Attributed to Nestor the Chronicler · Complete work
1015, Part 1: Vladimir's Death and the Murder of Boris and Gleb
1015, Part 1: Vladimir's Death and the Murder of Boris and Gleb of 46. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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Въ лѣто 6523. Хотящю ити Володимѣру на Ярослава, Ярослав же, посла за море и приведе варягы, бояся отца своего. Но Богъ не дасть дьяволу радости. Володимеру же разболѣвшюся, в се же время бяше у него Борисъ, а печенѣгомъ идущимъ на Русь, и посла противу имъ Бориса, а самъ боляше велми, в нейже болести и скончася мѣсяца иуля въ 15 день. Умре же Володимиръ, князь великый, на Берестовъмь, и потаиша ̀и, бѣ бо Святополкъ в Кыевѣ. И нощью же межи клѣтми проимавъше помостъ, в ковьрѣ опрятавши и ужи свѣсиша и на землю, и възложивъша ̀и на сани, и везоша, и поставиша ̀и въ святѣй Богородици церкви, юже бѣ самъ создалъ. Се же увидѣвше людье и снидошася бе-щисла, и плакашася по немь, бояре аки заступника земли ихъ, убозии акы заступника и кормителя. И вложиша ̀и въ гробѣ мраморяни, спрятавше тѣло его с плачемь великим, блаженаго князя.
Се есть новы Костянтинъ великаго Рима, иже крести вся люди своа самъ, и тако сий створи подобьно ему. Аще бо бѣ преже в поганьствѣ и на сквѣрную похоть желая, но послѣди прилежа к покаянью, якоже вѣщаше апостолъ: «Идеже умножися грѣхъ, ту изобильствуеть благодать». Аще бо прѣже в невѣжьствѣ, етера быша сгрѣшения, послѣди же расыпашася покаяньемь и милостнями, якоже глаголеть: «В нем тя застану, в том ти и сужю». Якоже пророкъ глаголеть: «Живъ азъ, Аданай Господь, якоже не хощю смерти грѣшника, якоже обратитися ему от пути своего и живу быти, обращениемь обратися от пути своего злаго». Мнози бо праведнии творяще и по правдѣ живуще, и кь смерти совращаються праваго пути и погыбають, а друзии развращено пребывають и кь смерти вьспомянуться и покаяньемь добрымь очистять грѣхы. Якоже пророкъ глаголеть: «Праведный не возможе спастися въ день грѣха его. Егда рекуть правѣдному: Живъ будеши, сьй же уповаеть правдою своею и сотворить безаконье, вся правда его не въспомянеться, в неправдѣ его, юже створи, и в ней умреть. И егда рекуть нечестивому: смертию умреши, ти обратиться от пути своего и створить судъ и правду. И заимъ судъ, лъжю отдасть, и вьсхищение възвратить. Вси грѣси его, яже сгрѣшилъ есть, не помянутся, яко суд и правду створилъ есть, и живъ будеть в них. Комужьто вас сужю по пути его, доме Израилевъ!»
Сьй же умеръ во исповѣдании добрьмь, покааньемь расыпа грѣхы своя, милостнями, иже есть паче всего добрѣй. «Милостыни бо хощю, а не жерьтвѣ». Милостьни бо есть всего луче и вышьше, възводящи до самого небеси пред Богъ». Якоже ангелъ Корнильеви рече; «Молитвы твоя и милостня твоя взиидоша в память предъ Богомь». Дивно есть се, колико добра створи Руской земли, крестивь ю. Мы же, крестьяни суще, не вьздаемь почестья противу оного възданью. Аще бы онъ не крестилъ насъ, то и нынѣ быхомъ былѣ въ прельсти дьяволѣ, якоже и прародители наши погибнуша. Да аще быхомъ и мы потщание и молбы приносили к Богу за нь, въ день преставления его; видя бы Богъ тщание наше кь нему, прославилъ бы ̀и. Намъ бо достоить Бога молити за нь, понеже тѣмь Бога познахомъ. Нъ дай же ти Господь по сердцю твоему и вся прошения твоя исполни, егоже желаше царства небеснаго. Дажь ти Господь вѣнѣць с правѣдными, в пищи райстий, весельи, ликъствованье сь Аврамомь и с прочими патрѣархы, якоже Соломонъ рче: «Умершю правѣдному, не погибнеть упованье». Сего бо в память держать рустии людье, поминающе святое кресщение и прославляюще Бога въ молитвах и въ пѣснѣхъ и въ псалмихъ, поюще Господеви, новии людье, просвѣщени Духомъ Святымь, чающе надежа великаго Бога, Спаса нашего Иисуса Христа вьздати комуждо противу трудомъ неизреченьную радость, юже буди улучити всимь крестьяномъ.
