Historical Writing of Early Rus (c. 1000–c. 1400) in a Comparative Perspective

Timofey V. Guimon, Dr.Sc(Hist.) (2014), is a researcher at the Institute of World History of the Russian Academy of Sciences. His publications, including the Russian-language monograph Istoriopisanie rannesrednevekovoi Anglii i Drevnei Rusi. Sravnitel’noe issledovanie (Moscow: Universitet Dmitriia Pozharskogo, 2012), are dedicated to Rus and Anglo-Saxon historical writing as well as to early literacy and written culture; more broadly, he is also interested in the practice and function of writing in pre-modern societies.

• List of Figures, Tables and DiagramsAbbreviationsIntroduction1 The Surviving Texts and the Typology of Genres1.1 Writing in Early Rus: A Concise Overview1.2 Letopisi (the annals)1.3 The History of the World: Translations of foreign Chronicles and Chronographs1.4 Attempts at Writing Non-Annalistic History of Rus1.5 Minor Forms of Historical Writing1.6 A Comparative Perspective: Historical Writing in Anglo-Saxon England and Old Rus2 The Beginnings of Historical Writing in Kiev2.1 The Manuscript Witnesses and Redactions of Povest’ vremennykh let2.2 Texts-Predecessors of Povest’ vremennykh let: An Introduction into Discussion2.3 The Problem of the Oldest Tale (the Non-Annalistic ‘Nucleus’)2.4 The Traces of Early Annals and the ‘Two Beginnings’ of letopisi Writing2.5 Historical Notes in Iakov the Monk’s Memorial and Encomium: A ‘Royal Inscription’ of Vladimir?2.6 The Emergence of Rus Historical Writing in a Comparative Perspective2.7 Reporting the Pagan Past and the Conversion: Povest’ vremennykh let and Bede’s Historia Ecclesiastica3 Historical Writing in Novgorod3.1 The Text-Relationships of Extant Novgorodian letopisi3.2 Lists of Officials3.3 The Beginnings of Historical Writing in Novgorod: the 11th Century3.4 The Archiepiscopal Annals of Novgorod and Their Authors3.5 How did the Archiepiscopal Annalists Work?3.6 The Circle of Events Reported by the Archiepiscopal Annals3.7 The Archiepiscopal Annals and the ‘Living Chronicles’ of Western Europe3.8 The Synodal Manuscript: A Copy of the Archiepiscopal Annals Kept and Continued in St. George’s Monastery3.9 Excerpts from the Archiepiscopal Annals made for the Annunciation Monastery3.10 Historical Writing in Novgorod: A General Overview3.11 Oral Historical Tradition in Novgorod4 The Functions of the Annals in Early Rus4.1 Existing Theories and Their Discussion4.2 Who Were Patrons, Supervisors, and Authors of the Annals?4.3 What Kinds of Events Did the Annalists Report?4.4 Who Could Be Mentioned in the Annals, and Why: Non-Rurikids in letopisi4.5 How Were the Annals Maintained and Revised? Did They Circulate in Copies?4.6 The Annals and Legal Texts4.7 Princely ‘Messages’ in the Annals4.8 The 1130s–40s as a Crucial Period in the Documental and Annalistic Writing4.9 Political Evaluations in the Annals: Kiev Up to the 1130s and the Northeast4.10 Ecclesiastical, Family, and Natural Events in the Annals4.11 Summary of the Data Obtained and Comparative ReflectionsConclusionAppendix 1: A Note on the Reckoning of Time in Early RusAppendix 2: A List of Rus Pre-1400 Manuscripts Containing Historical WritingAppendix 3: The Author’s Russian-Language Published Works Corresponding to Parts of this BookBibliographyIndex of TextsIndex of Manuscript ShelfmarksIndex of Geographical and Ethnic NamesIndex of Persons

"Scholars of Rus' and of medieval Europe have three reasons to celebrate the publication of this volume. First, it presents a carefully researched argument about the origins and development of historical writing during the first centuries of the existence of Rus'. Second, it brings Rus'ian modes of historical writing in conversation with similar genres from medieval Western Europe. Third, it provides a much-needed review in English of discussions about Rus'ian materials, particularly about its letopisi, that have so far only been accessible in Russian." - Inés García de la Puente, Boston University, in: Canadian-American Slavic Studies 56 (2022), p. 395