Attributed to Nestor the Chronicler · Complete work
975–979: Yaropolk against Oleg
975–979: Yaropolk against Oleg of 46. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Old East Slavic
В лѣто 6483. Ловы дѣюшю Свѣньгелдичю, именемъ Лотъ, ишедъ бо изъ Киева, гна по звѣри в лѣсѣ. Узрѣ ̀и Олегъ и рече: «Кто се есть?». И ркоша ему: «Свѣнгелдиць». И, заѣхавъ, уби ̀и, бѣ бо ловы дѣя Олегъ. И о том бысть межи има ненависть, Ярополку на Ольга, и молвяше всегда Ярополку Свѣнгелдъ: «Поиди на брата своего и приимеши власть един его», хотя отмьстити сыну своему.
В лѣто 6484.
В лѣто 6485. Поиде Ярополкъ на Олга, брата своего, на Деревьскую землю. И изыде противу ему Олегъ, и ополчистася, и сразившимася полкома, и побѣди Ярополкъ Олга. Побѣгъшю же Олгови с вои своими в город, рѣкомый Вручий, и бяше мостъ чресъ гроблю к воротам городным, и, тѣснячися другъ друга, спехнуша Олга с моста въ дебрь. И падаху людье мнози с моста, и удавиша и кони и человѣци. И вшедъ Ярополкъ в город Олговъ, прия волость его, и посла искати брата своего, и искавше его, не обрѣтоша. И рече одинъ древлянинъ: «Азъ видѣхъ вчера, яко съпехънуша ̀и с моста». И посла Ярополкъ искатъ, и волочиша трупье изъ гробли от утра и до полудни, и налѣзоша исподи Олга подъ трупьемъ, и внесъше, положиша ̀и на коврѣ. И приде Ярополкъ надъ онь и плакася, и рече Свеньгелду: «Вижь, иже ты сего хотяше». И погребоша Ольга на мѣстѣ у города Вручего, и есть могила его у Въручего и до сего дни. И прия волость его Ярополкъ. И у Ярополка жена грѣкини бѣ, и бяше была черницею, юже бѣ привелъ отець его Святославъ и въда ю за Ярополка, красы дѣля лица ея. Слышавъ же се Володимиръ в Новѣгородѣ, яко Ярополкъ уби Олга, убоявся, бѣжа за море. А Ярополкъ посади посадникъ свой въ Новѣгородѣ, и бѣ володѣя единъ в Руси.
В лѣто 6486.
В лѣто 6487.
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Old East Slavic text of the Hypatian Codex (O. V. Tvorogov’s 1997 edition, pinned Russian Wikisource revision), covering the undated introduction and every annal from 6360 to 6625 (852–1117 CE). Worker drafts were checked against the source paragraph by paragraph before publication. Years keep the chronicle’s own reckoning from the creation of the world; subtract 5508 for the approximate year CE, as the chapter titles do.
In the year 6483. While Sveneld's son, named Lot, was hunting—he had gone out from Kyiv and was chasing game in the forest—Oleg caught sight of him and said: “Who is this?” They told him: “Sveneld's son.” And riding him down, Oleg killed him, for Oleg too was out hunting. Because of this, hatred arose between them, Yaropolk's against Oleg; and Sveneld kept saying to Yaropolk: “March against your brother and take his rule for yourself alone,” wanting to avenge his son.
In the year 6484.
In the year 6485. Yaropolk marched against his brother Oleg, into the land of the Derevlianians. Oleg came out against him, and the two drew up in battle array; when the armies clashed, Yaropolk defeated Oleg. Oleg fled with his troops into the town called Vruchyi, and there was a bridge across the dam to the town gates; men pressed so hard on one another that they shoved Oleg from the bridge into the ravine. Many people fell from the bridge, and horses and men alike were crushed. Yaropolk entered Oleg's town and took his domain, and sent to look for his brother; they searched, but did not find him. Then one Derevlianian said: “I saw yesterday how they shoved him from the bridge.” Yaropolk sent men to search, and they dragged the dead out of the ravine beneath the dam from morning until midday, and found Oleg underneath, below the corpses; they brought him in and laid him on a carpet. Yaropolk came and stood over him and wept, and said to Sveneld: “See—this is what you wanted.” They buried Oleg on the spot near the town of Vruchyi, and his grave is at Vruchyi to this day. Yaropolk took his domain. Yaropolk had a Greek wife, who had been a nun; his father Sviatoslav had brought her and given her to Yaropolk for the beauty of her face. When Vladimir heard in Novgorod that Yaropolk had killed Oleg, he was afraid and fled across the sea. Yaropolk installed his governor in Novgorod, and he ruled alone in Rus'.
In the year 6486.
In the year 6487.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same Old East Slavic text of the Hypatian Codex, paragraph for paragraph, and checked against the source before publication.
In the year 6483. Sveneld's son, named Lot, went out from Kyiv and chased game in the forest. Oleg saw him and said: “Who is this?” He was told: “Sveneld's son.” Oleg rode him down and killed him, for Oleg was out hunting too. Because of this there was hatred between the two, Yaropolk against Oleg. Sveneld kept urging Yaropolk: “March against your brother, and you will take his rule for yourself alone,” for he wanted to avenge his son.
In the year 6484.
In the year 6485. Yaropolk marched against his brother Oleg, into the Derevlianians' land. Oleg came out against him, and both sides formed up for battle. When the armies clashed, Yaropolk defeated Oleg. Oleg fled with his troops to a town called Vruchyi. There was a bridge across the dam leading to the town gates. The crowd was pressing hard, one man against another, and they pushed Oleg off the bridge into the ravine. Many people fell from the bridge, and both horses and men were crushed. Yaropolk entered his brother Oleg's town and took his domain. He sent men to look for his brother, but they could not find him. One Derevlianian said: “I saw yesterday how they pushed him off the bridge.” Yaropolk sent men to search, and they dragged bodies out of the dam from morning until midday. They found Oleg at the bottom, under the bodies. They carried him in and laid him on a carpet. Yaropolk came and stood over him and wept, and said to Sveneld: “Look—this is what you wanted.” They buried Oleg on the spot near the town of Vruchyi, and his grave is at Vruchyi to this day. Yaropolk took over his domain. Yaropolk had a Greek wife, a former nun, whom his father Sviatoslav had brought back and given to Yaropolk for the beauty of her face. When Vladimir heard in Novgorod that Yaropolk had killed Oleg, he was afraid and fled across the sea. Yaropolk set his own governor in Novgorod and ruled alone in Rus'.
In the year 6486.
In the year 6487.