What is known about dragons that have long settled in Russia: an unexpected reality

February 10 marks the Year of the Dragon according to the eastern calendar. The phenomenon of this mythical entity has not yet been solved. No one has ever seen one in their life, but all nations of the world, without exception, have their own tales about dragons. What about the people: many regions of Russia have their own “local dragon” – with an individual name and a corresponding legend. Moreover, in some places they even claim that their “snake” is not a creature from a legend at all, but lives “here and now.” Like, for example, the Brosno monster or the Karadag snake.

Brosnensky Dragon, Tver region

Lake Brosno in the Tver region is considered one of the deepest in the region: its official depth is 41 meters. The narrow and elongated body of water is shaped like a snake with paws. And given that there are completely abandoned villages around it, an aura of mystery is inevitable. In addition, among local residents the legend of a “water serpent” with shiny scales has been circulating since the 13th century. It was at that time that the legend dates back to how the Brosnensky Dragon forced the army of the Mongol-Tatar Khan Batu to turn back. The army marched to Novgorod. On the shore of the lake, the Mongols decided to make a halt, releasing their horses to water. But as soon as the horses approached the water’s edge, a terrible monster emerged from there and began to devour the horses. After this, Batu’s army changed its mind to continue its journey and went back… Brosnya’s merits (as the locals called the monster) also include an attack on the Varangians, who were preparing a raid. And even the destruction of a fascist plane during the Second World War. In general, Brosnya is still a defender of the Fatherland. That’s why the locals aren’t afraid of him. Moreover, recently the monster has calmed down. This snake supposedly reaches 5 meters in length, but is very shy. When approaching it by boat, it goes into the depths. Nowadays there are no atrocities or special bloodthirstiness. He swims along the shore, frolicking in the water – as people who allegedly saw him claim. Constant stories from locals about Brosny’s antics forced cryptozoologists to seriously study the lake. They became especially active in this in the late 1990s. But, as in the case of the Loch Ness monster, research revealed a “certain anomaly” in the lake, however, nothing resembling a living creature. However, neither local residents nor tourists were convinced by these studies. Curious people are ready to come to the shores of the lake and stand on the shore for hours waiting for silvery scales to sparkle in the water surface. And if you’re lucky, Brosnya will show you his fin.

Dragon Zilant, Tatarstan

The winged serpent Zilant is a symbol of Kazan. His image adorns the flag and coat of arms of the capital of Tatarstan. Moreover, since time immemorial. The coat of arms of Kazan with Zilant was approved by decree of Empress Catherine II. And before that, he decorated one of the seals of Ivan the Terrible.

Although, as legend says, the relationship between the snake and the ancient Tatars was not easy. First, the local khan decided to expel Zilant and his snake family from the mountain he had chosen. And then – after heavy losses suffered on both sides – a “non-aggression pact” was concluded between the city authorities and the winged serpent. Moreover, Zilant pledged to guard and defend the capital of the Kazan kingdom. Which he has done regularly for centuries. Until the city was taken by the army of Ivan the Terrible. After this, as the legend says, Zilant left Zilantovaya Mountain for Lake Kaban, where he now guards the treasures of the Kazan queen Siyumbike.

Nobody remembers now about the confrontation between Zilant and the founders of Kazan. The snake is revered as the guardian and protector of the city. On this occasion, there are plenty of his images and sculptural incarnations in Kazan. The most famous Zilant – the work of the sculptor Marat Gubaidullin – stands near the Kremlevskaya metro station, on Millennium Square. In 2016, the Kazan Family Center welcomed the Zilant couple “He and She.” The male stands guard, the graceful female protects the babies… There is even a Zalantov-Uspensky Monastery in Kazan, and the Zilant sports complex has recently appeared.

