The Tale of Yevpatiy Kolovrat

After Batu Khan's army destroys Riazan, Yevpatiy Kolovrat emerges as one of the few survivors and refuses to let the city's fate go unanswered. He gathers a small band of loyal fighters and sets out to strike at the Mongol commander blamed for the razing. The film traces Kolovrat's tactical skirmishes, the strain on his companions, and his stubborn adherence to an old code of honor. Between pitched battles and quiet moments of remembrance, the animated retelling emphasizes the human cost of the raid while preserving later developments, so the story's major turns remain unspoiled for viewers.

Directed by Roman Davydov and created by Leonid Belokurov, the 1985 animation adapts 13th century chronicles about Riazan's fall. Voice performances include Roman Filippov as Yevpatiy Kolovrat, Aleksey Konsovskiy as Batu Khan, and appearances by Vladimir Kenigson, Stepan Bubnov, and Lev Shabarin.

Box office and distribution figures are limited. Released inside the Soviet film circuit, it did not have a major international rollout, and contemporary commercial totals were not widely recorded or publicized outside domestic channels.

Within Soviet and later Russian historical animation, the film helped keep the medieval episode alive for audiences who encountered it on cinema and television in the 1980s. Its portrayal of resistance and communal loss has been cited in discussions of national legend adaptations, and it remains a reference point for later retellings of Riazan's destruction.

Critical commentary tends to stress the film's sober, martial tone and its focus on honor, loyalty, and the weight of vengeance. Scholars note an emphasis on moral ambiguity, where personal retribution intersects with collective memory, and the animation style supports mood and character study rather than flashy spectacle.