In the front row, the croups of horses swayed. Rook pulled the reins and set off himself

Ak-Kula - the heroic horse of Manas (Kyrgyz epic).
Altan Sharga is the nightingal horse of the bogatyr and singer Mingiyan (Kalmyk epic).
Alsvinn (fast) - the horse of the solar chariot (Scandinavian epic).
Arvak (early) - the horse of the solar chariot (Scandinavian epic).
Arfan is the eldest of the horses. The son of the dead Dzerassa, the daughter of the lord of the water kingdom, and the three-legged horse Avsurg (Ossetian epic).
Aslan is the horse of the Nart Uryzmag and his Nameless son, on which the Nameless son was released to earth from the land of the dead. So that the souls of other dead could not find their way to freedom in the footsteps of the horse, the horse was shod backwards (Ossetian epic).

B

Babyeka (fool) - Sid's horse. According to legend, Sid chose from the horses of his godfather the most ugly and miserable foal, for which the godfather called him "fool". However, the foal grew into a wonderful knight's horse (Spanish epic).
Bayard is the horse of the rebellious vassal of Charlemagne, Renaud de Montauban, one of the four sons of Aemon. The horse possessed extraordinary wisdom, which caused the burning hatred of Emperor Charles, who planned to destroy him. He fled from execution and has since been hiding from people in the Ardennes forest (French epic).
Bosan (skewbald) - horses with this name had Ogier the Dane and Guillaume Orange Short Nose (French epic).
Brilyanor (zlatousd) - Roland's horse in the Italian and Spanish traditions.
Burushka is the horse of Dobrynya Nikitich.
Burushka-Kosmatushka is the horse of Ilya Muromets. Ilya chose him when he was the weakest and ugliest foal in the herd, recognizing in him a heroic horse.

Velantif is Roland's horse. The meaning of this name is controversial. Some translate it as "vigilant" (from the verb veiller - to stay awake, others from the adjectives vieil - "old" and antif - "ancient", "decrepit". In general, the story of the nag, which turned out to be a wonderful horse, is clearly repeated (French epic).

Gulfaken - the black horse of the giant Grungnir, then passed to the son of the god Thor Magni (Scandinavian epic).
Gyrat is the horse of Ker-ogly, sometimes winged (Azerbaijani, Tajik, Turkmen, Uzbek, Kazakh, Kurdish, Georgian, Armenian, Turkish, Karakalpak and Arabic epics).

Dadhikra (Dadhikravan) - sprinkling sour milk - the horse of King Trasadasyu. A symbol of the victorious warhorse, Dadhikra also brings people food and sun and sprinkles dew or frost before sunrise (ancient Indian mythology).
Doriad is a horse from the chariot of the god Lug (Irish mythology).

Kan is a horse from the chariot of the god Lug (Irish mythology).
Killar is the horse of the immortal Pollux, one of the Dioscuri twins (Roman borrowing from Greek mythology).

Liar (gray in apples) - the horse of Guillaume of Orange (French epic).

Svadilfari is the horse of the giant who built Asgard, and he himself is a participant in this construction (Scandinavian epic).

Tasbrune (brown in apples) is the talking horse of Ganelon, who was distinguished by the same wisdom and gave advice to the owner (French epic).

Ulman is the horse of the soothsayer Altan Tsedzhi, and before that forty heroes and the Buddha himself (Kalmyk epic).

Tsohor is the horse of the evil Mangas hero Beke Tsagan (Kalmyk epic).

Shabrangi Behzad - a wonderful black horse of the hero and king Kai Khusrow (Iranian epic).

II Ancient Greek mythical horses

horses of the gods

. Abraxas is the horse of Helios.
. Acteon (Actin) - the horse of Helios-Apollo.
. Alastor is Pluto's horse.
. Bel is the horse of Helios.
. Bronta is the mare of Helios.
. Deimos is the name of the horse Ares.
. Iao is the horse of Helios.
. Lamp (en: Lampos) is the horse of Helios.
. Niktaeus is Pluto's horse.
. Orfney ("Dark") - the horse of Pluto.
. Piroent (Piroy) - the horse of Helios.
. Soter is the horse of Helios.
. Steropa is the mare of Helios.
. Phaeton is the horse of Helios.
. Phylogey (Filogevs) - the horse of Helios-Apollo.
. Phlegon is the horse of Helios.
. Phobos is the horse of Ares.
. Eoi is the horse of Helios. Epithet of Helios.
. Erifrey is the horse of Helios-Apollo.
. Efon is the horse of Helios.
. Efon is Pluto's horse.
. Efops (Aitops) is the stallion of Helios.

