The Tale of Bygone Years without translation. Creation of “The Tale of Bygone Years. Genre and idea of “The Tale of Bygone Years”

After the flood, Noah's three sons divided the earth - Shem, Ham, Japheth. And Shem got the east: Persia, Bactria, even to India in longitude, and in width to Rhinocorur, that is, from the east to the south, and Syria, and Media to the Euphrates River, Babylon, Corduna, the Assyrians, Mesopotamia, Arabia the Oldest, Elimais, Indi, Arabia Strong, Colia, Commagene, all of Phenicia.

Ham got the south: Egypt, Ethiopia, neighboring India, and another Ethiopia, from which flows the Ethiopian Red River, flowing to the east, Thebes, Libya, neighboring Kyrenia, Marmaria, Sirtes, another Libya, Numidia, Masuria, Mauritania, located opposite Ghadir. In his possessions in the east are also: Cilicnia, Pamphylia, Pisidia, Mysia, Lycaonia, Phrygia, Camalia, Lycia, Caria, Lydia, another Mysia, Troas, Aeolis, Bithynia, Old Phrygia and the islands of some: Sardinia, Crete, Cyprus and the river Geona, otherwise called the Nile.

Japheth inherited the northern and western countries: Media, Albania, Armenia Lesser and Greater, Cappadocia, Paphlagonia, Galatia, Colchis, Bosporus, Meots, Derevia, Capmatia, the inhabitants of Tauris, Scythia, Thrace, Macedonia, Dalmatia, Malosiya, Thessaly, Locris, Pelenia, which is also called Peloponnese, Arcadia, Epirus, Illyria, Slavs, Lichnitia, Adriakia, Adriatic Sea. They also got the islands: Britain, Sicily, Euboea, Rhodes, Chios, Lesbos, Kythira, Zakynthos, Cefallinia, Ithaca, Kerkyra, a part of Asia called Ionia, and the Tigris River flowing between Media and Babylon; to the Pontic Sea to the north: the Danube, the Dnieper, the Caucasus Mountains, that is, the Hungarian Mountains, and from there to the Dnieper, and other rivers: the Desna, Pripyat, Dvina, Volkhov, Volga, which flows east to the Simov part. In the Japheth part there are Russians, Chud and all sorts of peoples: Merya, Muroma, Ves, Mordovians, Zavolochskaya Chud, Perm, Pechera, Yam, Ugra, Lithuania, Zimigola, Kors, Letgola, Livs. The Poles and Prussians seem to be sitting near the Varangian Sea. The Varangians sit along this sea: from here to the east - to the borders of the Simovs, they sit along the same sea and to the west - to the lands of England and Voloshskaya. The descendants of Japheth are also: Varangians, Swedes, Normans, Goths, Rus, Angles, Galicians, Volokhs, Romans, Germans, Korlyazis, Venetians, Fryags and others - they adjoin the southern countries in the west and neighbor the tribe of Ham.

Shem, Ham and Japheth divided the land by casting lots, and decided not to enter into anyone’s brother’s share, and each lived in his own part. And there was one people. And when people multiplied on earth, they planned to create a pillar up to heaven - this was in the days of Nectan and Peleg. And they gathered in the place of the field of Shinar to build a pillar up to heaven, and near it the city of Babylon; and they built that pillar 40 years, and they did not finish it. And the Lord God came down to see the city and the pillar, and the Lord said: “Behold, there is one generation and one people.” And God mixed up the nations, and divided them into 70 and 2 nations, and scattered them throughout the whole earth. After the confusion of the peoples, God destroyed the pillar with a great wind; and its remains are located between Assyria and Babylon, and are 5433 cubits high and wide, and these remains have been preserved for many years.

After the destruction of the pillar and the division of the peoples, the sons of Shem took the eastern countries, and the sons of Ham took the southern countries, while the Japhethites took the west and northern countries. From these same 70 and 2 languages came the Slavic people, from the tribe of Japheth - the so-called Noriks, who are the Slavs.

After a long time, the Slavs settled along the Danube, where the land is now Hungarian and Bulgarian. From those Slavs the Slavs spread throughout the land and were called by their names from the places where they sat. So some, having come, sat down on the river in the name of Morava and were called Moravians, while others called themselves Czechs. And here are the same Slavs: white Croats, and Serbs, and Horutans. When the Volochs attacked the Danube Slavs, and settled among them, and oppressed them, these Slavs came and sat on the Vistula and were called Poles, and from those Poles came the Poles, other Poles - Lutichs, others - Mazovshans, others - Pomeranians.

In the same way, these Slavs came and sat down along the Dnieper and were called Polyans, and others - Drevlyans, because they sat in the forests, and others sat between Pripyat and Dvina and were called Dregovichs, others sat along the Dvina and were called Polochans, after a river flowing into the Dvina , called Polota, from which the Polotsk people took their name. The same Slavs who settled near Lake Ilmen were called by their own name - Slavs, and built a city and called it Novgorod. And others sat along the Desna, and the Seim, and the Sula, and called themselves northerners. And so the Slavic people dispersed, and after their name the letter was called Slavic.

When the glades lived separately in 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 drag 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 sail to Rome, and from Rome you can sail along the same sea to Constantinople, and from Constantinople you can sail to the Sea of Pontus, 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 heads 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 land of the Varangians, from the Varangians to Rome, from Rome to the tribe of Khamov. And the Dnieper flows at its mouth into the Pontic Sea; This sea is known as Russian, - as they say, St. Andrew, Peter’s brother, taught it along its shores.

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 he got up and said to the disciples who were with him: “Do you see these mountains?” 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 was surprised at them. And he went to the country of the Varangians, and came to Rome, and told about how he taught and what he saw, and said: “I saw a marvel in the Slavic land on my way here. I saw wooden bathhouses, and they would heat them up, and they would undress and be naked, and they would douse themselves with leather kvass, and they would pick up young rods on themselves and beat themselves, and they would finish themselves off so much that they would barely get out, barely alive, and douse themselves with cold water, and This is the only way they will come to life. And they do this constantly, not tormented by anyone, but tormenting themselves, and then they perform ablution for themselves, and not torment.” Those who heard about this were surprised; Andrei, having been in Rome, came to Sinop.

The Glades lived separately in those days and were governed by their own clans; for even before that brethren (which will be discussed later) there were already glades, and they all lived with their clans in their own places, and each was governed independently. And there were three brothers: one named Kiy, the other - Shchek and the third - Khoriv, and their sister - Lybid. Kiy sat on the mountain where Borichev now rises, and Shchek sat on the mountain that is now called Shchekovitsa, and Khoriv on the third mountain, which was nicknamed Khorivitsa after his name. And they built a city in honor of their elder brother, and named it Kyiv. There was a forest and a large forest around the city, and they caught animals there, and those men were wise and sensible, and they were called glades, from them glades are still in Kyiv.

Some, not knowing, say that Kiy was a carrier; At that time, Kyiv had transportation from the other side of the Dnieper, which is why they said: “For transportation to Kyiv.” If Kiy had been a ferryman, he would not have gone to Constantinople; and this Kiy reigned in his family, and when he went to the king, they say that he received great honors from the king to whom he came. When he was returning, he came to the Danube, and took a fancy to the place, and cut down a small town, and wanted to sit in it with his family, but those living around did not let him; This is how the inhabitants of the Danube region still call the settlement - Kievets. Kiy, returning to his city of Kyiv, died here; and his brothers Shchek and Horiv and their sister Lybid died immediately.

The Tale of Bygone Years

“The Tale of Bygone Years” is the earliest chronicle collection that has reached us. Dating back to the beginning of the 12th century. This collection is known as part of a number of chronicle collections preserved in lists, of which the best and oldest are the Laurentian one from 1377 and the Ipatyevsky one from the 1920s. The chronicle has absorbed a large amount of materials from tales, stories, legends, oral poetic traditions about various historical figures and events. Published in translation by D.S. Likhachev.

BOT TALES OF THE PAST YEARS, WHERE THE RUSSIAN LAND CAME FROM,

WHO BECAME THE FIRST TO REIGN IN KIEV AND HOW THE RUSSIAN LAND ARISED

So let's begin this story.

Shem, Ham and Japheth divided the land by casting lots, and decided not to enter into anyone’s brother’s share, and each lived in his own part. And there was one people. And when people multiplied on earth, they planned to create a pillar to heaven - this was in the days of Nectan and Peleg. And they gathered in the place of the field of Shinar to build a pillar up to heaven, and near it the city of Babylon; and they built that pillar 40 years, and they did not finish it. And the Lord God came down to see the city and the pillar, and the Lord said: “Behold, there is one generation and one people.” And God mixed up the nations, and divided them into 70 and 2 nations, and scattered them throughout the whole earth. After the confusion of the peoples, God destroyed the pillar with a great wind; and its remains are located between Assyria and Babylon, and are 5433 cubits high and wide, and these remains have been preserved for many years.

Likewise, these Slavs came and settled along the Dnieper and were called Polyans, and others - Drevlyans, because they sat in the forests, and others sat between Pripyat and Dvina and were called Dregovichs, others sat along the Dvina and were called Polochans, after the river flowing into the Dvina , called Polota, from which the Polotsk people took their name. The same Slavs who settled near Lake Ilmen were called by their own name Slavs, and built a city and called it Novgorod. And others sat along the Desna, and the Seim, and the Sula, and called themselves northerners. And so the Slavic people dispersed, and after their name the letter was called Slavic.

