The Laurentian Chronicle is the most important historical source

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

At the end of the fourteenth - at the beginning of the fifteenth century, chronicle writing on the territory of modern Russia is developing very rapidly. Numerous codes date back to this time, the compilers of which are the smartest personalities of that period. The authors of these works collect, translate and edit existing chronicles, make their own corrections and thoughts.

Traditionally, each new book chronicle at the beginning had information about the life of Kievan Rus. Often the authors referred to The Tale of Bygone Years or quoted some passages from it. Therefore, with each new vault, an uninterrupted chain of legends about the mother of Russian cities continued. The chroniclers turned their attention not only to golden-domed Kyiv, but also to other big cities: Suzdal, Ryazan, Novgorod, Moscow, Vladimir.

An important document that captured the life of the ancient world is the Laurentian Chronicle. It is named after Lawrence, a monk who, together with assistants, wrote it in 1377. The Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod Principality is considered to be the place where the vault was created, as evidenced by the corresponding inscription on the pages of the chronicle. Thus, the first Russian chronicle is a copy of the previous one.of the lost vault and contains data on events up to 1305.

The Laurentian Chronicle begins with the words "The Tale of Bygone Years", which glorifies the greatness of Russia. Also included in the collection is the "Instruction" of the Kyiv prince Vladimir Monomakh, who was famous for his wisdom and prudence. In it, the prince calls on his compatriots to stop strife, forget insults and stand together for a just cause. Further, the Laurentian chronicle sadly tells about the difficult struggle of the Russian people with the Mongol-Tatars, about the painful death of its princes and the heroism of ordinary people.

This chronicle was written on the eve of the memorable Battle of Kulikovo. Therefore, it contains the aspirations of the people for victory over the invaders, a call for unity. Between the lines one can feel the aggravation of relations between the Golden Horde and Moscow. Therefore, we can safely say that this work was aimed at raising the patriotic spirit of the people.

The Laurentian Chronicle is the oldest Russian written record. The date indicated by the author is 1377 according to the Old Russian calendar, calculated as 6885 from the creation of the world. For the most part, she draws the camp of things in Vladimir-Suzdal Russia in 1164-1304. But it also contains news about the southern principalities of the country.

Ancient chronicle has always attracted the attention of historians, culturologists and other scientists who are interested in antiquity. Of course, the original is not available to the general public - it is carefully stored in the archives of the Russian National Library in St. Petersburg. The carefully restored parchment is taken out several times a year for examination and inspection.

Not so long ago the site of the Presidential Library. B. Yeltsin put up a digital scan of the chronicle so that anyone could see this most important historical document. Each person can not only try to read the text in the Old Slavonic language, but also get acquainted with its contents in the modern Russian dialect.