Stylistic originality of “The Tale of Bygone Years”
“The Tale of Bygone Years” is one of the most ancient monuments of Russian literature, the creation of which dates back to 1113.
The life of Nestor the Chronicler, creator of The Tale of Bygone Years
Nestor the Chronicler was born in Kyiv in 1056. At the age of seventeen he went to become a novice at the Kiev Pechersk Monastery. There he became a chronicler.
In 1114, Nestor died and was buried in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. The Orthodox Church commemorates him on November 9 and October 11.
Nestor the Chronicler is known as the first writer who was able to tell about the history of Christianity. His first famous work became “The Life of Saints Boris and Gleb”, and soon after it was followed by “The Life St. Theodosius Pechersky". But main work Nestor, which brought him worldwide fame, is, of course, “The Tale of Bygone Years”, literary monument ancient Rus'.
The authorship of this story does not belong only to Nestor the Chronicler. Or rather, Nestor skillfully collected information from a variety of sources and created a chronicle from it. For his work, Nestor needed chronicles and ancient legends; he also used the stories of traders, travelers and soldiers. In his time, many witnesses to the wars and raids of the Polovtsians were still alive, so he could listen to their stories.
Lists of "The Tale of Bygone Years"
It is known that The Tale of Bygone Years was subject to changes. Vladimir Monomakh gave the manuscript to her in 1116 last chapters were redone by Abbot Sylvester. Hegumen Sylvester went against the will of the rector of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, giving the manuscript to the Vydubitsky Monastery.
Significant parts of the “Tale of Bygone Years” were later included in such chronicles as the Laurentian, Ipatiev, and First Novgorod chronicles.
Usually any Old Russian chronicle consists of several texts, some of which relate to sources of earlier times. The Tale of Bygone Years, a copy of which was made in the 14th century, became part of the Laurentian Chronicle, created by the monk Lawrence. More precisely, the monk Lawrence used the work of the monk Nestor as the main source for his chronicle. The name of the lists “The Tale of Bygone Years” was usually created by the name of the monk who made the list, or by the place in which the list was made. In the middle of the 15th century another oldest list"Tales of Bygone Years" entitled
The Tale of Bygone Years begins biblical stories. After the flood, Noah settled his sons - Ham, Shem and Japheth - throughout the Earth. The name of the lists “Tale of Bygone Years” also indicates the biblical origin of these chronicles. It was believed that the Russian people descended from Japheth.
Then the chronicler talks about the life of the East Slavic tribes and the establishment of the state in Rus'. The chronicler points out the legend according to which Kiy, Shchek, Khoriv and their sister Lybid came to rule the East Slavic lands. There they founded the city of Kyiv. The Slavic tribes living in the northern part of Rus' called upon their Varangian brothers to rule over them. The brothers' names were Rurik, Sineus and Truvor. The title of the lists, “The Tale of Bygone Years,” also has the purpose of exalting the ruling power in Rus', and for this purpose, its foreign origin is indicated. From the Varangians who came to Rus', the royal family in Rus' began.
Basically, the chronicle describes wars, and also talks about how temples and monasteries were created. The chronicle sees the events of Russian history in the context of world history and directly connects these events with the Bible. The traitor prince Svyatopolk killed the brothers Boris and Gleb, and the chronicler draws comparisons with the murder of Abel, which Cain committed. Prince Vladimir, who baptized Rus', is compared to the Roman Emperor Constantine, who introduced Christianity as the official religion in Rus'. Before baptism, Prince Vladimir was a sinful man, but baptism radically changed his life, he became a saint.
Legends as part of the “Tale of Bygone Years”
The Tale of Bygone Years includes not only historical facts, but also legends. Traditions served as important sources of information for the chronicler, since he no longer had the opportunity to learn about what happened several centuries or decades before him.
The legend about the founding of the city of Kyiv tells about the origin of the city and about whom it was named after. The Legend of Prophetic Oleg, placed in the text of the chronicle, tells about the life and death of Prince Oleg. The legend about Princess Olga, telling how she strongly and cruelly avenged her death, was also included in the chronicle. “The Tale of Bygone Years” tells the legend about Prince Vladimir. Messengers came to him different nations and each offered his own faith. But every faith had its shortcomings. The Jews did not have their own land, Muslims were forbidden to have fun and drink intoxicating drinks, German Christians wanted to conquer Rus'.