Horses of heroes

. Askhet is the horse of Amphiarai.
. Baliy is the name of two horses:
o Balius (horse of Achilles)
o Baliy - the horse of Skelmis, from the blood of Zephyr.
. Harpagus is a horse, the son of Podarga, a gift from Hermes to the Dioscuri.
. Harpinna is the horse of Enomai.
. Dean (Dinos) - the horse of Diomedes the Thracian, who ate human flesh
. Irida - Admet's mare at the Nemean Games
. Ker - Adrast's horse
. Kidon - the horse of Hippodamus at the Nemean Games
. Kykn - the horse of Amphiaraus
. Killar is Castor's horse, a gift from Hera. Was huge. Or a horse tamed by Polydeuces.
. Xanth is the name of several horses in Greek mythology:
o Xanthus (horse of Achilles)
o Xanthus is Hector's horse.
o Xanthus - the horse of Diomedes the Thracian, who ate human flesh and was killed by Hercules.
o Xanthos - Hera's gift to the Dioscuri. Castor's horse, predicted danger to him. Possibly identical to the horse of Achilles.
o Xanthus - son of Boreas and Harpy, ransom for Orithia.
. Lamp is Hector's horse.
. Lampon - the horse of Diomedes the Thracian, who ate human flesh
. Parthenia is the mare of Marmak, the first groom of Hippodamia. The river Parthenia in Elis is named after her.
. Pedas is the horse of Patroclus. Killed by Sarpedon.
. Podarg (Gift) - the name of several horses in Greek mythology:
o Podarg - Hector's horse.
o Podarg - the horse of Diomedes the Thracian, who ate human flesh.
o Podarg - the horse of Menelaus.
o Podark - Foant's horse at the Nemean Games.
. Gift - the daughter of Boreas and the Harpy, the mare of Erechtheus. Ransom for Orithia.
. Psilla is the horse of Oenomai.
. The Reb is the horse of Mezentius. Killed by Aeneas.
. Scythian - horse.
. Strymon is the horse of Chromius (son of Hercules).
. Phlogius is a horse, the son of Podarga, a gift from Hermes to the Dioscuri.
. Foloya is the mare of Admetus at the Nemean Games.
. Foya is the mare of Admetus at the Nemean Games.
. Erifa is Marmak's mare. See Parthenia.
. Efa is the mare of Agamemnon.
. Efion is the horse of Euneuea at the Nemean Games.
. Efon is Hector's horse.
. Efon is the horse of Pallas.

Before talking about the phenomenal Arabian stallion named Smetanka, it is necessary to pay tribute to his owner Alexei Orlov, one of the five Orlov brothers, widely known in Russian life XVIII century. In 1762, he played a prominent role in the palace coup, which elevated Catherine II to the imperial throne and made Orlov himself an all-powerful nobleman.
Count Aleksey Grigoryevich Orlov (1737-1807) - a powerful, contradictory, multi-talented personality - devoted a significant part of his long life to equestrianism, or, as they said then, "horse hunting". Purposeful breeding activity in this area, not to mention other historical merits of the count, truly immortalized his name.

Orlov, a horse breeder, set himself two most difficult tasks. The first of these was to develop a universal breed of riding horse. The second was even more difficult - to create a trotting breed that had never existed before, capable of carrying any wagon at a frisky wide trot. Let us note in passing that before Orlov there was no word "trotter" in the Russian language at all.

It was possible to solve these problems only in the conditions of a well-equipped stud farm and, most importantly, with a sufficiently diverse and numerous high-quality horse stock, necessary for successful breeding work. In 1764, Catherine II presented Alexei Orlov with an estate near Moscow - the village of Ostrov, 18 versts south of Moscow, not far from the current Lyubertsy railway station. Orlov began to create in Ostrov on the banks of the Moscow River a horse, or "horse", as they said then, factory, which in the mid-1770s became the best and largest in Russia; it was here that the creation of the famous Oryol trotters began. Orlov visionary saw the prototype of the future trotter in the Arabian stallion. At first, the count planned to cross Arabian stallions with Neapolitan and Danish mares. But these horses, although able to trot, did not have the necessary endurance and were unnecessarily overweight. In addition, the choice of Arab stallions available to the count left much to be desired. Meanwhile, Arabia, the birthplace of Arabian horses, was under the rule of the Turkish Sultan, and access to the treasured breeding fund was practically closed for the Russian breeder.

