In Slavic folklore, what multi-headed dragon is often fought by bogatyrs?

In Slavic folklore, what multi-headed dragon is often fought by bogatyrs? The answer is Zmey Gorynych.

Zmey Gorynych, also spelled Zmey Gorynich, is a famous dragon-like figure in Russian folklore and epic storytelling. Its name means roughly “the Serpent Gorynych.” The creature is typically shown with several heads, the ability to breathe or spit fire, and an association with water. Stories may give it three, six, nine, twelve, or even more heads.

Zmey Gorynych is a recurring adversary of bogatyrs, the heroic warriors of East Slavic legends. One celebrated opponent is Dobrynya Nikitich, who battles a zmei in the epic ballad “Dobrynya and the Zmei.” Other tales feature heroes such as Ivan Tsarevich or Eruslan Lazarevich confronting multi-headed dragons.

The stored name is specific, while “dragon” is only a broad category. “Wyvern” belongs mainly to European heraldic and medieval dragon vocabulary, and “hydra” is the multi-headed monster of Greek mythology. Zmey Gorynych belongs to the Russian and wider Slavic storytelling tradition.