And Prince Vladimir eventually settled on the Greek branch of Christianity.
The role of signs in The Tale of Bygone Years
If you carefully read the text of the chronicle, it becomes obvious that the chronicler pays great attention to various natural phenomena, connecting them with divine powers. He considers earthquakes, floods and droughts to be punishment from God, and solar and lunar eclipses, in his opinion, are a warning from heavenly forces. Solar eclipses played special role in the life of princes. Researchers note that the symbolism of dates and the title of “The Tale of Bygone Years” are also influenced by natural phenomena and the chronology of time.
The prince sees a solar eclipse in 1185 before the start of his campaign against the Polovtsians. His warriors warn him, saying no good. But the prince disobeyed them and went against the enemy. As a result, his army was defeated. Also, a solar eclipse usually foreshadowed the death of a prince. During the period from 1076 to 1176, 12 solar eclipses, and after each of them the death of one of the princes occurred. The chronicle was determined that the end of the world, or the Last Judgment, would come in 1492, and prepared its readers for this. Droughts and eclipses foreshadowed wars and the imminent end of the world.
Stylistic features of “The Tale of Bygone Years”
The name of the lists of "The Tale of Bygone Years" is determined genre features these chronicles. First of all, the chronicles are typical works ancient Russian literature. That is, they contain features of different genres. These are not works of art and not just historical works, but they combine features of both. The Tale of Bygone Years, a copy of which was found in Novgorod, also has these features.
The chronicle itself was obviously a legal document. Scientist N.I. Danilevsky believes that the chronicles were not intended for people, but for God, who was supposed to read them at the Last Judgment. Therefore, the chronicles described in detail the actions of the princes and their subordinates.
The task of the chronicler is not to interpret events, not to search for their causes, but simply to describe. The present is thought of in the context of the past. The Tale of Bygone Years, the lists of which are legendary, has an “open genre” in which features of different genres are mixed. As is known, in ancient Russian literature there was not yet a clear division of genres; of the written works, only chronicles existed, therefore they combined the features of a novel, poem, story and legal documents.
What does the title “The Tale of Bygone Years” mean?
The name of the vault was given by the first line of the chronicle “Behold the Tale of Bygone Years...”. “The Tale of Bygone Years” means “The Tale of Past Years,” since the word “summer” in Old Russian meant “year.” Many are trying to find out what the title “The Tale of Bygone Years” means. In the broadest sense, this is a story about the existence of this world, which sooner or later awaits the Judgment of God. "The Tale of Bygone Years", a copy of which was found in the monastery, is considered the earliest work.
Previous codes
“The Tale of Bygone Years” was subjected to a thorough textual analysis. And it turned out that it was compiled on the basis of earlier chronicle writings.
“The Tale of Bygone Years” and the codes preceding it form a single whole, that is, “The Tale” largely repeats what was written before it. Modern history shares the opinion of Academician A.A. Shakhmatov, who studied all the ancient chronicles with the help comparative method. He discovered that the very first chronicle was the Ancient Kiev Chronicle, created in 1037. It talked about when the history of mankind began and when Rus' was baptized.
In 1073, the Kiev-Pechersk chronicle was created. In 1095, the second edition of the Kiev-Pechersk Code appeared, it is also called the Initial Code.
Symbolism of dates
Calendar dates in The Tale of Bygone Years were considered to have special significance. If for a modern person calendar dates have no meaning, then for a chronicler each date or day of the week on which events took place was filled with a special historical significance. And the chronicler tried to mention more often those days or dates that had more meaning and carried more value. Since Saturday and Sunday were considered special, or sacred, days at that time, these days are mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years 9 and 17 times, respectively, and weekdays are mentioned less often. Wednesday is mentioned only 2 times, Thursday three times, Friday five times. Monday and Tuesday are mentioned only once each. It can be argued that the symbolism of dates and the title of “The Tale of Bygone Years” are closely related to the religious context.
