Objective: The aim of this study is to analyze the chronology of the Moscow-Kazan wars (1467–1530) as presented in Russian chronicles, within the context of the church calendar. The study addresses the symbolic meaning behind the Moscow princes’ choice of particular commemorative calendar dates for conducting military and political actions against the Kazan Khanate. Materials of the research: Russian chronicles of the 15th–16th centuries contain a number of dated accounts of military clashes between the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the Kazan Khanate during the reigns of Ivan III and Vasily III. Historians have noted that Russian military culture was characterized by calendar symbolism, in which certain military actions were deliberately timed to coincide with specific church feasts or the commemorative days of saints. In this context, the Moscow-Kazan wars between 1467 and 1530, described and interpreted in the chronicles from a religious perspective, are of particular interest. Results and scientific novelty: For the first time, this study identifies and systematizes the correlation between the chronological data in Russian chronicles concerning major military conflicts between the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the Kazan Khanate (1467–1530) and the corresponding church holidays. It has been established that the dated events of the Moscow–Kazan confrontation often coincide with the feast days of saints who were regarded as patrons of the Russian army and Moscow princes, with the changing feasts of the Easter cycle, and with other significant dates of the church calendar. The findings demonstrate that in planning military operations – such as preparing for campaigns, mobilizing the main forces, or dispatching separate detachments – the grand princes and voivodes deliberately took the church calendar into account. This was done both to strengthen the morale of the troops by aligning military actions with religious feasts or the commemorations of heavenly patrons, and to legitimize Moscow’s military and political claims toward Kazan.

The article examines the artistic specificity of crime stories about rebellions in Novgorod First Chronicle of the Younger Edition and Moscow Chronicle Collection of the late 15th century. The study concludes that stories about uprisings against or for representatives of secular or ecclesiastical authority belong to the group of “deviant” texts, which depict violent evil, which is manifested either in “instrumental” aggression or in destructive behaviour. All analysed fragments exhibit similar behavioural patterns reflecting a situationally negative deviation: representatives of secular or ecclesiastical authority are forced to submit to the demands of the rebels, while the rebels exert aggressive psychological influence on the representatives of authority through robbery and plunder. Depending on who the rebellion was raised against and what its nature was, the dominant set of leading motives also changes. If stories about organised rebellions repeat the motives of robbery, violent deprivation of power, gatherings of people, battles/brawls, death, intervention of representatives of church or princely authority and restoration of order, then in stories about spontaneous rebellions a huge role is played by the “deviantogenic factor” – a story about a natural cataclysm, which leads to situational deviant behaviour. Accordingly, in these stories the motives of public accusation and/or search for the guilty, the use of physical force and, as in other criminal stories, the motive of restoring order come to the fore.

Having studied Russian chronicles, literary manuscripts of Ancient Rus’, and scientific studies, the author of the present article analyzes the historical information about the period when Metropolitan Kirill II (1242– 1281) headed the Russian Orthodox Church. The goal of the article is to present a profile of the Russian First Hierarch, consider his societal role and the status of the Church within the territory of the former state of Kievan Rus’ after the Mongol-Tatar invasion. The relevance of the study is backed up by the importance of researching the history of the Russian Orthodox Church after the Mongol-Tatar invasion due to the notable lack of information that has survived to the present time. As part of the article, literary manuscripts of the 13th century are extensively referenced. Moreover, Archimandrite Macarius uses numerous scientific studies, including both pre-revolutionary monographs and the latest relevant scientific research articles, including works in foreign languages. This ensures the novelty of the present article. The author scrupulously searches for and evaluates the available facts, using such methods of historical research as description, retrospective, historical comparison method, systematic approach to history, etc. The article contemplates the role of Metropolitan Kirill II, his contribution to the preservation of the Russian Orthodox Church, and his participation in the formation of the future independent Russian state. As a result of his work, the author comes to the following conclusions. Russian by nationality yet appointed by Byzantium, Kirill II was the first Metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church who achieved the position of the First Hierarch under the foreign yoke. The author posits that Metropolitan Kirill II was at the forefront in the organization of activities to preserve the Russian Orthodox Church in the new difficult conditions of its existence. As the First Hierarch, Kirill played an important role in Russian state and Church policy concerning the Tatars for a long time after the Mongol-Tatar invasion. After becoming the Metropolitan, he became an ally to those people who followed the policy of survival and co-existence with the Golden Horde, most notably, Saint Alexander Nevsky, the blessed prince. In the most complex of circumstances, Metropolitan Kirill in essence served as the harbinger of the later independence of the Russian Orthodox Church. Moreover, his leadership in Northern Rus’, despite the dire situation of the state and Church, made possible the rebirth of book learning and writing during the second half of the 13th century. The First Hierarch contributed directly to this development, focusing both on the present and the future and ensuring the preservation of the historical memory of the Russian people of its past in literary works.

