Two centuries of the Russian classics Two centuries of the Russian classics 2686-7494 IWL RAS https://doi.org/10.22455/2686-7494-2026-8-2-6-27 Research Article Articles Education of a Сitizen in the Сycle “Kleftic Songs” by N. I. Gnedich Potashova Ksenia A. red@rusklassika.ru 25 06 2026 8 2 6 27 poetics ontology N. I. Gnedich emotional and semantic dominant heroism Copyright © 2026, IWL RAS 2026 The article analyzes N. I. Gnedich’s poetic cycle “Vernacular Songs of the Modern Greeks.” It identifies parallels between the cycle and the biography of Prince Alexander Nevsky compiled by the Greek priest Konstantinos Ikonomou, revealing that at its center stands an integral personality who glorifies the unity of spiritual and physical strength and steadfastness in the struggle for Christian values. The article also examines how freedom is conceptualized through the symbolic nature of the mountain landscape and demonstrates the identity of kleft and the Christian warrior- martyr. 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