The Tale of Bygone Years was closely connected with the religious worldview, so all its features were based on this. The chronicler sees all events only in the context of the future Last Judgment, so he looks at what is happening from the point of view of divine powers. They warn people about coming wars, droughts and shortages. They punish the villains who have committed murders and robberies, and raise the innocent to the divine throne. The relics of saints acquire unusual qualities. This is evidenced by the legends about the lives of Saints Boris and Gleb. Also, temples are sacred places where the wicked and pagans cannot penetrate.
For more than 900 years, Russians have been drawing information about their history from the famous “Tale of Bygone Years”, exact date the spelling of which is still unknown. The question of the authorship of this work also raises a lot of controversy.
A few words about myths and historical facts
Scientific postulates often undergo changes over time, but if in the field of physics, chemistry, biology or astronomy such scientific revolutions are based on the identification of new facts, then history has been rewritten more than once to please the authorities or in accordance with the dominant ideology. Fortunately, modern man has a lot of opportunities to independently find and compare facts regarding events that happened many centuries and even millennia ago, as well as get acquainted with the point of view of scientists who do not adhere to traditional views. All of the above applies to such an important document for understanding the history of Russia as “The Tale of Bygone Years,” the year of creation and authorship of which is in Lately are questioned by some members of the scientific community.
“The Tale of Bygone Years”: authorship
From the Tale of Bygone Years itself, one can only learn about its creator that at the end of the 11th century he lived in the Pechora Monastery. In particular, there is a record of the Polovtsian attack on this monastery in 1096, to which the chronicler himself was an eyewitness. In addition, the document mentions the death of Elder Jan, who helped write the historical work, and indicates that the death of this monk occurred in 1106, which means that the person who made the recording was alive at that time.
Russian official science, including the Soviet one, since the time of Peter the Great, believes that the author of the story “The Tale of Bygone Years” is the chronicler Nestor. The oldest historical document, which refers to it, is a famous one written in the 20s of the 15th century. This work includes a separate chapter of the text of “The Tale of Bygone Years,” which is preceded by the mention as its author of a certain monk from Pechersky Monastery. The name of Nestor first appears in the correspondence of the Pechersk monk Polycarp with Archimandrite Akindinus. The same fact is confirmed by the “Life of St. Anthony,” compiled on the basis of oral monastic traditions.
Nestor the Chronicler
The “official” author of the story “The Tale of Bygone Years” was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church, so you can read about him in the lives of the saints. From these sources we learn that the Monk Nestor was born in Kyiv in the 1050s. At the age of seventeen he entered the Kiev Pechersk Monastery, where he was a novice of St. Theodosius. At a fairly young age, Nestor took monastic vows and later was ordained as a hierodeacon. He spent his entire life in Kiev-Pechersk Lavra: here he wrote not only “The Tale of Bygone Years,” the year of creation of which is unknown for certain, but also the famous lives of the holy princes Gleb and Boris, as well as a work telling about the first ascetics of his monastery. Church sources also indicate that Nestor, who had reached a ripe old age, died around 1114.
What is “The Tale of Bygone Years” about?
“The Tale of Bygone Years” is the history of our country, covering a huge time period, incredibly rich in various events. The manuscript begins with a story about one of whom, Japheth, was given control over such lands as Armenia, Britain, Scythia, Dalmatia, Ionia, Illyria, Macedonia, Media, Cappadocia, Paphlagonia, Thessaly and others. The brothers began construction of the Pillar of Babylon, but the angry Lord not only destroyed this structure, which represents human pride, but also divided the people “into 70 and 2 nations,” among which were the Noriks - the ancestors of the Slavs, descended from the sons of Japheth. Further mention is made of the Apostle Andrew, who predicted that on the banks of the Dnieper there would appear great city, which is what happened when Kyiv was founded with the brothers Shchek and Khoriv. Another important mention concerns the year 862, when “Chud, Slovene, Krivichi and all” went to the Varangians to call them to reign, and at their call the three brothers Rurik, Truvor and Sineus came with their families and entourage. Two of the newly arrived boyars - Askold and Dir - asked to leave Novgorod for Constantinople and, seeing Kyiv on the way, stayed there. Further, “The Tale of Bygone Years,” the year of creation of which historians have yet to clarify, talks about the reign of Oleg and Igor and sets out the story of the baptism of Rus'. The story ends with the events of 1117.