This article presents the results of a historiographical study of the entire body of research and publications devoted to Cossack issues, including scientific and popular literature, memoirs, fiction, legal, military, religious, reference, and other publications.It charts the history of the study of the Cossack phenomenon in Russia, beginning with the first mentions of Cossacks in Russian chronicles and continuing until the collapse of the USSR in the late 20th century.The emergence and development of a distinct Cossack historiographic tradition is examined separately.Particular attention is paid to the evolution of migr Cossack historiography in the 20th century.

Research objectives: The aim of the article is to reveal the timeframes when the titles of tsar, tsarevich and knyaz for the Horde’s aristocracy were established in Rus’. Research materials: The texts of Old Russian chronicles – Ipatian, Lavrentian, Novgorod First and others, Vitas of Alexander Nevskiy, Mikhail Chernigovskiy and tsarevich Pyotr, and legal agreements. Results and novelty of the research: The historiography has come to the conclusion that supreme ruler of the Horde – khan – was designated in Rus’ by the title tsesar/tsar, members of khan’s kin by tsarevich, and emirs (beks) by knyaz. But the question of overlapping time in this terminological picture was not raised. After the invasion of Batu, for some time the title of supreme ruler of Mongol empire was reproduced in Rus’ without translation as khan. Then, the title tsesar/tsar, which in previous epoch was used only for emperors of Byzantium and Holy Roman Empire, started to be used for ruler of the Mongol empire and the khan of Jochi’s ulus. There were cases in the second half of 13th century when this title was designated to members of the Jochid dynasty who were not khans. In the 14th century, such cases were not fixed. As for the title tsarevich, there are not cases of using it in the 13th century (except retrospectively in later sources). This term was securely fixed for members of khan’s kin only from the second half of the 14th century. The cases of using of term knyaz for Horde’s aristocrats in the 13th century also cannot detected. The earliest point for it becoming a fixed term is in the Vita of Mikhail of Tver’ (1319–1320); in other sources – only from 1350s. So, the “triad” tsesar/tsar – tsarevich – kniaz for members of the Horde’s aristocracy formed completely only in the 14th century. At the beginning of its usage, the tradition was established only for using the title tsesar/tsar for the ruling khan of the Horde. In the first half of the 14th century, the Horde’s emirs began to be designated as “knyasya”. The practice to designate Jochids, who were not khans, as “tsarevichi” was established only in the second half of the 14th century.

Research objectives: To examine elements of the Turkic epic tradition in the chronicle image of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich. Research materials: Historiographic sources, Russian chronicles, historical works, Turkic epics. Results and research novelty: The image of Prince Svyatoslav, represented in the Old and Late Russian chronicles, was influenced by various ethnocultural impulses, the most studied of which are Scandinavian and Slavic elements. Steppe (Turkic) elements have traditionally received less attention which is due both to the lower prevalence of the Turkic-language sources proper, including epics, in the general body of medieval historical evidence about early Rus’, and the general marginalization of the Steppe in the context of Old Russian history. As the analysis showed, the chronicle portrait of Svyatoslav as a warrior-hero incorporated a number of features characteristic of steppe nomads, which find analogies in the epic tales of the Turkic peoples. A special analogy is provided by a silver dish with scenes from “the Epic of Svyatoslav”, discovered in the Lower Ob region in 2009. According to its technological, iconographic, and decorative features, the dish dates back to the time of Svyatoslav himself or the first decades after his death, i.e. the last third of the 10th to the early 11th century. It presumably originates from the Turkic milieu: Volga-Bulgar or Pecheneg. These analogies once again testify to the existence of stable ties between the Rus’ and the Steppe and the important military, political and socio-cultural role of the Turkic nomads in the development of the Old Russian state of Svyatoslav. It is difficult to say how well the Russian scribes of the 12th–16th centuries were acquainted. They were aware of the connection of the considered chronicle descriptions of Svyatoslav with the Turkic epic tradition. But, apparently, during all this period, such a description of Svyatoslav and his lifestyle did not make the prince alien to East Slavic culture.