When the glades lived separately in 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 drag 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 sail to Rome, and from Rome you can sail along the same sea to Constantinople, and from Constantinople you can sail to the Sea of Pontus, 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 heads 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 land of the Varangians, from the Varangians to Rome, from Rome to the tribe of Khamov. And the Dnieper flows at its mouth into the Pontic Sea; This sea is reputed to be Russian, - as they say, St. Andrew, Peter’s brother, taught it along its shores.

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 he got up and said to the disciples who were with him: “Do you see these mountains? 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 was surprised at them. And he went to the country of the Varangians, and came to Rome, and told about how he taught and what he saw, and said: “I saw a marvel in the Slavic land on my way here. I saw wooden bathhouses, and they would heat them up very much, and they would undress and naked, and douse themselves with leather kvass, and pick up young rods on themselves and beat themselves, and will finish themselves off so much that they barely crawl out, barely alive, and douse themselves with cold water, and that’s the only way they will come to life. And they do this constantly, not tormented by anyone , but they torture themselves, and then they perform ablution for themselves, and not torment.” Those who heard about this were surprised; Andrei, having been in Rome, came to Sinop.

The Glades lived separately in those days and were governed by their own clans; for even before that brethren (which will be discussed later) there were already glades, and they all lived with their clans in their own places, and each was governed independently. And there were three brothers: one named Kiy, the other - Shchek and the third - Khoriv, and their sister Lybid. Kiy sat on the mountain where Borichev now rises, and Shchek sat on the mountain that is now called Shchekovitsa, and Khoriv on the third mountain, which was nicknamed Khorivitsa after his name. And they built a city in honor of their elder brother, and named it Kyiv. There was a forest and a large forest around the city, and they caught animals there, and those men were wise and sensible, and they were called glades, from them glades are still in Kyiv.

Old Russian text
THIS TALE OF THE TIME YEARS WHERE THE RUSSIAN CAME FROM EARTH WHO STARTED THE FIRST PRINCIPALITY IN Kyiv, AND WHERE THE RUSSIAN LAND BECAME FROM

Let's begin this story.

By the flood trie The sons of Noah divided the land, Shem, Ham, and Apeth. And I went east to Simovi: Persida, Vatr, even to Indicia in length and width and to Nirocuria, as they say from the east until noon, and Surya, and Mussel along the Euphrates River, Babylon, Corduna, Asurians, Mesopotamia, Arabia the Oldest, Elmais, Indie, Arabia Strong, Kolia, Komagini, Phenicia all.

Khamovi is a midday country: Eupet, Ethiopian, adjacent to the Indom, the other Ethiopian, from which comes the Ethiopian river Chermna, flowing to the east, Thebe, Libya, adjacent to Kurinia, Marmaria, Surti, Libya another, Numidya, Masouria, Mauritania against the grain Ghadire. Those who exist to the east have Cilicia, Pamphylia, Pisidia, Mission, Lucaonia, Frugia, Kamalia, Lycia, Caria, Ludya, Mission another, Troas, Yeolidou, Bethunia, Old Frugia; And islands some names: Sardani, Crete, Cupr, and the river Geona, called Nile.

Afetu while imagining the midnight lands and Western: Midia, Alvanya, Armenya Lesser and Greater, Cappadocia, Theflagoia, Galatia, Wiggle, Vosporia, Meoti, Derevi, Sarmati, Tavriani, Skufia, Fratzi, Macidonia, Dalmatia, Malosi, Thesalya, Locria, Pelenia, even and Poloponis were called, Arkad, Yapironya, Ilyurik, Slovene, Luhitia, Andriokia, Ondrejatyn abyss. Have the islands: Rotania, Sicily, Javia, Rodona, Khiona, Lezovona, Kofiran, Zakuntha, Kefalinya, Ifakinu, Kerkuru, part Asian country called Onia, And Tigra River, current between Mida and Babylon; to the Poneta Sea, to the full country, the Danube, the Dniester and the Caucasian Mountains, the Ugorski river, and from there to the Dnieper, and other rivers: Desna, Pripet, Dvina, Volkhov, Volga, even going east, to the part of Simov. In the Afetov part there are Rus', Chud and all languages: Merya, Muroma, Ves, Mordovians, Zavolochskaya Chud, Perm, Pechera, Yam, Ugra, Lithuania, Zimegola, Kors, letgoal, love. Lyakhov and Prussian people should go to the Varangian Sea. Along this same sea the Varangians travel east to the limit of Simov, along the same sea they travel west to the land of Agnyanski and to Voloshski. Afetovo and that tribe: Varangians, Svei, Urmanes, goth, Rus', Agnyans, Galicians, Magi, Romans, Germans, Korlyazis, Venditsi, Fryagove and others, same squat from west to midday and meet with the tribe of Ham.

Sim same and Ham and Afet, having divided the earth, cast lots, do not transgress the lot of anyone, brother, and live each in his own part. There was one language and man multiplied on the earth, And I thought of building a pillar up to heaven in the days of Nectan and Peleg. And they gathered together in the place of Senar and built a pillar to heaven and a city near it, Babylon; and having created a pillar in 40 years, And not completed quickly. And the Lord God came down to see the city and the pillar, and the Lord said: “Behold, there is one race and one language.” And God mixed the languages, and divided them into 70 and 2 languages, and scattered them throughout the whole earth. After the movement of the tongue, God destroyed the pillar with a great wind, and there is a remnant of it between Asyur and Babylon, and there is a height and a cubit wide 5433 cubits, and we keep the remains for many years.

By the placement of the pillar and by the division of the tongue, the sons of Shem received the eastern countries, and Ham the sons of the midday countries. Afetov also welcomed the west and the midnight countries. From now 70 and 2 The language was Slovenian, from the tribe of Afetov, Narci, which are Slovenian.

After many times, the essence of Slovenia settled along the Dunaevi, where there is now Ugorsk land and Bolgarsk. From those words it spread across the earth and was called by its own name, where it sat in what place. As if he came gray on the river with the name of Marav, and was called Morava, and was called a friend by the name of Marav. And these are the same Slovenes: hrovate belii and sereb and khorutans. Volkh who found in Slovenia on the Danube, And who sat in them and violated them, but the Slovene Ovi came to sit on the Vistula, and was nicknamed the Lyakhov, and from those Poles the Polans were nicknamed, the Lyakhov, the Druzii Lutich, and the Mazovshans, and the Pomeranians.

In the same way, the Slovenians came and sat down along the Dnieper and found themselves in the clearing, and the Druzians, the Drevlyans, sat down in the forests; and the friends sat between the Pripetya and the Dvina and fell into disrepute as Dregovichs; ini grayed on the Dvina and the Polotsk residents got into trouble, for the sake of speech, even to flow into the Dvina, in the name of Polot, from this the Polotsk people were nicknamed. The Slovenes sit near Lake Ilmer, And called by her name, and made a city and called Novgorod. And the friends are riding along the Desna, and along Semi, according to Sula, and north. And so the Slovenian language disappeared, and the letter was also called Slovenian.

By the glade of the person who lived in these mountains, there was a path from the Varangians to the Greeks and from the Greek along the Dnieper, and the top of the Dnieper was dragged to Lovot, And along Lovot, bring the great lake into Ylmer, from the same lake the Volkhov will flow and flow into the great lake Nevo, and of that lake to reach the mouth into the Varangian Sea. And along that sea go to Rome, and from Rome come along the same sea to Tsar-City, and from Tsar-City come to Pont sea, the Dnieper River does not flow into it. The Dnieper flowed from Okovsky forests, and flow at noon, and the Dvina will flow from the same forest, and go at midnight and enter the Varangian Sea. From the same forest the Volga flowed east, and flowed seventy jelly into the Khvaliskoe Sea. It is also possible to come from Rus' according to Volza to Bulgarians and Khvalisi, and on go east to Simov's lot, and along the Dvina to the Varangians, from the Varangians to Rome, from Rome same and to the tribe of Ham. And the Dnieper flows into the Ponetsky Sea like a necklace, the hedgehog of the Russian sea, according to which Saint Ondrei, brother Petrov, taught, as if he had decided.

I taught Ondreya in Sinopia and came to him in Korsun, take away, like from Korsun near the mouth of the Dnieper, And wanted to go to Rome, and went to the mouth of the Dnieper, And From here I will go along the Dnieper mountain. And by chance I came and stood on a birch tree under the mountains. And the next morning he got up and spoke to those with him as a disciple: “Do you see these mountains? - how the grace of God will shine on these mountains; the hail is great be and God has many churches to build.” AND I entered these mountains, bless me, And put up the cross, and prayed to God, and came down from this mountain, where Kyiv was, and walked along the Dnieper mountain. And he came to Slovenia, which is now Novgorod, and saw that people, what is their custom, and how to wash them And boast and marvel at them. AND going to Varangians and come to Rome, And confession, taught as much as I saw, and said to them: “I marvelously saw the Slovenian land as I walked here. See the baths are ancient, and burn them with ramen, And get together, and be nazi, and douse yourself with kvass, and stir up the young rod, And fight yourself, and achieve that, two will come out le live and douse yourself with cold water, And come to life. And then do this all day long, not torment anyone, but torment yourself, and then do the ritual for yourself, and not torment.” You are audibly amazed. Ondrei, having been in Rome, came to Sinopia.

In the field, he lived as a person and ruled over his clans, like his brothers before him, who lived in the clearing, and I lived each with his clan and in his own place, owning each of his clans. And there were 3 brothers: one was called Kiy, and the other was Cheek, and the third was Horeb, And their sister Lybid. Sedyashe The cue is on the mountain, where Borichev is now taken away, and Shchek is sitting on the mountain, where now it is called Shchekovitsa, and Khoriv is on the third mountain, from which he is nicknamed Khorevitsa. And he built a city in the name of his oldest brother, and called its name Kyiv. Byashe near the city forest and the forest is great, and byahu catches the beast, byahu men are wise and understanding, naming the glade, from them there are glades in Kyiv to this day.