“The Tale of Bygone Years”: the history of studying this work
The Nestorov Chronicle became known after Peter the Great, in 1715, ordered a copy to be made from the Radziwill List, stored in the Königsberg library. Documents have been preserved confirming that Jacob Bruce, a remarkable person in all respects, drew the king’s attention to this manuscript. He also handed over the transcription of the Radzivilov list to modern language who was going to write the history of Russia. In addition, such famous scientists as A. Shleptser, P. M. Stroev and A. A. Shakhmatov studied the story.
Chronicler Nestor. “The Tale of Bygone Years”: the opinion of A. A. Shakhmatov
A new look at “The Tale of Bygone Years” was proposed at the beginning of the twentieth century. Its author was A. A. Shakhmatov, who proposed and justified “ new story” of this work. In particular, he argued that in 1039 in Kyiv, on the basis of Byzantine chronicles and local folklore, the Kiev Code was created, which can be considered the oldest document of its kind in Rus'. Around the same time, it was written in Novgorod. It was on the basis of these two works that in 1073 Nestor created first the first Kiev-Pechersk vault, then the second and finally the “Tale of Bygone Years.”
“The Tale of Bygone Years” was written by a Russian monk or a Scottish prince?
The last two decades have been rich in all sorts of historical sensations. However, in fairness it must be said that some of them have never found scientific confirmation. For example, today there is an opinion that “The Tale of Bygone Years,” the year of creation of which is known only approximately, was actually written not between 1110 and 1118, but six centuries later. In any case, even official historians admit that the Radziwill list, i.e. a copy of the manuscript, the authorship of which is attributed to Nestor, was made in the 15th century and was then decorated with numerous miniatures. Moreover, Tatishchev wrote “The History of Russia” not even from him, but from a retelling of this work into his contemporary language, the author of which may have been Jacob Bruce himself, the great-great-grandson of King Robert the First of Scotland. But this theory has no serious justification.
What is the main essence of Nestorov’s work
Experts who hold an unofficial view of the work attributed to Nestor the Chronicler believe that it was necessary to justify autocracy as the only form of government in Russia. Moreover, it was this manuscript that put an end to the issue of abandoning the “old gods,” pointing to Christianity as the only correct religion. This was his the main point.
“The Tale of Bygone Years” is the only work that tells the canonical version of the baptism of Rus'; all the others simply refer to it. This alone should force one to study it very closely. And it is “The Tale of Bygone Years”, the characterization of which accepted in official historiography today is called into question, that is the first source telling that the Russian sovereigns descended from the Rurikovichs. For every historical work, the date of creation is very important. “The Tale of Bygone Years,” which is of exceptional importance for Russian historiography, does not have one. More precisely, on this moment there are no irrefutable facts that allow us to indicate even the specific year of its writing. This means that new discoveries are ahead, which may be able to shed light on some dark pages in the history of our country.
