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ALYOSHA POPOVICH 1
Alyosha Popovich (Russian: Алё́ша Попо́вич, literally Alexey, son of the priest), is a folk hero of Kievan Rus, a bogatyr (i.e., a medieval knight-errant). He is the youngest of the three main bogatyrs, the other two being Dobrynya Nikitich and Ilya Muromets. All three are represented together at Viktor Vasnetsov's famous painting Bogatyrs.
In Byliny (ballads) he is described as a clever-minded priest's son who wins by tricking and outsmarting his foes. He defeated the dragon Tugarin Zmeyevich by trickery.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alyosha_...

BURISLAV 2
Burislav, Burisleif, Burysław (died 1008) is the name of a legendary Wendish king from Scandinavian sagas who is said to rule over Wendland. He is said to be father of Gunhild, Astrid and Geira. There are three possible hypotheses over his identity: first, that there actually was a Slavic prince of that name; second, that this was the name given by saga authors to any Slavic prince; third, that he is a compound person, combining two Polish rulers: Mieszko I of Poland and Boleslaw I of Poland.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burislav

IRENE KANTAKOUZENE 3
Irene Kantakouzene (Greek: Ειρήνη Καντακουζηνή, Eiréne Kantakouzené, modern pronunciation Eiríni Kantakouziní [iriˈni kantakusini'], Serbian: Ирина Кантакузин / Irina Kantakuzin; c. 1400 – May 3, 1457), known simply as Despotess Jerina (Serbian: деспотица Јерина / despotica Jerina), was the wife of Serbian Despot Đurađ Branković. In Serbian folk legends, she is the founder of many fortresses in Serbia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene_Ka...

DOBRYNYA NIKITICH 4
Dobrynya Nikitich (Russian: Добры́ня Ники́тич, Ukrainian: Добриня Микитич) is one of the most popular bogatyrs (epic knights) from the Rus' folklore. Albeit fictional, this character is based on a real warlord Dobrynya, who led the armies of Svyatoslav the Great and tutored his son Vladimir the Great.
Many byliny center on Dobrynya completing tasks set him by prince Vladimir. Dobrynya is often portrayed as being close to the royal family, undertaking sensitive and diplomatic missions. As a courtier, Dobrynya seems to be a representative of the noble class of warriors. He is a professional archer, swimmer, and wrestler. He plays the gusli, plays tafl, and is known for his courtesy and cunning.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dobrynya...

ILYA MUROMETS 5
Ilya Muromets (Russian: Илья Муромец), or Ilya of Murom, sometimes Ilya Murometz, is a folk hero of ancient Kievan Rus' - a bogatyr (akin to knight-errant) and a character of many bylinas (East Slavic medieval epic poems). In the legends he is often featured alongside fellow bogatyrs Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich.
Although Ilya Muromets's adventures are mostly a matter of legend, he is associated with a historical figure: a medieval warrior, and in later life a monk, named Ilya Pechersky [ru]. Venerable Ilya Pechersky is beatified as a monastic saint of the Orthodox Church. His relics are preserved in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilya_Mur...

IVAN KOSANCIC 6
Ivan Kosančić was a Serbian knight who died during the historical Battle of Kosovo in 1389.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Kos...

IVAN TSAREVICH 7
Ivan Tsarevich (Russian: Ива́н Царе́вич or Иван-царевич) is one of the main heroes of Russian folklore, usually a protagonist, often engaged in a struggle with Koschei. Along with Ivan the Fool, Ivan Tsarevich is a placeholder name rather than a certain character. Tsarevich is a title given to the sons of tsars.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Tsa...

