Attributed to Nestor the Chronicler · Complete work
997–1014: Bilhorod Besieged and Vladimir's Last Years
997–1014: Bilhorod Besieged and Vladimir's Last Years of 46. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Old East Slavic
Въ лѣто 6505. Володимеру шедшю к Новугороду по вѣрхъние воѣ на печенѣгы, бѣ бо рать велика бес пересту. В то же время увѣдаша печенѣзѣ, яко князя нѣту, придоша и сташа около Бѣлагорода. И не дадяхуть вылѣсти из града. Бѣ бо голодъ великъ въ градѣ, и не лзѣ Володимиру помочи, и не бѣ лзѣ поити ему, и еще бо ся бяхуть не собрали к нему вои, печенѣгь же бѣ множьство много. И удолжишася, остояче въ градѣ люди, и бѣ глад великъ. И створиша вѣче въ градѣ и рѣша: «Се хочемь помрети от глада, а от князя помочи нѣтъ. Да луче ли ны умрети? Вдадимся печенѣгомъ, да кого ли оживят, кого ли умертвять, уже помираемь от глада». И тако свѣтъ створиша. И бѣ же одинъ старець не былъ в вѣчи томь, вьпрашаше: «Что ради створиша вѣче людье?» И повѣдаша ему, яко утро хотять ся людье передати печенѣгомъ.
Се же слышавь, посла по старѣйшины градьскыя и рече имъ: «Слышахъ, яко хочете передатися печенѣгомъ». Они же рѣша: «Не стѣрпять людье голода». И рече имъ: «Послушайте мене, не предайтеся за три дни, и азъ что вы велю и створите». И они же ради и обѣщашася послушати. И рече имъ: «Сберете по горьсти овса, или пшеницѣ, ли отруб». Они же, шедше, ради снискаху. И повелѣ женам створити цѣжь, в немже варять кисель, и повелѣ копати кладязь, и вьставити тамо кадь, и налья цѣжа кадь. И повелѣ копати другий кладязь и вьставити тамо другую кадь. Повелѣ имь искати меду. Они же, шедше, взяша лукно меду, бѣ бо погребено въ княжи медуши. И повелѣ росытити воду велми и вьльяти въ кадь и в друземь кладязѣ тако. Наутрѣя же посла по печенѣгы.
Горожани же рекоша, шедше, печенѣгомъ: «Поимете к собѣ тали наша, а васъ до 10 мужь идете въ градъ и видите, что ся дѣеть въ градѣ нашемь». Печенѣзи же радѣ бывше, мняще, яко хотять ся передати, а сами избраша лучшии мужи въ градѣ и послаша я въ град, да розъглядають, что ся дѣеть въ градѣ у нихъ. И придоша въ градъ, и рекоша людие: «Почто губите себе? Коли можете перестояти нас? Аще стоите 10 лѣт, что можете створити намъ? Имѣемь бо кормьлю от земля. Аще ли не вѣруете, да видите своима очима». И приведоша я кь кладязю, идѣже цѣжь, и почерпоша вѣдромъ и льяху в латкы. И варяху пред ними, и яко свариша пред ними кисель, и поемь я, и приведоша кь другому кладязю, и почерпоша сыты, и почаша ясти первое сами, потом же и печенѣзѣ. И удивишася, рекоша: «Не имуть сему вѣры наши князи, аще не ядять сами».
И людье нальяша корчагу цѣжа и сыты от кладязя и вдаша печенѣгомъ. Они же, пришедше, повѣдаша вся бывшая. И вариша кисель, и яша князи печенѣжьстии и подивишася. И поемше тали своя, а онѣхъ пустивше, и вьсташа от града, и въ своя идоша.
Въ лѣто 6506.
Въ лѣто 6507.
Въ лѣто 6508. Преставися Малъфридь. В се же лѣто преставися и Рогънѣдь, мати Ярославля.
Въ лѣто 6509. Преставися Изяславъ, отець Брячьславль, сынъ Володимѣрь.
Въ лѣто 6510.
Въ лѣто 6511. Преставися Всеславъ, сынъ Изяславль, внукъ Вълодимѣрь.
