From the History of the 15th Century Ryazan-Lithuanian Borderland: In Concern with the Question of the Location of Gordeevsky

Abstract

The Ryazan-Lithuanian treaty, composed approximately in 1427, mentioned a number of geographical objects belonging to the Ryazan Princeland which could be entered by The Grand Prince Lithuanian Vitovt: Tula, Berestey, Retan, Sparsh, Dorozhen, Zakoloten, and Gordeevsky. The problem of Gordeevsky localization is still not solved in historical literature. Besides the 1427 act Gordeevsky was mentioned as Aleksin Parish in the spiritual will of Ivan III, written in December of 1503. The analysis of the objects localized in the acts of 1427 and 1503 enables us to define the region of searching for Gordeevsky as the right bank of the upper and middle course of the River Oka (approximately from the mouth of the River Dougna to the mouth of the River Skniggi) and the middle course of the River Upa. Studying cadastral materials of the 16–17th centuries and the 18th century maps makes it possible to put forward a hypothesis about the location of Gordeevsky Parish center on the territory of Gordeevsky Wasteland belonging to Koninsky Mill of Aleksin Ditrict. In 2014, in a few kilometres to the east of Gordeevsky Wasteland there was found a treasure trove of Prague pennies dated back to the first half of the 15th century which were a common unit of monetary circulation in the Grand Princeland Lithuanian of that time. But such localization of the parish center is not based on any known fortified archeological sites, though there is a known hamlet on the territory of the wasteland concerned. So, Gordeevsky Parish center might have been an unfortified settlement.