KYI, SHCHEK and KHORYV 8
Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv (Ukrainian: Кий, Щек, Хорив [ˈkɪj, ˈʃt͡ʃɛk, xoˈrɪw]; Old East Slavic: Кыи, Щекъ, Хоривъ) are three legendary brothers often mentioned along with their sister Lybid (Ukrainian: Либідь [ˈlɪbidʲ]; Old East Slavic: Лыбѣдь), who, according to the Primary Chronicle, were the founders of the medieval city of Kiev, now the capital of Ukraine. There is no precise and historically established information about rule of Kyi and establishment of the city of Kiev. Many historians consider as truthful the existence of Kyi and his princely rule around the 6th century. Among such historians are Boris Rybakov, Dmitry Likhachov, Aleksey Shakhmatov, Alexander Presnyakov, Petro Tolochko, Nataliia Polonska-Vasylenko, and others.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyi,_Shchek_and_Khoryv

LECH, CZECH, and RUS 9
Lech, Czech and Rus (Czech pronunciation: [lɛx tʃɛx rus]) refers to a founding myth of three Slavic peoples: the Poles (or Lechites), the Czechs, and the Rus' people. The three legendary brothers appear together in the Wielkopolska Chronicle, compiled in the early 14th century. The legend states that the brothers, on a hunting trip, followed different prey and thus travelled (and settled) in different directions; Lech in the north, Czech in the west, and Rus in the East. There are multiple versions of the legend, including several regional variants throughout West Slavic, and to lesser extent, other Slavic countries that mention only one or two brothers. The three also figure into the origin myth of South Slavic peoples in some legends.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lech,_Czech,_and_Rus

LIBUSE 10
Libuše (help·info), Libussa, Libushe or, historically Lubossa, is a legendary ancestor of the Přemyslid dynasty and the Czech people as a whole. According to legend, she was the youngest but wisest of three sisters, who became queen after their father died; she married a ploughman, Přemysl, with whom she founded the Přemyslid dynasty, and prophesied and founded the city of Prague in the 8th century.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libu%C5%A1e

MIKULA SELYANINOVICH 11
Mikula Selyaninovich (Russian: Микула Селянинович, Mikula the Villager's Son) is a Russian epic hero, a bogatyr - plowman, from the Novgorod Republic bylina cycle.
A common plot trope in bylinas involving Mikula is that another bogatyr of warrior type turns out to be weaker than Mikula: cannot pull his plow out of the soil, cannot lift his bag, cannot race him, etc., because Mother Earth loves him.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikula_S...

MILA GOJSALIC 12
Mila Gojsalić (also traditionally "Mile Gojsalića") (died 1530) is a Croatian folk heroine.
According to tradition, her origins are from the village of Kostanje [hr] in the Dalmatian hinterland, and she was a distant descendant of Croatian king Gojslav. She lived in time of Ottoman wars in Croatia. In 1530, Ottoman Ahmed-pasha gathered an army of 10 000 men with a goal to conquer Poljica. He made a camp in a place called Podgrac (modern Podgrađe [hr]). Mila Gojsalić volunteered to sacrifice herself and lose her virginity to the Ahmed-pasha in order to be able to infiltrate the Turkish camp and blow up the munitions stockpile, killing Ahmed-pasha and numerous officers and soldiers. That act completely surprised and confused remaining Turkish soldiers who were then overrun by people of Poljica.
Ivan Meštrović sculptured the statue of her, installed above the town of Omiš, while Jakov Gotovac composed the opera to her honour. August Šenoa also wrote about her.
In her birthplace, every summer there is a cultural manifestation called The days of Mila Gojsalić. Her house is still in the village and is completely renewed.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mila_Goj...

MILAN TOPLICA 13
In Serbian epic poetry, Milan Toplica (Serbian Cyrillic: Милан Топлица; or Toplica Milan, Serbian Cyrillic: Топлица Милан, also known as Milan from Toplica, Serbian: Милан из Топлице / Milan iz Toplice), was a Serbian knight who died during the historical Battle of Kosovo in 1389.
According to folk songs, he was born in the Toplica region and was a sworn brother (in Serbian: побратим / pobratim) to Miloš Obilić and Ivan Kosančić, and had before the battle promised himself to a girl, the Kosovo Maiden. After the battle, she found Pavle Orlović and heard about the fate of Milan and his sworn brothers, according to a Serbian epic poem recorded and published in the early 19th century by Vuk Karadžić. Honours and titles attributed to him, differ from area to area with the folk songs recorded by Karadžić calling him a duke. In the cycle of Marko Kraljević he is known to hold the title of bajraktar, while Obilić is a vojvode and Kosančić a privenac.
Medieval Berkovac, near Valjevo, is commonly called Zamak Toplice Milana (Serbian Cyrillic: Замак Топлице Милана).
The Topličin Venac Crescent in Belgrade is named after Milan Toplica.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan_To...