But then it burst Russian-Turkish war 1766-1774. In addition to operations on land, a grandiose sea expedition was conceived: the Russian fleet was supposed to go around Europe and attack the Ottoman Port from the Mediterranean Sea; the main command of the fleet from 1770 to 1774 was entrusted to Alexei Orlov. Having shown an outstanding naval talent, he won a number of brilliant victories in this campaign, the main of which was the destruction of the Turkish fleet in the Chesme Bay, after which Alexei Grigorievich became officially known as Orlov-Chesmensky. But, commanding the fleet, Orlov did not forget about the Arabian stallions and sent trusted people after them to Egypt and Syria.

In total, the count acquired 30 magnificent stallions and 9 mares, which cost him a lot of money, although some were received as a gift (Orlov, in turn, gave expensive furs for donated horses). 12 stallions out of 30, including Smetanka, which is discussed below, and 9 mares were then brought to the Island. The remaining 18 stallions were presented to the Empress and entered the state stud farms. The success in acquiring Arabian horses was facilitated by the enemy’s respect for Orlov for his humane attitude towards the prisoners: after the Chesme victory, Orlov had in his hands the family of Pasha Gasan Bey, who commanded the Turkish fleet, and in gratitude for the speedy return of the family safe and sound Hasan Bey, too who had his own stud farm, presented Orlov with first-class Arabian horses after the end of the war. In their acquisition, Orlov was also assisted by his ally, the ruler of Egypt, Ali Bey, and the Turkish sultan himself. At a time when the Russian fleet was stationed off the coast of the Peloponnese, the count became aware that a horse of rare beauty was being transported from Arabia through Egypt to the Sultan's stables in Istanbul, which, before the onset of peace, was sheltered in Greece. Orlov sent for reconnaissance knowledgeable people, and they briefly reported: "This has not yet been seen." The war had already ended with the victory of Russia, and the count began to urgently ask the Turkish government to sell him this Arabian stallion. After lengthy negotiations, the Turks agreed to sell the horse to Orlov, but for an unheard-of price at that time - 60 thousand rubles. To imagine the significance of this fantastic sum, suffice it to say that the front team of eight horses cost only 2,000.

The deal took place in 1775. For the silver-white suit (according to the current classification it is called light gray), Orlov gave the stallion the name Smetanny, and later the affectionate nickname Smetanka was assigned to him. Under this name, the stallion entered the history of Russian horse breeding. By the way, the only daughter of Smetanka was also named later. Smetanka belonged to the Arabian purebred breed and legends were preserved in him as about a horse exceptionally perfect in all respects: in its beautiful type and elegant exterior, in agility and strength, in character and "natural abilities". The growth of the stallion at the withers was very high for the Arabian breed: 2 arshins and 2.5 inches, that is, 153.4 cm. The stallion was distinguished by excellent movements in all gaits, including a light, free and wide trot. We should recall the enthusiastic statement of the most experienced specialist of that time, the veterinarian of the state stud farms L.M.Evest, that Smetanka was the best Arabian horse he had ever seen.

The portrait of the stallion Smetanka, the work of a serf artist of the late 18th century (presumably Gavriil Vasilyev), now kept in the Moscow Museum of Horse Breeding, conveys the exterior features of this unique horse very imperfectly. But one feature of the appearance of Smetanka, captured by a homegrown painter, should be treated with complete confidence. This feature is the length of the body, unusual for an Arabian horse, compared to the length of the limbs, which gave the stallion a resemblance to a draft horse. After the death of Smetanka, the mystery of his elongated body was revealed. It turns out that the stallion's skeleton had one extra (19th) dorsal vertebra and, accordingly, an additional pair of ribs.
The skeleton of Smetanka was carefully dissected, assembled, and in 1777 placed in the museum of the Ostrov factory, and this happened 12 years earlier than England began to preserve the skeletons of its famous horses (the first was the skeleton of Eclipse, who fell in 1789). For a long time it was believed that the skeleton of Smetanka died in Ostrov during Patriotic War 1812, but it suddenly turned out that it was kept in the museum of the Khrenovsky stud farm along with the skeletons of other famous horses back in the 1650s and only later was completely lost (perhaps simply thrown away by the indifferent hand of stupid Khrenovsky administrators). Let us return, however, to 1775. Orlov did not dare to send the exceptionally valuable Smetanka to Russia by sea, like all other horses acquired in Turkey, and left him temporarily in Greece under reliable protection. As soon as he returned to Russia, the count equipped an expedition for the stallion: the senior groom Ivan Nikiforovich Kabanov, the groom Stepan, two interpreters (translators) and a dozen soldiers of one of the guards regiments. With this convoy, Smetanka traveled to Russia by land for ... a year and a half.

