Legend: The golden horses of Batu Khan - the most beautiful game in the world - the game of light in a diamond. Batu Khan's golden horses - legendary treasures, exact location

The legend of two golden horses, which for many years adorned the gates of the capitals of the Golden Odra - Sarai-Batu and Sarai-Berke, and then suddenly disappeared, dates back to the time of one of the greatest events in the history of the Russian state - the Battle of Kulikovo. The horses were made in full size by order of Batu Khan.

In historical chronicles, it is stated that the gates of the capital of the Golden Horde - Saray Batu - were decorated with life-size golden horses of the so-called "solar suit".

The grandson of Genghis Khan decided to make his grandfather's dream come true - to create a world empire of the Mongols and reach the great sea. In 1240, Batu besieged and captured Kiev, taking rich booty. Then he decided to lay the capital of his own kingdom. So in 1243 in the Volga lands appeared Golden Horde. The empire included Western Siberia, Northern Khorezm, Volga Bulgaria, North Caucasus, Crimea, Desht-i-Kipchak (steppes from the Irtysh to the Danube). Batu Khan not only strengthened his vast possessions, but also decided to decorate the capital and the court with such luxury that not only his numerous relatives, the Mongol khans, but himself chinese emperor. Gardens, carved mosques, fountains, plumbing - what was not in the capital of the Golden Horde! The income from the rich Kiev booty went to decorate Batu's chambers with brocade and silk, Persian carpets. He wanted everyone entering the capital to immediately understand that he had visited the domain of the greatest ruler in the world.

But the golden horses were not destined to forever stand with their heads proudly raised at the gates of the great capital... The legend says that after the defeat on the Kulikovo field, the wounded Khan Mamai returned to Saray-Berke, where he died. He was supposedly buried under the city's protective wall and, as a token of gratitude for his military merits, they put him in the grave of one of the golden horses...
Historical truth does not always confirm folk tales. In fact, the defeat of Mamai in the battle with the Russian troops brought him, in addition to a physical wound, a spiritual wound - he lost power over the Golden Horde.
The uprisings of the Khan's nobility against Mamai followed one after another. Three times he was expelled from Saray-Berke. He had to rule western part The Golden Horde, which included the lower Volga region, the mouths of the Don and Dnieper, and most importantly, the Crimea. When Khan Tokhtamysh did not let Mamai into the capital for the fourth time, he had to continue his flight to the Crimea. There he was killed by the messengers of the new ruler of the Golden Horde.
It is doubtful that Khan Tokhtamysh ordered to put one of the golden horses in the grave of Mamai (even in the Crimea). But one cannot exclude the possibility that the horse really ended up in the grave, however, of another Khan of the Golden Horde, under the wall of Sarai-Berke ...
Much more interesting is the disappearance of the second golden horse from the gates of Sarai-Batu. The legend connects his disappearance with... the Cossacks! But how did the Cossacks know the way to the capitals of the Golden Horde? "Cossack" is a non-Russian word. It came to us from the steppe nomads, who from time immemorial raided the lands Eastern Slavs. For many years, the Khan's Golden Horde specially formed flying cavalry detachments from Russian and Ukrainian youths taken prisoner, calling them Cossacks. As a rule, going on another raid on the lands of the Eastern Slavs, the Horde let the Cossacks flock ahead of them, who were supposed to die first in a fight with their blood brothers. A turning point in the mood of the Cossack slaves occurred during the Battle of Kulikovo. At the decisive moment, they refused to be the vanguard in the attack on the Russian troops, turned aside, and after the defeat of Mamai with all the kosh, they went over to the side of the winners. By agreement with Dmitry Donskoy, the Cossacks remained a military camp on the Don, taking over the protection of the southern borders of Slavic Russia.

Now it becomes clear how the Cossacks knew the way to Sarai-Berka and Sarai-Batu, they knew about the golden horses standing at the gates of the capitals. As the old men used to say, in the Zavolzhsky Cossack villages (which is near the Astrakhan path), pursuing the retreating Horde troops, the Cossack patrols became so bold that they began to penetrate in small groups deep into the territory of the horde, which was decreasing every day. One such detachment, taking advantage of the panic in the camp of the enemy, broke right into the capital Sarai. And, as the Cossack Alekseevich once said, this detachment took possession of the city for several hours. (Lashchilin B. "It was." Nizhne-Volzhsky book publishing house, Volgograd, 1982, p.12). Now it is difficult to say whether the golden horses were the real purpose of the raid or whether they accidentally caught the eye of the Cossacks. In any case, planning such a daring action in advance is pointless - stealing heavy statues, which are the pride of the khan and the whole nation, is tantamount to suicide. However, the daring Cossack patrol broke off the base of one of the golden horses and turned back. The overloaded convoy moved very slowly, so the Horde had time to come to their senses and organize a chase. Sensing something was wrong, the Cossacks turned around and took an unequal battle. Those who were catching up were hundreds of times more catching up, so the outcome of the battle was a foregone conclusion: all the Cossacks died, no one surrendered, many times more Horde horsemen died. But the Horde never regained the golden horse. There was no statue near the mountain of corpses. The Cossacks could not take her far away - there was no time, which means they hid her and the rest of the treasures somewhere nearby.

In which of the steppe streams did the Cossacks throw the golden horse? One must think that they didn’t just abandon them, but, having made a dam, covered the valuable booty with sand, letting the river flow again along its course ... Were there horses at all? And if so, where is the first, and where is the second golden horse? To this day, there are no answers to these questions, but many treasure hunters still do not lose hope.

based on the materials of the Astrakhan Museum of Local Lore, the Encyclopedia of Miracles, Mysteries and Secrets and the Treasure Hunter's Library (http://kl1.ru/)

Another "oriental tale" from some shaggy Tsarkon. It is a pity that this competition was covered, I liked it very much.