This article examines the key ideas and historical-cultural concepts set forth by the Russian historian D. Ya. Samokvasov in his research on the Old Russian State. The article covers the biography and scholarly activity of the scholar and provides a sequential analysis of his major works. The focus of this study is how D. Ya. Samokvasov considers the formation of the state in the context of historical factors, cultural interactions, and international politics. The methodology used by the scholar in his research is also highlighted, in particular, the method of historical-genetic comparisons and the method of survivals. A universal scheme of social development at the early stages of statehood is presented. The main achievements of D. Ya. Samokvasov in developing the stages of the evolution of the Old Russian State—from primary urban settlement to a union of cities, and then to the state—are disclosed. A detailed analysis is given of the scholar’s ideas about the genesis of key political and legal institutions. Samokvasov’s views on the veche (popular assembly), the institution of princely power, and the priestly authority are examined. Attention is also paid to his views on source studies, as well as the role of Old Russian chronicles in reconstructing historical events that shaped statehood. Samokvasov’s interpretation of the transformation of the princely institution after the Norman conquest is discussed, particularly its evolution into the supreme body of state power, which the scholar associated primarily with the Norman princes’ perception of Rus’as a single personal domain. The article separately describes the historian of law’s views on the role of the prince and his retinue in ensuring the unity of Rus’, and on the significance of the adoption of Christianity, which altered the understanding of the prince’s role in society. It is emphasized that D. Ya. Samokvasov not only described events and acts but also considered it important to interpret their causes and consequences, leading to a deeper understanding of the sociopolitical structure of society. The main conclusion of the article is that the works of D. Ya. Samokvasov constitute an important contribution to the study of the history of the Old Russian state and law, offering a systematic approach to analyzing state formation and its role in shaping national identity. Contextualizing the scholar’s ideas in light of modern research makes them not only relevant but also essential for understanding Russia’s historical and legal heritage.

Background/Objectives: The eastern periphery of the Slavic expansion (the Volga-Oka region) is the most promising region for reconstructing interactions between Slavic and pre-Slavic populations of the East European Plain. Unlike most pre-Slavic tribes, its autochthonous population practiced inhumation instead of cremation, leaving us with some ancient DNA for analysis. Methods: The region’s modern and ancient Y-chromosome gene pools are dominated by the haplogroup R1a: its frequency reaches 56% in Ryazan Russians (n = 302) and 44% in the Finnic peoples of Mordovia (n = 633). This encouraged us to analyze its Y-SNPs and Y-STRs. Results: Using 2 independent methods of phylogeny analysis, we identified 10 informative Y-STR clusters within R1a, dating back 1600–2900 YBP. The clusters included 48% of modern Ryazan Russians, 40% of Mordovia’s Finnic populations, and ancient DNA samples from the Ryazan-Oka culture (6–7th centuries), Suzdal (12–13th centuries) and Vladimir (13th century). Such a unique combination and pre-Slavic TMRCA indicate that the informative clusters represent pre-Slavic Y lineages. The presence of ancient samples from Vladimir and Suzdal in the clusters suggests that the autochthonous tribes contributed to shaping the urban population of the Vladimir-Suzdal Rus. Some of the informative clusters are associated with the ancient population of the Baltics (2000–4000 YBP). Conclusions: About half of Russian R1a carriers in the Volga-Oka region are descended from a pre-Slavic population, suggesting that the Slavs did not fully replace the autochthonous population but rather mostly culturally assimilated the Meshchyora documented in the Russian chronicles and other local tribes.