Въ лѣто 6512.
Въ лѣто 6513.
Въ лѣто 6514.
Въ лѣто 6515. Принесени святии въ святую Богородицю.
Въ лѣто 6516.
Въ лѣто 6517.
Въ лѣто 6518.
Въ лѣто 6519. Преставися цесарици Володимеряа Анна.
Въ лѣто 6520.
Въ лѣто 6521.
Въ лѣто 6522. Ярославу сущу в Новѣгородѣ и урокомъ дающю 2000 гривенъ от года до года Кыеву, а тысящю Новѣгородѣ гридемъ раздаваху. И тако дааху вси посадницѣ новьгородьстии, а Ярославъ поча сего не даяти Кыеву, отцю своему. И рче Володимиръ: «Теребите путь и мосты мостите» — хотяше бо ити на Ярослава, на сына своего, но разболѣся.
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 6505. Vladimir went to Novgorod to raise troops from the upper lands against the Pechenegs, for the war was great and without pause. At that time the Pechenegs learned that the prince was gone, and came and laid siege around Bilhorod. They did not let anyone come out of the town. There was great hunger in the town, and Vladimir could bring no help, for he could not yet march, his troops not being gathered to him, and the Pechenegs were a very great multitude. The siege wore on, the people standing fast within the town, and the famine was great. The townsfolk held an assembly and said: “Here we are dying of hunger, and there is no help from the prince. Is it better for us to go on dying? Let us give ourselves up to the Pechenegs—let them spare some and kill the rest; we are dying of hunger all the same.” And such was their counsel. But one elder had not been at that assembly, and he asked: “Why did the people hold an assembly?” And they told him that in the morning the people meant to surrender to the Pechenegs.
Hearing this, he sent for the elders of the town and said to them: “I hear that you mean to give yourselves up to the Pechenegs.” They said: “The people cannot endure the hunger.” And he said to them: “Hear me: do not surrender for three days, and do what I command you.” And they gladly promised to obey. And he said to them: “Gather a handful apiece of oats, or of wheat, or of bran.” They went and gladly gathered it. And he ordered the women to make the mash from which kisel is boiled, and ordered a well dug and a vat set in it, and the vat filled with the mash. And he ordered a second well dug and a second vat set there, and told them to look for honey. They went and brought a box of honey that had been stored in the prince's honey cellar. And he ordered the honey much thinned with water and poured into the vat, and so in the other well. The next morning he sent word to the Pechenegs.
The townsfolk went and said to the Pechenegs: “Take our hostages to yourselves, and let ten of your men come into the town and see what is done in our town.” The Pechenegs were glad, thinking that they meant to surrender, and chose out their best men and sent them into the town, to see what was being done in it. And when they had come into the town, the people said to them: “Why do you destroy yourselves? How can you outlast us? If you stand here ten years, what can you do to us? We have food from the earth. If you do not believe it, see with your own eyes.” And they led them to the well where the mash was, drew it up in a bucket, and poured it into pots, and boiled it before them; and when the kisel was boiled before them, they ate of it, and then led them to the other well, drew up the honey drink, and began to eat, first themselves, and then the Pechenegs. And they marveled and said: “Our princes will not believe this unless they eat of it themselves.”
And the people filled a jug with the mash and with the honey drink from the well and gave it to the Pechenegs. They came back and told all that had happened; they boiled the kisel, and the Pecheneg princes ate and marveled. And taking back their own hostages and letting the others go, they rose up from before the town and went away to their own places.
In the year 6506.
In the year 6507.
In the year 6508. Malfrid died. In the same year Rogneda, Yaroslav's mother, also died.
In the year 6509. Iziaslav died, son of Vladimir, father of Briachislav.
In the year 6510.
In the year 6511. Vseslav died, son of Iziaslav, grandson of Vladimir.
In the year 6512.
In the year 6513.
In the year 6514.
In the year 6515. The holy relics were brought to the holy Mother of God.
In the year 6516.
In the year 6517.
In the year 6518.
In the year 6519. Princess Anna, Vladimir's wife, died.