Golden horses of Batu

Sain Khan died slowly and painfully. For many years, invisible shaitans twisted his fingers, pulled the tendons from his elbows and knees, hung like an unbearable load on his arms and legs. And now he didn't even have the strength to get up off the pillow. The golden embroidery of carpets blurred before my eyes, mixed up, folded into familiar images and figures. Sain Khan wiped the sweat from his forehead, sighed, chasing away the visions.
Vekil, waiting for orders behind the canopy of the tent, listened. Sain Khan was talking to someone.
- You carry me, and you - the last of my kind. My good ones ... - and strange sounds, as if the horse snorted, stepped over with its hooves. - While you are here, my city is eternal...
When the vekil looked into the tent, Sain Khan was lying motionless on the carpeted pillows. Swollen yellowish face, completely covered with red spots, closed eyes, heavy breathing. The servant slowly approached, amazed at how thin and weak the majestic and imperious khan, still yesterday, seemed frozen on precious bedspreads. Suddenly the ruler raised himself on the couch and looked at him in amazement.
- What is it knocking at me? - with a sharp movement, he threw forward swollen knotted hands, digging them into the wrists of the vekil. - Knocking.
Like a rockfall fell on the servant along with the touch of the dying khan. Hundreds of devils pounded with hammers in the veins of Sain Khan, so quickly and strongly that this sound deafened the old gatekeeper, echoed in his temples and heart. Vekil yanked his hands out of the tenacious red claws and staggered back, while Sain Khan grunted and slowly fell back onto the pillows. His eyes rolled back, and a thin trickle of saliva leaked from the corner of his mouth. He was dead.

Because of the fear experienced by the gatekeeper, because of the indistinct rustles and mutterings of the dying man, a legend arose that his golden horses came to Batu Khan before his death. Indeed, only to them could he say "my good ones."

Batu Khan was the right host. A nomad to the marrow of his bones, he somehow understood that real greatness does not come with military campaigns and victories, but with something more tangible and durable. Or maybe, destroying and burning other people's cities, all his life he felt envy of those who once built, created, grew them, like a shoot in callused palms. And to those who will raise them from the dust and ruins, when his shaggy, wild horde rolls back to their original boundaries, as the salty surf inevitably returns to the sea.
And then, to the point of pain, to a cramp in clenched jaws, he wanted his city. Its capital, the greatest and richest of all that existed on earth. Money, stone, slaves - nothing will be denied to the builders. The khan has everything - it is not for nothing that almost half of the world pays him a constant tribute. And the khan will spare nothing so that in the lower reaches of Itil his city rises and shines like a fabulous miracle for many centuries.
So Sarai-Batu was built - the capital of Batu Khan's ulus - a city that shook the imagination of contemporaries from other countries. A pearl necklace from mosques, palaces, handicraft quarters, adorned with the diamond of the Khan's palace - a shining diamond, because its walls and roof were covered with thin sheets of pure gold. Maybe then this part of the Great Horde began to be called Golden?
Around 1246, Batu Khan's favorite horse died. Human deaths could neither surprise nor touch the inhabitants of Sarai-Batu, any of whom still did not know in the morning whether he would live until evening, or with the light of the first stars his house would be plundered and burned, his wife given to another, and he himself would appear before the forefathers with report on their good and bad deeds. The Khan's anger was terrible and impetuous, the calculation was cruel and merciless, neither one nor the other gave the offender the slightest chance. And those who were far from the Khan's tent were in danger either in military campaigns or in ordinary sorties. But there were so many people, they flowed in rivers to the capital of the Golden Horde from Mongolia, the Kipchak steppes, from the Caucasian intermountains; and this Arabian horse was alone, so Batu Khan grieved greatly for his loss. He was too accustomed to arbitrating life and death to succumb so easily to someone else's decision. He did not want to let go of his horse.
Maybe there is no magic that can bring the dead back to life. But are love and longing not able to breathe soul into a new, golden body? Batu Khan ordered to cast his horse from gold, life-size. He entrusted this work to a man who already knew the wonders of the awakening of solid metal. Before the Horde slavery, in another, half-forgotten life, a captive Russian master taught to speak and sing Kiev bells.
- Revive my horse, - said the khan, looking into the empty Blue eyes and indifferently chewing a fig berry. - Revive, and if I am satisfied, you will be rewarded. Fulfill my will.
Fifteen tons of gold went to the horse, but it was worth it. The horse turned out to be alive, on high chiseled legs, with a proudly planted head and waving mane. The ruler ordered to insert rubies into his eyes and cast another one of the same. Batu Khan decided to place golden horses at the city gates.
When the horses were ready, ninety-nine gifts were handed over to the caster, as a sign of the highest khan's favor. Probably, he did not need so many gifts, he was waiting for only one, but the most important thing - freedom. Batu Khan read it in his eyes. He ordered the master to be brought to his golden silk tent.
“I cannot have you make such horses for another capital,” he said. And, referring to the senior turgaud: - Kill him!
Thurgaud finished off the Russian caster only with the third blow, cutting off his hands first, so that he could not repeat his latest creation even in heaven. Batu Khan frowned, he did not want unnecessary cruelty. However, what did it matter?
Golden horses were installed at the gates of Saray-Batu. They shone so brightly that travelers from afar thought the city was on fire. But it was a different fire, the fire of the sun reflected from polished manes and groats, a symbol of the power and authority of the Golden Horde, a symbol of the immortality of the khan and his horse. On one of the pedestals, Batu Khan ordered the word "mine" to be carved, and on the other - "your".