Or, ignorantly, rekosha, as if Kiy was a carrier, Kyiv had transportation then from that side of the Dnieper; dark verb: for transportation to Kyiv. If only Kiy had been the carrier, he would not have gone to Tsar’s City; but behold, Kiy was a prince in his family, who came to the king, as they say, he received great honor from the king, in whose presence the kings came. I go to him again, I come to Dunaevi, And love the place and cut down a small town, And you wanted to sit down with your family, and did not give it to those living nearby; to this day I still call it Dunajtsi settlement of Kievets. Kiev will come to your city of Kyiv, that one died; And his brother Shchek, and Horeb, and their sister Lybid died.

And to this day the brothers often keep their reign in the fields, A in the villages they have theirs, and the Dregovichi have theirs, and the Slovenians have theirs in Novgorod, and the other in Polota, like Polotsk. From them Krivichi, others like it ride to the top of the Volga, to the top of the Dvina and to the top of the Dnieper, their own city is Smolensk; there more gray Krivichi. Just north of them. On Beleozero it’s all gray, and on Lake Rostov it’s all gray, and on Lake Kleshchino it’s all gray. A along Otseretsa, where flow in to the Volga, Murom is its language, and Cheremisi is its language, Mordovians is its language. There is only a Slovenian language in Rus': Polyana, Derevlyans, Nougorodtsi, Polochans, Dregovichi, Sever, Buzhans, Zane Sedosha along the Bug, and then Velynians. And these are other languages that give tribute to Rus': Chud, Merya, Vse, Muroma, Cheremis, Mordovians, Perm, Pechera, Yam, Lithuania, Zimigola, Kors, Neroma, or: these are their own language, from the tribe of Aphet, like live in the countries of midnight.

The Slovenian language, like a river, living on the Danube, came from skuf, rekshe from kozar, recomii to the Bulgarian, And sedosha along Dunaevi, And the inhabitants of Slovenian bysha. Eight acne and whiteness have arrived, And inheriting the Slovenian land. Because the eels began to be the kings of Heraclius, who were also found on Khozdroy, the king of Persia. At the same time, I was and was, others like it go to Irakli the king and little of him is not yasha. Si same Aubrey fought against the Slovenians, and tormented the dulebs, the real Slovenes, and committed violence on the wives Dulebsky: As soon as I wake up to go, I won’t let you hide a horse or an ox, but rather, I’ll tell you to hide 3, 4, or 5 wives in a cart and the story will be found, And tako muchahu duleby. I was found to be great in body and proud in mind, and God consumed me, having died all, and not a single one remained. And there is a parable in Rus' to this day: perishing aki obre; their tribe has no heir. By now the Pechenesi have arrived; again Idosha blackheads past Kyiv, later at Olza.

A person living in a clearing, like a river, existing from the Slovenian family, and was born in the clearing, and Derevlyans from the words, and the Drevlyans got angry; Radimichi Bo and Vyatichi from Poles. Byast bo 2 brothers in Lyasi, - Radim, and other Vyatko, - and the gray-haired Radim came to Szhya, And nicknamed Radimichi, and Vyatko is gray with his family in Otsa, from him nicknamed Vyatichi. AND alive in the world there are clearings and villagers, And north, and Radimichi, Vyatichi and Hrvate. Dulebi lives along the Bug, where the Velynians are now, and And Tivertsi sedyahu bo along the Dniester, sedyahu to Dunaevi. There are not many of them; sedyahu bo along the Dniester oli to the sea, the essence of their city to this day, and then I call from the Greek Great Skuf.

I have my own customs, and my father’s law and traditions, each with my own character. It is the custom of Polyana for his father to be meek and quiet, and to show shame towards his daughters-in-law and towards his sisters, towards his mother and towards his parents, towards his mother-in-law and towards his brothers-in-law, I have great shame, the marriage custom of the name: not like son-in-law for the bride, but I will bring it in the evening, and tomorrow I will bring whatever I have given for her. And the Drevlyans live in a bestial manner, living bestially: they killed each other, they killed everything uncleanly, and they never had a marriage, but they snatched the girl from the water. And Radimichi, and Vyatichi, and the North have one custom: I live in the forest, like And every beast that eats everything is unclean, And there is obscenity in them before fathers and daughters-in-law, And bratsi have never been in them, But games between the villages, I look like games, dancing and all the demonic songs, and that wife was taken away by himself, and whoever was dating with her; I also have two and three wives. And even if someone dies, I do I'll shake you over it, and in seven pieces I put a great treasure, and laid blasphemy on the treasure, burned the dead man, and collected the seven bones and put them in a small vessel, and supply on a pillar on the paths that Vyatichi continues to create even now. I'm creating the custom of the Krivichi And other abominations, not knowing the law of God, but making the law for themselves.

Verb George in the chronicles. “For in every tongue there is a law written, but in others there are customs, law The fatherland seems lawless. From them are the first Syrians, living at the end of the earth, the law is father their customs: not to commit fornication or adultery, nor to steal, nor to slander, nor to kill, nor to do any great evil. The law is the same Vactrians, the verbs of the Vrahmans and the islanders, the testimony from the great-grandfathers And piety does not eat meat, does not drink wine, does not commit fornication, but does no evil, for the sake of fear of many and God's faith. For I am tache adjacent to them indyom- murder is deceitful, polluting, angry and more than food; whether in guts in their country people eat and kill wandering people, and even more so eat like a psy. Yet the law of the Chaldeans And Babylonians: catch their mothers, their children commit fornication with their brothers, and kill them. AND all sorts of things sterile act like virtue is crumpled active, they will be far from their country.

And the law is gilio: wives scream in them, build temples And It is man's business to do, but we want to do as much love as we do not restrain ourselves from our husbands, whether they will see; they are the essence of brave wives to catch animals strong. But wives own their husbands And add to them. In Vretanya there are many men with united sleep with my wife, and many wives with one husband lust: lawless like The father’s law is to be done neither with envy nor with restraint. Amazon does not have a husband, but like dumb cattle in the summer spring there will be a day of farming; and reckon with surrounding men, as some It is a triumph for them and great festivity is the time to remember. From them, conceived in the womb, everyone will run away from here again. During the same those who want to give birth, if a child is born, to destroy; more girlish floor, then get up And diligently educate."

Just as with us now the Polovtsians keep the law of their fathers: to shed blood, and boasting O seven, and eating carrion and all uncleanness, homeki and wort, And catch your stepmother And Yatrovi, and other customs of their fathers. We, the Christians of all the earth, who believe in the Holy Trinity, in one baptism, in one faith, the law of the imam, are baptized in Christ and put on Christ.

After this time, after the death of the sowing brothers, they were offended by the ancients And inemi okolni. AND naidosha I am the Kozari, who sits on these mountains in the forests, and the Kozari decides: “Pay us tribute.” Thinking better same the clearing and the sword from the smoke, and carrying the kozari to his prince and to elders, and deciding to them: “Behold, the tribute is due new." They decided to them: “Where from?” They decided: “In the forest on mountains, over the Dnieper River." They decided: “What is the essence in the distance?” They showed the sword. And the elders decided the trick: “This is not a good tribute, prince! We are searching for weapons with one side, deciding sabers, and these weapons both sharp, sharp sword. “You must impose tribute on us and on other countries.” Behold, everything came true: not from my own will, but from God’s command. Yako And under Faravon, the kings followed her, whenever bringing Moses before Pharavon, and the elder of Pharaoh decided: “Behold, I want to pacify the region of Eupet”; as it happened: the Egyptians perished from Moses, and the first one was working for him. Tako and si: vladasha, and after Samimi own; as it were: to become voluptuous bo Russian Kozars princes and until today.

In the summer of 6360, indictment 15, Mikhail began to reign, and began to call Ruska the land. About this notification, as if during the seven tsars Rus' came to Tsargorod, as it is written in the annals of Greece. From here on, let us begin with numbers, as in “From Adam to the Flood 2242; and from the flood to Avram is 1000 and 82 years, and from Avram to the march of Moses 430 years old; and from the departure of Moses before David 600 and 1 years; and from David and from the beginning of the kingdom of Solomon to the captivity of Yarusalim 448 years; and from captivity to Alexander 318 years; and from Alexander to the birth of Christ years 333; and from the Nativity of Christ to Konstantin is 318 years; from Kostyantin to Mikhail this year is 542.” And from the first summer of Mikhailov to the first summer of Olgov, Russian prince, 29 years; and from the first summer of Olgova, a little closer gray in Kyiv, until Igor’s first summer, 31 years old; and from the first summer of Igor to the first summer of Svyatslavl 33; and from the first summer of Svyatoslavl to the first summer of Yaropolch is 28 years; and Yaropolk is a prince about 8 years old; and Volodymer princes 37 years old; and Yaroslav the prince was 40 years old. Moreover, from the death of Svyatoslav to the death of Yaroslavl, 85 years old; and from the death of Yaroslavl to the death of Svyatopolchi is 60 years.

But we're on former let's come back And let's say what summer time si, just as we had already begun the first summer with Michael, and let’s put the numbers in a row.

In the summer of 6361. In the summer of 6362. In the summer of 6363. In the summer of 6364.

In summer 6365.