Research objectives: To identify the main features of the image of the “Tatars” reflected in the narrative sources of Old Russia and other Christian states. Research materials: A body of Russian chronicle sources, historical and literary works of Old Russia (“The Teaching of St. Serapion”, “Zadonshchina”), “The Story of Mikhail and Andronik Palaiologos” by George Pachymeres, the Georgian chronograph “Zhamta agmtsereli”, “The History of the Nation of Archers” by the monk, Magakia, “The History of Armenia” by Kirakos Gandzaketsi, “Epistle to the Sorrowful Lament about the Destruction of the Hungarian Kingdom by the Tatars” by Master Roger, and “The Great Chronicle” (Chronica Maiora) by Matthew Paris. Results and novelty of the research: Based on the comparative use of Russian, Caucasian, and European sources, the authors come to the conclusion that the image of the “Tatars” presented in Russian written sources combines both the characteristics of the Eastern conquerors common to the Christian cultural and historical narrative, and a number of differences. The general features include the correlation of the “Tatars”, at the initial stages of their military expansion, with the peoples of the “End Times” or the idea of them as a “scourge of God” sent as punishment for the sins of Christians. A specific feature of the image of the “Tatars” contained in Russian chronicles is the almost complete lack of information about their appearance, everyday culture, and military skills.

This article reveals the methods of attribution and study of a chronicle from the late seventeenth century, which makes it possible to establish the name of the author and the course of work of A. Ya. Dashkov, a stolnik and then Duma nobleman, who began the noble Chronicle in 1680 and completed it in 1689, based on an anonymous copy from the second half of the eighteenth century, made, like many others, for the Hermitage Library. Thanks to these methods, the author has found out that the Hermitage copy was made following a rough original of the Chronicle, which was in the original author’s historical collection. The discovery of this collection, written and signed by the stolnik A. Ya. Dashkov and completed by him in the rank of a Duma nobleman, demonstrates that the rough copy of the Chronicle with the insertions identified by the author of the article was indeed initially brought up to 1680 and continued with periodical entries in the 1680s. The author of the article puts forward a hypothesis on chronicle studies, successfully developing the classical methodology of A. A. Shakhmatov, which is confirmed in all details, proving the accuracy of the applied methods of research, which the article introduces in detail for the first time. Considering that most Russian chronicles are known only in rather late copies, a 100 % confirmed method of reconstructing the original from a copy seems especially important. The rough original itself is valuable, although considering modern achievements, it is not unique. It is the chronicle of the late seventeenth century that has recently been enriched with authorial rough and fair originals of period records, chronicles and chronicle collections, whose study makes it possible to confirm and seriously clarify the general methodology of chronicle studies as a special historical discipline. Another traced and studied, and then found rough copy of the author’s historical work of the early Petrine period expands the range of similar works the author mentions in the article. In the future, it will help to significantly deepen the understanding of the work of chroniclers of the eleventh – seventeenth centuries, their methods of work, methods of their reconstruction, and research.

The purpose of the study: The article is devoted to the analysis of the defeat of the Great Horde in 1502 by Mengli-Giray based on Russian and Lithuanian sources, which reflect the perception of contemporaries, their different views on this event from the Russian and Polish-Lithuanian sides. Research materials: Nikon Chronicle is a chronicle of the 16th century. Vologda-Perm Chronicle is a chronicle of the end of the 15th – first half of the 16th century. The 16th century pictorial vault is a monument of book art containing 17 thousand miniatures. Gustyn Chronicle is a chronicle of the last third of the 17th century, containing information about the history of South-Western Rus’, Lithuania and Poland. Bykhovets Chronicle is a source on the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania until 1506. Monuments of diploma­tic relations of Ancient Russia with foreign powers. This source contains ambassadorial letters on relations with the Crimean Khanate. Results and novelty of the study: the article analyzes the defeat of the Great Horde on the river Sula in 1502 in Russian and Lithuanian sources. It was possible to identify differences in the interpretation of this event. Russian chronicles report on the fall that occurred rather reservedly and assess it from a neutral position. Lithuanian chronicles and annals, on the contrary, sympathize with the Great Horde in the outcome of this battle, and there is clear condemnation of the political leadership of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Differences in the perception of this event are due to the fact that the Great Horde ceased to pose a great danger to the Russian principalities at the beginning of the 16th century, and all attention was focused on relations with the Crimean Khanate. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland tried to build an alliance with the Great Horde, directed against Moscow and Crimea, so all the attention of contemporaries at that time could be focused on relations with it, in addition, the battle took place on the territory that was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Treatise on Tractatus de duabus Sarmatiis is a source of Polish origin, written by the historian Maciej Miechowita and published in 1517.