“The Tale of Bygone Years” occupies a place in the history of Russian social consciousness and the history of Russian literature special place. This is not only the oldest chronicle collection that has reached us, telling about the emergence of the Russian state and the first centuries of its history, but at the same time the most important monument of historiography, which reflected the ideas of ancient Russian scribes of the early 12th century. about the place of Russians among others Slavic peoples, ideas about the emergence of Rus' as a state and the origin ruling dynasty, in which, as they would say today, the main directions of external and domestic policy. “The Tale of Bygone Years” testifies to the highly developed national self-awareness at that time: the Russian land conceptualizes itself as a powerful state with its own independent policy, ready, if necessary, to enter into combat even with the powerful Byzantine Empire, closely connected by the political interests and family relations of the rulers not only with neighboring countries - Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, but also with Germany, and even with France, Denmark, Sweden. Rus' conceptualizes itself as an Orthodox state, from its first years Christian history sanctified by special divine grace: it is rightfully proud of its patron saints - princes Boris and Gleb, its shrines - monasteries and churches, its spiritual mentors - theologians and preachers, the most famous of whom, of course, was in the 11th century. Metropolitan Hilarion. The guarantee of the integrity and military power of Rus' was supposed to be the rule of a single princely dynasty - the Rurikids. Therefore, reminders that all princes are brothers by blood is a constant motif in “The Tale of Bygone Years,” because in practice, Rus' is shaken by civil strife and brother more than once raises his hand against brother. Another topic is persistently discussed by the chronicler: the Polovtsian danger. Polovtsian khans - sometimes allies and matchmakers of Russian princes, most often still acted as leaders of devastating raids, they besieged and burned cities, exterminated residents, and took away strings of prisoners. “The Tale of Bygone Years” introduces its readers to the very thick of these political, military, and ideological problems that were relevant for that time.
THE LEGEND OF THE APOSTLE ANDREW
When the glades lived by themselves on these mountains, there was a path from the Varangians to the Greeks and from the Greeks along the Dnieper, and in the upper reaches of the Dnieper - a trail to Lovot, and along Lovot you can enter Ilmen, the great lake; The Volkhov flows from the same lake and flows into the Great Lake Nevo, and the mouth of that lake flows into the Varangian Sea. And along that sea you can even reach Rome, and from Rome you can come along the same sea to Constantinople, and from Constantinople you can come to the Pontus Sea, into which the Dnieper River flows. The Dnieper flows from the Okovsky forest and flows to the south, and the Dvina flows from the same forest and goes to the north, and flows into the Varangian Sea. From the same forest the Volga flows to the east and flows through seventy mouths into the Khvalisskoe Sea. Therefore, from Rus' you can sail along the Volga to the Bolgars and Khvalis, and go east to the inheritance of Sima, and along the Dvina to the Varangians, and from the Varangians to Rome, and from Rome to the tribe of Khamov. And the Dnieper flows into the Pontic Sea through three mouths; This sea is called Russian, - St. Andrew, Peter’s brother, taught along its shores.
As they say, when Andrei taught in Sinop and arrived in Korsun, he learned that the mouth of the Dnieper was not far from Korsun, and he wanted to go to Rome, and sailed to the mouth of the Dnieper, and from there he went up the Dnieper. And it so happened that he came and stood under the mountains on the shore. And in the morning, getting up, he said to the disciples who were with him: “Do you see these mountains? So on these mountains the grace of God will shine, there will be a great city, and God will erect many churches.” And having ascended these mountains, he blessed them and put up a cross, and prayed to God, and came down from this mountain, where Kyiv would later be, and went up the Dnieper. And he came to the Slavs, where Novgorod now stands, and saw the people living there - what their custom was and how they washed and whipped themselves, and he marveled at them. And he went to the Varangians, and came to Rome, and told about how many he had taught and whom he had seen, and told them: “I saw a marvel in the Slavic land when I came here. I saw wooden bathhouses, and they would heat them up too much, and they would undress and be naked, and they would douse themselves with soap, and they would take brooms, and they would start whipping themselves, and they would get so worked up that they would barely get out, barely alive, and they would douse themselves with cold water, and that’s the only way they would come back to life. And they do this constantly, not being tormented by anyone, but torturing themselves, and then they are not doing washing for themselves, but<...>torment." When they heard, they were surprised; Andrei, having been in Rome, came to Sinop.
"THE Tale of Bygone Years" AND ITS EDITIONS
In 1110-1113, the first edition (version) of the Tale of Bygone Years was completed - a lengthy chronicle collection that included numerous information on the history of Rus': about the Russian wars with the Byzantine Empire, about the calling of the Scandinavians Rurik, Truvor and Sineus to reign in Rus', about the history of Kiev. Pechersky Monastery, about princely crimes. The probable author of this chronicle is the monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery Nestor. This edition has not been preserved in its original form.
