Attributed to Nestor the Chronicler · Complete work
989–996: The Church of the Tithe and the Pecheneg Wars
989–996: The Church of the Tithe and the Pecheneg Wars of 46. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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Въ лѣто 6497.
Въ лѣто 6498.
В лѣто 6499. По сем же Володимиру живущю в законѣ крестьяньстѣм, и помысли создати каменую церковь святыя Богородица, и, пославъ, приведе мастеры от Грькъ. Заченшю здати, яко сконча зижа, украси ю иконами и поручивъ ю Настасу Корсунянину, и попы корсуньския пристави служити въ ней, вда ту все, еже бѣ взялъ в Корсуни: иконы, и ссуды церковныя и кресты.
В лѣто 6500. Володимѣръ заложи град Бѣльградъ, и наруби въ н от инѣхъ град, и много людий сведе в онь, и бѣ бо любя городъ сий.
Въ лѣто 6501. Иде Володимиръ на Хорваты. Пришедшю же ему с войны хорватьской, и се печенѣзѣ придоша по оной сторонѣ от Сулы, Володимеръ же поиде противу имъ. И усрѣтѣ я на Трубеши на броду, кдѣ нынѣ Переяславль. И ста Володимеръ на сей странѣ, а печенѣзѣ на оной, и не смѣяху си на ону сторону, и они на сю сторону. И приѣха князь печенѣскый к рѣцѣ, и возва Володимира и рече ему: «Пусти ты свой мужь, а я свой, да ся борета. Да аще твой мужь ударить моимъ, да не воюемься за три лѣта […]. Аще ли нашь мужь ударить вашимъ, да воюемь за три лѣта». И разидостася разно. Володимеръ же, пришедъ в товары, посла по товаромъ бирича, глаголя: «Нѣтутѣ ли такаго мужа, иже бы ся ялъ с печенѣжаниномъ брати?» И не обрѣтеся никдѣже. И заутра приѣхаша печенѣзѣ, а свой мужь приведоша, а наших не бысть. И поча тужити Володимѣръ, сля по всимъ воемь своим. И приде единъ мужь старъ к нему и рече ему: «Княже! Есть у мене единъ сынъ дома менший, а сь четырми есмь вышелъ, и онъ дома. От дѣтьства си своего нѣсть кто имъ ударилъ. Единою бо ми сварящю, оному же мнущю уснье, и разгнѣвася на мя, преторже черевии руками».
Князь же, се слышавъ, и рад бысть, и посла по нь борзо, и приведоша и́ ко князю, и князь повѣда ему вся. Сьй же рече: «Княже! Не вѣмь, могу ли со нь, да искусите мя: нѣтуть ли вола, велика и силна?» И налѣзоша волъ силенъ, и повелѣ раздражити вола, и возложиша на нь желѣзо горяче, и пустиша вола. И побѣже волъ мимо нь, и похвати вола рукою за бокъ и выня кожю с мясы, елико ему рука я. И рече ему Володимѣръ: «Можеши ся с нимъ бороти ». И назавьтрѣе придоша печенѣзѣ и почаша звати: «Нѣсть ли мужа? Се нашь доспѣль». Володимѣръ же повелѣ той ночи облѣщися въ оружье. И выпустиша печенѣзѣ мужь свой, и бѣ превеликъ зѣло и страшенъ. И выступи мужь Володимѣръ, и възрѣвъ печенѣжинъ и посмѣяся, — бѣ бо средний тѣломъ. И размѣривше межи обѣима полкома, и пустиша я к собѣ. И ястася крѣпко, и удави печенѣжинина в руку до смерти. И удари имь о землю. И вьскликоша русь, а печенѣзѣ побѣгоша, а русь погнаша по нихъ, сѣкуще ѣ, и прогнаша их. Володимѣръ же, рад бывъ, и заложи городъ на броду томь и нарче и́ Переяславль, зане перея славу отрокъ. Володимиръ же великомь мужемь створи того и отца его.
Володимиръ же възвратися въ Киевь с побѣдою и славою великою.
Въ лѣто 6502.
Въ лѣто 6503.
