Слово о Полку Игореве

An unnamed writer tells of Prince Igor Svyatoslavich’s failed attack. He fought the Polovtsians in 1185. Igor is the prince of Novgorod-Seversky. He loses his army, and his foes take him captive.

The work dates from the late twelfth century. It makes one clash in these wars a call for unity. The writer urges the Rus’ princes to end their feuds. They must unite to face the lasting threat from nomads.

This work forms part of Old Russian literature. Here, Nikolai Zabolotsky retells it in verse. He uses modern verse to make the old text easier to read. His version is for those who find the original hard. It lets them feel the force of its verse. These readers include school pupils who study the work in literature class.

The art is by Vladimir Pertsov. This edition is part of the Любимая мамина книжка series.