A summary of "Escape to Sokoliny Bor" by Boris Izyumsky

"Flight to Sokoliny Bor" is a historical novella set in Kyiv during the reign of Prince Yaroslav, where the personal misfortune of a teenager from the "chad" quickly becomes a matter of boyar power, trial, and violence. The submitted text does not indicate the year of its composition; the action takes place at the prince’s court, in the articles of Yaroslav’s Truth, and in the daily life of Podol, the marketplace, and the docks on the Dnieper.

Kyiv and the school hut

Young Grigory Cherny lives in Podil and studies in the school hut under his tutor, Yelfim, nicknamed Rooster, where both toddlers and almost-grown "unots" share a common room. He is stubborn, arrogant, and quickly makes enemies: Kharka Chudin, who is especially angry with him, is looking for a chance to get revenge after an earlier fight. Grigory’s closest friend is Fedka Khilkov, a cheerful ringleader who knows how to fight, joke, and negotiate.

At the Kiev marketplace by the pier, the boys see a motley crew of people and wares, hear guards’ announcements and talk of runaway serfs, and nearby, foreign merchants and money changers with various coins. The city’s troubles are also noticeable in this crowd: the potter Temka Koryto has become an alcoholic after the boyar’s son Antoshka tricked him into indentured servitude, and Temka has lost his footing in life and faith. Amid the noisy marketplace and spring festivities, Grigory has one thought: Olena, the girl from the girls’ dance, to whom he is drawn and who cannot understand her restraint.

In the spring, a festival is held on Maiden Hill: girls are dressed as "Lyalya," they sing spring songs, dance in circles, and Grigory recognizes Olena’s voice in the crowd and catches her every movement. When Olena leaves, he too loses interest in the festivities and soon meets her at her favorite spot by the Dnieper, where they speak briefly and tensely, as if afraid of prying ears. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Svidin, the chamberlain of boyar Voksha, a rude and clingy man who immediately notices the young couple’s closeness.

Olena at court

Olena and her friend Ksana find themselves at Voksha’s palace: they embroider, live in a cramped little room, and are required to remain "quiet," though Olena deeply resents this bondage. She can dance to "introduce herself" — as a mermaid, a forest squirrel, or a reed by a spring river — and this conveys her freedom, which the palace order seeks to crush. Svidin spies on her dancing, despising the girl while hungrily desiring to subjugate her.

Voksha is working on princely articles in his chambers — discussing the power of "masters" over serfs, fines, and the fact that a master cannot be prosecuted for the death of a slave from beatings. Svidin takes advantage of the moment and reports to Voksha that Olena is "being kind" to Grigory, then asks him to give the girl to his court as a reward for her service. Voksha, remembering her previous promises and disregarding Olena’s will, agrees, and then Svidin devises a plan to strike at Grigory as well.

Svidin announces that the manuscript of "Devgeniy’s Deed," copied in Voksha’s hand, has disappeared from the school hut, and he pins the thief on Grigory Chorny. Petukh and Kharka back up the accusation: Kharka points the finger at Grigory in public, and the "evidence" is found in his primer — a parchment sheet with the book’s title. Grigory shouts that it’s slander, but he understands that the blow has been precisely struck and calculated to draw the boyars’ wrath.

"God’s judgment" and the chopping

Olena learns of the tragedy almost immediately: Voksha comes to her and, under the guise of "happiness," announces that he is handing her over to Svidin, calling Grigory a vile thief and threatening to kill him. In tears, Olena runs to Maiden Hill and meets Grigory there; for the first time, they speak without reservation: he tells her of the false accusation, she tells him of Voksha’s order and Svidin’s claims. This confession changes Olena: fear turns to determination, and she vows to be with Grigory to the end and save him.

In Voksha’s courtyard, they’re preparing for the "divine judgment": a platform and a chair are set up, swordsmen are lined up, and Voksha watches sternly and coldly. The first to be judged is Temka Koryto: he’s forced to remove a ring from boiling water, and after a while, they show him his hand with its unhealed blisters and declare him guilty, leaving the bondage to Antoshka and assigning Temka a heavy fine. Then Grigory is brought in, the witnesses are brought in "face to face," and Kharka and Petukh swear that he’s a thief, even though Grigory tells Voksha directly about the lies and blindness of the boyar court.

Voksha sees Grigory’s insolence as a threat to order and orders him thrown into the chopping block. Grigory is thrown into a deep stone well in the basement, secured with an iron grate; to escape, he agrees to be tied up near the grate when the opportunity arises. Olena seeks help from Fedka Khilkov: together with Ksana, she catches him on the street and hears his blunt advice: Grigory needs to escape before it’s too late.

Escape to Sokoliny Bor

Olena brings her pendants and other valuables; Fedka sells them, adds his own money, and begins planning their escape: they need a boat, they need men, and at least one assistant among the palace guards. The timing is cunning — the night after the palace feast for the foreign guests, when the great hall is filled with noise, music, and buffoons, and no one counts the servants’ steps. Foreigners flit about the feast, arguing about princely politics and the power of Rus’, while Voksha holds her own confidently, showing off the wealth and order of her home to the guests.

The escape is underway: Grigory is brought out of the dungeon, the fugitives reach the water, and depart by boat down the Dnieper as dawn breaks over Kyiv. The pursuit mounts: three boats bearing boyar banners race from Kyiv, led by Svidin, who demands a halt and clearly intends to take the fugitives alive. Grigory rows with all his might toward the shore, where Sokoliny Bor is already approaching, but the pursuers’ boats pin the fugitives’ boat from both sides, and swordsmen rush at him.

Grigory fights back with an axe, knocks away a sword, and knocks down one of the attackers, but the odds are against him: he’s wounded and falls to one knee, and Svidin shouts for him to be bound. Then Grigory makes a final lunge — he falls to the bottom of the boat, pulls himself up to Svidin, and together they roll overboard into the water, leaving ripples and Olena’s screams over the Dnieper. Olena watches Grigory disappear, and as the swordsmen reach out to her, she throws herself into the Dnieper — to meet Lybid, choosing death over returning to the boyar’s court and Svidin.