Въ лѣто 6504. Володимиръ же видивъ церковь свѣршену, и вшедъ в ню и помолися Богу, глаголя: «”Господи Боже! Призри с небеси и вижь. Посѣти винограда своего. И свѣрши, яже насади десница твоя”, люди сия новыя, имже обратилъ еси сердца в разумъ, познати тебе, истиньнаго Бога. И призри на церьковь сию, юже создахъ, недостойный рабъ твой, во имя рожьшая ти матери и приснодѣвыя Марья Богородица. И аще помолиться кто въ церкви сей, то услыши молитву его и отпусти вся грѣхы его молитвы ради пресвятыя Богородица». И помолившюся ему, и рекъ сице: «Се даю церкви сей святѣй Богородицѣ от имѣния своего и от моих град десятую часть». И положи, написавъ, клятьву въ церкви сей, рекь: «Аще сего посудить кто, да будеть проклятъ». И вдасть десятину Анастасу Корсунянину. И створи же празникъ великъ в той день бояромъ и старцемь градьскым, и убогимъ раздая имѣние много.
По сихъ же придоша печенѣзѣ к Василеву, и Володимѣръ с малою дружиною изыиде противу имъ. И съступившимся имъ, не могъ Володимѣръ стѣрьпѣти противу, подбѣгь, ста под мостомъ, и одва укрыся от противных. И тогда обѣщася Володимѣръ поставити церковь въ Василевѣ святое Преображение, бѣ бо празникъ Преображению Господню въ день, егда си бысть сѣча, Избывъ же Володимѣръ сего, постави церковь и творяше празникъ, варя 300 переваръ меду. И зваше бояры своя, и посадникы, и старѣйшины по всимъ градомъ, и люди многы, и раздаваше 300 гривенъ убогымъ. И празнова князь Володимеръ ту дний 8, и възвращашеться Кыеву на Успение святыя Богородица, и ту пакы творяше празникъ свѣтель, съзываше бещисленое множьство народа. Видяше же люди крестьяны суща, радовашеся душею и тѣломъ. И тако по вся лѣта творяше.
Бѣ бо любя книжная словеса, слыша бо единою еуангелие чтомо: «Блажении милостивии, яко тѣи помиловани будуть», и пакы: «Продайте имѣния ваша и дайте нищимъ», и пакы: «Не […] скрывайте собѣ скровища на земли, идеже тля тлить и татье подъкоповаеть, но скрывайте собѣ скровище на небесих, идеже ни тля тлить, ни татье крадуть», и Давида глаголюща: «Благъ мужь милуя и дая», Соломона слыша глаголюща: «Дая нищимъ, Богу в заемь даеть». Си слышавъ, повелѣ нищю всяку и убогу приходити на дворъ на княжь и взимати всяку потребу: питье и яденье, и от скотьничь кунами. Устрои же се: рек, яко «Немощнии, болнии не могуть доити двора моего», повеле устроити кола и, вьскладываше хлѣбы, мяса, рыбы и овощь разноличьный и медъ въ бочках, а въ другыхъ квасы, возити по градомъ, вьпрашающе: «Кде болнии, нищии, не могы ходити?» И тѣмь раздаваху на потребу. И се же творя людемь своимь: по вся недѣля устави по вся дни на дворѣ въ гридници пиръ творити и приходити бояромъ, и гридьмъ, и соцькимъ, и десятникомъ и нарочитымь мужемь и при князѣ и безъ князя. И бываше на обѣдѣ томь множьство от мясъ, и от скота и от звѣрины, и бяше же изобилью всего.
Егда же подопьяхуться, и начаху роптати на князя, глаголюще: «Зло есть нашимъ головамъ: да намъ ясти древяными лжицами, а не сребряными». И се слышавъ, Володимиръ повелѣ исковати лжици сребряны ясти дружинѣ, рекъ сице, яко «Сребромъ и златомъ не имамъ налѣсти дружины, а дружиною налѣзу сребро и злато, яко дѣдъ мой и отець мой […] доискася дружиною злата и сребра». Бѣ бо любяше Володимиръ дружину, и с ними думаа о строеньи землинемь, и о уставѣ земленемь, и о ратѣхъ. И бѣ живя с князи околными его миромъ: с Болеславомъ Лядьскымъ, и сь Стефаномъ Угорьскымъ и съ Ондроникомъ Чьшьскымъ. И бѣ миръ межи ими и любы. И живяше Володимиръ въ страсѣ Божии. И умножишася разбоевѣ, и рече епископи Володимеру: «Се умножишася разбойници, почто не казниши?» Он же рче: «Боюся грѣха.» Они же рѣша ему: «Ты поставленъ еси от Бога на казнь злымъ, а на милование добрымъ. Достоить ти казнити разбойника, нъ съ испытаниемь». Володимеръ же отвѣргъ виры и нача казнити разбойникы […]. И рѣша епископы и старци: «Рать многа, а еже вира, то на конихъ и на оружьи буди». И рече Володимиръ: «Да тако буди». И живяше Володимиръ по устроению дѣдню и отню.
