The young bogatyr, who rides through a treacherous mountain pass towards the Kiev, the capital of ancient Rus', to Prince Vladimir.
], hungry birds swoop before him, intent on pecking him, while a dragon breathes fire at his horse's hooves.
[1] Different versions of this bylina specify different motherlands for Duke Stepanovich: India, Volyn, Korela, Galich.
On the instigation of Churila Plyonkovich, a rash young knight, Vladimir imprisoned Stepanovich and sent scouts to Duke's homeland to ascertain if Duke told the truth.
The scouts returned with confirmation, and the message that if all Kiev's treasures were sold, it wouldn't be enough to buy sufficient paper to inventory Stepanovich's homeland's wealth.