BATTLE OF NOVGORODIANS WITH SUZDALIANS ON FEBRUARY 25, 1170 AND MIRACLE OF THE ICON “OUR LADY OF THE SIGN” ACCORDING TO THE NOVGOROD NARRATIVE SOURCES

JATS XML:

XML
BibTEX:

BIB
Research Information Systems Citation Format:

RIS
Category: Hermeneutics of Old Russian Literature: Issue 24
Full text:

PDF
Abstract:

The authors explore the news of medieval Novgorod narrative sources about the battle of the Novgorodians with the Suzdalians and the miracle of the icon “Our Lady of the Sign” in 1170. It was the victory over Andrei Bogolyubsky that for many centuries became one of the central places in the ideological structures of the city of St. Sophia, being noted in a whole group of monuments with different genre and stylistic characteristics. Special emphasis was placed on the analysis of the development of the texts of the plot, on the change in the plot of history and the genesis of new information added by Novgorod scribes over time. First of all, this concerns the first two chronicle news — the Novgorod First Chronicle and the Brief Novgorod Chronicler, as well as the literary monument The Battle of the Novgorodians with the Suzdalians (closely related to the oral tradition of the townspeople).
Keywords: Andrey Bogolyubsky, the Novgorod-Sofia Svod, the Novgorod First Chronicle, Archbishop Ilya, Desyatinnyj Monastery, Veliky Novgorod, the battle of the Novgorodians with the Suzdalians.
Author: Mikhail A. Nesin
Information about the author:

Mikhail A. Nesin, PhD in History, Scientific Secretary, Interregional Public Organization of Social and Humanitarian Scientific Research “Historical Consciousness,” Deputatskaya St., 6, 241524 Michurinskiy set., Bryansk Municipal District, Bryansk Region, Russia.

https://orcid.org/0009-0007-7040-0850

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Author 2: Evgeny D. Podvalnov
Information about the author 2: Evgeny D. Podvalnov, Postgraduate Student, I. A. Bunin Yelets State University, Kommunarov St., 26, 399770 Yelets, Russia; Researcher, E.D. Felitsyn Krasnodar State Historical and Archaeological Museum- Reserve, Gimnasicheskaya St., 67, 350000 Krasnodar, Russia. https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7434-3763 E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For citation:

Nesin,  M.А.,  and  E.D.  Podvalnov.  “Battle  of Novgorodians with Suzdalians on February 25, 1170 and Miracle of the Icon ‘Our Lady of the Sign’ According to the Novgorod Narrative Sources.”  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. 516–546. https://doi.org/10.22455/HORL.1607-6192-2025-24-516-546 (In Russian)
EDN:

https://elibrary.ru/EUDWLO
UDC: 821.161.1.0
Publication Type: Research Article
DOI: УДК 821.161.1.0 https://doi.org/10.22455/HORL.1607-6192-2025-24-516-546
Received: 22.02.2025
Approved after reviewing: 12.04.2025
Date of publication: 13.07.2025