In the summer of 6366. Tsar Michael came from his coast and sea to the Bulgarians. The Bulgarians saw like I couldn’t resist, I asked to be baptized and submit to the Greek. The Tsar baptize their prince and all the Bolgars, and make peace with the Bulgarians.

In summer 6367. Imahu tribute to the Varangians from overseas on the Chudi and on the Slovenes, on the Mary and on all the Krivichi. And the kozari Imahu are in the clearings, and in Sezereh, and in Vyatichi, Imahu are white and wild with smoke.

In the summer of 6368. In the summer of 6369.

In summer 6370. Having driven the Varangians over the sea, and not giving them tribute, and having grown up in themselves, and having no righteousness in them, they rose from generation to generation, And There was strife among them, and they began to fight more and more on their own. AND Deciding within ourselves: “Let us look for a prince who would rule over us and judge us by right.” And Idosha overseas to the Varangians, to Rus'. Sitsa is called the Varangians Rus, as all the friends are called his, the friends are Urman, the English, the friends are GTE, Tako and Si. Resha Rus' Chud, Slovenians, and Krivichi and all:“Our land is great and abundant, but there is no decoration in it. May you come and reign over us.” And the 3 brothers were chosen from their generations, girding all of Rus' around themselves, and came; the oldest, Rurik, Seda Novgorod, and the other, Sineus, on Beleozero, and the third Izborst, Truvor. AND from those Varangian nicknamed Russian Land, Novugorodians, they are people of Novugorodians from the Varangian family, formerly of Slovenia. Within two years Sineus would die And his brother Truvor. And Rurik took power, and distributed cities to her husbands, to one Polotesk, to another Rostov, to another Beloozero. And in that city the inhabitants were the Varangians, and the first inhabitants of Novgorod were Slovenians, V Polotsk Krivichi, in Rostov Merya, in Beleozero all, in Murom Muroma; and Rurik has all of them. And he has two husbands, not his tribe, But boyar, and she asked to go to Tsaryugorod with her family. And I walked a hundred to the Dnieper, and as I walked past I saw a town on the mountain. AND simplified and Resta: “Whose town is this?” They decided: “There were three brothers, Kiy, Shchek, Horeb, who made the city, and the bender, and we are sitting, their family paid tribute in kozar.” Askold and Dir remained in the city seven, and many Varangians scrounger, and began to rule the Polish land, while Rurik prince in Novgorod.

In summer 6371. In summer 6372. In summer 6373.

In the summer of 6374. Ida Askold and Dir went to the Greeks, and arrived at 14 summer Michael the Tsar. When the Tsar went to Ogaryan, the Black Rivers reached him, the diocesan ambassador sent word to him that Rus' was going to Tsargorod, and the Tsar returned. And when the Court entered the court, it committed a lot of murders among the peasants, and in two hundred years the ship of Constantinople was defeated. The king is barely within the city, And with the Patreiarch with Photius to the existing church of the Holy Mother of God Blachernae all night praying, the same divine holy Mother of God robe with songs worn out, in mori skut wet. Silence of sushi And the sea that was tamed, the storm arose with the wind, and the waves of velyam stood apart, the godless of Rus' ship crumpled, And adhere to the shore, and beat me, as if few avoid them from such troubles And returned home.

In summer 6375.

In summer 6376. Pocha reign Basil.

In summer 6377. Baptized the whole land was Bulgarian.

In the summer 6378. In the summer 6379. In the summer 6380. In the summer 6381.

In summer 6382. In summer 6383. In summer 6384. In summer 6385.

In the summer 6386.

In the summer of 6387. I will die to Rurik, betray my princedom to Olgovi, from kind of him being, having given him her son on Igor’s hand, be bo childish velmi.

In summer 6388. In summer 6389.

In summer 6390. Poide Oleg, we eat many howls, Varangians, Chud, Slovenes, Meryu, all, Krivichi, and came to Smolensk from Krivichi, and received the hail, and planted their husbands. From there, go down and take Lyubets and plant your husbands. AND to the mountains of Kiev, and notice Oleg, as Oskold and Dir are princes, And bury the warriors in boats, and leave the others behind, and he himself will come, carrying Igor as a child. And I sailed to Ugorskoe, burying my own troops, and sent them to Askold and Dirov, saying, “I am a guest, we are going to the Greeks from Olga and from Prince Igor. May she come to us, to her family.” Askold and Dir arrived, and all the others jumped out of the boat, and Oleg said to Askold and Dir: “You are not a prince, nor a prince of the family, but I am a prince of the family,” And Igor said: “And behold, there is the son of Rurik.” And killing Askold and Dir, And carried up the mountain, and cellar and on the mountain, now called Ugorskoye, where Olmin’s yard is now; put it on that grave Olma Church of St. Nicholas; and Dirov’s grave is behind Saint Orina. AND Prince Oleg sat in Kyiv, and Oleg said: “Behold, wake your mother with hail Russian." AND There were Varangians and Slovenes and others among him, nicknamed Rus. This Oleg began to build cities, and established tribute to the Slovenians, Krivich and Meri, and set up The Varangian gave tribute from Novagorod 300 hryvnia for the summer, dividing the world, giving Yaroslavl a Varangian until his death.

In the summer of 6391. Pocha Oleg fought the Derevlyans, and having tormented me there is a tribute on them according to the black kuna.

In the summer of 6392. Ide Oleg on the northerners, and defeat the northerners, and impose a light tribute on them, and the kozar will not allow them to pay tribute, rivers: “I am disgusted with them, but you have nothing.”

In the summer of 6393. Ambassador to Radimichi, ryka: "To whom do you give tribute? They decided: “Kozar.” And Oleg said to them: “Don’t give it to the kozar, but give it to me.” And Olgovi knew how to look like And Kozar dayahu. And without Oleg possessing glades, and derevlyans, and northerners, and Radimichi, and from the streets and the streets they make names for the army.

In summer 6394.

In the summer of 6395. Levon Tsarstvo, son of Vasiliev, also known as Leo, and his brother Oleksandr, also known as Tsarstvo, 20 and 6 years old.

In summer 6396. In summer 6397. In summer 6398. In summer 6399. In summer 6400. In summer 6401. In summer 6402. In summer 6403. Into the summer 6404. Into the summer 6405.

In the summer of 6406. The eels passed by the Kyiv mountain, which is now called Ugorskoye, having come to the Dnieper and stash the vezhas; Besha is walking, like the Polovtsi. Arrived from east and rushing over the great mountains, also known as the Ugorsk Mountains, and fight more often living that Volokhi and Slovenia. Sedyahu for that former tin, and Volokhovo having accepted the land of Slovenia. Therefore, the eels drove away the wise men, and inherited the earth that, and gray haired woman from Slovenia, having subdued me, And From then on the land was called Ugorsk. And the Eels began to fight against the Greeks, and captured the land of Frachska and Makidonsk until Selun. AND starting to fight on Moravian and on Czechs. There is only one Slovenian language: Sloveni, others like it sedyakhu along Dunaevi, they also received acne, and Morava, and chesi, and Lyakhov, and glades, even now called Rus'. Simbo the first books are offered Moravian, even nicknamed The Slovenian letter is the same as the letter is in Rus' and in the Danube Bulgarians.

Slovenian living baptized and their prince, Rostislav, and Svyatopolk, and Kotsel sent to Tsar Michael, saying: “Our land is baptized, and we have no teacher who would punish us, and teach us, and interpret the holy books. We don't understand bo neither Greek nor Latin; They teach us that way, and they teach us that way too. Moreover, we do not understand the book image, nor their power. And after us are teachers who can speak bookish words and their wisdom.” Behold, Tsar Michael heard, and convened all the philosophers, and all the Slovenian princes spoke to them. And deciding philosophy: “There is a man in Seluni named Leo. His son understands the essence of the Slovenian language, his son is a cunning philosopher.” When the king heard this, he sent an ambassador to Selunko Lvovi, saying: “Send to us soon your son, Methodius and Kostyantin.” Xie hearing Leo, I soon sent and came to the princess, and she said: “Behold, the Slovenian land has been sent to me, asking for a teacher for themselves, who could interpret the saints for them.” books; that’s all I want.” AND quickly begged by the king, and I'll send you a message to the Slovenian land to Rostislav, and Svyatopolk and Ktslovi. When Sim came, he began to write the alphabet Slovenian letters, and wrote the Apostle and the Gospel. AND for the sake of Slovenia, as if you heard the fork of God with your tongue. Therefore prelogist Psalter, and Okhtaik, and other books. Netsi oke nachasa blasphemy Slovenian books, saying, “No language is worthy of having its own letters, except Jews, Greek and Latin, according to Pilatov the writings that God wrote on the cross.” Now, having heard the Roman papa, the river blasphemed those who murmured against the Slovenian books: “Let us fulfill the word of the book, as if we “Praise God of all things.” pagans"; another: “Let all tongues speak of the greatness of God, as if He gave them the Holy Spirit to answer.” Yes, if anyone blasphemes the Slovenian charter, he will be excommunicated from the church, don’t to correct: for you are wolves, not sheep, even as you deserve from the fruit of the nobility And keep them. You, children of God, listen to the teaching and do not reject church punishment, as Methodius, your teacher, punished you.” Kostyantin turned back and went to teach the Bulgarian language, and Methodius remained in Morava. Therefore, the prince installed Kotsel Methodya bishop in Pania, on the table of St. Ondronikos the Apostle, one from 70, a disciple of the Holy Apostle Paul. Methodius planted 2 priests of the cursive writer, and translated all the books from the Greek language into the Slovenian 6th month, starting from the month of March to the twentieth and 6th day of the month of October. Having finished, it is worthy to give praise and glory to God, who gives such grace to Bishop Methodius, the patron Andronikov. Also, there is a Slovenian language teacher Andronik apostle. The Apostle Paul went to the Moravians and taught there; because there is Ilyurik, his reached Apostle Paul; tu bo besha slovene first. In the same way, the teacher of the Slovenian language is Pavel, from him we are the language of Rus', and in the same way, the teacher of Rus' is Pavel, who taught us to eat the language. Slovenian and appointed a bishop and a governor By imagine Andronik in the Slovenian language. But the Slovenian language and the Russian language are one and the same, from the Varangians they were called Rus, and the first is Slovenian; I even call it a clearing, but I don’t speak Slovenian. You were nicknamed in the fields, you were gray in the fields, but the Slovenian language is one.