MILOS OBILIC 14
Miloš Obilić (Serbian Cyrillic: Милош Обилић, pronounced [mîloʃ ôbilit͡ɕ]; died 15 June 1389) is said to have been a Serbian knight in the service of Prince Lazar, during the invasion of the Ottoman Empire. He is not mentioned in contemporary sources, but he features prominently in later accounts of the Battle of Kosovo as the assassin of the Ottoman sultan Murad I. Although the assassin remains anonymous in sources until the late 15th century, the dissemination of the story of Murad's assassination in Florentine, Serbian, Ottoman and Greek sources suggests that versions of it circulated widely across the Balkans within half a century after the event.
It is not certain whether Obilić actually existed, but Lazar's family – strengthening their political control – "gave birth to the myth of Kosovo", including the story of Obilić. He became a major figure in Serbian epic poetry, in which he is elevated to the level of the most noble national hero of medieval Serbian folklore. Along with the martyrdom of Prince Lazar and the alleged treachery of Vuk Branković, Miloš's deed became an integral part of Serbian traditions surrounding the Battle of Kosovo. In the 19th century, Miloš also came to be venerated as a saint in the Serbian Church.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo%C5%...

MISIZLA 15
In Wendish mythology Misizla (or Sicksa) was a godlike hero. He was a warrior-musician wearing sword and armour, playing his bagpipe. He may in fact be Misizlaw (died 999) who wanted to restore Slavic pagan faith.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misizla

NIKITA THE TANNER 16
Nikita the Tanner, Nikita Kozhemyaka (Russian: Никита Кожемяка) or Mykyta Kozhumyaka (Ukrainian: Мики́та Кожум'я́ка), is an East Slavic folk hero (bogatyr), a character from a legend. In some sources he is called Kyrylo the Tanner (Ukrainian: Кирило Кожум'я́ка) (Russian: Кирилл Кожемяка) or Elijah the Tailor (Russian: Илья Швец, Ukrainian: Ілля Швець). The oldest prototype on it could be found in Laurentian Chronicle.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikita_t...

POPIEL 17
Prince Popiel ІІ (or Duke Popiel) was a legendary 9th century ruler of the West Slavic ("proto-Polish") tribe of Goplans and Polans and the last member of the pre-Piast dynasty, the Popielids. According to the chroniclers Gallus Anonymus, Jan Długosz, and Marcin Kromer, as a consequence of his bad rule he was deposed, besieged by his subjects, and eaten alive by mice in a tower in Kruszwica.
As the legend goes, Prince Popiel was a cruel and corrupt ruler who cared only for wine, women, and song. He was greatly influenced by his wife, a beautiful but power-hungry German princess. Because of Popiel's misrule and his failure to defend the land from marauding Vikings, his twelve uncles conspired to depose him; however, at his wife's instigation, he had them all poisoned during a feast (some believe that she committed the act herself). Instead of cremating their bodies as was the custom, he had the corpses cast into Lake Gopło.
When the commoners saw what Popiel and his wife had done, they rebelled. The couple took refuge in a tower near the lake. As the story goes, a throng of mice and rats (which had been feeding on the unburnt bodies of Popiel's uncles) rushed into the tower, chewed through the walls, and devoured Popiel and his wife alive. Prince Popiel was succeeded by Piast Kołodziej and Siemowit
On the shore of Lake Gopło stands a medieval tower, nicknamed the Mouse Tower; however, it bears no relation to the site of the events described in the legend as it was erected some 500 years thereafter.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popiel