The article is devoted to the history of the Ottoman siege of Constantinople in 1394—1402, which became the longest in the entire history of the Byzantine capital. Historians reconstruct these events mainly based on Byzantine and Western European (Venetian, French) sources. However, the Bulgarian and Russian chronicles contain unique information that is not found in other sources. Thus, the Russian chronicles reflect the fact that the pretender to the Byzantine throne John VII Palaiologos participated in the siege on the side of the Ottomans in 1395, trying to establish himself in Constantinople with the help of the Sultan's army. Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos, whose army consisted not only of Greeks, but also of Italians (“fryazi”), could repel this attack. The Russian chronicles mentioned the material assistance that Russian princes collected for the besieged Constantinople. The Bulgarian Chronicle reports that the Emperor attempted to buy off the Ottomans, but his offer was rejected by the Sultan. The same source confirms the fact that a French detachment participated in the defense of the city, something that the Byzantine authors are silent about. Thus, some very important details of the history of the siege, not mentioned in other documents, were reflected in the Slavonic sources.

This article presents a little-known ancient monument of the XVI century, the Belarusian chronicle called the Suprasl Chronicle. This name comes from the name of the town in the North-Eastern Poland, which was discovered in the 1 half of the XIX century. The chronicle was published in XVII and in XXXV volumes of the Complete Collection of Russian Chronicles. It consists of 2 large parts – all-Russian chronicle and the so-called Chronicler of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. This chronicle is the oldest list of the Belarusian-Lithuanian protographs. The phonetic and some lexical features of the text of the chronicle were studied in order to identify the language in which it was written. This development should be recognised as a starting point for a more detailed analysis of the specific linguistic phenomena. In general, the language of the chronicle is not devoid of the Church Slavonic phonetic elements, including: the implementation of groups of type *TorT, *orT, old Church Slavonic, the implementation of the Slavic groups *tj, *dj, *ktj, traces of realisation of sonorants consonants. Such phonetic phenomena alternate with examples of the East Slavic realisation of the named phonetic phenomena, we have also introduced some South-Western dialect Belarusian language features. The influence of the Polish linguistic and lexical phenomena is of particular interest in the chronicle. They do not function as pure borrowings, but most likely the Polish influence should be recognised as a living phenomenon in the territory of the monument. From the linguistic point of view, the monument is an interesting text. It sheds light on the question of what language was used in the early BelarusianLithuanian chronicle and on the national and religious affiliation of the author of the monument. He came from the territory of South-Western Belarus, he was a Belarusian patriot of the Orthodox faith, although not very experienced in Chronicles. He used the typical Russian Chronicles language and not eschewed dialect features.