In the summer of 6407. In the summer of 6408. In the summer of 6409.

In the summer of 6410. Leon was the king of the Ugrians against the Bulgarians. The eel, having found the whole land of the Bulgarian captivity. Semyonge taking away, returned to the Ugrians, and the Ugrians attacked and defeated the Bulgarians, as if Semyon once fled to Derstre.

In the summer of 6411. I grew up Igor, and walked along Olza and listening him, and brought him a wife from Piskov, named Olga.

In the summer of 6412. In the summer of 6413. In the summer of 6414.

In the summer of 6415. Ide Oleg to the Greeks. Igor leaving Kyiv, singing same many Varangians, and Slovens, and Chuds, and Slovenians, and Krivichis, and Meryu, and Derevlyans, and Radimichis, and Polyans, and Severo, and Vyatichi, and Croats, and Dulebs, and Tivertsi, which are the essence of Tolkiny: all of them will shout from Greek Great skuf. AND Oleg went with these and everyone on horseback and on ships, and there were 2000 ships in number. AND I came to Constantinople; and the Greeks locked up the Judgment, and shut up the city. And Oleg went out to the shore, and began to fight, and committed a lot of murder near the Greek city, and smashed many armor, and burned the churches. And they were captives, some of them were flogged, others were tormented, some were shot, and others were swept into the sea, and many others evil I will create Rus' as a Greek, but only create armies.

And Oleg commanded with his howl to make wheels and install them on the wheels of the ship. And I will mow down the wind, taking back the sails from the field, and going to the city. And when they saw the Greeks, they were afraid, and decided, sending them to Olgovi: “Do not destroy the city, we have by tribute, as you want." And Oleg made him howl, and brought him food and wine, and did not meet him - for it was arranged with poison. And the Greeks were afraid and decided: “Behold, Oleg, but Saint Dmitry, was sent to us from God.” And the commandment Oleg tribute give 2000 to a ship, 12 hryvnia per person, and to ships By 40 men

And the Greeks agreed about this, and the Greeks asked for peace, so that the Greek lands would not fight. Oleg retreated a little from the city, starting to create peace with the King of Walnuts, with Leon and Alexander, who sent Karl, Farlof, Velmud, Rulav and Stemid to him in the city, saying: “Have me a tribute.” And the Greeks decided: “What do you want, ladies you"...

And Oleg’s speech: "Isshiyte the sails of the Russians are falling, and the Slovenians Kropinnyya", and be it. And hang your shield in the gates, showing victory, and depart from Constantinople. AND singing Rus' the sails are frayed, and the Slovenians are brittle, and the wind is torn; and deciding to the words: “We have our own thicknesses, the essence of the word is not given to us.” pavolochites." And Oleg came to Kyiv, carrying gold, and grass, and vegetables, and wine, and all sorts of ornaments. And the nickname Olga is prophetic: for the people are trash and neveiglas.

In the summer of 6416. In the summer of 6417. In the summer of 6418.

In the summer of 6419. A great star appeared in the west lance way.

In the summer of 6420. Oleg sent his men to build peace and set a line between Russia and the Greeks...

Tsar Leon almost sent Russian ambassadors with gifts, gold, and pavoloks and fofuds, and sent his men to show them the church beauty, and gold plates and riches in them, a lot of gold and pavoloks and precious stones, and the passion of the Lord and the crown, and a nail, and a scarlet robe, and the relics of saints, teaching me to my faith and showing them the true faith. And so let him go back to his land with great honor. Olga sent a message to Olgovi, and told all the speeches to both the king, how he had created the world, and laid the order between the Greek land and Russia, and vowed not to break either the Greek or the Russian.

And the lively Oleg has peace to all countries, the prince in Kyiv. And autumn has arrived, and I will remember Oleg his horse, others like it Be put to feed and not give everything to her. Be Bo asked the Magi And magician: “What do we eat from? die? And one magician spoke to him: “Prince! Horse, if you love him and ride him, you will die.” We accept Oleg in our minds, in other words: “No matter how I see him everywhere, I don’t see him anymore.” And he commanded to feed him and not to take him to him, and he remained for several years without seeing him, until he went to Greece. And I came to Kiev for him and stayed for 4 years, in the fifth summer I remember the horse, from which the ox screamed and said that the oxen would die. And calling the elder as a groom, he said: "Where I have a horse, and I set him running to feed him and look after him?” He said: “He is dead.” Oleg laughed and reproached the magician, the river: “It’s wrong for you to say to the volsvi, but everything is a lie: the horse died, but I am alive.” And he ordered the horse to be saddled: “Otherwise I see his bones.” And he came to the place where he lay, his bones bare and his forehead bare, and he dismounted from his horse, and laughingly said: “Was it from this forehead that I should die?” And step on the forehead with your foot; and the serpent emerged iso forehead, And I'll bite your leg. And from that I got sick and died. And all the people cried, weeping great, and carrying and burying his on the mountain, which is called Shchekovitsa; there is his grave to this day, speak Olgov's grave. And all the years of his reign were 33.

It’s not marvelous, as if magic happens sorcery. Like be in kingdom of Domentianovo a certain sorcerer named Apoloniy, Tiyanin, we know beashe, marching and creating everywhere And There are demonic miracles in towns and villages. Having come from Rome to Byzantium, he was begged by those living there to do this: driving away many snakes and speedos from the city, as Not crash into a person from them; rage horse having bridled, I always approach the boare. In the same way he came to Antioch, and was begged by them, because Antiachian was tormented by the quicksand and from the mosquitoes, making a copper hash and burying it in the ground, and erected a small marble pillar above him, and ordered a man to hold the cane, and walk around the city and call, shaking the cane: “Demon of the mosquito to the hail.” And so the scoropia and mosquitoes disappeared from the hail. And ask again about the present on the hail coward, I will sigh, and write on the table: “Alas for you, the ruined city, for you have been greatly shaken, and you will be overcome by fire, mourn same you and at birch sy Orontia." About him, the great Nastasius spoke of the city of God: “Apolonius, even to this day, happens in some places created, hundred ova disgusting animal quadruped, bird, capable of harm people, others to abstain from the streams of the river, flowing incontinently, but there is no way to stop decay and harm by man, but to stand in flight. It’s not just that for his life this and that was done by the devil for his sake, but even after his death, staying at his tomb, a sign was created in his name to deceive the dead man, who was stealing something from the devil.” Who the fuck what talk about what's happening by the magical seduction of affairs? As if such a one was so quick with magic, as if Apolonius was a warrior with a clear knowledge, as if he was possessed of all philosophical cunning; it befits him to speak like “I am in a word exactly create, you want them,” and not by doing what is commanded from him. Is the same and all the weakening of God and the creation of demons happen, such things can tempt our Orthodox faith, even if there is a strong and a spark of the abiding Lord, and not attracted by the enemy mosques for the sake of miracles and hundred deeds, created from the enemies and servants of malice. Again, but in the name of the Lord, and prophesied by you netius, like Balam, and Saul, and Caiaphas, and drove out demons again, like Judas and his sons Skevavli. Too bad and not worthy grace works many times, and the others bear witness, for the Valams of both were fabric- a life of grace and faith, but both evidence in him grace for the sake of viewing. AND Pharaoh is not like that, but there is a future for that too. And Nechadonasor is a lawbreaker, but also for this reason, because of the many who exist, he opened the race, so that those who are many, having deceitful minds, signify before the image of Christ a different wiles of deceit by man, not understanding good, like Simon the Magus, and Menander and Ini are like this, their for the sake of truly speaking: “Do not deceive miracles befitting..."

The Tale of Bygone Years was created in the 12th century and is the most famous ancient Russian chronicle. Now it is included in the school curriculum - that is why every student who wants not to disgrace himself in class has to read or listen to this work.

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What is “The Tale of Bygone Years” (PVL)

This ancient chronicle is a collection of text-articles telling about events in Kyiv from the times described in the Bible until 1137. Moreover, the dating itself begins in the work in 852.

The Tale of Bygone Years: characteristics of the chronicle

The features of the work are:

All this made The Tale of Bygone Years stand out from other ancient Russian works. The genre cannot be called either historical or literary; the chronicle only tells about the events that took place, without trying to evaluate them. The position of the authors is simple - everything is God’s will.

History of creation

In science, the monk Nestor is recognized as the main author of the chronicle, although it has been proven that the work has several authors. However, it was Nestor who was called the first chronicler in Rus'.

There are several theories explaining when the chronicle was written:

Written in Kyiv. Date of writing: 1037, author Nestor. Folklore works are taken as a basis. Repeatedly copied by various monks and Nestor himself.
Date of writing: 1110.

One of the versions of the work has survived to this day, the Laurentian Chronicle - a copy of the Tale of Bygone Years, performed by the monk Laurentius. The original edition, unfortunately, has been lost.