The Turkish government issued a firman (safety certificate) for the stallion and seconded, as an escort to the borders of the Ottoman Empire, a Janissary officer with three horse bowls. Soldiers and sailors followed in the caravan, guarding the stallion in Greece. Everyone rode on horseback, except Stepan, the groom, who led Smetanka on foot. The stallion's halter was lined for softness with silk on wadding.
The route of the campaign did not pass along the shortest path - through Romania and Moldavia, as they feared the Budjat Tatars, who roamed the steppes of Dobruja, but in a northern direction - through Greece and Macedonia, and then Hungary and Poland. The caravan moved slowly - about 15 versts a day, except for Saturdays and Sundays, when days were arranged. They spent the night everywhere in their tents. The soldiers carried guards with loaded guns: the accompanying Turks, after all, also posed a certain danger. Like all young and strong horses, Smetanka slept standing up. Stepan laid down at his feet. At first, the Arabian stallion refused Russian food, but soon got used to it. He was especially fond of selected oats, two bags of which Kabanov brought from the Moscow region. Having tasted this oats, Smetanka no longer wanted to eat barley. A month and a half later they came to the Danube, where they parted ways with the Turks. On the Austrian border, two mounted gendarmes were assigned to the caravan. Beyond the Danube - Hungary; the steppes are over; along the river Tisza came to the cold Carpathian mountains. A blanket was put on Smetanka, and a Turkish woolen shawl was wrapped around her neck. In Poland, across the river San, on October 1, a written order was received from Orlov to take up winter quarters. They spent the winter with Prince Radziwill, near the city of Dubno. In the spring of 1776 they moved on and, finally, in the same year they arrived in the Island.

There, on April 23, the day of memory of St. George the Victorious, the senior groom Stepan led Smetanka to the church, in whose honor a short prayer service was served. Together with other horses of the Ostrov factory, the stallion was sprinkled with holy water.

Smetanka was gradually accustomed to team work: they harnessed him to a light droshky, and with a horse under the arch, galloping under the rider at the level of the arc next to the trotter, they went to the prize track laid along the Moscow River, Smetanka walked at a wide trot, as if flying. But the main purpose of the outstandingness of Smetanka was to use him as a stud stallion in order to create new horse breeds. Unfortunately, only one bet was received from him (one-year-old foals). Smetanka left behind only four sons: dark gray Felkersam, Bovka, Lyubimets, silver-white Polkan - and one daughter: black with gray hair Smetanka. All of them were born in 1778, after the death of their father.

Running the plant in the conditions of the Moscow region, with its harsh climate, turned out to be a big loss for Orlov: breeding Western European and especially South Asian horses in pastures often caught colds and died; Smetanka, a native of hot Arabia, also fell, unable to withstand more than one winter and having stayed in the Island for only a little over a year. Orlov had to look for a more suitable place for the plant.

Back in October 1776, Catherine II granted Count A.G. Orlov-Chesmensky 120 thousand acres of land in the Bobrovsky district of the Voronezh province, including the Khrenovoye estate near the Bityug River, an ideal place for setting up a stud farm, which was founded here in 1776. The transfer of horses from Ostrov to Khrenovoe was carried out gradually from 1776 to 1778. It was in the Khrenovsky stud farm that Orlov's horse breeding activities were most widely developed. But Smetanka was no longer alive.

There is, by the way, an unofficial, semi-legendary version of the death of Smetanka, which has not been documented. Once the groom Stepan took him out to a watering place, and young mares turned out to be nearby. The hot Arabian stallion began to worry and rear up. The groom, after a strong drink the day before, was out of sorts. He angrily jerked at the lead rope (halter lead), the stallion fell over on his back, hit the back of his head on a stone drinking hole and died. The groom Stepan, fearing the count's wrath, hanged himself on the same day in the attic hayloft. Of the five children of Smetanka, in the future, only Felkerzam (Orlov named him after a friend of the general) and Polkan were actually used in the breeding of the Orlov riding and Orlov trotting breeds. Felkersam I, obtained from a thoroughbred hunting mare from England, participated, along with children from the brown Saltan I, in the creation of the Oryol riding breed.

