Evpatii Kolovrat

Legendary Russian bogatyr (folk hero) who fought the Tatar-Mongol conquerors in the 13th century.

The struggle waged by the Riazan’ “magnate” Evpatii Kolovrat and his “regiment” (numbering 1,700 men) after the taking of Riazan’ by the Tatars in 1237 is recounted in the Old Russian Tale of the Ravaging of Riazan’ by Batu (first half of the 14th century). The Tale, into which this narrative evidently found its way from the folk epos, celebrates the strength, courage, and patriotism of Evpatii Kolovrat and his comrades-in-arms (khrabry). Some manuscript copies of the Tale indicate his patronymic to be L’vovich.