Evpaty stumbles to the bottom of the hill and mockingly returns the talisman to the Khan, saying he no longer has need of it, before dying. Mortally wounded, Evpaty looks down from the hill and sees a sail on the river, showing that their actions delayed the Mongols long enough for Karkun and his charges to escape. He manages to kill the Mongol commander Khostovrul, but all the defenders are ultimately killed. In a last stand, Evpaty and his comrades are defending a fortified hilltop. He also details one of his soldiers, Karkun, to escort the women and children who survived the destruction for the city, to safety. When they return to Ryazan, the city has already been destroyed by the horde.Įvpaty gathers a detachment and leads it to delay the Mongol army, hoping that the neighboring Russian princes will be able to send support, but no help is forthcoming. Unfortunately, the Mongols turn on their visitors and Fedor is killed, but Evpaty and several soldiers manage to escape. Recognizing Evpaty's boldness, the Khan gives him a talisman that allows its bearer safe conduct through the Mongol lines. Warned of their approach, Prince Fedor leads a party of envoys, including Evpaty, to negotiate with the Khan. The Mongol army, led by the grandson of Genghis Khan, Batu Khan, once again approaches Ryazan in 1237. In the present day, in 1236, Evpaty is a knight in the service of prince Yuri of Ryazan. He is given his nickname of Kolovrat ("spinning wheel") by Nastya, his later wife, for his dual wielding of two swords in a circular motion. In the prologue, a young Evpaty is overpowered by a band of Mongols in the aftermath of the Battle of the Kalka River (1223) and left for dead. The story is based on the legend of bogatyr Evpaty Kolovrat, as recorded in the 16th-century Tale of the Destruction of Ryazan.
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