Polkan I, born of the Danish mare Bulana, played a major role in the creation of the Oryol trotter. The true ancestor of the breed was the son of Polkan I and the gray Dutch uterus No. 2 - Bars I, the grandson of Smetanka, who was born in 1784 and survived Alexei Orlov. In 1875, the largest specialist hippologist V.I. Koptev in his "Eulogy to Count Alexei Grigorievich Orlov-Chesmensky on the occasion of the centenary of the founding of breeds of trotting and riding horses" said that "almost all the producers and queens of trotting horses go back to pedigrees lines to the Arabian Smetanka; and exactly his offspring through the state depot improves the masses of riding and peasant horses.

In the same "Eulogy" Koptev briefly formulated the essence of Orlov's breeding activities to create a trotting breed: "He first parted the backbone of the Arabian Smetanka with the wide structure of the bones of the dry Danish uterus, raising its height with the work of Polkan I, from which he borrowed the cool elegant trotting movement of those famous then the Friesian trotters ... The trotters he created began to look like an elegant Arabian horse, which is looked at through a magnifying glass.

Koptev wrote: "Recognizing the ideal Arabian horse as an independent, perfect prototype of a horse, Count Alexei Grigorievich wished, without losing beauty, nobility, strength and energy, to adapt him to the needs of European life, increase the volume of his body, strengthen his muscles and, finally, dress his tender , graceful limbs of denser outer forms with harder armor against the harshness of the northern climate". This task was brilliantly solved by the long-term purposeful selection work of the outstanding horse breeder A.G. Orlov-Chesmensky, worthy of the grateful memory of many generations of Russian horse breeders and horse lovers. Smetanka, the legendary progenitor of the world-famous Oryol trotters, will not be forgotten either.

The squadron, where Rostov served, who had just managed to get on his horses, was stopped facing the enemy. Again, as on the Ensky bridge, there was no one between the squadron and the enemy, and between them, separating them, lay the same terrible line of uncertainty and fear, as it were, a line separating the living from the dead. All people felt this line, and the question of whether they would cross or not and how they would cross this line worried them.

The general, accepting the colonel's invitation to the tournament of courage, straightening his chest and frowning, rode with him in the direction of the chain, as if all their disagreement was to be decided there, in the chain, under the bullets. They arrived at the chain, several bullets flew over them, and they silently stopped. There was nothing to see in the chain, since even from the place where they had previously stood, it was clear that it was impossible for the cavalry to operate through the bushes and ravines and that the French were bypassing the left wing. The general and the colonel looked sternly and significantly as the two roosters, preparing for battle, looked at each other, waiting in vain for signs of cowardice. Both passed the test. Since there was nothing to say, and neither one nor the other wanted to give the other a reason to say that he was the first to get out from under the bullets, they would have stood there for a long time, mutually experiencing courage, if at that time in the forest, almost behind them, the rattle of guns and a muffled, merging cry were heard. The French attacked the soldiers who were in the forest with firewood. The hussars could no longer retreat with the infantry. They were cut off from the retreat to the left by a French line. Now, however inconvenient the terrain was, it was necessary to attack in order to make their way.

But things were getting rushed. Cannonade and shooting, merging, thundered from the right and in the center, and the French hoods of Lannes' shooters were already passing the mill dam and lined up on this side in two rifle shots. The infantry colonel with a shuddering gait approached the horse and, mounting it and becoming very straight and tall, rode to the Pavlograd commander. The regimental commanders arrived with courteous bows and hidden malice in their hearts.

Having approached the troops of the left flank, he did not go forward, where there was shooting, but began to look for the general and commanders where they could not be, and therefore did not give orders.

Zherkov, briskly, without taking his hand off his cap, touched the horse and galloped off. But as soon as he drove away from Bagration, his forces betrayed him. An insurmountable fear came over him, and he could not go where it was dangerous.

The attack of the 6th Chasseurs ensured the retreat of the right flank. In the center, the action of Tushin's forgotten battery, which managed to set fire to Shengraben, stopped the movement of the French. The French extinguished the fire carried by the wind and gave time to retreat. The retreat of the center through the ravine was carried out hastily and noisily; however, the troops, retreating, were not confused by teams. But the left flank, which was simultaneously attacked and bypassed by the excellent forces of the French under the command of Lann and which consisted of the Azov and Podolsky infantry and Pavlograd hussar regiments, was upset. Bagration sent Zherkov to the general of the left flank with orders to retreat immediately.

Bagration rode around the rows that passed by him and dismounted from his horse. He gave the Cossack the reins, took off and handed over the cloak, straightened his legs and straightened his cap on his head. The head of the French column, with the officers in front, appeared from under the mountain.

With God blessing! - Bagration said in a firm, audible voice, turned for a moment to the front and, waving his arms slightly, with the awkward step of a cavalryman, as if laboring, went forward across the uneven field. Prince Andrei felt that some irresistible force was drawing him forward, and he experienced great happiness.

