and care for the boy. The next day, Mokosh sees that the boy has grown and looks five years old, and the day after that, ten. The young man confesses that a dark force is raising him, preventing him from interacting with people. Mokosh tells him of the beautiful Virgin Mary, who lives in a Kyivan tower. The young man is consumed with desire to see her. He makes his way into the garden, but a thunderstorm carries him away.

A dark cloud transports the young man directly to the Dnieper Pool. The Underwater King reveals to Svetoslavich the terrible secret of his origin. The Pool shows the young man the ghost of his father, Prince Svetoslav, who has lost his head. The dark forces give Svetoslavich a strict task, a clear list of mandatory conditions: the young man must obtain his father’s skull. His savage Bosnian enemies have fashioned this skull into a banquet bowl. In exchange for the skull, the Pool promises Svetoslavich power over Kiev and the love of a beautiful maiden. The young man agrees to this dark bargain. He is ready to fulfill the underwater king’s will for the sake of the beautiful Maria.

The Search for a Bride and the History of the Tsar Maiden

In Novgorod, Vladimir seeks a bride. Dobrynya proposes to him the proud Rokgilda, daughter of the Polotsk prince Rogvold. Prince Yaropolk of Kiev also seeks her hand, seeking to consolidate his power. Vladimir sets out overseas but is captured en route by the Swedish king Erik. The king brings him to Uppsala, receives the captive as a dear guest, and offers his daughter Malfrida in marriage. Upon learning from the cunning merchant Rafn that Malfrida secretly loves the exiled knight Okke, Vladimir abandons the wedding. He helps the lovers escape and returns home, preparing for war with his brother Yaropolk.

At a riotous feast, a gusli player tells Vladimir the story of the Tsar Maiden. The Horde hetman had a long-awaited daughter, but a cunning soothsayer declared her to be his son. The girl was raised as a boy from infancy, trained in the rigors of war. She grew up to be a mighty warrior in golden forged armor. The hero Kolechishche procured for her a damask sword (kladenets) and a magnificent white horse in the north. The Tsar Maiden easily defeats all her renowned opponents in tournaments, but suffers deeply from her forced deception. She sets off for the Russian lands to find a worthy opponent. The legend intertwines with the real events of the impending war.

The wanderings of Svyatoslavich and the capture of Polotsk

Young Svetoslavich sets out east to retrieve his father’s skull. Along the way, he rudely rejects human help and ignores pagan priests. The youth rescues the maiden Vojana from the bandit Zuvvel. It turns out that Vojana is the daughter of the Bosniak župan (king) Marko. The župan accepts Svetoslavich, offering him Vojana in marriage and his kingdom. Svetoslavich learns that Marko has already given Svetoslav’s skull to the Byzantine king. The youth rides to Byzantium, forcibly takes the skull from the old monk-king in a mountain cave, and hurries back to the Dnieper.

Vladimir, with his loyal Varangian retinue, besieges Polotsk. The city falls, and Prince Rogvold and his sons are killed in battle. Vladimir mercifully spares Roggilda, and she agrees to marry him. Vladimir’s army rapidly advances on Kyiv. Meanwhile, Yaropolk flees in fear to the city of Rivne. The Horde hetman leads his regiments to Yaropolk’s aid. In a fierce battle near Rivne, the Novgorodians retreat under the onslaught of superior forces. Suddenly, a warrior in golden armor appears on the battlefield — the Tsar Maiden. She engages the hetman himself. The hetman strikes a heavy blow with his sword and, to his horror, recognizes his own daughter in the dying warrior. The Tsar Maiden dies.

Substitution of the prince and the return of the legitimate ruler

Returning to the Dnieper with the recovered skull, Svetoslavich encounters Vladimir’s warriors. Due to his phenomenal resemblance, the warriors mistake Svetoslavich for their prince. Dark forces employ a mass delusion, forcing people to believe the illusion. Svetoslavich takes Vladimir’s place at the head of the army. The people of Kiev surrender the city to the false Vladimir without a fight. Svetoslavich enters Kyiv and meets with Rokgilda. She refuses him intimacy as long as Yaropolk is alive. Blinded by bestial passion, Svetoslavich orders the Varangians to kill his brother.

The real Vladimir is defeated in a night battle. In despair, he gallops through the dense forest after the mystical apparition of the Tsar Maiden, loses consciousness, and finds himself in the humble hut of a wise old man. The old man nurses the wounded prince back to health. Vladimir disguises himself in the dark robes of a simple monk and secretly enters the Kievan tower. There, the pious Maria immediately recognizes him. Vladimir is horrified to learn of the vile murder of Yaropolk, committed by the Varangians, allegedly in his own name. Meanwhile, the Varangians execute Yaropolk, fulfilling the direct orders of Vladimir’s demonic double. The legitimate prince realizes the scale of the disaster looming over Rus’.

The finale of a mystical intrigue

Svyatoslavich becomes completely disillusioned with people and the cold Rockgilda. He takes his father’s skull and prepares to throw it into the turbulent waters of the Dnieper to complete his deal with Omut. Late at night, he sneaks into the prince’s lodge and sees Rockgilda there, knife raised. Suddenly, a blinding flash of lightning and a deafening roar of thunder. Dark forces engulf Svyatoslavich, and he vanishes without a trace. The haze lifts. The true Vladimir regains his rightful power. He embraces Christianity, baptizes the people of Kyiv in the waters of the Dnieper, and brings peace to Rus’. The people praise their just ruler.