Informal leader.
Yaga, the Russian superheroine, was the very first person to be chosen and bestowed with superpowers. Born in the 10th century, Yaga was one of the sisters of Prince Igor Rurikovich, husband of Princess Olga the Holy, and was given the name Yalga at birth. From childhood, she was drawn to knowledge. In her youth, she married Prince Herald, ruler of a large and wealthy principality. Though the marriage was based on love and brought her happiness, Yalga's insatiable thirst for knowledge prevented her from being content with merely her roles as princess, faithful wife, and loving mother to her son, Gleb. She seized every opportunity to satisfy her thirst for knowledge.
Herald's wealth aroused envy among his neighbors, leading to constant warfare. Despite facing numerous adversaries, he consistently emerged victorious. However, his enemies resorted to deceit, launching an attack on Herald's family and close associates when his forces were absent. Yalga, armed and alongside men warriors, repelled the attackers, but in the process of protecting her young son she lost her left leg in battle.
Though the enemies were vanquished, Yalga sensed an indomitable force awakening within her, one she struggled to control. Leaving her family behind, Yalga embarked on a journey in search of wisdom that would help her harness her newfound powers for the greater good.
Yalga wandered the world for a long time, spending days and nights studying scrolls and manuscripts, meeting with the Sages, and comprehending the Secret Knowledge with their assistance. Through this journey, she discovered the secret of eternal youth, mastered the art of controlling the elements, creating magical potions, and crafting artifacts. From one of her mentors, Yalga received a special and unique gift, the mastery of healing. The Sage presented her with a choice: either regain her lost leg and lose the ability to heal forever, or retain the ability to heal others while unable to help herself and be an outcast for ten centuries. Yalga chose the latter option.
Years later, Yalga returned home with newfound knowledge, filled with strength and the desire to use her superpowers for the benefit of all people. By this time, her husband Herald had passed away. The principality was now ruled by the matured Gleb, who adamantly refused to accept not only his mother's new knowledge but also her presence. Thus began the fulfillment of the Sages' prophecies. Without quarreling with her son, Yalga withdrew from society and settled in a forest, where she continued to advance her knowledge and capabilities in solitude, living this way for almost ten centuries.
It was a difficult time for her. Yalga was treated like a witch. She was feared and constantly persecuted. The most sorrowful thing was that her main persecutor was her own son, who called his mother “Baba Yaga the Bony Leg". It was through his efforts that people formed the image of an evil cannibal witch who kidnaps children, surrounds her house with a fence made of human bones, and illuminates it with skulls with glowing eye sockets. Despite these terrible fairy tales, legends about a witch living in the forest were also passed down from mouth to mouth. Despite her frightening appearance, she sympathized with everyone who turned to her for help, giving useful advice, healing, and bestowing magical things. Yaga made the road to her home incredibly difficult, allowing in only those who truly needed her help.
When the “probationary period” designated by the Sages expired, Yaga left the forest and settled among people to help them without interference, using her gift. By that time, the tales of Baba Yaga had long since faded into the realm of legend. Nothing any longer prevented the superheroine from joining society and presenting herself as an ordinary woman, distinguished only by her high professionalism as a “God-given doctor.”
At the beginning of the story, Yalga-Yaga, now bearing the name Olga Romanovna Kostina, resides in a large Russian city. She openly wears a prosthesis instead of her left leg and owns a network of top-rated clinics in high demand, successfully combining science and practice. Yaga, as she is now known, has two adult daughters and a beloved job to which she devotes herself entirely. She prefers to spend her rare hours of rest at her country house, a small secluded building — formerly a forester’s house — located away from the village. Yaga affectionately calls it “my hut on chicken legs.”
Yaga’s personal life did not unfold as expected, and it is not solely her difficult character to blame but also the circumstances. Her first husband, Prince Herald, passed away while Yaga was traveling the world and delving into the Secret knowledge.
For many years afterward, Yaga had no time for love — until one day she met Peresvet. Two extraordinarily strong personalities were drawn to each other, and the fruit of their union was their daughter, Vasilisa.
However, due to the specifics of Peresvet's existence (who, unlike Yaga, is mortal and, being repeatedly reborn, forgets most of the information from his previous reincarnations), Yaga soon lost her loved one. So, since then, she has not personally met Peresvet, but continues to watch him from afar, as she still has strong feelings for him.
Yaga raised Vasilisa alone, giving her all her unrealized love and making every effort to make her daughter become a good and happy person. Vasilisa has long matured and lives separately, but warm relationships and mutual affection still remain between mother and daughter.
Yaga also has another adopted daughter, Zarya. Many years ago, Yaga found her when she was very small and raised her, making every effort to hide the girl's alien origin and the resulting characteristics from people, in order to avoid misunderstandings.