This article explores the semantics and usage of the word ятровь which has fallen out of use in modern Russian and refers to a specific non-blood relative. The authors examine the term’s distinctive application in the narrative of the oldest Russian chronicles, highlighting its divergence from meanings recorded in dictionaries. Special attention is given to the role of ятровь within the system of kinship terms, its semantic connection to the word brother, and the androcentric perspective of dynastic relationships. The study reconstructs the dynastic profiles of women referred to as ятровь, emphasizing their roles in political and familial conflicts within princely clans. The authors demonstrate that in the chronicles, the term ятровь is predominantly applied to princesses who are connected to ruling families through marriage. This terminological specificity reflects gender and social dimensions of kinship, wherein a man consistently serves as the reference point for defining kinship relations. The study reveals that ятровь in the chronicle tradition exclusively refers to the wives of blood relatives (up to and including third cousins) and does not extend to the wives of шурья or other kinsmen. Additionally, the article examines the place of ятровь within the broader system of kinship-related terms in the chronicles, demonstrating the minimal politicization of property-related terminology for women and the absence of a systematic conversion of these terms into consanguinity terminology. The second part of the article focuses on the contextual activation of property terms in the chronicles, using ятровь as a case study in the description of dynastic conflicts. The analysis highlights the degree to which the appearance of the term depends on the political circumstances described in the narrative. Particular attention is given to the unique status of widows within the princely hierarchy and the historical narrative, showing the direct connection between the use of such terms and events like the death of a husband or the violation of kinship norms. The findings of this study provide new insights into the specificity of kinship and property terminology in the oldest Russian chronicles and the role of the lexeme ятровь in the construction of dynastic narratives.

Europe that were recorded in both Western European and Russian sources in the decades and centuries following his invasion of Europe in 1241–1242. Het’um’s La Flor des Estoires de la Terre d’Orient (1307) contains a clearly inaccurate description of Batu drowning during an attempted Mongol invasion of Austria. Fifteenth-century Russian chronicles and a hagiographic text separately report on Batu being slain in Hungary by a saintly king, “Vladislav”. This Tale of the Death of Batu (Повесть об убиении Батыя) suddenly became quite popular in Rus’ chronicle records during the period leading up to the Great Stand at the Ugra River when Moscow defied the demands of the Horde. While such diverse and post-thirteenth-century accounts of the Mongol khan’s death are fundamentally untrue — Batu certainly returned from Europe and ruled the Jochid territory from the Volga River for many years into the 1250s — they are also not the purely baseless products of medieval authors’ imaginations. This paper analyzes and speculates as to how genuine historic events or at least widespread stories, such as a Mongol general’s death at Muhi, and even the Legenda of Saint Ladislaus of Hungary, became inserted into these amalgamated narratives over time. The results in both cases shed light on how news and local memories were intriguingly transferred and shared across Europe and its peripheries over the course of the Middle Ages.

Introduction. This article reveals the political activities of John VII Palaiologos, who struggled against Manuel II Palaiologos (1391–1425) for the title of heir, and later on for power over the Byzantine Empire. John VII’s political portrait, created primarily by his competitor, presents John VII as the main culprit in inciting civil strife and involving the empire’s main enemies, the Ottomans, in its internal affairs. The purpose of the work is to raise and answer the question of how well John VII deserved this assessment. Methods and materials. The article has analysed the information provided by Byzantine historical and rhetorical works, Russian chronicles, and the accounts of Western writers. The said information has been researched within the context of the political events in Byzantium in the second half of the fourteenth and early-fifteenth centuries. Analysis. As a son of Andronikos IV, John VII had every reason for his dynastic claims, as he received the title of co-ruler as early as 1377. Additionally, he could lay claim to the throne by the right of primogeniture. He also won the sympathies of a part of the citizens of the imperial capital, who viewed him as an “Andronikos’ son,” the legitimate contender for the throne. However, when struggling for power, he relied on the Ottomans, who were interested in maintaining political instability in the empire. John VII and Manuel II tried to resolve the dynastic conflict several times, and only the early death of John VII finally ended the feud. Results. The conclusion is that John VII Palaiologos, who had reasons to become a hero of his time, finally became an anti-hero.

This article examines the chronological evidence of historical sources relating to the reign of the Khans Sartaq and Ulaghchi in the Ulus of Jochi. The purpose of the study is to establish the accuracy and reliability of the dating information contained in such historical sources as Arabic sources, Russian chronicles and the Jami' at-Tawarikh of Rashid al-Din. In the article, the author carries out a detailed analysis of the chronological elements relating to the reign of the Khans Sartaq and Ulaghchi. The chronological evidence was verified by the methods of historical chronology, for example, cross-checking, which was used to compare the information of Russian chronicles, Syro-Egyptian compilations and Jami' at-Tawarikh of the Ilkhan vizier Rashid al-Din. Historians have studied in detail the aspects related to the reign of the khans Sartaq and Ulaghchi, but the author of the article believes that their predecessors did not pay enough attention to the contradictory dating evidence contained in the sources. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that historians carried out a textual analysis of the works, but the chronology of events seemed consistent to them and the chronological evidence was subjected to a comprehensive study for the first time. As a result of a thorough analysis and application of historical chronology methods, a historical and chronological reconstruction of past events was reproduced. According to the cross-checking method both more accurate and reliable and unreliable chronological elements contained in the Syro-Egyptian works and Russian chronicles were established. The information from the sources made it possible to attribute the reign of Khan Sartaq to the time period of 1252-1254, and Ulagchi to 1254-1255. Attributing the reign of the Khans Sartaq and Ulaghchi to years outside the specified chronological framework is erroneous.