REFERENCES

  1. Agafonov, S. “Vospominanie o Znamenii Presviatoi Bogoroditsy” [“Remembrance of the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos”]. Iazyk i tekst, vol. 3, no. 2, 2016, pp. 16–22. DOI: 10.17759/langt.2016030202 (In Russian)
  2. Agafonov, S. “‘Znamenskoe chudo’ v novgorodskikh letopisiakh: istoki stanovleniia kul’ta” [“‘The Znamenskoye Miracle’ in the Novgorod Chronicles: the Origins of the Cult]. Drevniaia Rus’. Voprosy medievistiki, no. 4 (54), 2013, pp. 5–11. (In Russian)
  3. Agafonov, S. Osada Novgoroda 1170 g. po pis’mennym istochnikam [Siege of Novgorod in 1170 according to the Written Sources]: PhD Theses. Moscow, 2015. 164 p. (In Russian)
  4. Agafonov, S. “Pamiatniki Znamenskogo tsikla: letopisnye i neletopisnye narrativy XV veka” [“Monuments of the Znamensky Cycle: Chronicle and Non-chronicle Narratives of the 15th Century”]. Iazyk i tekst, vol. 1, no. 3, 2014, pp. 19–29. (In Russian)
  5. Azbelev, N. Ustnaia istoriia v pamiatnikakh Novgoroda i Novgorodskoi zemli [Oral History in the Monuments of Novgorod and the Novgorod Land]. St. Petersburg, Dmitrii Bulanin Publ., 2007. 296 p. (In Russian)
  6. Bobrov, G. Letopisanie Novgoroda Velikogo vtoroi poloviny XV v. [The Chronicle of Novgorod the Great in the Second Half of the 15th Century]. Trudy Otdela drevnerusskoi literatury [Proceedings of the Department of Old Russian Literature], vol. 53. St. Petersburg, Dmitrii Bulanin Publ., 2003, pp. 90–121. (In Russian)
  7. Gippius, A. “K istorii slozheniia teksta Novgorodskoi pervoi letopisi” [“On the History of the Composition of the Text of the Novgorod First Chronicle”]. Novgorodskii istoricheskii sbornik, iss. 6 (16), 1997, pp. 3–72. (In Russian)
  8. Gippius, A. “Novgorodskaia vladychnaia letopis’ XII–XIV vv. i ee avtory (istoriia i struktura teksta v lingvisticheskom osveshchenii)” [“Novgorod Lord’s Chronicle of the 12th–14th Centuries and Its Authors (History and Structure of the Text in Linguistic Coverage)”]. Lingvisticheskoe istochnikovedenie i istoriia russkogo iazyka (2004–2005) [Linguistic Source Studies and History of the Russian Language (2004–2005)]. Moscow, Drevlekhranilishche Publ., 2006, pp. 114–251. (In Russian)
  9. Gordienko, E.A. Varlaam Khutynskii i arkhiepiskop Antonii v zhitii i misteriiakh [Varlaam of Khutyn and Archbishop Anthony in the Life and Mysteries]. Moscow, Petersburg, Al’ians-Arkheo Publ., 2010. 640 p. (In Russian)
  10. Granstrem, E. Opisanie russkikh i slavianskikh pergamennykh rukopisei [Description of Russian and Slavic Parchment Manuscripts]. Leningrad, GPB im. M.E. Saltykova-Shchedrina Publ., 1953. 131 p. (In Russian)
  11. Danilevskii, N. Povest’  vremennykh  let:  germenevticheskie  osnovy istochnikovedeniia letopisnykh tekstov [The Tale of Bygone Years: Hermeneutical Foundations of the Source Study of Chronicle Texts]. Moscow, Aspekt-Press Publ., 2004. 370 p. (In Russian)
  12. Dmitriev, A. Zhitiinye povesti russkogo severa kak pamiatniki drevnerusskoi literatury XII–XVII vv. [Hagiographic Stories of the Russian North as Monuments of Old Russian Literature of the 12th–17th Centuries]. Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1973. 303 p. (In Russian)
  13. Isidorova, N. “Istochniki tekstov Znamenskogo tsikla Pakhomiia Logofeta” [“Sources of Texts of the Znamensky cycle of Pachomius Logothetes”]. Trudy Otdela drevnerusskoi literatury [Proceedings of the Department of Old Russian Literature], iss. 67. St. Petersburg, Nauka Publ., 2020, pp. 206–239. DOI: 10.31860/0130-464X-2020-67-206-239 (In Russian)
  14. Kirillin, M. “Slovo pokhval’noe ikone Presviatoi Bogoroditsy «Znamenie» Pakhomiia Logofeta” [“A Word of Praise to the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos ‘The Sign’ by Pachomius Logothetes”]. Drevniaia Rus’. Voprosy medievistiki, no. 1 (47), 2012, pp. 79–84. (In Russian)