IN last years During his lifetime, Batu Khan received the nickname Sain, which means "fair." In 1256 he died, leaving his son Sartak in power. Just a year later, Berke, the brother of Batu the Just, sat on the throne of the Golden Horde. To do this, he had to poison both nephews, but the ivory throne, with gold inlays, was too desirable for anything to stop Berke Khan. He had spent too many years in his brother's shadow, lusting for power; only power did not bring him deliverance from thirst. The glory of Batu, the great warrior and ruler, haunted him years later. He physically could not stay in Sarai-Batu, live in his brother's palace, walk on his carpets, sleep on his pillows. Every now and then it seemed to him that Sain Khan had not died, he was somewhere nearby, behind the canopy, was about to enter and ask him for his sons. The blood froze in the veins of Berke Khan, his hands froze, as in winter in a frosty wind. How many times brother Batu could deal with him, destroy him, but he didn’t. But now, after death, he came to his palace almost daily, forcing Berke to listen to the rustle of silk sheets, muffled footsteps behind his back, dreary sighs. The new Khan, in horror, counted the berries into bunches of grapes on a dish decorated with emeralds and yahonts; measured the level of wine in a chased glass. There were not enough berries, the wine was melting, and it was unbearable. "Today he eats my grapes, and tomorrow he will plunge a dagger into the jugular vein," Berke thought, feeling his wrinkled neck. He needed another city, his own, as once his own own city Sain Khan needed.
In 1262 Berke built new capital, a hundred kilometers north of the old one, and transported golden horses to it. Not wanting to damage the precious sculptures, he ordered them to be taken along with the pedestals, but one plate, with the inscription "yours", cracked, and it still had to be replaced. In Sarai Berk, the golden horses were again placed at the city gates.

After the victory of the Russians on the Kulikovo field in 1380, the star of Horde luck finally set. Russia rose from the ashes, raised its head, walked towards the Mongol army, fearing neither pain nor death. Now the proximity to the Russian lands was not profitable, but dangerous, and this played a bad joke on the Horde capital. One day, the Cossack patrol, intoxicated by the feeling of imminent freedom, decided to suddenly visit Saray-Berka in order to frighten the inhabitants and, if possible, plunder the city. This dashing and reckless sortie turned out to be surprisingly successful: in those days, the Khan's troops were in turmoil after the Kulikov field. The guard at the gates of the capital was small, the Cossacks easily smashed it to smithereens and, feeling like masters of the situation, wanted to take the golden horses with them. With difficulty, but they managed to break one sculpture from the old pedestal; the booty was wrapped in sackcloth, loaded onto a convoy and taken home.
By that time, the remnants of the Horde army, camped at Sarai-Berke, learned about another shame that had fallen on their heads, and the Mongols rushed after the crazy brave men. The same could not move quickly, because the convoy with the golden horse turned out to be too heavy and drove slowly. Although, perhaps, the Cossacks were not in too much of a hurry: they probably understood that they had signed their own death warrant, and there was no difference whether the Horde would catch up with them a little earlier or a little later.

It was spring. The steppe, fresh and bright, washed by thunderstorms, was adorned with scarlet poppies, shining in the sun, like Batu Khan's silk robe. Everything bloomed and grew in the life-giving floodplain of Akhtuba: grasshoppers chirped, lizards and snakes rustled, birds sang happy songs above, and even the air itself seemed to ring from the sun's rays, as from stretched strings.
Suddenly, a strange silence reigned, as if all sounds were behind a barrier invisible to the human eye. Even the creak of the wheels of the overloaded convoy became almost inaudible. A low whistle sounded over the steppe. The Cossacks trembled. They were not afraid of either the Mongol hordes or the princely wrath - but this whistle frightened them. The horses also shuddered, stopped, neighed softly, spinning their ears. As if in response, the sackcloth on the wagon train stirred. The riders looked at her in horror, not daring to move, and only quickly crossed themselves. Someone alive fought and kicked where they laid the golden statue. Finally, the sackcloth slipped, and a dark blinking eye appeared on a silky muzzle, a straightened ear ... Swaying, a magnificent Arabian horse of golden color stood up on the wagon train, shook its head, waving its long mane in the wind. He jumped down, listened unhurriedly and galloped off, rushing like a sparkling arrow towards the whistle. The Cossacks saw how the horse stopped in the distance, and someone saddled it, like a man in a blue robe or fur coat trimmed with fur. However, none of them could say for sure, and in a moment the horse completely disappeared over the horizon. At that moment, the cotton curtain fell, and the Russians clearly heard the noise and hubbub of the khan's army catching up with them.
They did not even think to run away or, God forbid, surrender to the Mongols. After a short prayer last time, the Cossacks turned to face the Horde and took an unequal battle. They fought to the death, and there were ten times more Horde than them, so all the dashing daredevils laid down their wild heads there, in the middle of the scarlet steppe. Only when the last of the Russians stopped breathing, the Mongols were able to approach the convoy and found that it was empty! The golden horse was nowhere to be found - neither under the sackcloth, nor next to it, nor under a pile of bloodied bodies.