The article considers the results of the source research of the texts of the Siro-Egyptian authors’ compiled writings. These texts were published in the fi rst volume of the Golden Horde’s compendium, translated in Russian by V.G. Tiesenhausen. Chronological evidence, contained in the writings’ messages were thoroughly researched using historical and chronological methods. Special attention is paid to applying the Cross-validation method to the chronological data, which allowed for the validation of the controversial evidence by comparing it with the information from external sources. The external sources in the research are the chronicles of Rashid-al-Din as well as Russian chronicles, which include the information about the death of Berke Khan. The results of the conducted research reconstruct the most exact time period of the death of Berke Khan. The revealed chronological controversies allowed to identify the more reliable and less accurate sources dating the events related to the period of Berke Khan reigning. Separate attention in the article is paid to the data on the kinship ties of the Horde khans. The author discusses the text compilations concerning the advantages and disadvantages connected with the details of the Siro-Egyptian authors’ compiled writings.

The article considers the results of the source research of the texts of the Siro-Egyptian authors’ compiled writings. These texts were published in the fi rst volume of the Golden Horde’s compendium, translated in Russian by V.G. Tiesenhausen. Chronological evidence, contained in the writings’ messages were thoroughly researched using historical and chronological methods. Special attention is paid to applying the Cross-validation method to the chronological data, which allowed for the validation of the controversial evidence by comparing it with the information from external sources. The external sources in the research are the chronicles of Rashid-al-Din as well as Russian chronicles, which include the information about the death of Berke Khan. The results of the conducted research reconstruct the most exact time period of the death of Berke Khan. The revealed chronological controversies allowed to identify the more reliable and less accurate sources dating the events related to the period of Berke Khan reigning. Separate attention in the article is paid to the data on the kinship ties of the Horde khans. The author discusses the text compilations concerning the advantages and disadvantages connected with the details of the Siro-Egyptian authors’ compiled writings.

The article analyzes the character of Mikhail Brenk, the associate of the Moscow prince Dmitry Donskoy in “The Tale of the Battle with Mamai”, popular literature and drama of the 19th century, as well as historical novels by S. P. Borodin (“Dmitry Donskoy,” 1941), M. A. Rapov (“Dawns over Russia…,” 1954–1958), M. D. Karateev (“The Heroes Awoke,” 1963), Yu. M. Loschits (“Dmitry Donskoy,” 1980), V. A. Lebedev (“Expiation,” 1980) and etc. Including a wide range of sources allowed identifying the development trajectory of the image of Mikhail Brenk in 19th — 20th-century Russian literature. Two episodes from “The Tale of the Battle with Mamai” (exchange of armor with the Grand Duke and death on the Kulikovo Field) are the only pieces of information about him and the foundation for Russian writers of the 19th — 20th centuries. His roles as a devoted vassal, warrior and confidant of Dmitry Donskoy become the basis for his images in Russian literature. The hero’s storyline in V. A. Lebedev’s novel “Expiation” expands due to the material of Russian chronicles and the author’s imagination, is limited to episodes of the life of an already adult hero. In the historical novel “Expiation,” V. A. Lebedev turns to the inner world of this character. Based on motifs from the “The Tale of the Battle with Mamai” and subsequently developed in the novels of his predecessors, he makes him a “guardian angel” of the Moscow prince, his atoning sacrifice in the battle between Medieval Rus’ and the Golden Horde.