  15. Koniavskaia, L. “Kratkii novgorodskii letopisets i ego mesto v novgorodskom letopisanii” [“The Brief Novgorod Chronicler and His Place in the Novgorod Chronicle”]. Drevniaia Rus’. Voprosy medievistiki, no. 1 (39), 2010, pp. 40–52. (In Russian)
  16. Koniavskaia, L. “Novgorodskaia letopis’ XVI v. iz sobraniia T.F. Bol’shakova” [“The Novgorod Chronicle of the XVI century from the collection of T.F. Bolshakov”]. Novgorodskii istoricheskii sbornik, no. 10 (20), 2005, pp. 322–383. (In Russian)
  17. Koniavskaia, L. “Ob osnovnykh etapakh formirovaniia legendy o znamenskoi ikone” [“On the Main Stages of Formation of the Legend of Znamenskaya Icon”]. Osobennosti rossiiskogo istoricheskogo protsessa. Sb. statei pamiati akademika L.V. Milova [Peculiarities of the Russian Historical Process: a Collection of Articles in Memory of Academician L.V. Milov: on the 80th Anniversary of His Birth]. Moscow, ROSSPEN Publ., 2009, pp. 68–86. (In Russian)
  18. Koniavskaia, E.L. “Ustnye istochniki skazanii o chudotvornykh ikonakh” [“Oral Sources of Legends about Miraculous Icons”]. Vostochnaia Evropa v drevnosti i srednevekov’e [Eastern Europe in Ancient and Medieval Times], 22, 2010, pp. 134–139. (In Russian)
  19. Korogodina, M.V. Kormchie knigi XIV — pervoi poloviny XVII kak istoricheskii istochnik [Pilot Books of the 14th— the First Half of the 17thCenturies as a Historical Source]: DSc in History Theses. St. Petersburg, 2015. 540 p. (In Russian)
  20. Korshakov, V. “Simvolika chisel v Znamenskoi legend” [“Symbolism of Numbers in the Znamenskaya Legend”]. Drevniaia Rus’. Voprosy medievistiki, no. 3 (69), 2017, pp. 59–60. (In Russian)
  21. Kuznetsov, A. “Prostranstvo Vostochnoi Evropy v politicheskoi deiatel’nosti vladimirskikh kniazei” [“The Space of Eastern Europe in the Political Activity of the Vladimir Princes”]. Vestnik Nizhegorodskogo universiteta im. N.I. Lobachevskogo, no. 4, 2019, pp. 24–33. (In Russian)
  22. Kupriianov, K. Obozrenie pergamennykh rukopisei Novgorodskoi Sofiiskoi biblioteki [Review of Parchment Manuscripts of the Novgorod Sofia Library]. St. Petersburg, Tipografiia Imperatorskoi Akademii nauk Publ., 1857. 113 p. (In Russian)
  23. Likhachev, S. “Novgorodskie cherty v ‘Slove o polku Igoreve’.” [“Novgorod features in the ‘The Tale of Igor’s Campaign’.”]. Trudy Otdela drevnerusskoi literatury [Proceedings of the Department of Old Russian Literature], vol. 38: Vzaimodeistvie drevnerusskoi literatury i izobrazitel’nogo iskusstva [Interaction of Old Russian Literature and Fine Arts]. Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1985, pp. 509–513. (In Russian)
  24. Likhachev, S. “Ustnye istoki khudozhestvennoi sistemy ‘Slova o polku Igoreve’.” [“Oral Origins of the Artistic System ‘The Tale of Igor’s Campaign’.”]. Slovo o polku Igoreve: sb. issled. i st. [The Tale of Igor’s Campaign: a Collection of Studies and Articles]. Moscow, Leningrad, AS USSR Publ., 1950, pp. 53–92. (In Russian)
  25. Loseva, O.V. Russkie mesiatseslovy XI–XIV vekov [Russian Calendar (Menology) of the 11th–14th Centuries]. Moscow, Pamiatniki istoricheskoi mysli , 2001. 472 p. (In Russian)
  26. Nesin, A. “Desiatinnyi monastyr’ v period novgorodskoi nezavisimosti” [“The Desjatinnyj Monastery during the Period of Novgorod Independence”]. Novgorodika – 2018. Povsednevnaia zhizn’ novgorodtsev: istoriia i sovremennost’. Materialy VI Mezhdunarodnoi nauchnoi konferentsii. V 2-kh tomakh. Tom 2 [Novgorodica – 2018. Everyday Life of Novgorodians: History and Modernity. Proceedings of the 6th International Scientific Conference: in 2 vols., vol. 2], ed. T.V. Shmeleva. Novgorod, NovGU im. Iaroslava Mudrogo Publ., 2018, pp. 173–179. (In Russian)