The Horde warriors never found the horse, which is why the legend was born that the Cossacks threw it on the way into a lake or stream, intending to return for it later. There are too many inconsistencies in this assumption. First, would the Cossacks drown the precious horse in Akhtuba? Probably not, because it would be almost impossible to find him later. So they had to choose a small and conspicuous body of water. After all, even being ready for death, a person still hopes that he will survive and, of course, get rich. Especially if it is a Russian who believes in God's providence.
And what - secondly? At that time, as well as many centuries later, there were many lakes and rivers in the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain, but after the construction of the Volga hydroelectric power station, the spring waters, flowing in the usual course from all over Russia to the Akhtuba fertile fields, stopped behind the iron gates of the dam. The spills were crushed, revealing to the curious eye the depths of the muddy bottom. In addition, hordes of treasure hunters fell upon the remains of the ancient Horde, scattering bit by bit, bit by bit what was left of both the great capitals and the warriors who fell in the steppes. Even if the golden horse lay peacefully for almost six centuries in a natural cache, in the twentieth century it would inevitably have to be discovered. But they didn't find it.
No more plausible is the legend of the second golden horse, which the Cossacks did not have time or could not knock down from the pedestal and take away with them. It is believed that he was placed in a mound along with the murdered Khan Mamai, and this mound is located somewhere in the Volga steppes, and supposedly Khan Mamai guards this treasure even after his death. But who would allow the horse of the great Batu, the founder of the Golden Horde, to be given to a rootless Polovtsian temnik, a loser who lost the future of the Mongol race, who lost the torch of primacy from inept hands - which was immediately picked up by inspired and ardent Slavs? No, after the defeat in the Battle of Kulikovo, Mamai never managed to regain his former power, received only because of civil strife and the weakness of the legitimate heirs to the Golden Horde throne. He was almost immediately attacked by Tokhtamysh, a real Genghisid, although not a direct descendant of Batu, and Mamai fled to the Crimea, to Feodosia, for help from his Genoese creditors. But he had nothing to pay off with overseas merchants, except perhaps with his own life - he paid with his life, dying in 1380 in Feodosia, or Cafe, from a thieves' stab in the back. He was buried there, not far from Kafa, and the village, which later grew up next to his burial mound, was called Sheikh-Mamai for a long time for a reason. Yes, and Saray-Berke was never the headquarters of Mamai, the Polovtsian Khan only from time to time managed to transfer his troops beyond the blue border of the Volga ... no, he had no right to this horse. Rather, the horse should have belonged to Tokhtamysh, but, probably, the fate of both of them cracked along with that stone slab on which the magical destiny was inscribed. Who, when and how set the horse free is unknown, but in 1395, when Timur's troops plundered and burned to the ground the capital of the masterful Mongol khan, there was no golden treasure in it.

And so they disappeared, both golden horses of Batu disappeared into death and battles. True, the old-timers of those parts say that one of them can sometimes be seen in the steppe, especially in spring: he jumps, as he flies, over bloody poppies and cries plaintively, restlessly - he calls either his lost master, or his more successful brother.

Ancient legends about treasures that disappeared mysteriously for many centuries excite the imagination of archaeologists and adventurers - treasure hunters, who still do not lose hope of finding legendary treasures. They are not embarrassed, which is quite likely, these are just beautiful fairy tales that have nothing to do with real story. However, the legendary treasures of the Golden Horde, although they look like a fairy tale, still have documentary evidence.
. In the annals there are references to luxurious golden horses located at the entrance to the capital of the horde, but their disappearance has no documentary evidence - only legends that pass from century to century and lead to the search for the disappeared treasures.

According to ancient legends, the khan dreamed of overshadowing the greatness of other rulers and impressing everyone with the luxury of the capital of the horde. When his beloved white Arabian horse died, Batu ordered to perpetuate him in gold. By the way, imitating the famous grandfather Genghis Khan, Batu took this white horse with him on all military campaigns, but he did not ride it himself. It was believed that on a handsome horse, so unlike the undersized Mongolian horses, the god of war Sulde himself rushes invisibly.

The horse was cast by a bell-maker who was captured in Kiev. History has not preserved his name. The annals only mention that 15 tons of gold were used to make the horse. But Batu decided that two identical equestrian statues on the sides of the gate would look better. The master made a second golden horse, an exact copy of the first. Golden horses with ruby eyes were placed at the main gate of the barn - batu. Batu's golden horses witnessed the rise and fall mighty empire.

The statues captured the imagination of everyone who saw them. Here is what the ambassador of the French King Louis, St. Willem Rubruk, wrote about this in his report: “Even from afar, we saw the sparkle at the gate and decided that a fire had started in the city. Having come closer, we realized that it was shining in the rays of the rising sun two golden statues of horses in life size. How much gold went into this miracle and how rich is the khan? I asked myself such questions at that moment."

After the death of Batu, the statues of horses were moved to the new capital by order of Khan Berke, and their disappearance is associated with the period of the collapse of the powerful empire. According to legend, the khan was buried under the fortress wall of the capital, and one of the golden horses was placed in his grave. However, there are many versions about the true grave of Mamai, and it is not known for certain where the khan was buried, and whether he could have been given such honor. It is likely that the golden horse was buried in the grave of another khan.

It is interesting that in most legends only one horse appears, the disappearance of which is associated with the name of Mamaia, and the question arises: what fate befell the second horse? In the Trans-Volga Cossack villages, there is a legend about the kidnapping of a golden horse from a barn - a berk by a Cossack detachment, which captured the city for a couple of hours, but was forced to retreat, daring to grab the capital's golden sufferer. The Horde organized a chase, and it was unrealistic to leave with a heavy convoy. The Cossacks died in a fight with enemies, but before that they managed to hide the statue. The only question that remains is: where could the golden horse have disappeared to? It would take a long time to bury it in the steppe, so it is likely that the statue was drowned in the nearest river.

Being a symbol of power, the golden horses of Batu disappeared without a trace, and the location of these treasures is hidden in the darkness of centuries. Archaeologists and treasure hunters are guided by the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions of Russia as hypothetical places where these treasures can be buried. Did they really exist or are they just beautiful legends? One of the many mysteries of history, to which no answer has yet been found.