In the year 6520.
In the year 6521.
In the year 6522. Yaroslav was in Novgorod, and it was his rule to give 2000 grivnas from year to year to Kyiv, while a thousand was distributed in Novgorod to the household guard. So did all the governors of Novgorod give, but Yaroslav ceased to give this to Kyiv, to his father. And Vladimir said: “Clear the roads and mend the bridges”—for he meant to march against Yaroslav, his son, but he fell ill.
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 6505. Vladimir went to Novgorod to gather troops from the upper lands against the Pechenegs, for the war with them was great and unceasing. At that time the Pechenegs learned that the prince was not there. They came and stood around Bilhorod, and did not let anyone come out of the town. There was a great famine in the town, and Vladimir could not bring help, and he could not go there, for his troops had not yet gathered to him, and the Pechenegs were very many. The siege went on long, and the people in the town were worn down, and the famine was great. The people of the town held an assembly and said: “We are going to die of hunger, and there is no help from the prince. Is it better for us to die this way? Let us give ourselves up to the Pechenegs. Let them spare some of us and kill the rest; we are dying of hunger anyway.” And so they took their decision. But there was one old man who had not been at that assembly, and he asked: “Why did the people hold an assembly?” And they told him that the next morning the people meant to give themselves up to the Pechenegs.
When he heard this, he sent for the town elders and said to them: “I hear that you mean to give yourselves up to the Pechenegs.” They said: “The people cannot endure the hunger.” He said to them: “Listen to me. Do not give up for three days, and do what I tell you.” And they gladly promised to obey. He said to them: “Gather a handful each of oats, or wheat, or bran.” They went and gladly gathered it. He told the women to make the liquor from which they boil kissel, and he ordered a well dug, and a tub set in it, and the tub filled with the liquor. He ordered a second well dug and another tub set in it. He ordered them to find honey. They went and took a basket of honey, which lay stored in the prince's honey cellar. He ordered the honey stirred into water very thin, and poured into the tub, and the same in the other well. The next morning he sent for the Pechenegs.
The townspeople went out and said to the Pechenegs: “Take our hostages, and let ten of your men come into the town and see what is happening in our town.” The Pechenegs were glad, thinking that they meant to give themselves up, and they chose their best men and sent them into the town, to see what was happening in it. When they came into the town, the people said to them: “Why do you destroy yourselves? How can you outlast us? If you besiege us for 10 years, what can you do to us? We get our food from the earth. If you do not believe it, see with your own eyes.” And they led them to the well where the liquor was, dipped it up with a bucket, and poured it into pots. They cooked it in front of them, and when the kissel was cooked, they took it and led them to the other well, dipped up the honey water, and began to eat — first themselves, and then the Pechenegs. The Pechenegs were astonished and said: “Our princes will not believe this unless they eat it themselves.”
The townspeople filled a jug with the liquor and with the honey water from the wells and gave it to the Pechenegs. When they came back, they told all that had happened. Kissel was boiled, and the Pecheneg princes ate it and marveled. Then they took back their own hostages, released the ones they were holding, lifted the siege from the town, and went off to their own land.
In the year 6506.
In the year 6507.
In the year 6508. Malfrid died. In the same year Rogneda also died, the mother of Yaroslav.
In the year 6509. Iziaslav died, the father of Briachislav, son of Vladimir.
In the year 6510.
In the year 6511. Vseslav died, son of Iziaslav, grandson of Vladimir.
In the year 6512.
In the year 6513.
In the year 6514.
In the year 6515. The saints were brought to the holy Mother of God.
In the year 6516.
In the year 6517.
In the year 6518.
In the year 6519. Anna, Vladimir's empress, died.
In the year 6520.
In the year 6521.
In the year 6522. Yaroslav was in Novgorod, paying a set tribute of 2000 grivnas year by year to Kyiv, while a thousand grivnas was distributed to the retinue men in Novgorod. So all the governors of Novgorod had paid, but Yaroslav stopped paying this to Kyiv, to his father. Vladimir said: “Clear the road and lay the bridges” — for he meant to go against Yaroslav, his son. But he fell ill.