PRINCE MARKO 18
Marko Mrnjavčević (Serbian Cyrillic: Марко Мрњавчевић, pronounced [mâːrko mr̩̂ɲaːʋt͡ʃeʋit͡ɕ] c. 1335 – 17 May 1395) was the de jure Serbian king from 1371 to 1395, while he was the de facto ruler of territory in western Macedonia centered on the town of Prilep. He is known as Prince Marko (Serbian Cyrillic: Краљевић Марко, Kraljević Marko, IPA: [krǎːʎeʋit͡ɕ mâːrko]) and King Marko (Serbian Cyrillic: Краљ Марко; Bulgarian: Крали Марко; Macedonian: Kрaле Марко) in South Slavic oral tradition, in which he has become a major character during the period of Ottoman rule over the Balkans. Marko's father, King Vukašin, was co-ruler with Serbian Tsar Stefan Uroš V, whose reign was characterised by weakening central authority and the gradual disintegration of the Serbian Empire. Vukašin's holdings included lands in western Macedonia and Kosovo. In 1370 or 1371, he crowned Marko "young king"; this title included the possibility that Marko would succeed the childless Uroš on the Serbian throne.
On 26 September 1371, Vukašin was killed and his forces defeated in the Battle of Maritsa. About two months later, Tsar Uroš died. This formally made Marko the king of the Serbian land; however, Serbian noblemen, who had become effectively independent from the central authority, did not even consider to recognise him as their supreme ruler. Sometime after 1371, he became an Ottoman vassal; by 1377, significant portions of the territory he inherited from Vukašin were seized by other noblemen. King Marko, in reality, came to be a regional lord who ruled over a relatively small territory in western Macedonia. He funded the construction of the Monastery of Saint Demetrius near Skopje (better known as Marko's Monastery), which was completed in 1376. Marko died on 17 May 1395, fighting for the Ottomans against the Wallachians in the Battle of Rovine.
Although a ruler of modest historical significance, Marko became a major character in South Slavic oral tradition. He is venerated as a national hero by the Serbs, Macedonians and Bulgarians, remembered in Balkan folklore as a fearless and powerful protector of the weak, who fought against injustice and confronted the Turks during the Ottoman occupation.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_M...

SADKO 19
Sadko (Russian: Садко) is the principal character in an East Slavic epic bylina. He was an adventurer, merchant, and gusli musician from Novgorod.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadko

NIGHTINGALE THE ROBBER 20
Nightingale the Robber or Solovei the Brigand (Russian: Солове́й-Разбойник, romanized: Solovey-Razboynik), an epic robber, appears in traditional Russian byliny (folk poems).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nighting...

SVYATOGOR 21
Svyatogor (Russian: Святого́р, IPA: [svʲɪtɐˈɡor]) is a Kievan Rus' mythical bogatyr (knight/hero) from bylinas. His name is a derivation from the words "sacred mountain". Svyatogor's tale, Ilya Muromets and Svyatogor, is a part of the Ilya Muromets cycle.
After becoming a bogatyr of knyaz Vladimir the Bright Sun (Владимир Красное Солнышко, Vladimir Krasnoye Solnyshko), Ilya rides off to challenge Svyatogor, despite being forewarned not to do so by pilgrims who had miraculously healed him. On the road, Ilya Muromets sees a giant asleep on a giant horse. Ilya strikes him three times with his mace, with the only result that the giant, still asleep, grabs and puts Ilya into his pocket. Eventually, the giant awakes, Ilya introduces himself and learns that the giant is Svyatogor, and they become friends and journey together. They arrive at a giant stone coffin and both have a premonition that it is for Svyatogor. Ilya manages to lie down in the coffin first, but it appears too large for him, but it fits Svyatogor perfectly. When Svyatogor closes the lid, it seals to the coffin. Before the coffin sealed completely, Svyatogor passes part of his strength to Ilya through his breath.
Svyatogor is worshiped as a god by Belarusian Rodnovers.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svyatogor

VASILISA THE BEAUTIFUL 22
Vasilisa (Russian: Василиса Прекрасная) is a Russian fairy tale collected by Alexander Afanasyev in Narodnye russkie skazki.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasilisa...

VOLGA SVYATOSLAVICH 23
Volga Svyatoslavich (Russian: Вольга Святославич) or Volkh Vseslavyevich (Russian: Волх Всеславьевич) is a Russian epic hero, a bogatyr, from the Novgorod Republic bylina cycle.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volga_Sv...