High mountain downtown. For all 26 centuries, it has given shelter to many peoples who inhabited the Kerch Peninsula. The dramas of the Greeks, Scythians, Turks, Russians and many others played out here. Of course, it could not do without legends about fabulous treasures. Perhaps the most intriguing is the legend of the golden horse of Mithridates.
At the time when Panticapaeum was the capital Bosporan kingdom, ruled by the great king Mithridates Evpator. Under his auspices, Panticapaeum reached unprecedented heights, all of Taurida (modern Crimea) submitted to him. The king had his own talisman - a full-length statue of a horse made of pure gold. He always carried a horse with him, from afar one could see the bright glow of gold. Mithridates was so confident in his abilities, after the next victories, that he risked challenging the Roman Empire. Roman legionnaires met in battle with the soldiers of Mithridates. The forces of two powerful armies were equal. Unexpectedly for the king, his son Pharnaces went over to the side of the Romans. Farnak seduced many warriors with gold, promising to divide between them the famous golden horse of Mithridates.
The king's spirit broke when he found out about his son's betrayal. Now he did not hope to become the ruler of the world, the days of the great Bosporan kingdom were ending. Mithridates hid behind the high walls of the acropolis, he decided to leave the world by drinking poison, but the king deceived himself. He was so afraid of betrayal that from adolescence he took a drop of poison and became invulnerable to poison. Then Mithridates turned to his faithful servant, so that he pierced him with a sword. Mithridates died at the hands of a slave, and the mountain swallowed up the golden horse. Many "lucky ones" have since tried to look for the statue in the mountain, but no one was lucky.
This is one version of the legend. There are many of them, they differ, somewhere in details, somewhere it seems at all that this is a completely different story. According to one version, not one horse was golden, but a whole chariot with four horses. And the famous merchant Mesaksudi found it, quickly and fabulously rich. Another version tells that in the depths of the mountain a girl keeps magic grass that turns everything into gold. Even respected scientists expressed their assumptions about the interpretation of legends. There were suggestions that the treasure became a golden horse in the mouths of people. In fact, Mithridates could well have a hiding place where he kept the treasury of Panticapaeum.
The legend and scientists only agree on one thing - the treasure was somewhere, or still is. The gray slopes of Mount Mithridates keep many treasures in their depths and gradually give them to humanity. And it does not matter in what form the treasures are stored - in the form of a beautiful statue of a golden horse, a handful of silver coins or copper fragments of the life of the ancient Bosporans - the main thing is that they are there.

THE GOLDEN HORSES OF KHAN BATYYA are legendary treasures, the exact location of which is still unknown. The history of horses is something like this: After Batu Khan ravaged Ryazan and Kiev, he returned to the lower reaches of the Volga and, with the help of skilled craftsmen gathered in subject and conquered countries (including Russians), built here, to the surprise of all neighboring peoples, in the middle of the steppes the capital Saray - a beautiful city with palaces, mosques, water supply, fountains and shady gardens. Batu ordered all the tribute collected during the year to be turned into gold, and two horses were cast from this gold. The order was carried out exactly, but until now, people's rumors differ on the question of whether those horses were hollow or completely golden. Cast shiny horses with burning ruby eyes were placed at the entrance to the capital of the Golden Horde Khanate at the city gates. Khans were replaced, but the golden statues were still the personification of the power of the state.

When the capital was transferred to the new Saray (near the present village of Tsarev, Volgograd region), built by Khan Berke, the golden horses were also transported. When Mamai became Khan, the former prosperity of the Khanate came to an end. Russian troops defeated Mamai's army on the Kulikovo field, and Mamai was forced to flee ...

The fate of the golden horses is not known for certain. Legends say that one horse was buried along with the body of Mamai, the exact location of the grave is unknown. They say that somewhere on one of the hills near Akhtuba. In all the numerous versions of the retellings of this legend (which are told by the old people in Leninsk, the former Prishib, Khaboly, Sasykolye, Cherny Yar, Selitrennoye and other villages in the Trans-Volga region), only one golden horse appears (and Mamai guards him). Where is the other one?

As the old men used to say in the Trans-Volga Cossack villages (which is near the Astrakhan path), pursuing the retreating Horde troops, the Cossack patrols became so bold that they began to penetrate in small groups deep into the territory of the horde, which was decreasing every day. One such detachment, taking advantage of the panic in the camp of the enemy, broke right into the capital Sarai. And, as the Cossack Alekseevich once said, this detachment took possession of the city for several hours. . Now it is difficult to say whether the golden horses were the real purpose of the raid or whether they accidentally caught the eye of the Cossacks. In any case, planning such a daring action in advance is pointless - stealing heavy statues, which are the pride of the khan and the whole nation, is tantamount to suicide. However, the daring Cossack patrol broke off the base of one of the golden horses and turned back. The overloaded one moved very slowly, so the Horde had time to come to their senses and organize a chase. Sensing something was wrong, the Cossacks turned around and took an unequal battle. Those who were catching up were hundreds of times more catching up, so the outcome of the battle was a foregone conclusion: all the Cossacks died, no one surrendered, many times more Horde horsemen died. But despite the losses suffered, the Horde did not regain the golden horse.

