The names of Peresvet and Oslyabya are probably as well known as the names of the organizers of the victory in 1380 on Kulikovo Field - Dmitry Donskoy, Vladimir Serpukhov and Dmitry Bobrok, because Peresvet and Oslyabya seem to represent a lot of ordinary Russian warriors, those whose efforts accomplished this victory. It was in this capacity that they interested the authors of the works of the Kulikovsky cycle. But their life "outside the battle" is covered in sources with sparse and fragmentary strokes. Sometimes Over- page 177 svet and Oslyabya may even appear as symbolic figures created by the imagination of the author of "Zadonshchina", on the pages of which they first appear. Meanwhile, both warriors were real people who lived and acted in the second half of the XIV century. This is confirmed by specific references to them in the chronicle stories about the battle (short and lengthy editions), "Zadonshchina", "The Legend of the Battle of Mamaev". Since these sources were created at different times, there are some differences in the information they contain. And in the aggregate, sources are unanimous that Peresvet died on Kulikovo field (in "Zadonshchina" this is stated in the form of a prediction uttered by Oslyabey: "Already I see wounds on your body, already your head was flying on the grass"); that Peresvet and Oslyabya are brothers; finally, none of the sources testifies to the death of Oslyabya on Kulikovo Field, as oral tradition says. The pre-Kulikovo period of their life is marked by only two biographical milestones. The first one is related to the social status and place of residence. Both Peresvet and Oslyabya belonged to the Boyars. In the" Zadonshchina " and a lengthy chronicle story, Peresvet is called the Bryansk boyar. Other sources repeat these data, except for the widespread edition of the "Legend of the Mamayev Battle", where it says "chernets Lyubochanin" about Peresvet. As for Oslyabi, he is only once called a Bryansk boyar in the "Legend ... Read more