  In recent times, the advent of network science permitted new quantitative
approaches to literary studies. Here we bring the Kyiv bylyny cycle into the
field - East Slavic epic narratives originating in modern-day Ukraine. By
comparing them to other prominent European epics, we identify universal and
distinguishing properties of the social networks in bylyny. We analyse
community structures and rank the most important characters. The method allows
to bolster hypotheses from humanities literature - such as the position of
Prince Volodymyr - and to generate new ones We show how the Kyiv cycle of
bylyny fits very well with narrative networks from other nations - especially
heroic ones. We anticipate that, besides delivering new narratological
insights, this study will aid future scholars and interested public to navigate
their way through Ukraine's epic story and identify its heroes.