The Tale of Bygone Years: summary

We invite you to familiarize yourself with a summary of the chronicle chapter by chapter.

The beginning of the chronicle. About the Slavs. The first princes

When the Flood ended, the creator of the ark, Noah, died. His sons had the honor of dividing the land among themselves by lot. The north and west went to Japheth, Ham to the south, and Shem to the east. An angry God destroyed the majestic Tower of Babel and, as punishment for arrogant people, divides them into nations and gives them different languages. This is how the Slavic people - the Rusichi - were formed, who settled along the banks of the Dnieper. Gradually, the Russians also divided:

Meek, peaceful glades began to live across the fields.
In the forests there are warlike Drevlyan robbers. Even cannibalism is not alien to them.

Andrey's journey

Further in the text you can read about the wanderings of the Apostle Andrew in the Crimea and along the Dnieper, everywhere he preached Christianity. It also tells about the creation of Kyiv, a great city with pious inhabitants and an abundance of churches. The apostle speaks about this to his disciples. Then Andrei returns to Rome and talks about the Slovenians who build wooden houses and take strange water procedures called ablution.

Three brothers ruled the clearings. The great city of Kyiv was named after the eldest, Kiya. The other two brothers are Shchek and Khoreb. In Constantinople, Kiy was shown great honor by the local king. Next, Kiy’s path lay in the city of Kievets, which attracted his attention, but the local residents did not allow him to settle here. Returning to Kyiv, Kiy and his brothers continue to live here until their death.

Khazars

The brothers were gone, and Kyiv was attacked by the warlike Khazars, forcing the peaceful, good-natured glades to pay them tribute. After consulting, the residents of Kyiv decide to pay tribute with sharp swords. The Khazar elders see this as a bad sign - the tribe will not always be obedient. The times are coming when the Khazars themselves will pay tribute to this strange tribe. In the future, this prophecy will come true.

Name of Russian land

In the Byzantine chronicle there is information about a campaign against Constantinople by a certain “Rus”, suffering from civil strife: in the north, Russian lands pay tribute to the Varangians, in the south - to the Khazars. Having gotten rid of oppression, the northern peoples begin to suffer from constant conflicts within the tribe and the lack of a unified authority. To solve the problem, they turn to their former enslavers - the Varangians - with a request to give them a prince. Three brothers came: Rurik, Sineus and Truvor, but when the younger brothers died, Rurik became the only Russian prince. And the new state was named Russian Land.

Dir and Askold

With the permission of Prince Rurik, two of his boyars, Dir and Askold, undertook a military campaign to Constantinople, along the way meeting glades paying tribute to the Khazars. The boyars decide to settle here and rule Kyiv. Their campaign against Constantinople turned out to be a complete failure, when all 200 Varangian ships were destroyed, many warriors drowned in the depths of the water, and few returned home.

After the death of Prince Rurik, the throne was supposed to pass to his young son Igor, but while the prince was still an infant, the governor, Oleg, began to rule. It was he who learned that Dir and Askold had illegally appropriated the princely title and were ruling in Kyiv. Having lured out the impostors by cunning, Oleg arranged a trial over them and the boyars were killed, since they did not ascend to the throne without being a princely family.

When the famous princes ruled - Prophetic Oleg, Prince Igor and Olga, Svyatoslav

Oleg

In 882-912. Oleg was the governor of the Kyiv throne, he built cities, conquered hostile tribes, and it was he who managed to conquer the Drevlyans. With a huge army, Oleg comes to the gates of Constantinople and by cunning frightens the Greeks, who agree to pay a huge tribute to Rus', and hangs his shield on the gates of the conquered city. For his extraordinary insight (the prince realized that the dishes presented to him were poisoned), Oleg is called the Prophetic.

Peace reigns for a long time, but, seeing an evil omen in the sky (a star resembling a spear), the prince-deputy calls the fortuneteller to him and asks what kind of death awaits him. To Oleg’s surprise, he reports that the prince’s death awaits him from his favorite war horse. To prevent the prophecy from coming true, Oleg orders the pet to be fed, but does not approach him anymore. A few years later, the horse died and the prince, coming to say goodbye to him, is amazed at the error of the prophecy. But alas, the fortuneteller was right - a poisonous snake crawled out of the animal’s skull and bit Oleg, and he died in agony.

Death of Prince Igor

The events in the chapter take place in the years 913-945. Prophetic Oleg died and the reign passed to Igor, who had already matured enough. The Drevlyans refuse to pay tribute to the new prince, but Igor, like Oleg earlier, managed to conquer them and imposed an even greater tribute. Then the young prince gathers a large army and marches on Constantinople, but suffers a crushing defeat: the Greeks use fire against Igor’s ships and destroy almost the entire army. But the young prince manages to gather a new large army, and the king of Byzantium, deciding to avoid bloodshed, offers Igor a rich tribute in exchange for peace. The prince consults with the warriors, who offer to accept tribute and not engage in battle.

But this was not enough for the greedy warriors; after some time they literally forced Igor to go to the Drevlyans again for tribute. Greed destroyed the young prince - not wanting to pay more, the Drevlyans kill Igor and bury him not far from Iskorosten.

Olga and her revenge

Having killed Prince Igor, the Drevlyans decide to marry his widow to their prince Mal. But the princess, by cunning, managed to destroy all the nobility of the rebellious tribe, burying them alive. Then the clever princess calls matchmakers - noble Drevlyans - and burns them alive in a bathhouse. And then she manages to burn Sparkling by tying burning tinder to the pigeons' legs. The princess imposes a huge tribute on the Drevlyan lands.

Olga and baptism

The princess also shows her wisdom in another chapter of the Tale of Bygone Years: wanting to avoid marriage with the king of Byzantium, she is baptized, becoming his spiritual daughter. Struck by the woman’s cunning, the king lets her go in peace.

Svyatoslav

The next chapter describes the events of 964-972 and the wars of Prince Svyatoslav. He began to rule after the death of his mother, Princess Olga. He was a courageous warrior who managed to defeat the Bulgarians, save Kyiv from the attack of the Pechenegs and make Pereyaslavets the capital.

With an army of only 10 thousand soldiers, the brave prince attacks Byzantium, which put up a hundred thousand army against him. Inspiring his army to face certain death, Svyatoslav said that death was better than the shame of defeat. And he manages to win. The Byzantine Tsar pays the Russian army a good tribute.

The brave prince died at the hands of the Pecheneg prince Kuri, who attacked the army of Svyatoslav, weakened by hunger, going to Rus' in search of a new squad. From his skull they make a cup from which the treacherous Pechenegs drink wine.

Rus' after baptism

Baptism of Rus'

This chapter of the chronicle tells that Vladimir, the son of Svyatoslav and the housekeeper, became a prince and chose a single god. The idols were overthrown, and Rus' adopted Christianity. At first, Vladimir lived in sin, he had several wives and concubines, and his people made sacrifices to idol gods. But having accepted faith in one God, the prince becomes pious.

About the fight against the Pechenegs

The chapter recounts several events:

In 992, the struggle between the troops of Prince Vladimir and the attacking Pechenegs began. They propose to fight the best fighters: if the Pecheneg wins, the war will be three years, if the Russian - three years of peace. The Russian youth won, and peace was established for three years.
Three years later, the Pechenegs attack again and the prince miraculously manages to escape. A church was erected in honor of this event.
The Pechenegs attacked Belgorod, and a terrible famine began in the city. The residents managed to escape only by cunning: on the advice of a wise old man, they dug wells in the ground, put a vat of oatmeal in one, and honey in the second, and told the Pechenegs that the earth itself gave them food. They raised the siege in fear.

Massacre of the Magi

Magi come to Kyiv and begin to accuse noble women of hiding food, causing famine. Cunning men kill many women, taking their property for themselves. Only Jan Vyshatich, the Kyiv governor, manages to expose the Magi. He ordered the townspeople to hand over the deceivers to him, threatening that otherwise he would live with them for another year. Talking with the Magi, Ian learns that they worship the Antichrist. The voivode orders people whose relatives died due to the fault of deceivers to kill them.

Blindness

This chapter describes the events of 1097, when the following happened:

Princely council in Lyubich to conclude peace. Each prince received his own oprichnina, they made an agreement not to fight with each other, focusing on expelling external enemies.
But not all the princes are happy: Prince Davyd felt deprived and forced Svyatopolk to go over to his side. They conspired against Prince Vasilko.
Svyatopolk deceitfully invites the gullible Vasilko to his place, where he blinds him.
The rest of the princes are horrified by what the brothers did to Vasilko. They demand that Svyatopolk expel David.
Davyd dies in exile, and Vasilko returns to his native Terebovl, where he reigns.

Victory over the Cumans

The last chapter of the Tale of Bygone Years tells about the victory over the Polovtsians of princes Vladimir Monomakh and Svyatopolk Izyaslavich. The Polovtsian troops were defeated, and Prince Beldyuz was executed; the Russians returned home with rich booty: livestock, slaves and property.

This event marks the end of the narrative of the first Russian chronicle.

The Tale of Bygone Years

Here are the stories of past years, where the Russian land came from,

who was the first to reign in Kyiv and how the Russian land arose

“So let’s begin this story...”

