Birth of Trofim Ryabinin, founder of Ryabinin’s epic tradition, folk tales teller

Trofim Grigorievich Ryabinin, founder of Ryabinin’s epic tradition, teller of folk tales, one of the most prominent figures among storytellers of the Olonets Province in the 19th century was born April 15 (28), 1801 in the village of Garnitsy, Petrozavodsk District, Olonets Province (at present - the territory of Medvezhyegorsky District, Republic of Karelia).

Trofim was very young when he lost his parents. As an orphan, Ryabinin visited many villages near the Lake Onega in search of work. He repaired nets and other fishing gear. Working, he made the acquaintance of a peasant Ilya Elustafyev from Volkostrov, who knew many tales and told them at work. Elustafev was the first teacher of Trofim Ryabinin in the art of Russian epics. 

Later Ryabinin worked for his uncle Ignatius Andreev, who was also an excellent teller of folk tales. From him and other storytellers of the Lake Onega, Trofim Grigorievich adopted many tales, inherited a rich epic tradition of the region. In the 1850s, Ryabinin was already widely known in the Lake Onega region as the best storyteller.

First folk records of Trofim Ryabinin (22 scenes) were made in 1860 by Pavel Rybnikov, prominent collector of folklore in Karelia, official of the Olonets provincial office, exiled in Petrozavodsk. In 1871, folk tales of Ryabinin (18 scenes) were recorded by another major collector,  Slavonic scholar, Chairman of the Ethnography Department, Imperial Russian Geographical Society, A. F. Hilferding.

In the winter of 1871-1872, invited by the Ethnography Department of the Russian Geographical Society, Ryabinin made a public presentation of his tales in St. Petersburg. These performances earned him public recognition. The artist Ilya Repin painted a portrait of the storyteller. Epic tunes recorded by Trofim Ryabinin were used by M. Mussorgsky in his opera "Boris Godunov" (1872), and by Rimsky-Korsakov while he created recitatives for his opera "Sadko" (1896).

By the variety of epic stories and performing skills, Trofim Ryabinin represented an outstanding phenomenon. His repertoire consisted of twenty-six stories of epic (over 6000 verses). The storyteller favored heroic epics, which were remarkable for their clear rhythm, coherent and clear composition. Trofim Ryabinin was deservedly considered a classic of the Russian epics, the best storyteller of the Lake Onega. Trofim was the founder of the Ryabinin dynasty represented by four generations. He handed down the art of singing folk tales and a significant part of his repertoire to one of his sons, Ivan Ryabinin (1844-1908).

In 1872, Trofim Grigorievich was one of the first representatives of the peasant class in Russia to be awarded the silver medal "For being useful" to be worn around the neck on Stanislas ribbon.

Trofim Ryabinin died February 14 (27), 1885 and was buried in the churchyard of Kizhi, near the Church of Intercession.

At present, in Kizhi churchyard there is a commemorative plaque. In memory of the famous Ryabinin dynasty of storytellers, since 1995 the State Historical-Architectural and Ethnographic Museum-Reserve "Kizhi" has been holding an annual scientific conference on the issues of preserving and updating the folk culture of the Russian North called "Ryabinin Readings."

Lit.: Гильфердинг А. Ф. Онежские былины, записанные А. Ф. Гильфердингом летом 1871 года. Архангельск, 1983. Из содерж.: Рябинин Т. Г. Вольга и Микула. С. 73-77; Добрыня и Василий Казимиров. С. 88-111; Илья и Соловей. С. 123-129; Илья Муромец и дочь его. С. 135-143; Дунай. С. 161-172; Хотей Блудович. С. 214-218; Королевичи из Крякова. С. 274-281; Горе. С. 306-312; Избранные былины : тексты, записанные в Карелии / ред. А Нечаев. Петрозаводск, 1938. Из содерж.: Рябинин Т. Г. Добрыня и Змей. С. 27-32; Илья и Соловей-разбойник. С. 71-77; Илья Муромец и Калин-царь. С. 78-92; Илья Муромец в ссоре со Владимиром. С. 93-96; Дюк. С. 119-132; Рыбников П. Н. Песни, собранные П. Н. Рыбниковым. Т. 1. Былины. Петрозаводск, 1989. Из содерж.: Рябинин Т. Г. [Былины]. С. 87-192; Рябининские чтения'95 : междунар. науч. конф. по проблемам изучения, сохранения и актуализации нар. культуры Рус. Севера : сб. докл. / ред. коллегия: Афанасьева А. И. [и др.]. Петрозаводск, 1997. Из содерж.: Криничная Н. А. Феномен сказительского искусства : к реконструкции становления Т. Г. Рябинина как певца былин : (некоторые аспекты изучения). С. 15-26; Воробьёва С. В. Биография сказителя Т. Г. Рябинина. С. 27-36; Смирнов Ю. И. Две версии былины «Илья Муромец и Калин-царь» у Трофима Рябинина. С. 37-42; Новиков Ю. А. Об истоках эпических репертуаров Т. Г. Рябинина и П. И. Рябинина-Андреева. С. 43-50; Чистов К. В. Русские сказители Карелии : очерки и воспоминания. Петрозаводск, 1980. Из содерж.: Рябинины. С. 33-109; Чичеров В. И. Школы сказителей Заонежья. М., 1982. Из содерж.: Гл. 2. Елустафьевско-Рябининская школа. С. 29-76.

Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:

Виноградов С. Сказитель И. Т. Рябинин и моя с ним поездка. Томск, 1906.

The material was provided by the National Library of the Republic of Karelia