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 6497.
In the year 6498.
In the year 6499. After this, as Vladimir lived in the Christian law, he resolved to build a stone church of the holy Mother of God; and he sent and brought masters from the Greeks. When the building, once begun, was finished, he adorned it with icons and entrusted it to Anastas of Korsun, set the priests of Korsun to serve in it, and gave to it all that he had taken at Korsun: the icons, and the church vessels, and the crosses.
In the year 6500. Vladimir founded the town of Bilhorod, and gathered men into it from other towns, and brought many people into it, for he loved this town.
In the year 6501. Vladimir marched against the Croats. And when he had come back from the war with the Croats, Pechenegs arrived on the far side from the Sula, and Vladimir marched against them. He met them at the ford of the Trubizh, where Pereiaslav now stands. Vladimir took his stand on this side, and the Pechenegs on that, and neither side dared to cross over to the other. Then the Pecheneg prince rode up to the river, and called to Vladimir, and said to him: “Send out your man, and I will send mine, and let them fight. If your man strikes down mine, we will not make war on you for three years […]; but if our man strikes down yours, we will raid you for three years.” And they parted each to his own side. Vladimir, coming back to his camp, sent a herald through the camp, saying: “Is there no man here who would take up the fight with the Pecheneg?” And none could be found anywhere. And in the morning the Pechenegs came and brought forward their man, and ours there was none. And Vladimir began to grieve, sending through all his troops. And an old man came to him and said: “Prince! I have one son left at home, my youngest; I came out with four, and he stayed home. From his childhood no one has ever beaten him. Once, when I scolded him while he was working a hide, he grew angry with me and tore the hide in two with his hands.”
The prince, hearing this, rejoiced, and sent for him in haste; and they brought him to the prince, and the prince told him everything. And he said: “Prince! I do not know whether I can match him, but put me to the test: is there not here an ox, big and strong?” They found a strong ox, and he ordered it goaded, and they pressed a red-hot iron to it and let the ox loose. The ox ran past him, and he caught it by the side with his hand and tore out skin and flesh, as much as his hand could seize. And Vladimir said to him: “You can fight him.” The next day the Pechenegs came and began to call out: “Is there a man? Here is ours, ready.” Vladimir ordered that night that they arm themselves. The Pechenegs sent out their man, and he was very great in size and terrible. And Vladimir's man came forward; the Pecheneg looked at him and laughed, for he was middling in body. They marked out the ground between the two hosts and let them at one another. They gripped each other hard, and the youth choked the Pecheneg to death in his arms and dashed him to the ground. Then the Rus' shouted aloud, and the Pechenegs fled, and the Rus' pursued them, cutting them down, and drove them out. Vladimir, glad, founded a town at that ford and named it Pereiaslav, because the youth had borne away the glory. And Vladimir made that man, and his father, great men.
And Vladimir returned to Kyiv with victory and great glory.
In the year 6502.
In the year 6503.
In the year 6504. Vladimir, seeing the church finished, went into it and prayed to God, saying: “Lord God! Look down from heaven and see; visit your vineyard and perfect what your right hand has planted—these new people, whom you have turned in heart to understanding, to know you, the true God. And look upon this church, which I, your unworthy servant, have built in the name of the mother who bore you, the ever-virgin Mary, the Mother of God. And if anyone prays in this church, hear his prayer and forgive all his sins for the sake of the prayer of the most holy Mother of God.” And when he had prayed, he said this: “Behold, I give to this holy church of the Mother of God a tenth of my substance and of my towns.” And he laid in the church a written oath, saying: “If anyone violates this, let him be accursed.” And he gave the tithe into the keeping of Anastas of Korsun. And he made a great feast that day for the boyars and the elders of the town, and gave away much wealth to the poor.
After this the Pechenegs came to Vasyliv, and Vladimir went out against them with a small retinue. And when they had joined battle, Vladimir could not withstand them; he ran under a bridge and barely escaped from his enemies. Then Vladimir vowed to build in Vasyliv a church of the Holy Transfiguration, for it was the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord on the day this battle was fought. When Vladimir had been delivered from this, he built the church and kept the feast, brewing 300 vats of mead. And he invited his boyars, and the governors, and the elders from all the towns, and many people, and gave out 300 grivnas to the poor. And Prince Vladimir kept the feast there for 8 days, and returned to Kyiv for the Dormition of the holy Mother of God, and there again he kept a shining feast, calling together a countless multitude of people. And seeing his people Christian, he rejoiced in soul and body. And so he did every year.
