Ivan Tsarevich is a major hero of Russian folklore, who is often opposed to Koschei. He usually also viewed as the husband of Vasilisa the Wise.
Description[]
He is often, but not always, the youngest son of three. In the tale "The Three Tsardoms", he is a son of Nastasya the Golden Braid. Different legends describe Ivan as having various wives, including Yelena the Beautiful, Vasilisa the Wise and Marya Morevna.Ivan is sometimes depicted with magic abilities and wields the sword Kladenets.
Overview[]
Ivan is the main hero of multiple Russian folktales. He is almost always portrayed either as the third son of a peasant family or as the third son of a king. In the latter stories, he is called Ivan Tsarevich, which means "tsar's son". "Ivan" is one of the most common Russian names. The friends and foes of Ivan Tsarevich are often mythic figures, from magical animals to deathless beings.
The most famous folktale featuring Ivan as the protagonist is "Tsarevitch Ivan, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf". In this story, a magical wolf aids Ivan as he captures the firebird and wins the hand of a beautiful tsarevna. The firebird inspired Igor Stravinsky's 1910 ballet of the same name.
In another famous tale, part of which was also used by Stravinsky in The Firebird, Ivan Tsarevich married a warrior princess, Maria Morevna, who was kidnapped by the immortal being called Koschei the Deathless. In this tale, the animal helpers were a lion, a bird and a magical horse that belonged to Baba Yaga. Mounted on this horse, Ivan defeats Koschei. Ivan the peasant's son has as many tales as Ivan Tsarevich. One of the best known is the story "the Little Humpbacked Horse", in which a magical talking horse helps Ivan to become a hero and to marry the princess he loves.