The first edition of The Tale of Bygone Years reflected political interests the then Kyiv prince Svyatopolk Izyaslavich. In 1113, Svyatopolk died, and Prince Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh ascended the Kiev throne. In 1116 by the monk Sylvester (in the Promonomakhian spirit) and in 1117-1118. An unknown scribe from the circle of Prince Mstislav Vladimirovich (son of Vladimir Monomakh) revised the text of the Tale of Bygone Years. This is how the second and third editions of The Tale of Bygone Years arose; the oldest list of the second edition has reached us as part of the Laurentian edition, and the most early list the third - as part of the Ipatiev Chronicle.
EDITING “THE TALE OF BYE YEARS”
Becoming prince of Kyiv, Vladimir Monomakh also preserved his “fatherland” - the principality of Pereyaslavl, as well as the Suzdal land and Rostov. Veliky Novgorod also recognized the power of Vladimir, obeying his orders and accepting princes from him. In 1118, Vladimir demanded that “all the Novgorod boyars” come to him to swear them in. He released some of them back to Novgorod, and “keep some of them with you.” Under Vladimir, the former military power was restored ancient Russian state, weakened by previous feudal strife. The Polovtsians were dealt a crushing blow, and they did not dare to attack the Russian land...
One of the measures during the reign of Vladimir Monomakh in Kyiv in 1113 was the correction of Nestorov’s “Tale of Bygone Years” in order to more correctly cover the reign of Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, hated by the Kyiv working people. Monomakh entrusted this matter to the abbot of the Vydubetsky monastery, Sylvester. The Vydubetsky Monastery was founded by the father of Vladimir Monomakh, Prince Vsevolod Yaroslavich, and, naturally, supported the side of this prince, and after his death - the side of his son. Sylvester conscientiously completed the task assigned to him. He rewrote The Tale of Bygone Years and supplemented it with several inserts about negative actions Svyatopolk. Thus, Sylvester introduced into the “Tale of Bygone Years” under 1097 the story of priest Vasily about the blinding of Vasilko Rostislavich. Then, in a new way, he outlined the history of the campaign of the Russian princes against the Polovtsians in 1103. Although this campaign was led by Svyatopolk, as the senior prince of Kyiv, by the pen of Sylvester Svyatopolk was relegated to the background, and Vladimir Monomakh, who actually participated in this campaign, but did not lead it, was put in first place.
The fact that this version could not belong to Nestor, a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, is clear from a comparison with it of the story about the same campaign, available in the “Kievo-Pechersk Patericon”, which probably comes, according to tradition, from Nestor himself. In the story "Paterikon" Vladimir Monomakh is not even mentioned, and the victory over the Polovtsians is attributed to Svyatopolk alone, who received a blessing before the campaign from the monks of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery.
While editing Nestor's "Tale of Bygone Years", Sylvester did not continue it for a single year, but issued an indication of the authorship of the Kiev-Pechersk monk. Under the same year 1110, Sylvester made the following postscript: “Hegumen Sylvester of St. Michael wrote this book, chronicler, hoping from God to receive mercy from Prince Volodymyr, who reigned over Kiev for him, and at that time I was abbot under St. Michael, in the summer of 6624 (1116) Indictment 9. And if you read these books, then be in your prayers.” Since Sylvester's edition received official recognition, it formed the basis for all subsequent Russian chronicle writing and has come down to us in many later chronicle lists. Nestorov’s text of “The Tale of Bygone Years,” which remained the property of only the Kiev-Pechersk tradition, has not reached us, although some traces of differences between this text and Sylvester’s edition were preserved, as already said, in individual stories of the later “Kievo-Pechersk Patericon.” In this “Paterikon” there is also a reference to Nestor, who wrote the Russian “chronicler”.