The French were already close; already Prince Andrei, walking next to Bagration, clearly distinguished the bandages. red epaulettes, even French faces. (He clearly saw one old French officer, who, with his twisted legs in boots, holding on to the bushes, was with difficulty walking uphill.) Prince Bagration did not give a new order and still silently walked in front of the ranks. Suddenly, one shot crackled between the French, another, a third ... and smoke spread through all the upset enemy ranks and the firing crackled. Several of our men fell, including the round-faced officer who walked so cheerfully and diligently. But at the same moment as the first shot rang out, Bagration looked around and shouted: "Hurrah!"

"Hurrah-ah-ah-ah!" - a drawn-out cry resounded along our line, and, overtaking Prince Bagration and each other, our discordant, but cheerful and lively crowd ran downhill after the upset French.

The command of the left flank belonged in seniority to the regimental commander of the very regiment that presented itself under Braunau Kutuzov and in which Dolokhov served as a soldier. The command of the extreme left flank was assigned to the commander of the Pavlograd regiment, where Rostov served, as a result of which there was a misunderstanding. Both commanders were greatly irritated against each other, and at the same time that things had been going on on the right flank for a long time and the French had already begun the offensive, both commanders were occupied with negotiations aimed at insulting each other. The regiments, both cavalry and infantry, were very little prepared for the upcoming business. The people of the regiments, from a soldier to a general, did not expect a battle and calmly engaged in peaceful affairs: feeding horses - in the cavalry, collecting firewood - in the infantry.

He is, however, older than me in rank, - said the German, a hussar colonel, blushing and turning to the adjutant who drove up, - then they left him to do as he wanted. I cannot sacrifice my hussars. Trumpeter! Play Retreat!

Again, colonel, - said the general, - I cannot, however, leave half the people in the forest. I beg you, I beg you,” he repeated, “take position and prepare for the attack.

- And I ask you not to interfere, it's not your business, - the colonel answered, getting excited. - If you were a cavalryman ...

- I'm not a cavalryman, Colonel, but I'm a Russian general, and if you don't know...

It is very well known, Your Excellency, - suddenly cried out, touching the horse, the colonel, and turning red-purple. - Would you like to join the chains, and we will see that this position is worthless. I don't want to destroy my regiment for your pleasure.

- You're forgetting, Colonel. I do not observe my pleasure and I will not allow it to be said.

A colonel rode up to the front, angrily answered something to the questions of the officers, and, like a man desperately insisting on his own, gave some order. No one said anything definitive, but rumors of an attack swept through the squadron. There was a command to build, then sabers screeched out of their scabbards. But still no one moved. The troops of the left flank, both the infantry and the hussars, felt that the authorities themselves did not know what to do, and the indecision of the commanders was communicated to the troops.

“Hurry, hurry,” thought Rostov, feeling that at last the time had come to taste the pleasure of the attack, about which he had heard so much from his fellow hussars.

Literary game dedicated to the Year of the Horse

In February, in the middle of the endless third quarter, we invite you and your students to take a break from serious literary affairs for a while and play a little. Our game is dedicated to the coming Year of the Horse; this animal has been depicted so often in literature and other arts that there is more than enough material for a game. Its main participants are high school students (in our version, they are organized into three teams), although middle school students can also cope with individual tasks. We will not give hard game script, group tasks as you wish, come up with new ones, create! We are convinced that such work will bring pleasure to both you and your students, which means it will help make the process of communicating with literature joyful and exciting.

1. Warm up. In 30 seconds, each team must come up with as many designations as possible - close synonyms for the words “horse, horse” (mare, nag, pacer, horse, stallion, mustang, horse, gelding, trotter, and so on). A more complicated option is to give interpretations of invented words.

2. Theatrical contest. If several teams participate in the game, then each provides 1 person. They receive a sheet with printed lines from the novel “Eugene Onegin”: “Here is a yard boy running, // Planting a bug in a sled, // Transforming himself into a horse; // The scoundrel has already frozen his finger: // It hurts and it's funny, // And his mother threatens him through the window...” For several minutes outside the room in which the audience is located, they prepare a pantomime, depicting what is happening sequentially in each line. The team that first guesses which verses are depicted wins. An additional point can be received by a team that has read the entire stanza by heart. The most talented actors can be rewarded with a separate point.