For he loved the words of the books. He heard the gospel read once: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy,” and again: “Sell your possessions and give to the poor,” and again: “Do not […] lay up treasures for yourselves on earth, where rust corrupts and thieves dig through, but lay up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither rust corrupts nor thieves steal”; and David saying: “Good is the man who shows mercy and gives,” and Solomon saying: “He who gives to the poor lends to God.” Hearing this, he commanded that every poor and needy man should come to the prince's court and take all that he needed: drink and food, and kuns from the treasury. And he made this provision: since “the sick and the ailing cannot make their way to my court,” he ordered carts to be made, loading them with bread, and meat, and fish, and fruits of many kinds, and mead in barrels, and in others kvass, and sent them through the town, asking: “Where are the sick, the poor, who cannot walk?” And they distributed to them what they needed. And this he did for his people: every week he ordained that a feast be held every day in the court in the great hall, and that the boyars, and the household guard, and the commanders of hundreds, and the commanders of tens, and the leading men should come, both when the prince was there and when he was not. And at that feast there was abundance of meat, of cattle, and of game, and there was plenty of everything.
And when they had drunk deep, they began to murmur against the prince, saying: “It is a sorry thing for our heads, that we eat with wooden spoons and not with silver ones.” Hearing this, Vladimir ordered silver spoons forged for the retinue to eat with, saying: “With silver and gold I cannot win a retinue, but with a retinue I win silver and gold, as my grandfather and my father […] won gold and silver with a retinue.” For Vladimir loved his retinue and took counsel with them about the ordering of the land, and the laws of the land, and the wars. And he lived at peace with the princes round about him: with Boleslav of Poland, and with Stephen of Hungary, and with Andronicus of the Czechs. And there was peace and love between them. And Vladimir lived in the fear of God. And robbers multiplied, and the bishops said to Vladimir: “Behold, robbers have multiplied; why do you not punish them?” He said: “I fear sin.” They said to him: “You are set by God to punish the wicked and to show mercy to the good; it is yours to punish the robber, but with due examination.” Vladimir then abolished the fines and began to execute the robbers […]. And the bishops and the elders said: “Wars are many; let the fine money go for horses and for weapons.” And Vladimir said: “Let it be so.” And Vladimir lived by the ordering of his grandfather and his father.
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 6497.
In the year 6498.
In the year 6499. After this, as Vladimir lived in the Christian law, he planned to build a stone church of the holy Mother of God, and he sent and brought masters from the Greeks. When he had begun the building and brought the work to an end, he adorned it with icons, entrusted it to Anastas the Korsunian, and set the Korsunian priests to serve in it, and he gave to it everything he had taken in Korsun: the icons, and the church vessels, and the crosses.
In the year 6500. Vladimir founded the town of Bilhorod, and drew men into it from other towns, and brought many people into it, for he loved this town.
In the year 6501. Vladimir went against the Croats. When he came back from the war with the Croats, the Pechenegs came on from the other side, from the Sula, and Vladimir marched against them. He met them at the Trubizh at the ford, where Pereiaslav now stands. Vladimir stood on this bank, and the Pechenegs on that one, and neither side dared to cross to the other. The Pecheneg prince rode up to the river, called Vladimir over, and said to him: “Send out your man, and I will send mine, and let the two wrestle. If your man throws mine, we will not fight for three years […]. If our man throws yours, we will raid you for three years.” And the two sides parted. Vladimir came back to his camp and sent a crier through the camp, saying: “Is there no man here who will take on the Pecheneg in a bout?” And none was found anywhere. The next morning the Pechenegs arrived with their man, and ours was not there. Vladimir began to grieve, having sent through all his troops. One old man came up to him and said: “Prince! I have one younger son left at home; I came out with four, and he stayed home. From his childhood no one has ever thrown him. Once, when I scolded him while he was working a hide, he grew angry with me and tore the hide apart with his hands.”