In 1118, Sylvester’s edition of The Tale of Bygone Years was continued, apparently due to the inclusion of the famous “Teachings of Vladimir Monomakh” written that year. According to the convincing assumption of M. Priselkov, the addition was made by the son of Vladimir Monomakh Mstislav, who was then in Novgorod. Of great interest among these additions are two stories about the northern countries, heard by the author in 1114, when he was present at the foundation stone wall in Ladoga. The Ladoga mayor Pavel told him about the northern countries beyond Ugra and Samoyede. Another story about these countries, heard by the author from Novgorodian Gyuryata Rogovich, is placed under the year 1096, indicating that it was heard “before these 4 years.” Since both stories are closely related to each other in content, the words “before these 4 years” should be attributed to the time of writing this insert in 1118, when the author heard the first story.. Since the original of Mstislav’s manuscript has not reached us, but only its later lists, then the only explanation for the resulting confusion can be a random rearrangement of the original sheets from which these lists were then made. This assumption is all the more acceptable since in the available lists under the year 1096 there is also the “Teaching of Vladimir Monomakh,” written no earlier than 1117.
1. Chronicle is a genre of ancient Russian literature.
2. “The Tale of Bygone Years”: what is it about?
3. A work imbued with patriotism and love.
Before talking about The Tale of Bygone Years, it is necessary to say what the chronicle is. Chronicles are monuments of historical writing and literature Ancient Rus'. The peculiarity of the chronicle is that all entries in it were kept in chronological order by year. The chronicles were not created by one person; many chroniclers worked on them. The new chronicle certainly relied on the previous ones; the compilers included materials from other chroniclers in their texts. Distinctive feature The chronicle was that it was not dry and impartial. Chroniclers gave their subjective assessments of events and accompanied them with various additions and comments. So, the chronicle can be called a collection of heterogeneous genres. The chronicle included texts of weather records, military stories, and materials from princely archives. According to the definition of Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev, the chronicle is one of the “unifying genres”.
The most ancient chronicles are the Laurentian and Ipatiev Chronicles. Lavrentyevskaya received its name from the monk Lavrenty, who rewrote it by order of the Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal prince Dmitry Konstantinovich in 1377. The Ipatiev Chronicle is named after the Ipatiev Monastery in Kostroma.
In general, the chronicle can be called the main, fundamental genre of ancient Russian literature.
Chronicle writing in Rus' began a very long time ago: approximately in the first half of the 11th century. The centers of chronicle writing became large and developed cities - Kyiv and Novgorod. As a rule, chronicles were written by monks. After all, it was the monasteries that were the centers of literacy at that time. This was a state matter, and often the chronicle was compiled on behalf of a prince, abbot or bishop. Sometimes the chronicle reflected exactly those events that were pleasing to the prince, and a real defeat on paper turned into a victory. But the compilers of the chronicles, even fulfilling a certain “order,” often showed independence, independence of thought, and sometimes criticized the actions and deeds of the princes if they seemed to them worthy of blame. The chronicler strove for truthfulness.
"The Tale of Bygone Years" is outstanding monument not only ancient Russian literature, but also history. Reading it, we can trace the history of the formation of the ancient Russian state, its political and cultural flourishing, and the beginning of the process of feudal fragmentation.
The Tale of Bygone Years was created in the first decades of the 12th century, but before modern reader came down as part of the chronicles of a later time. The oldest of them include the aforementioned Laurentian and Hypatian Chronicles, as well as the First Novgorod Chronicle, dated 1377, 1420, and 1330.
All subsequent chronicle collections of the 15th-16th centuries certainly included “The Tale of Bygone Years”, of course, subjecting it to processing - both editorial and stylistic.
The chronicler who created The Tale of Bygone Years is unknown to us. Scientists can only assume that its author was Nestor, a monk of the Kiev Pechersk Monastery.
The chronicler compared books to rivers: “They are rivers that water the universe.” This comparison can be applied to the chronicle itself. After all, it is not only literary, but also historical monument. The chronicle majestically, slowly, tells us about the events that took place on Russian soil, and each of its heroes is a real person. The most various genres included in the “Tale of Bygone Years” are, as it were, tributaries of this deep and wild river. They not only make it a unique work, but also give it unique, striking features, making this monument stronger in an artistic sense.
“The Tale of Bygone Years” is a mirror in which the life of that time was clearly and clearly reflected. Here we see the ideology of the top feudal society, and people's thoughts and aspirations.