And after these brothers, their clan began to hold a reign near the glades, and the Drevlyans had their own reign, and the Dregovichi had theirs, and the Slavs had their own in Novgorod, and another on the Polota River, where the Polotsk people were. From these latter came the Krivichi, sitting in the upper reaches of the Volga, and in the upper reaches of the Dvina, and in the upper reaches of the Dnieper, their city is Smolensk; This is where the Krivichi sit. The northerners also come from them. And on Beloozero he sits all over, and on Lake Rostov he meryas, and on Lake Kleshchina he also meryas. And along the Oka River - where it flows into the Volga - there are the Muroma, speaking their own language, and the Cheremis, speaking their own language, and the Mordovians, speaking their own language. Just who speaks Slavic in Rus': the Polyans, the Drevlyans, the Novgorodians, the Polochans, the Dregovichis, the Northerners, the Buzhanians, so called because they sat along the Bug, and then began to be called the Volynians. But here are other peoples who give tribute to Rus': Chud, Merya, Ves, Muroma, Cheremis, Mordovians, Perm, Pechera, Yam, Lithuania, Zimigola, Kors, Narova, Livs - these speak their own languages, they are from the tribe of Japheth and live in northern countries.

When the Slavic people, as we said, lived on the Danube, the so-called Bulgarians came from the Scythians, that is, from the Khazars, and settled along the Danube and were settlers in the land of the Slavs. Then the White Ugrians came and settled the Slavic land. These Ugrians appeared under King Heraclius, and they fought with Khosrow, the Persian king. In those days there were also obras, they fought against King Heraclius and almost captured him. These obrins also fought against the Slavs and oppressed the Dulebs - also Slavs, and committed violence against the Duleb wives: it happened that when an obrin rode, he would not allow a horse or an ox to be harnessed, but he ordered three, four or five wives to be harnessed to a cart and to be driven - obrin, - and so they tortured the Dulebs. These obrins were great in body and proud in mind, and God destroyed them, they all died, and not a single obrin remained. And there is a saying in Rus' to this day: “They perished like obras,” but they have no tribe or descendants. After the raids, the Pechenegs came, and then the Black Ugrians passed by Kyiv, but this happened after - already under Oleg.

The Polyans, who lived on their own, as we have already said, were from a Slavic family and only later were called Polyans, and the Drevlyans descended from the same Slavs and were also not immediately called Drevlyans; Radimichi and Vyatichi are from the family of Poles. After all, the Poles had two brothers - Radim, and the other - Vyatko; and they came and sat down: Radim on the Sozh, and from him they were called Radimichi, and Vyatko sat down with his family along the Oka, from him the Vyatichi got their name. And the Polyans, Drevlyans, Northerners, Radimichi, Vyatichi and Croats lived in peace among themselves. The Dulebs lived along the Bug, where the Volynians are now, and the Ulichi and Tivertsy sat along the Dniester and near the Danube. There were many of them: they sat along the Dniester all the way to the sea, and their cities have survived to this day; and the Greeks called them “Great Scythia”.

All these tribes had their own customs, and the laws of their fathers, and legends, and each had their own character. The Polyans have the custom of their fathers being meek and quiet, being bashful before their daughters-in-law and sisters, mothers and parents; They have great modesty before their mothers-in-law and brothers-in-law; They also have a marriage custom: the son-in-law does not go for the bride, but brings her the day before, and the next day they bring for her - whatever they give. And the Drevlyans lived according to animal customs, lived like bestials: they killed each other, ate everything unclean, and they did not have marriages, but they kidnapped girls near the water. And the Radimichi, Vyatichi and northerners had a common custom: they lived in the forest, like all animals, ate everything unclean and dishonored themselves in front of their fathers and daughters-in-law, and they did not have marriages, but they organized games between the villages, and gathered at these games, at dances and all sorts of demonic songs, and here they kidnapped their wives in agreement with them; they had two and three wives. And if someone died, they held a funeral feast for him, and then they made a large log, and laid the dead man on this log, and burned him, and after collecting the bones, they put them in a small vessel and placed them on poles along the roads, as they still do now. Vyatichi The Krivichi and other pagans, who do not know the law of God, but set the law for themselves, adhered to the same custom.

George says in his chronicle: “Every nation has either a written law or a custom, which people who do not know the law observe as the tradition of their fathers. Of these, the first are the Syrians living at the edge of the world. They have as a law the customs of their fathers: not to engage in fornication and adultery, not to steal, not to slander or kill, and, especially, not to do evil. The same law applies to the Bactrians, otherwise called Rahmans or islanders; these, according to the behests of their forefathers and out of piety, do not eat meat or drink wine, do not commit fornication and do no evil, having great fear of God's faith. Otherwise, for their neighboring Indians. These are murderers, filth-makers, and wrathful beyond all measure; and in the interior regions of their country - they eat people there, and kill travelers, and even eat them like dogs. Both the Chaldeans and the Babylonians have their own law: to take mothers to bed, to commit fornication with the children of brothers and to kill. And they do every kind of shamelessness, considering it a virtue, even if they are far from their country.

The Gilii have a different law: their wives plow, and build houses, and do men’s work, but they also indulge in love as much as they want, not restrained by their husbands and without being ashamed; There are also brave women among them, skilled in hunting animals. These wives rule over their husbands and command them. In Britain, several husbands sleep with one wife, and many wives have an affair with one husband and commit lawlessness like the law of their fathers, without being condemned or restrained by anyone. The Amazons do not have husbands, but, like dumb cattle, once a year, close to spring days, they leave their land and marry the surrounding men, considering that time as a kind of triumph and great holiday. When they conceive from them in the womb, they will scatter from those places again. When the time comes to give birth, and if a boy is born, then they kill him, but if it is a girl, then they will feed her and diligently raise her.”

So, with us now, the Polovtsians adhere to the law of their fathers: they shed blood and even boast about it, they eat carrion and all unclean things - hamsters and gophers, and take their stepmothers and daughters-in-law, and follow other customs of their fathers. We, Christians of all countries where they believe in the Holy Trinity, in one baptism and profess one faith, have one law, since we were baptized into Christ and put on Christ.

As time passed, after the death of these brothers (Kiya, Shchek and Khoriv), the Drevlyans and other surrounding people began to oppress the glades. And the Khazars found them sitting on these mountains in the forests and said: “Pay us tribute.” The glades, having consulted, gave a sword from the smoke, and the Khazars took them to their prince and the elders, and told them: “Behold, we have found a new tribute.” They asked them: “Where from?” They answered: “In the forest on the mountains above the Dnieper River.” They asked again: “What did they give?” They showed the sword. And the Khazar elders said: “This is not a good tribute, prince: we got it with weapons that are sharp only on one side - sabers, but these have double-edged weapons - swords.” They are destined to collect tribute from us and from other lands.” And all this came true, for they did not speak of their own free will, but by God’s command. So it was under Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, when they brought Moses to him and the elders of Pharaoh said: “This is destined to humiliate the land of Egypt.” And so it happened: the Egyptians died from Moses, and first the Jews worked for them. It’s the same with these: first they ruled, and then they rule over them; so it is: the Russian princes still rule the Khazars to this day.

In the year 6360 (852), index 15, when Michael began to reign, the Russian land began to be called. We learned about this because under this king Rus' came to Constantinople, as it is written about in the Greek chronicles. That is why from now on we will start and put numbers. “From Adam to the flood there are 2242 years, and from the flood to Abraham 1000 and 82 years, and from Abraham to the exodus of Moses 430 years, and from the exodus of Moses to David 600 and 1 year, and from David and from the beginning of the reign of Solomon to the captivity of Jerusalem 448 years" and from the captivity to Alexander 318 years, and from Alexander to the birth of Christ 333 years, and from the birth of Christ to Constantine 318 years, from Constantine to Michael this is 542 years." And from the first year of the reign of Michael to the first year of the reign of Oleg, the Russian prince, 29 years, and from the first year of the reign of Oleg, since he sat down in Kiev, to the first year of Igor, 31 years, and from the first year of Igor to the first year of Svyatoslavov 33 years, and from the first year of Svyatoslavov to the first year of Yaropolkov 28 years; and Yaropolk reigned for 8 years, and Vladimir reigned for 37 years, and Yaroslav reigned for 40 years. Thus, from the death of Svyatoslav to the death of Yaroslav 85 years; from the death of Yaroslav to the death of Svyatopolk 60 years.

But we will return to the former and tell what happened in these years, as we have already begun: from the first year of the reign of Michael, and arrange it in order of the year.

6361 (853) per year.

Per year 6362 (854).

6363 (855) per year.

6364 (856) per year.

6365 (857) per year.

6366 (858) per year. Tsar Michael went with his soldiers to the Bulgarians along the coast and by sea. The Bulgarians, seeing that they could not resist them, asked to baptize them and promised to submit to the Greeks. The king baptized their prince and all the boyars and made peace with the Bulgarians.

Per year 6367 (859). The Varangians from overseas collected tribute from the Chuds, and from the Slovenians, and from the Meris, and from the Krivichi. And the Khazars took from the field, and from the northerners, and from the Vyatichi, a silver coin and a squirrel from the smoke.

6368 (860) per year.

Per year 6369 (861).