When the prince heard this, he was glad, and quickly sent for him, and they brought him to the prince, and the prince told him the whole matter. The young man said: “Prince! I do not know whether I can beat him. Test me: is there an ox here, big and strong?” They found a strong ox, and he ordered it made furious, and they pressed a red-hot iron on it, and let the ox go. The ox ran past him, and he caught it by the side with his hand and pulled off its hide with the flesh, as much as his hand could grasp. Vladimir said to him: “You can wrestle him.” The next morning the Pechenegs came and began to call out: “Is there a man? Here is ours, ready.” Vladimir ordered his men to arm themselves that night. The Pechenegs sent out their man, and he was very big and terrible. Vladimir's man stepped out, and the Pecheneg looked at him and laughed, for he was middle-sized. They measured the ground between the two armies and let the two come toward each other. They gripped each other hard, and the young man strangled the Pecheneg to death with his hand, and threw him to the ground. The Rus' shouted, and the Pechenegs ran, and the Rus' chased them, cutting them down, and drove them out. Vladimir was glad, founded a town at that ford, and named it Pereiaslav, because the young man had carried off the fame. Vladimir made that young man and his father great men.
Vladimir returned to Kyiv with victory and great glory.
In the year 6502.
In the year 6503.
In the year 6504. Vladimir saw that the church was finished, and he went in and prayed to God, saying: “‘Lord God! Look down from heaven and see. Visit your vineyard, and bring to completion what your right hand planted’ — these new people, whose hearts you have turned to the knowing of you, the true God. And look upon this church, which I, your unworthy servant, have built in the name of her who bore you, the ever-virgin Mary, the Mother of God. And if anyone prays in this church, hear his prayer, and forgive all his sins for the sake of the prayer of the most holy Mother of God.” When he had prayed, he said this: “I give to this holy church of the Mother of God a tenth part of my property and of my towns.” And he laid down the oath, written out, in this church, saying: “Whoever goes against this, let him be accursed.” And he gave the tithe to Anastas the Korsunian. And he held a great feast that day for the boyars and the elders of the town, and gave away much property to the poor.
After this the Pechenegs came to Vasyliv, and Vladimir went out against them with a small retinue. When the two sides closed, Vladimir could not hold out against them; he ran under a bridge, and barely hid himself from his enemies. Then Vladimir vowed to build a church of the holy Transfiguration in Vasyliv, for it was the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord on the day that battle was fought. When Vladimir had escaped this, he built the church and held a feast, boiling 300 vats of mead. He invited his boyars, and the governors, and the elders from all the towns, and many people, and gave out 300 grivnas to the poor. Prince Vladimir kept the feast there for 8 days, and returned to Kyiv for the Dormition of the holy Mother of God, and there again held a bright feast, calling together a countless multitude of people. Seeing his people Christian, he rejoiced in soul and body. And he did this every year.
For he loved the words of books. He once heard the gospel read: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy,” and again: “Sell your property and give to the poor,” and again: “Do not […] treasure up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth eats and thieves dig through, but treasure up treasure for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth eats nor thieves steal”; and David saying: “Good is the man who is merciful and gives”; and Solomon saying: “He who gives to the poor lends to God.” When he heard this, he ordered that every poor and beggarly person should come to the prince's court and take every need: drink and food, and money in kuns from the stores. He made this arrangement, saying: “The weak and the sick cannot make it to my court.” He ordered carts fitted out, loaded with bread, and meat, and fish, and vegetables of many kinds, and honey in barrels, and kvass in others, and sent them through the town, asking: “Where are the sick and the poor who cannot walk?” And to them they gave what they needed. And this he did for his own people: every week he appointed days for a feast in the great hall at his court, for boyars, and retinue men, and captains of hundreds, and captains of tens, and leading men to come, with the prince and without the prince. At that meal there was plenty of meat, and of cattle, and of game, and there was abundance of everything.
When they had drunk deep, they began to grumble at the prince, saying: “It is a bad thing for our heads, that we must eat with wooden spoons, and not silver ones.” Vladimir heard this and ordered silver spoons made for the retinue to eat with, saying: “I cannot win a retinue with silver and gold, but with a retinue I win silver and gold — as my grandfather and my father […] won gold and silver with their retinues.” For Vladimir loved his retinue and took counsel with them about the ordering of the land, and the laws of the land, and about wars. And he lived at peace with the princes around him: with Boleslav of Poland, and with Stephen of Hungary, and with Andronicus of the Czechs. And there was peace and love among them. And Vladimir lived in the fear of God. Robberies multiplied, and the bishops said to Vladimir: “See, the robbers have multiplied. Why do you not punish them?” He said: “I fear sin.” They said to him: “You are placed by God to punish the wicked and to show mercy to the good. It is right for you to punish the robber, but after a trial.” Vladimir did away with the fines and began to execute the robbers […]. Then the bishops and the elders said: “There is much war; let the fine-money go for horses and weapons.” And Vladimir said: “Let it be so.” And Vladimir lived by the arrangement of his grandfather and his father.