The great monument begins with simple and at the same time majestic words: “Here is the story of past years, where the Russian land came from, who became the first to reign in Kyiv and how the Russian land arose.”
Initially, the chronicle tells about the Slavs, their origin, customs, way of life, the separation from those 72 nations that occurred after the Babylonian pandemonium.
The chronicle tells us about the most important events in the history of the country: creation Slavic alphabet Cyril and Methodius, the calling of the Varangians, the campaign against Byzantium, the conquest of Kyiv by Oleg, his life and death, the reign of Olga.
The theme of the baptism of Rus' plays a large role in The Tale of Bygone Years. After all, with the advent of Christianity in Rus', the life of our ancestors changed greatly.
A considerable place in the “Tale...” is given to various legends and tales created by the people. They not only enrich the chronicle as piece of art, but also express a point of view ordinary people on the history of our country.
“The Tale of Bygone Years” is imbued with the patriotic idea of uniting the Russian land against external enemies and condemning fratricidal strife. This explains the introduction of historical evidence of princely crimes into the chronicle.
In the chronicle you can also find a large number of praise - both to princes and to books. According to the chronicler, wise prince must certainly be well-read, and a book is a source of wisdom: “Great is the benefit of bookish teaching: through books we are instructed and taught on the path of repentance, for we gain wisdom and self-restraint in the words of the book. These are rivers that water the universe, these are sources of wisdom; books have immeasurable depth; with them we are comforted in sorrow; they are the reins of temperance.”
“The Tale of Bygone Years” has also become a source of inspiration for many talented writers. The images of Vladimir, Svyatoslav, Oleg were reflected in the works of A. S. Pushkin, K. F. Ryleev and others.
In my opinion, main lesson, which we can extract from the “Tale of Bygone Years” is respect for the historical past of our people. By touching the history of our homeland, we better understand our ancestors, their psychology and way of life.
All historians of Russia and Ukraine are always with with special awe remember "The Tale of Bygone Years". This is a kind of collection about the life and exploits of Russian princes, about the life Kievan Rus... "The Tale of Bygone Years" was created on the basis of the Kiev-Pechersk chronicles and information (in 1097 they were combined into the Kiev-Pechersk information). It was on the basis of these chronicles that this world-famous chronicle appeared.
During 1113-1114, a famous work was created on the basis of all previous codes. He himself writes that he wants to talk about famous princes throughout Europe and their exploits. Taking as a basis the work of his predecessors, Nestor added his own sketch of the settlement of peoples after the flood; gave an outline of pre-Slavic history (bringing the Slavs out from beyond the Danube), Slavic settlement and geography itself of Eastern Europe.
He dwelled in particular detail on ancient history Kyiv, because I wanted to immortalize my native one in history. The historical part of this chronicle begins in 852 and ends in 1110. Nestor calls the Russians a Varangian (Scandinavian) tribe, which was brought by the famous Rurik. According to Nestor, Rurik came to the call of the Slavs themselves and became the founder of the Russian princely dynasty. The Tale of Bygone Years ends with the year 1112.
Nestor was well acquainted with Greek historiography and most likely had access to the princely archive, from which he cites the text of treaties with the Greeks. Nestor’s work is noted for his great literary talent and is imbued with deep patriotism and pride for, which was famous throughout the world.
Subsequently, in 1116, the second edition of Nestor’s “Tale of Bygone Years” appeared, created by the abbot St. Michael's Monastery in Kyiv Sylvester. It is worth saying that this chronicle is the main source for the study of political, economic, cultural and partly social history Kievan Rus, as well as the history of Russian lands during the period of feudal fragmentation.
Using official annual records of events, foreign sources, predominantly Byzantine, folk legends and legends, the compilers of chronicles talked about events related to the life of secular and spiritual feudal lords. Chroniclers sought to show the history of Rus' in connection with the history of neighboring tribes and peoples of non-Slavic origin.
Also, the chronicles were significantly affected by the fact that they were written, the causes of events were explained by the intervention of divine forces. Due to the fact that the chronicle lists are the construction of a number of chronicles, their testimony is often contradictory.