Святополкъ же сѣде в Киевѣ по отци своемь, и созва кыяны и нача имѣние имь даяти, а они приимаху, и не бѣ сердце ихъ с нимь, яко братья ихъ быша с Борисомъ. Борису же возвратившюся с воины, не обрѣтшю печенѣгъ, вѣсть приде ему, яко «Отець ти умерлъ». И плакася по отци велми, любимъ бо бѣ отцемь паче всих, и ста на Алтѣ, пришедъ. Рѣша ему дружина отня: «Се дружина у тебе отня и вои. Поиди, сяди в Кыевѣ на столѣ отнѣ». Онъ же рече: «Не буди то — мнѣ вьзняти рукы на брата на старѣйшаго: аще отець ми умре, то сѣй ми будеть въ отца мѣсто». И се слышавше вои и разиидошася от него. Борисъ же стояше съ отрокы своими. Святополкь же исполнися безакония, Каиновъ смыслъ приимъ, посылая к Борису, глаголя, яко «С тобою хощю любовь имѣти и к отню ти придамъ», льстя под нимь, како бы погубити. Святополкъ же приде нощью к Вышегороду и отай призва Путшю и вышегородьскыя боярьцѣ, и рече имъ: «Прияете ли мнѣ всимъ сердцемь?».
И рече Путьша: «Можемь головы своѣ с вышегородци положити». Он же рче имъ: «Не повѣдите никомуже, шедше, убийте брата моего Бориса». Они же вьскорѣ обѣщашася ему створити се. О сяковыхъ бо Соломонъ рече: «Скоры суть бес правды прольяти кровь. Сбирають собѣ злая. Ти бо обьщаются крови. Сихъ путье суть скончевающе безаконие, нечестьемь бо свою душю емлють». Послании же придоша нощью, и подъступиша ближе, и слышаша блаженаго Бориса, поюща заутренюю — повѣдаша бо ему, яко хотять тя погубити. И, вьставъ, нача пѣти, глаголя: «Господи! Что ся умножиша стужающии ми. Вьстають на мя мнози», и пакы: «Яко стрѣлы твоя уньзоша во мнѣ, яко азъ на раны готовъ, и болѣзнь моя предо мною есть», и пакы глаголаше: «Господи! Услыши молитву мою, и не вниди в судъ с рабомъ твоимъ, яко не оправдиться предъ тобою всякъ живый, яко погна врагь душю мою».
И кончавь ексапсалмы и, видивь, яко послании суть погубить его, и нача пѣти псальтырь, глаголя, яко «Обыидоша мя унци тучни. И сборъ злобныхъ осѣде мя. Господи, Боже мой, на тя уповахъ, и спаси мя, и от всихъ гонящихъ избави мя». По сем же нача канунъ пѣти. Тако въ заутрьню, помолися, зря на икону, глаголя, на образъ владычень: «Господи Иисусе Христе! Иже симь образомъ явися на земли спасения ради нашего, изволивый своею волею пригвоздити руци свои на крестѣ, и приемь страсть грѣхъ ради нашихъ, тако и мене сподоби прияти страсть. Се же не от противныхъ приимаю, но от брата своего, и не створи ему, Господи, в семь грѣха». И помолившюся ему, и вьзлеже на одрѣ своемь. И се нападоша на нь, акы звѣрье дивии около шатра, и насунуша и копьи, и прободоша Бориса и слугу его, падша на немь, прободоша с нимь. Бѣ бо сь любимъ Борисомъ.
Бяше бо отрокъ сь родомъ угринъ, именемь Георгий, егоже любляше повелику Борисъ; бѣ бо възложи на нь гривьну злату, в нейже предстояше ему. Избиша же отрокы многы Борисовы. Георгиеви же, не могуще сняти вборзѣ гривны сь шѣи, и усѣкънуша главу его и тако сняша гривну ту, а главу отвѣргъше прочь, тѣмже не обрѣтоша послѣже тѣла его въ трупьи. Бориса же убивше, оканьнии, увѣртѣвше ̀и в шатеръ, и вьзложиша ̀и на кола, повезоша ̀и, еще дыщющу ему. И увидивьше се, оканьный Святополкъ, и яко еще ему дышющу, и посла два варяга приконьчевати его. Онѣма же пришедшима и видившема, яко еще ему живу сущю, и единъ ею извлекъ мечь и проньзе ù кь сердцю. И тако скончася блаженый Борисъ, приимь вѣнѣць от Христа Бога с правѣдными, причтеся сь пророкы и съ апостолы, и с лики мученичьскыми въдворяяся, Авраму на лонѣ почивая, видя неизречьньную радость, вьспѣвая съ ангелы и веселяся с ликы святыхъ.
И положиша тѣло его, принесоша ̀и отай Вышегороду, въ церкви святаго Василия. Оканьнии же убийци придоша кь Святополку, аки хвалу имуще, безаконьници. Суть же имена симъ законопреступникомъ: Путьша, Талець, Еловичь, Ляшько, отець же ихъ сотона. Сици бо слугы бѣси бывають: бѣси бо на зло посылаеми бывають, а ангели на благое слеми бывают. Ангелъ бо и человѣку зла не створяет, но благое мыслить ему всегда; пакы же крестьяномъ помагають и заступають от супротивнаго врага. А бѣси на злое всегда ловять, завидяще ему, понеже видять человѣка Богомъ почьщена, и завидяще ему, и на зло слеми скори суть. Рече бо: «Кто идеть прельстити Ахава?» И рече бѣсъ: «Се азъ иду». Золъ человѣкъ тщиться на злое, не хужьши есть бѣса, бѣси бо бояться Бога, а золъ человѣкъ ни Бога ся боить, ни человѣкъ стыдиться; бѣси бо креста Господня бояться, а золъ человѣкъ ни креста боиться.