Golden horse of Genghis Khan

Author Alexey Malyshev
GOLDEN TALES OF SIBERIA
THE GOLDEN HORSE OF GENGHIS KHAN
The great khan of the horde had a favorite horse. They have traveled many paths together. Khan won many victories while sitting on his faithful horse. For a nomad, a horse is the most important part of his life, he starts his day by mounting a horse and only by late dinner does he descend to the ground and let him graze for the night. The warhorse beats enemies with its hooves, bites so that it tears pieces of flesh and takes the owner out of the battle in a moment of danger.
It is impossible to convey in words all the devotion and friendship of the rider and his horse.
And now the hour has come for the heroic horse to die. The age of a fighting horse is short. The beloved friend of the great Genghis Khan fell from old age.
But the grateful ruler did not want to simply bury the bones of the faithful horse.
He ordered his goldsmiths to collect the entire gold treasury of the Volga horde. And smelt from pure gold a statue of his horse in full growth.
After parting, that horse was buried in a secret mound and hidden from predatory eyes in the damp earth.
So the legend of the golden horse remained in those places.
Many diggers and mound-diggers have been searching for it for centuries. But so far they have not found the Golden Horse.
The deeds of a great man remain forever.
People also remember another legend about the golden horses of Batu Khan.
Having passed through Russia with fire and sword and ruined Ryazan and Kiev, Batu went to the Volga steppes and founded the richest city-capital of the Golden Horde. Everything was in that city and houses and palaces with fountains. They say that the city of the Horde was so wide and large that if a rider entered it in the morning, he rode all day and left it only late in the evening. His bazaars were full of all the fruits of the earth and Chinese silks and Bukhara daggers and Persian carpets.
And so Batu ordered to show his power. He commanded to take all the annual tribute from the countries of the world subject to him and turn it into gold. And from that gold to cast in full growth two golden horses with ruby eyes and golden footstools. They were placed on the gates of the main khan's palace, as signs of the power of the Batu Khanate - the Golden Horde.

Video Fairy tale. "GOLDEN HORSE". Audio fairy tales. Fairy tales for children

Treasures of the Golden Horde. Treasures of the Golden Horde found near Kazan

Archaeologists have found treasures of the Golden Horde near Kazan. The treasure was found by Robert Galimov, an amateur archaeologist. This is his first big find in two years of excavations. According to one version, there was a house at the place of the found things. It completely burned down, and the treasures literally miraculously survived.

A gold find from the period of the Golden Horde: what century the pendant comes from - specialists cannot yet determine exactly. Archaeologists have not yet found similar objects here. But it is already clear: these jewels adorned one of the very rich Muslim fashionistas.

Asiya Mukhametshina, the chief curator of the Bulgarian Museum-Reserve, tells in more detail: "Pendants could be attached to the ends of the hair, which later grew into a tradition among the Tatars."

Earrings, rings and pendants lay in bulk at a depth of more than two meters. So old - they are more than seven centuries old - and in such quantity jewelry is found for the first time in a hundred years, and therefore they don’t talk about their price - they are priceless in every sense.

The treasure was found by Robert Galimov, an amateur archaeologist. This is his first big find in two years of excavations. "A friend says he hasn't found anything like this in seven years," says Robert.

According to one version, there was a house at the place of the found things. It completely burned down, and the treasures literally miraculously survived.

"The building was deeply buried in the ground, in the lower part the temperature was not high, but it was burning in the upper tiers, and things were not damaged," explains Vyacheslav Baranov, an archaeologist and candidate of historical sciences.

Archaeologists planned to explore 4,000 square meters. Now we've only gone through one. It's unlikely they'll be able to finish everything. Builders began to work side by side with them - they are building a river station.

Meanwhile, in this territory there was a handicraft district, and in this land there may be more than one historical value. Copper vessels were found along with the gold. How many centuries exactly the finds will be determined by experts from Ufa. They are afraid to transport the exhibits, so the inspectors will come themselves. They are expected from day to day.

The golden horses of Batu Khan are legendary treasures, the exact location of which is still unknown.

The history of horses is something like this: after Batu Khan (1209 - 1255) ruined Ryazan and Kiev, he returned to the lower reaches of the Volga and, with the help of skilled craftsmen gathered in the countries subject to him and conquered (including Russians), built here to the surprise of all neighboring to the peoples in the middle of the steppes their capital Sarai (Old Sarai or Sarai-Batu).

It was a beautiful city with palaces, mosques, plumbing, fountains and shady gardens.

Batu ordered all the tribute collected during the year to be turned into gold, and two horses were cast from this gold. The order was carried out exactly, but until now, people's rumors differ on the question of whether those horses were hollow or completely golden.

Figurines of golden horses. Illustrative photo

Cast shiny horses with burning ruby eyes were placed at the entrance to the capital of the Golden Horde Khanate at the city gates. Khans were replaced, but the golden statues were still the personification of the power of the state.

When the capital was moved to Novy Sarai (Saray-Berke) (near the current village of Tsarev, Volgograd Region), built by Khan Berke, the golden horses were also transported. When Mamai became Khan, the former prosperity of the Khanate came to an end. Russian troops defeated Mamai's army on the Kulikovo field, and Mamai was forced to flee.

Fragments of the tiled decor of Genghisides' palace. Golden Horde, Sarai-Batu. Ceramics, overglaze painting, mosaic, gilding. Selitrennoye settlement. excavations in the 1980s.

The fate of the golden horses is not known for certain. Legends say that one horse was buried along with the body of Mamai, but the exact location of the grave is unknown. They say that somewhere on one of the hills near Akhtuba.

In the 6th volume of the capital historical and geographical work "Russia" it is mentioned that near the village of Rastegaevka near Prishib there are several "Mamaev barrows", in one of which the "living Mamai" sleeps.

In all the numerous versions of this legend (which are told by old people in Leninsk, the former Prishib, Khaboly, Sasykolye, Cherny Yar, Selitrennoye and other villages of the Volga region), only one golden horse appears (and Mamai guards him). But where is the other?

