Today is one year since Russia entered Ukraine. At 2:00 pm we'll air the complete Symphony No. 3 by Rienhold Gliere (born in Kyiv) titled "Ilya Muromets," named for the most famous of the bogatyrs - something like Knights of the Round Table - who served Vladimir the Great, the Grand Prince of Kyiv, from 980 to 1015. A semi-mythical hero likely drawn from real and fictional accounts, Muromets is known for driving out invaders from the lands that would become Ukraine. As a protector of the homeland, a statue was erected to him in Kyiv in 2018. 

Read more about Ilya Muromets HERE and about his depiction in Gliere's symphony HERE. 

Very briefly, the symphony is in four parts:

Tableaux I: Young Muromets is crippled since birth and unable to walk until celestial pilgrims heal him. He then meets a mighty knight who, upon his death, gives Muromets his strength and wisdom.

Tableaux II: Muromets disables a monster whose shrieks can kill mortals and loads him onto his horse and rides into Kyiv and the Court of the popular Prince Vladimir.

Tableaux III: Ilya proves his strength to the Prince by presenting the monster and killing him. The Prince makes him an official knight.

Tableaux IV: After so many ensuing victories in battles, Muromets and his knights wonder if there are even any beings in heaven they can’t defeat. The healing celestial pilgrims that healed Ilya in the first Tableaux return and put a limit on the knights’ power by destroying them and Ilya, who turns to stone.

Beginning at 2:00 pm and ending about 3:20 pm, the epic Symphony No. 3 by Rienhold Gliere, "Ilya Muromets," is today’s Midday Masterpiece at 2:00 pm.