Per year 6370 (862). They drove the Varangians overseas, and did not give them tribute, and began to control themselves, and there was no truth among them, and generation after generation arose, and they had strife, and began to fight with each other. And they said to themselves: “Let’s look for a prince who would rule over us and judge us by right.” And they went overseas to the Varangians, to Rus'. Those Varangians were called Rus, just as others are called Swedes, and some Normans and Angles, and still others Gotlanders, so are these. The Chud, the Slovenians, the Krivichi and all said to the Russians: “Our land is great and abundant, but there is no order in it. Come reign and rule over us." And three brothers were chosen with their clans, and they took all of Rus' with them, and they came and the eldest, Rurik, sat in Novgorod, and the other, Sineus, in Beloozero, and the third, Truvor, in Izborsk. And from those Varangians the Russian land was nicknamed. Novgorodians are those people from the Varangian family, and before they were Slovenians. Two years later, Sineus and his brother Truvor died. And Rurik alone took over all power and began to distribute cities to his husbands - Polotsk to one, Rostov to another, Beloozero to another. The Varangians in these cities are the Nakhodniki, and the indigenous population in Novgorod are the Slovenians, in Polotsk the Krivichi, in Rostov the Merya, in Beloozero the whole, in Murom the Muroma, and Rurik ruled over them all. And he had two husbands, not his relatives, but boyars, and they asked to go to Constantinople with their family. And they set off along the Dnieper, and when they sailed past, they saw a small city on the mountain. And they asked: “Whose town is this?” They answered: “There were three brothers” Kiy” Shchek and Khoriv, who built this town and disappeared, and we sit here, their descendants, and pay tribute to the Khazars.” Askold and Dir remained in this city, gathered many Varangians and began to own the land of the glades. Rurik reigned in Novgorod.

6371 (863) per year.

Per year 6372 (864).

6373 (865) per year.

Per year 6374 (866). Askold and Dir went to war against the Greeks and came to them in the 14th year of the reign of Michael. The tsar was at that time on a campaign against the Hagarians, had already reached the Black River, when the eparch sent him the news that Rus' was going on a campaign against Constantinople, and the tsar returned. These same ones entered the Court, killed many Christians and besieged Constantinople with two hundred ships. The king entered the city with difficulty and prayed all night with Patriarch Photius in the church of the Holy Mother of God in Blachernae, and they carried out the divine robe of the Holy Mother of God with songs, and soaked its floor in the sea. At that time there was silence and the sea was calm, but then suddenly a storm arose with the wind, and huge waves arose again, scattering the ships of the godless Russians, and washed them to the shore, and broke them, so that few of them managed to avoid this disaster and return home .

Per year 6375 (867).

6376 (868) per year. Vasily began to reign.

Per year 6377 (869). The entire Bulgarian land was baptized.

Per year 6378 (870).

Per year 6379 (871).

Per year 6380 (872).

Per year 6381 (873).

Per year 6382 (874).

Per year 6383 (875).

Per year 6384 (876).

Per year 6385 (877).

Per year 6386 (878).

Per year 6387 (879). Rurik died and handed over his reign to Oleg, his relative, giving his son Igor into his hands, for he was still very small.

Per year 6388 (880).

Per year 6389 (881).

Per year 6390 (882). Oleg set out on a campaign, taking with him many warriors: the Varangians, the Chud, the Slovenians, the Meryu, the whole, the Krivichi, and he came to Smolensk with the Krivichi, and took power in the city, and installed his husband in it. From there he went down and took Lyubech, and also imprisoned his husband. And they came to the Kyiv mountains, and Oleg learned that Askold and Dir reigned here. He hid some soldiers in the boats, and left others behind, and he himself began, carrying the baby Igor. And he sailed to the Ugrian Mountain, hiding his soldiers, and sent to Askold and Dir, telling them that “we are merchants, we are going to the Greeks from Oleg and Prince Igor. Come to us, to your relatives." When Askold and Dir arrived, everyone else jumped out of the boats, and Oleg said to Askold and Dir: “You are not princes and not of a princely family, but I am of a princely family,” and showed Igor: “And this is the son of Rurik.” And they killed Askold and Dir, carried him to the mountain and buried Askold on the mountain, which is now called Ugorskaya, where Olmin’s court is now; on that grave Olma built the Church of St. Nicholas; and Dirov’s grave is behind the Church of St. Irene. And Oleg, the prince, sat down in Kyiv, and Oleg said: “Let this be the mother of Russian cities.” And he had Varangians, and Slavs, and others who were called Rus. That Oleg began to build cities and established tribute to the Slovenes, and Krivichi, and Meri, and established that the Varangians should give tribute from Novgorod 300 hryvnia annually for the sake of preserving peace, which was given to the Varangians until the death of Yaroslav.

6391 (883) per year. Oleg began to fight against the Drevlyans and, having conquered them, took tribute from them by black marten.

Per year 6392 (884). Oleg went against the northerners, and defeated the northerners, and imposed a light tribute on them, and did not order them to pay tribute to the Khazars, saying: “I am their enemy” and there is no need for you (to pay them).

Per year 6393 (885). He sent (Oleg) to the Radimichi, asking: “Who are you giving tribute to?” They answered: “Khazars.” And Oleg said to them: “Do not give to the Khazars, but pay me.” And they gave Oleg a cracker, just like they gave it to the Khazars. And Oleg ruled over the glades, and the Drevlyans, and the northerners, and the Radimichi, and fought with the streets and Tivertsy.

When the Slavs were already baptized, their princes Rostislav, Svyatopolk and Kotsel sent to Tsar Michael, saying: “Our land is baptized, but we do not have a teacher who would instruct us and teach us and explain the holy books. After all, we do not know either Greek or Latin; Some teach us this way, and others teach us differently, so we don’t know either the shape of the letters or their meaning. And send us teachers who could interpret for us the words of the books and their meaning.” Hearing this, Tsar Michael summoned all the philosophers and conveyed to them everything that the Slavic princes had said. And the philosophers said: “In Seluni there is a man named Leo. He has sons who know the Slavic language; His two sons are skilled philosophers.” Hearing about this, the king sent for them to Leo in Selun, with the words: “Send your sons Methodius and Constantine to us without delay.” Hearing about this, Leo soon sent them, and they came to the king, and he said to them: “Behold, the Slavic land sent ambassadors to me, asking for a teacher who could interpret the sacred books for them, for this is what they want.” And the king persuaded them and sent them to the Slavic land to Rostislav, Svyatopolk and Kotsel. When (these brothers) arrived, they began to compile the Slavic alphabet and translated the Apostle and the Gospel. And the Slavs were glad that they heard about the greatness of God in their language. Then they translated the Psalter and Octoechos and other books. Some began to blaspheme the Slavic books, saying that “no people should have their own alphabet, except the Jews, Greeks and Latins, according to the inscription of Pilate, who wrote on the cross of the Lord (only in these languages).” Hearing about this, the Pope condemned those who blaspheme the Slavic books, saying: “Let the word of Scripture be fulfilled: “Let all nations praise God,” and another: “Let all nations praise the greatness of God, since the Holy Spirit has given them to speak.” If anyone scolds the Slavic letter, let him be excommunicated from the church until he corrects himself; These are wolves, not sheep, they should be recognized by their actions and beware of them. “You, children, listen to the divine teaching and do not reject the church teaching that your mentor Methodius gave you.” Constantine returned back and went to teach the Bulgarian people, and Methodius remained in Moravia. Then Prince Kotzel installed Methodius as bishop in Pannonia on the table of the holy Apostle Andronikos, one of the seventy, a disciple of the holy Apostle Paul. Methodius appointed two priests, good cursive writers, and translated all the books completely from Greek into Slavic in six months, starting in March and finishing on the 26th day of October. Having finished, he gave worthy praise and glory to God, who had given such grace to Bishop Methodius, Andronicus’ successor; for the teacher of the Slavic people is the Apostle Andronicus. The Apostle Paul also went to the Moravians and taught there; Illyria is also located there, to which the Apostle Paul reached and where the Slavs originally lived. Therefore, the teacher of the Slavs is the Apostle Paul, and we, Rus', are from the same Slavs; Therefore, for us, Rus', Paul is a teacher, since he taught the Slavic people and appointed Andronicus as bishop and governor of the Slavs. But the Slavic people and the Russians are one; after all, they were called Rus from the Varangians, and before there were Slavs; Although they were called Polyans, their speech was Slavic. They were nicknamed Polyans because they sat in the field, and the language they shared was Slavic.

Per year 6407 (899).

6408 (900) per year.

6409 (901) per year.

6410 (902) per year. Tsar Leon hired the Ugrians against the Bulgarians. The Ugrians, having attacked, captured the entire Bulgarian land. Simeon, having learned about this, went against the Ugrians, and the Ugrians moved against him and defeated the Bulgarians, so that Simeon barely escaped to Dorostol.

6411 (903) per year. When Igor grew up, he accompanied Oleg and listened to him, and they brought him a wife from Pskov, named Olga.

6412 (904) per year.

6413 (905) per year.

6414 (906) per year.

6415 (907) per year. Oleg went against the Greeks, leaving Igor in Kyiv; He took with him many Varangians, and Slavs, and Chuds, and Krivichi, and Meryu, and Drevlyans, and Radimichi, and Polans, and Northerners, and Vyatichi, and Croats, and Dulebs, and Tiverts, known as interpreters: these were all called Greeks "Great Scythia". And with all these Oleg went on horses and in ships; and there were 2000 ships. And he came to Constantinople: the Greeks closed the Court, and the city was closed. And Oleg went ashore and began to fight, and committed many murders to the Greeks in the vicinity of the city, and broke many chambers, and burned churches. And those who were captured, some were beheaded, others were tortured, others were shot, and some were thrown into the sea, and the Russians did many other evils to the Greeks, as enemies usually do.

The Tale of Bygone Years without translation. Creation of “The Tale of Bygone Years. Genre and idea of ​​“The Tale of Bygone Years”

Old Russian text THIS TALE OF THE TIME YEARS WHERE THE RUSSIAN CAME FROM EARTH WHO STARTED THE FIRST PRINCIPALITY IN Kyiv, AND WHERE THE RUSSIAN LAND BECAME FROM