3. Contest "Third wheel".The team must determine the “third extra” in the proposed groups: Assessor, Pegasus, Frou-Frou(answer: Pegasus is a mythological character; the rest are “heroes” of works of Russian classics: Assessor - one of Chichikov's horses, Frou-Frou - Vronsky's horse); Karagyoz, Grachik, Sokolko(Sokolko is the name of the dog from “The Tale of the Dead Princess”; the rest are horses: Karagyoz belonged to Kazbich, Grachik belonged to Nikolai Rostov); Bucephalus, Strider, Rosinante(Bucephalus is the real horse of Alexander the Great; the rest are literary characters: Strider - from the story of the same name by L. Tolstoy, Rosinante - from Don Quixote).

4. Contest tour guides. In a short time, come up with and present a fragment of an excursion around the picture, which depicts a horse (K. Bryullov’s “Horsewoman” is very convenient for this purpose). The tour guides from the teams should speak in turn, while it is important that they do not hear each other's tours, which excludes borrowing.

5. Contest "Horse phraseological units". Determine from which literary works the fragments are taken, restore the missing phraseological units:

a) She consulted with her husband, with some neighbors, and finally, unanimously, everyone decided that, apparently, such was the fate of Marya Gavrilovna, that __________ is not ____________ by a horse, that poverty is not a vice, that to live not with wealth, but with a person, and the like.

b) The commanders, it is heard, are pleased with him; and Vasilisa Egorovna has him like his own son. And that such an opportunity happened to him, then the good fellow did not reproach: a horse and ___________, yes _______________. And if you please write that you will send me to pasture pigs, and that is your boyar will. For this I bow slavishly.

Give your examples of phraseological units (or stable use of a word in a figurative sense) on a “horse” topic.

Answers:

a) A.S. Pushkin "Snowstorm"; you can’t ride a betrothed ;

b) A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter"; a horse with four legs, yes stumbles .

Examples of other phraseological units, stable combinations, figurative meanings: good horse, iron horse, draft horse, fly at full speed, be savvy in something, Trojan horse, bridle someone, covered in soap, lies like a gray gelding, Horsepower, right off the bat.

6. Contest "Horse suits". Explain what color the horse was in the following cases:

1. “This chubary the horse was very crafty and showed only for the sake of appearance, as if he was lucky ... ”(N. Gogol“ Dead Souls ”)

Answer: chubary- with dark spots on light wool, tail and mane are black.

2. “Clamped kaura suit, called the Assessor ... worked with all his heart ... ”(N. Gogol“ Dead Souls ”)

Answer: brown - light chestnut, reddish.

3. What suit was the third horse in the Chichikov three?

Answer: bay - dark red, tail and mane are black.

4. “It snowed buckskin under your feet…”

Answer: buckskin - light yellow, tail and mane are black.

5. On what horse did the legendary Malbrook go on a campaign?

Answer: “Malbrook goes to war, // His horse was playfulness”; playful- red, tail and mane light.

7. Contest readers. Expressive reading of the poem by V. Mayakovsky “Good attitude towards horses”.

8. Contest artists. Under the dictation of the leader, representatives of the blindfolded teams draw a horse.

9.Competition "Horse comparison". Identify the works of art from which the fragments are taken. Correct the gaps in the text.

1. How I look at this horse now: black as pitch, legs are strings, and eyes are no worse than those of ______; what a power! jump at least fifty miles; and already checked out - how _________ runs after the owner, even knew his voice! Sometimes he never ties her up. What a rogue horse!

2. The waves were still seething,

As if a fire smoldered under them,

Even their foam covered

And Neva was breathing heavily,

As _____________________.

3. “You are talking about a pretty woman like ______________________,” said Grushnitsky indignantly.

4. The little princess, like _______________, having heard ___________, unconsciously and forgetting her situation, prepared for the usual ___________ coquetry, without any ulterior motive or struggle, but with naive, frivolous fun.

5. And the horse reared up at times,

And jumped like ____________________

And white clothes beautiful folds

On the shoulders of the Faris curled in disarray.

