“LOW-KEEPING” NOVGOROD PEOPLE IN ZADONSHCHINA: BETWEEN FACTS AND CONTEXTS

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Category: Hermeneutics of Old Russian Literature: Issue 24
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Abstract:

The article analyzes a fragment of Zalonshchina which talks about the potential lateness of Novgorodians to the Battle of Kulikovo. It is considered in the context of both the opinions of historians about the participation or non-partic- ipation of Novgorodians in the events of 1380, and other similar ancient Russian monuments (The Tale of Igor’s Campaign, various editions of The Tale of the Bat- tle of Mamai, The Life of Alexander Nevsky). Attention is drawn to the time when Novgorod could have learned of Mamai’s attack, a parallelism with the motive of being late in The Tale of Igor’s Campaign is recorded, which allows us to contrast the events of the late 12th and late 14th centuries in this way, and an episode from The Life of Alexander Nevsky is also considered when Novgorodians did not have time to join the army setting out for the Battle of Neva. As a result, the private mention in Zadonshchina is included in at least two comparative series: literary in connection with the parallel with Igor, who did not have time to join Svyatoslav in 1184, and historical in connection with the late arrival of the Lithuanian prince Jagiello to help Mamai. It seems that these parallels and comparisons can provide new food for thought about the Novgorod text and the images of Novgorodians and Novgorod in Old Russian literature.
Keywords: Old Russian literature, Zadonshchina, The Tale of Igor’s Campaign, The Tale of the Battle of Mamai, The Life of Alexander Nevsky, Novgorod theme.
Author: Anna V. Arkhangelskaia
Information about the author:

Anna V. Arkhangelskaia, PhD in Philology, Associate Professor of the Department of history of Russian literature, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Philological Faculty, 1st housing, Leninskie gory, 1, 119991 Moscow, Russia.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1155-0396

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For citation:

Arkhangelskaia, A.V. “‘Low-keeping’ Novgorod People in ‘Zadonshchina’: between Facts and Contexts.” Germenevtika drevnerusskoi literatury [Hermeneutics of Old Russian Literature]. Issue 24. Ed.-in-chief O.A. Tufanova, sci. ed. M.V. Kaplun. Moscow, IWL RAS Publ., 2025, pp. 232–240. https://doi.org/10.22455/HORL.1607-6192-2025-24-232-240 (In Russian)
EDN:

https://elibrary.ru/LGRYIW
UDC: 821.161.1.0
Publication Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22455/HORL.1607-6192-2025-24-232-240
Received: 12.01.2025
Approved after reviewing: 03.03.2025
Date of publication: 13.07.2025

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