The ruins of Saray-Berke

One such detachment, taking advantage of the panic in the camp of the enemy, broke right into the capital Sarai. And, as the Cossack Alekseevich once said, this detachment took possession of the city for several hours.

Now it is difficult to say whether the golden horses were the real purpose of the raid or whether they accidentally caught the eye of the Cossacks. In any case, planning such a daring action in advance is pointless - stealing heavy statues, which are the pride of the khan and the whole nation, is tantamount to suicide.

Nevertheless, the daring Cossack patrol broke off the base of one of the golden horses and turned back. The overloaded convoy moved very slowly, so the Horde had time to come to their senses and organize a chase. Sensing something was wrong, the Cossacks turned around and took an unequal battle.

Those who were catching up were hundreds of times more catching up, so the outcome of the battle was a foregone conclusion: all the Cossacks died, no one surrendered, many times more Horde horsemen died. But, despite the losses suffered, the Horde did not regain the golden horse.

The Horde never found out the truth, because none of the Cossacks surrendered and betrayed their comrades. There was no statue near the mountain of corpses. The Cossacks did not have time to take her far, which means they hid her and the rest of the treasures somewhere nearby. To bury in the steppe - this also takes time. So - drowned?

Of course, they were looking for horses. The search for golden statues in the 19th century was mainly done by lone seekers. In the 1950s, science fiction writer Ivan Efremov wrote in The Andromeda Nebula that a certain golden horse would definitely be found in the future (although, according to Efremov, for some reason he would be found at the bottom indian ocean in the thirteenth century).

In the 1990s, Sergei Alekseev, in his novel Treasures of the Valkyries, wrote that back in the 1960s, these golden horses were found by a “special KGB group.” However, what was written was not supported by at least some reliable information and in many respects raises legitimate doubts).

In the late 1990s, rumors spread that one golden horse was found during excavations near a certain village of R., but the matter never went beyond this information.

According to the materials "Encyclopedia mysterious places Russia" V. Chernobrov

Boris Stepanovich Lashchilin (1906-1987) was born on September 21, 1906 in the village of Mikhailovskaya, Khoper District of the Don Cossack Region (now the Volgograd Region) in the family of the stanitsa ataman Stepan Mitrofanovich Lashchilin.

Golden horses of Batu Khan

I had to visit the trans-Volga steppe villages, and those that stand on the sleeve of the Volga Akhtuba. From the old-timers they had to hear a lot about the Golden Horde Khanate, about its capital Saray and the khans Batu, Dzhanibek, Berk and Mamai. At the same time, the old-timers very often pointed to places where, almost to this day, the ruins of Tatar cities, their palaces and mosques were preserved.

They also mentioned that after the soldiers of Ivan the Fourth conquered the Astrakhan kingdom and the construction of the Kremlin began in Astrakhan, bricks for it were taken from the ruins of ancient Tatar cities. They were cleaned of lime, loaded onto barges and floated down the Volga. If you carefully examine the Kremlin walls of Astrakhan, even now, through a thick layer of whitewash, you can see belts made of green and red bricks covered with colored glaze. The palace of the Golden Horde khans in their capital Sarai was faced with such colored bricks, where the rulers and princes of the countries they conquered flocked to bow to the formidable lords.

From what I happened to learn in the Trans-Volga region, the most memorable was the legend of golden horses, cast as if at the behest of Khan Batu. For the first time I had to hear it in Leninsk, the former Prishib - an old Russian village on Akhtuba, where on a blizzard January day our car was delayed due to transfers and impassability. In the evening, the owner, at whose place we stopped to wait out the blizzard, an old fisherman, recalling the past, about the experienced, as well as what he had heard from his grandfathers, told us this legend. His story was simple, unsophisticated, but captivating with its spontaneity. As if our host himself was a participant and an eyewitness of what once happened several centuries ago in the trans-Volga steppes. Calmly and slowly he said:

After Batu Khan ravaged Ryazan and Kiev, he returned to the lower reaches of the Volga and here, among the steppes covered with rare wormwood, he decided to build his capital Saray, to raise it to the surprise of all neighboring peoples.

As you know, the steppe Tatars are bad builders, and Batu, who knew this, ordered in the conquered and subject to him countries to gather all the skilled craftsmen, among whom there were many Russian craftsmen. It was they who built him a miracle city with luxurious palaces, mosques, water pipes, fountains and shady gardens. Batu was pleased with their work.

But it seemed to him that all this was not enough, and in order to further show his greatness and wealth, he gave the order - to turn all the tribute he had collected in a year into gold and cast two horses from it. These golden horses with burning ruby eyes were placed at the entrance to the capital of the Golden Horde Khanate, at its city gates. Here they stood until the capital was transferred from the Old Sarai to the new one, built by Khan Berke, where they were also placed at the gates of the city.

Years passed, one khan was replaced by another. Only the horses were still in their place. So it was until the Russians defeated Mamai on the Kulikovo field. After the battle, he fled with the remnants of his horde to take refuge in the lower reaches of the Volga, but learned along the way that the princes had raised an uprising against him. Mamai was forced to seek refuge in a foreign land, where, without experiencing shame, he died. His body was brought home and buried on one of the hills of Akhtuba. One of the golden horses was also buried with him.

They say that Mamai is still guarding the golden horse, since no one has yet been able to find him.

In the morning, when we got ready to go, our driver inquired and asked the owner:

Where did the other horse go?

The old man looked at him, shrugged his shoulders and briefly answered:

“But I don’t know, and I can’t say anything. I'm not used to lying.