  27. Nesin, A. “K istorii toponima ‘desiatina’ i Desiatinnogo monastyria vo vremena novgorodskoi nezavisimosti po materialam novgorodskikh pis’mennykh istochnikov” [“On the History of the Toponym ‘desjatina’ and the Tithe Monastery at the Time of Novgorod Independence Based on the Materials of Novgorod Written Sources”]. Dokumental’noe nasledie Novgoroda i Novgorodskoi zemli. Problemy sokhraneniia i nauchnogo ispol’zovaniia. Materialy XVIII nauchnoi konferentsii istorikov-arkhivistov. Velikii Novgorod, 24 maia 2018 g. [Documentary Heritage of Novgorod and the Novgorod land. Problems of Conservation and Acientific Use. Materials of the 18th Scientific Conference of Historians and Archivists. Veliky Novgorod, May 24, 2018 Novgorod]. Novgorod, NovGU im. Iaroslava Mudrogo Publ., 2019, pp. 216–222. (In Russian)
  28. Nesin, A. “Konchanskie i vladychnye monastyri vechevogo Novgoroda” [“Konchansky and vladychnye monasteries of vechevy Novgorod”]. Paleorosiia. Drevniaia Rus’: vo vremeni, v lichnostiakh, v ideiakh, no. 3 (23), 2023, pp. 46–57. DOI: 10.47132/2618-9674_2023_3_46 (In Russian)
  29. Podval’nov, D. “Ustnaia legenda o chude ikony Bogomater’ Znamenie pri osade Novgoroda 1170 g.: problemy genezisa i soderzhaniia” [“Oral Legend of the Miracle of the Icon of the Mother of God the Sign at the Siege of Novgorod in 1170: Problems of Genesis and Content]. Vorotynskie chteniia. Srednevekovaia Rossiia: voennyi i dukhovnyi podvig predkov. Materialy II Vserossiiskoi nauchno- prakticheskoi konferentsii s mezhdunarodnym uchastiem [Vorotyn Readings. Medieval Russia: the Military and Spiritual Feat of the Ancestors. Proceedings of the 2nd All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference with International Participation]. Vologda, Vologodskaia oblastnaia universal’naia nauchnaia biblio- teka im. I.V. Babushkina Publ., 2022, pp. 120–124. (In Russian)
  30. Sevast’ianova, V. Drevnii Novgorod. Novgorodsko-kniazheskie otnosheniia v XII — pervoi polovine XV vv. [Old Novgorod. Novgorod-princely Relations in the 12th — the First Half of the 15th Centuries]. Moscow, St. Petersburg, Al’ians-Arkheo Publ., 2011. 408 p. (In Russian)
  31. Tvorogov, V. “Letopisets Ellinskii i Rimskii: tekstologicheskie i istochniko- vedcheskie problem” [“Chronicler of Yellinsky and Rimsky: Textual and Source Problems”]. Letopisets Ellinskii i Rimski, vol. 1. St. Petersburg, Dmitrii Bulanin Publ., 2001, pp. 117–200. (In Russian)
  32. Tomashevskii, V. Pisatel’ i kniga. Ocherki tekstologii [Writer and book. Essays on textual studies]. Moscow, Leningrad, Priboi Publ., 1928. 230 p. (In Russian)
  33. Turilov, A. “K voprosu o regional’nykh variantakh ‘vtorogo iuzhnoslavianskogo vliianiia’ (palegograficheskii i orfograficheskii aspekty)” [“To the Question of Regional Variants of the ‘Second South Slavic Influence’ (Palegographic and Orthographic Aspects)”]. Slavianskoe i balkanskoe iazykoznanie, iss. 22: Paleoslavistika – 4, 2022, pp. 184–202. DOI: 10.31168/2658-3372.2022.22.10 (In Russian)
  34. Turilov, A. “O vremeni i meste sozdaniia pergamennogo ‘Evangeliia Memnona- knigopistsa’.” [“In the time and place of creation of the parchment ‘Gospel of Memnon the bookseller’.”]. Informatsionnyi biulleten’ MAIRSK, iss. 26. Moscow, Institut slavianovedeniia RAS Publ., 1992, pp. 15–46. (In Russian)
  35. Turilov, A. Slavia Cyrillomethodiana: Istochnikovedenie istorii i kul’tury iuzhnykh slavian i Drevnei Rusi. Mezhslavianskie kul’turnye sviazi epokhi srednevekov’ia [Slavia Cyrillomethodiana: a Source Study of the History and Culture of the Southern Slavs and Old Russia. Inter-Slavic Cultural Ties of the Middle Ages]. Moscow, Znak Publ., 2010. 408 p. (In Russian)
  36. Iablonskii, V.M. Pakhomii Serb i ego agiograficheskie pisaniia [Pakhomy the Serb and His Hagiographic Writings]. Petersburg, Sinodal’naia tipografiia Publ., 1908. 314 p. (In Russian)
  37. Ianin L. Srednevekovyi Novgorod [Medieval Novgorod]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 2004. 412 p. (In Russian)