Dragon of the Khadzhokh Gorge, Adygea

Anyone who has been to Adygea has probably heard about the Khadzhokh Gorge. This is a narrow canyon, 500 meters long, where a mountain river with huge boulders winds among high, 40-meter cliffs. These boulders are the remains of an ancient dragon who fell victim to his love of justice. As local legend says, the formidable Khadzhokh dragon was a kind of judge and executioner for local criminals. Which were thrown into his mouth from the rocks. But he dealt only with those who were truly guilty. Innocent blood could kill him himself. This continued until the young wife of the old local khan Pshikhaf committed a sin: she conceived a child from a young lover. For this she was entitled to a terrible death in the mouth of a dragon. But Leila, even under the threat of reprisal, did not reveal the name of her lover, who otherwise would also have faced a terrible fate. On the night before the execution, Amina, the khan’s eldest wife, came to see the young woman about to give birth. She knew for sure that the father of the illegitimate child was her brother, whom Leila did not give away. Therefore, before dawn, she put on Leila’s clothes and went to execution in her place, telling the young woman to take care of her nephew, who was about to be born. Innocent Amina was pushed off the cliff, her blood fell into the mouth of the executioner dragon, which then scattered along the bottom of the gorge in a pile of stones. And the boy born to Leila later became a khan and ruled this land for a long time. This is the story you will be told, perhaps with different interpretations, when you go into the gorge. The place is now quite touristy…

Karadag serpent, Crimea

Every resident of Crimea knows for sure that dragons lived here. And their traces are “recorded” not only in the outlines of mountain ranges – the same Karadag, or the Dragon Rock at Cape Fiolent, but even in Scythian burials. In the Pavlovsk burial mound, a gold ring with an image of a dragon swimming in the sea was discovered on the hand of one of the Scythian queens. In other mounds, many plaques and orders with the image of a water serpent were discovered. Where did he live? The ancient Greek geographer Herodotus wrote that a sea monster lived in the rocks of the Crimean coast. And the poet Maximilian Voloshin and the writer Vsevolod Ivanov were sure that these rocks were near Koktebel, near Karadag. During Mikhail Bulgakov’s vacation in the “House of the Poet” in 1925, Voloshin told them about the Karadag snake. A note about which, by the way, appeared in the Feodosia Rabochaya Gazeta back in 1921. It then reported that a company of Red Army soldiers was sent to capture a large snake that had appeared in the vicinity of Koktebel… However, unlike the writer Ivanov, Voloshin himself did not see the snake. But that happened. “I was one of many millions of people who was destined to see this monster… It was large, very large, 25-30 meters, and as thick as a desk top, if you turn it sideways. It was half a meter under water and, it seems to me, it was flat. The lower part of it was apparently white, as far as the blueness of the water made it clear, and the upper part was dark brown, which allowed me to mistake it for algae,” this is how Ivanov described his meeting with the monster in 1952. According to his story, the monster was heading towards a school of dolphins, but they quickly swam further out to sea, after which the snake curled up into a ball. “It again began to look like a brown stone overgrown with algae,” the author described the phenomenon. Scientists working in the rocks in search of an unknown creature were inclined to believe that it was perhaps a type of belt fish or a frilled shark. But the fact that this creature is real and quite bloodthirsty was confirmed by the remains of dolphins in the rocks. The mammals seemed to have been bitten in half by sharp teeth… And here you no longer know what would be better – if this dragon remained a mythical creature, or a real one – with a good appetite.

Fire dragon, Lake Baikal

It would be surprising if the deepest lake in the world did not become the source of the dragon legend. Of course, according to local beliefs, it was at the bottom of Lake Baikal that the most ancient dragon settled, living here since the creation of the world. “As soon as the stars were born in the sky, and the sun began to illuminate the planet, a golden chariot with a great fiery dragon descended to earth.

He struck with his mighty tail, and the sharp rocks parted and a deep crevice formed. He struck with his tail a second time. The ice melted and filled the crevice with the purest water.

The dragon struck with its tail for the third time – and the shores of the purest lake were covered with green meadows, impenetrable forests, and living creatures appeared there who still live there,” says the legend. According to legend, a dragon rises from the lake once every 120 years. He was greeted with honors, arranging a bright celebration. In return, the dragon gave the residents a calm and comfortable life. But centuries passed and people began to forget about the “progenitor”. The dragon came out to earth once again, but no one met him. People forgot about him. And then he reminded himself – harshly and mercilessly. The earth shook, the waters of Lake Baikal flooded the surrounding area and washed away the ungrateful people. And so that they would not forget about him in the future, the dragon left his mark on the white marble side of the Shamanka rock on Olkhon Island. The reddish outlines of the snake are still visible on its western slope…