Later, I became convinced that the legend of the golden horses is widespread in the Trans-Volga region. It was told in Harbaly, Sasykolye, Cherny Yar, Seliterny and other villages. And every time it's different. Some claimed that the horses were made of bronze and only gilded, while others said that they were golden, but hollow inside, and still others assured that everything was made of pure gold and there were no voids in them. In one thing, all the narrators were unanimous that Mamai was buried with only one golden horse, and what happened to the other, none of them could say anything. Most answered this question in the same way as the old fisherman from Leninsk - I don't know. This interested me, and I decided to definitely find out where Batu's second horse had gone.

Getting acquainted with a number of works about the Lower Volga region, I tried to find at least something about this interesting legend. And my efforts were not in vain. In the capital historical and geographical work "Russia", in the sixth volume, the village of Rastegaevka is mentioned in the Trans-Volga region, not far from Prishib, and several Mamaevsky mounds are indicated near it. And further on it says that a legend has been preserved that in one of them Mamai still sleeps, alive, and guards the golden horse buried there. But about the other horse of Batu, unfortunately, I did not find a single word in this voluminous volume. This, of course, could only cause a feeling of annoyance, but at the same time it made it possible to be convinced of the exceptional vitality of the legend with just such an ending.

Three years have passed since then. In one of the Cossack farms, which stood not far from the Astrakhan Way, I got into a conversation with an elderly, about seventy years old, experienced Cossack Alekseevich. He somehow casually noticed that the path passing near their farm was formerly called Nogai, and even then a golden horse was being driven along it. I asked Alekseevich to tell me right there and then in more detail about this. And from him I learned about the fate of Batu's second golden horse. An old Cossack tradition said this:

- After the Battle of Kulikovo, separate detachments of Russian brave warriors, no longer afraid of the Tatars, began to penetrate the steppes, leaving farther and farther south. One of them moved to the Volga and unexpectedly attacked Saray, the capital of the Golden Horde Khanate. Horror gripped the Tatars, and the brave warriors were masters in the city for several hours. The treasures of the khan and all the wealth of his nobles could become their prey. But nothing seduced the Russians, and only, leaving the city, as a sacred relic of the Tatars, they took with them one of Batu's golden horses.

When the khan became aware of this, he, having come into a rage, immediately set up a pursuit after them. She pursued them for several days, and then the Russian daredevils, seeing that they still couldn’t get away from the Tatars, hid their expensive and rare booty, and all of them, having left to meet the pursuit, drew their swords from their scabbards and rushed at the enemies. A hot battle ensued. There were a handful of Russians, and a myriad of Tatars - and no matter how they fought, no matter how they crushed the enemies, not one of them returned home, they all died in battle. But the Tatars could not find the golden horse. They returned with nothing to their khan.

After this legend was told, I asked Alekseevich:

“But wasn’t any of the Cossacks looking for this booty hidden by the Russian daredevils?”

- Well, - answered Alekseevich, - they searched, but did not find anything. It is very difficult to attack the place where it was hidden. Some dug up mounds, others tried to look for it at the bottom of the lake, others searched a lot of ravines and gullies, they also dug, but nothing was found anywhere. And not only in places close to us, but also in other farms and villages - and all in vain. The steppe is great, the expanse is immense, find out where and try to hit the mark.

The legend heard in the Cossack farm was, as it were, a logical conclusion and a kind of end to the Trans-Volga legend. And involuntarily made me think. In the past, many interesting finds were made in the Trans-Volga region. In the sixties of the nineteenth century, in the vicinity of the village of Seliternoe, on the site of the ruins ancient city a large golden goblet with an inscription in the Tatar language was found, which was acquired by the Kalmyk nion, having given several dozen rams in return.

In the vicinity of Tsarev, during the excavation of mounds, marble columns, edged weapons, gold rings, rings, bracelets and other jewelry were found.

A number of large finds were made by archaeologist A. Tereshchenko near the village of Zubovka in 1843-1847. Here he managed to find a vessel made of pure gold weighing more than eight hundred grams, a silver dish, jugs, the golden crown of Janibek Khan and a large number of gold, silver and copper coins of Tatar, Turkish and Indian origin, minted in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

It is noteworthy that in 1858 a golden bowl with an inscription on Arabic and the following year, 1859, a golden dish.

In recent years, much has been done to study the material culture of the Golden Horde Khanate and Soviet archaeologists. But it is somehow strange that the legend of the golden horses of Batu Khan, which lived for at least half a thousand years, for some reason, until very recently, did not interest anyone and did not attract anyone's attention. The mystery of these horses still remains unsolved, it is waiting for its researchers. And, perhaps, they will be lucky in their difficult but interesting work.

Boris Stepanovich Lashchilin. In the homelands. Notes of a local historian. 1968

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The order was carried out exactly, but until now, people's rumors differ on the question of whether those horses were hollow or completely golden. Cast shiny horses with burning ruby eyes were placed at the entrance to the capital of the Golden Horde Khanate at the city gates. Khans were replaced, but the golden statues were still the personification of the power of the state.

The overloaded convoy moved very slowly, so the Horde had time to come to their senses and organize a chase. Sensing something was wrong, the Cossacks turned around and took an unequal battle. Those who were catching up were hundreds of times more catching up, so the outcome of the battle was a foregone conclusion: all the Cossacks died, no one surrendered, many times more Horde horsemen died. But, despite the losses suffered, the Horde did not regain the golden horse.

The Horde never found out the truth, because not one of the Cossacks surrendered and did not betray his comrades. There was no statue near the mountain of corpses. The Cossacks did not have time to take her far, which means they hid her and the rest of the treasures somewhere nearby. To bury in the steppe - this also takes time. So you drowned?

So where is the first and where is the second golden horse? Centuries later, this question still hasn't been answered...