Answers:

1. Than Bela; like a dog (M.Yu. Lermontov “A Hero of Our Time”);

2. Like a horse running from the battle (A.S. Pushkin “The Bronze Horseman”);

3. How about an English horse (M.Yu. Lermontov “A Hero of Our Time”);

4. Like an old regimental horse, hearing the sound of a trumpet; to the usual gallop of coquetry (L.N. Tolstoy “War and Peace”);

5. Like a leopard struck by an arrow (M.Yu. Lermontov “Three palm trees”).

10. Game with spectators.

1. Which of the literary heroes, having fallen from a horse at a very inopportune moment, gave reason to suspect the heroine of love for him? (Molchalin, “Woe from Wit”)

2. Which of the literary heroes was proud that his family descended from one of the famous horses? (Simeonov-Pishchik, "The Cherry Orchard")

3. For which of the literary heroes has the horse become the most patient listener? (cabman Jonah, Chekhov's story "Tosca")

4. The cause of death of which of the literary heroes can be considered equally as an animal - a symbol of the next year, and an animal - a symbol of the past year? (Prophetic Oleg, “The Song of the Prophetic Oleg”)

5. Which of the literary heroes claimed that the Volga flows into the Caspian Sea, and horses eat oats? (Ippolit Ippolitich, Chekhov's story "Teacher of Literature").

We also recommend holding a school-wide quiz, the materials for which can be hung on the walls in the corridor for several days. The participant in the quiz is invited to restore the missing words in the quotes (we highlight them in italics), guess the author and the title of the work from which the quote is taken; sometimes (especially see the section “Who is jumping, who is racing?”) it is necessary to indicate who is being discussed in the above fragments. The person who correctly guesses the most quotes wins. Students can also involve their parents in the work - the main thing is that they all dig into books together, look for quotes, read good poems. We give examples of quotes, according to their model, you can make your list.

WHERE ARE YOU RIDING, PROUD HORSE?

WHO RIDES, WHO RIDES?

And, finally, do not pass by the wonderful poems of N. Yazykov “The Horse”, N. Zabolotsky “The Face of the Horse”, D. Samoilov “White Poems (Rimbaud in Paris)” - include them in your literature programs.

The general, accepting the colonel's invitation to the tournament of courage, straightening his chest and frowning, rode with him in the direction of the chain, as if all their disagreement was to be decided there, in the chain, under the bullets. They arrived at the chain, several bullets flew over them, and they silently stopped. There was nothing to see in the chain, since even from the place where they had previously stood, it was clear that it was impossible for the cavalry to operate through the bushes and ravines and that the French were bypassing the left wing. The general and the colonel looked sternly and significantly as the two roosters, preparing for battle, looked at each other, waiting in vain for signs of cowardice. Both passed the test. Since there was nothing to say, and neither one nor the other wanted to give the other a reason to say that he was the first to get out from under the bullets, they would have stood there for a long time, mutually experiencing courage, if at that time in the forest, almost behind them, the rattle of guns and a muffled, merging cry were heard. The French attacked the soldiers who were in the forest with firewood. The hussars could no longer retreat with the infantry. They were cut off from the retreat to the left by a French line. Now, however inconvenient the terrain was, it was necessary to attack in order to make their way.

But things were getting rushed. Cannonade and shooting, merging, thundered from the right and in the center, and the French hoods of Lannes' shooters were already passing the mill dam and lined up on this side in two rifle shots. The infantry colonel with a shuddering gait approached the horse and, mounting it and becoming very straight and tall, rode to the Pavlograd commander. The regimental commanders arrived with courteous bows and hidden malice in their hearts.

Again, colonel, - said the general, - I cannot, however, leave half the people in the forest. I beg you, I beg you,” he repeated, “take position and prepare for the attack.

- And I ask you not to interfere, it's not your business, - the colonel answered, getting excited. - If you were a cavalryman ...

- I'm not a cavalryman, Colonel, but I'm a Russian general, and if you don't know...

It is very well known, Your Excellency, - suddenly cried out, touching the horse, the colonel, and turning red-purple. - Would you like to join the chains, and we will see that this position is worthless. I don't want to destroy my regiment for your pleasure.

- You're forgetting, Colonel. I do not observe my pleasure and I will not allow it to be said.

The squadron, where Rostov served, who had just managed to get on his horses, was stopped facing the enemy. Again, as on the Ensky bridge, there was no one between the squadron and the enemy, and between them, separating them, lay the same terrible line of uncertainty and fear, as it were, a line separating the living from the dead. All people felt this line, and the question of whether they would cross or not and how they would cross this line worried them.

A colonel rode up to the front, angrily answered something to the questions of the officers, and, like a man desperately insisting on his own, gave some order. No one said anything definitive, but rumors of an attack swept through the squadron. There was a command to build, then sabers screeched out of their scabbards. But still no one moved. The troops of the left flank, both the infantry and the hussars, felt that the authorities themselves did not know what to do, and the indecision of the commanders was communicated to the troops.

“Hurry, hurry,” thought Rostov, feeling that at last the time had come to taste the pleasure of the attack, about which he had heard so much from his fellow hussars.