Summary: | Folkloric heroes were turned into characters of literary works of
diff erent genres in 18th-century Russian literature. One of them is bogatyr
Alyosha Popovich. Th e distinctive features of the epic hero are such personal
traits as astuteness, dexterity, boldness. Vasily A. Levshin perfectly turned
to them to pen “Povest’ o Aleshe Popoviche bogatyre, sluzhivshem knyazyu
Vladimiru” (A Tale of Bogatyr Alyosha Popovich Serving Prince Vladimir) in
his “Russkie skazki” (Russian Tales; 1780—1783). Due to his prankish nature
the protagonist performs deeds of valour. He shields the Alanian Kingdom
from calamity and makes it a part of the dominion of the Prince Vladimir of
Kiev; he defeats the demon Beelzebub acquitting the Polish wizard Tverdovsky
of his oaths taken to one of the princes of Hell; he conquers the Tsar-Maiden
and takes her to wife. Th e epic hero becomes a literary character in Levshin’s
story. Under going genre transformations he acquires personal traits and
appears
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