Тѣмже и Давидъ глаголаше: «Аще воистину убо право глаголите, право судите, сынови человѣчстии, ибо въ сердди дѣлаете безаконие, на земли неправду рукы ваша сплѣтають учюжени быша грѣшници от ложеснъ, заблудиша от чрева, глаголюща лжю, ярость ихъ по образу […] змиину».
Святополкъ же оканьный помысли в себе, рекъ: «Се уже убихъ Бориса, а еще како бы убити Глѣба?» И приимъ смысль Каиновъ, с лестью посла кь Глѣбу, глаголя сице: «Поиде вборьзѣ, отець тя зоветь, нездоровить бо велми». Глѣбъ же, всѣдъ на конь, поиде с маломъ дружины, бѣ бо послушьливъ отцю. И пришедшю ему на Волгу, на полѣ потъчеся конь въ рвѣ, и наломи ему ногу мало. И приде ко Смоленьску, и поиде от Смоленьска, яко зрѣима, и ста на Смядинѣ в корабли. В се же время пришла бѣ вѣсть от Передьславы кь Ярославу о отни смерти, и посла Ярославъ кь Глѣбу, глаголя: «Не ходи, отець ти умерлъ, а братъ ти убитъ от Святополка».
И се слышавъ, Глѣбъ вьспи велми сь слезами и плачася по отци, паче же и по братѣ, и нача молитися со слезами, глаголя: «Увы мнѣ, Господи! Луче бы мнѣ умрети с братомь, нежели жити въ свѣтѣ семь. Аще бо быхъ, брате, видилъ лице твое ангелское, умерлъ быхъ с тобою. Нынѣ же что ради остахъ азъ единъ? Кде суть словеса твоя, яже глаголаше ко мнѣ, брате мой любимый? Нынѣ уже не услышю тихаго твоего наказания. Да аще еси получилъ деръзновение у Бога, молися о мнѣ, да и азъ быхъ ту же приялъ страсть. Луче бы ми с тобою умрети, нежели въ свѣтѣ семь прельстнемь жити». И сице ему молящюся сь слезами, и внезапу придоша послании от Святополка на погубленье Глѣба. И ту абье послании яша корабль Глѣбовъ и обнажиша оружья. И отроци Глѣбовы уныша.
Оканьный же Горясѣръ повелѣ вборзѣ зарѣзати Глѣба. Поваръ же Глѣбовъ, именемь Торчинъ, выньзъ ножь, зарѣза Глѣба, аки агня непорочно.
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 6523. As Vladimir was about to march against Yaroslav, Yaroslav sent overseas and brought Varangians, fearing his father. But God did not give the devil cause to rejoice. Vladimir fell ill, and at that very time Boris was with him; and as the Pechenegs were advancing on Rus', he sent Boris against them, while he himself lay grievously ill, and in that illness he died, in the month of July, on the 15th day. Vladimir the grand prince died at Berestovo, and they concealed it, for Sviatopolk was in Kyiv. By night, between the log buildings, they pried up the flooring, wrapped his body in a rug, lowered it with ropes to the ground, laid it on a sledge, carried it, and set it in the church of the Holy Mother of God, which he himself had built. When the people saw this, they gathered together beyond number and wept for him — the boyars as for the defender of their land, the poor as for their defender and provider. And they laid him in a marble tomb and buried his body with great lamentation — the blessed prince.
This is the new Constantine of great Rome, who baptized all his own people himself; and this one did the like, as he did. Though before he had been in paganism and lusted after foul desire, afterward he gave himself to repentance, as the apostle declared: “Where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more.” Though before, in ignorance, certain sins had been his, afterward he washed them away with repentance and almsgiving, as it is said: “In what I find you, by that I judge you.” As the prophet says: “As I live, says the Lord God, I do not desire the death of the sinner, but that he turn from his way and live — that he turn back from his evil way.” For many who do righteousness and live justly turn from the right path toward death and perish; but others live in perversity and, at the point of death, come to themselves and cleanse their sins with good repentance. As the prophet says: “The righteous cannot be saved on the day of his sin. When it is said to the righteous man, ‘You shall surely live,’ and he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered; in the wrong he has done he shall die. And when it is said to the ungodly, ‘You shall surely die,’ and he turns from his way and does justice and righteousness — restores the pledge, repays what was taken by deceit, gives back what he seized — none of the sins he has committed shall be remembered, for he has done justice and righteousness and shall live in them. I will judge each one of you according to his way, house of Israel!”
He died in a good confession, wiping away his sins with repentance and with almsgiving, which is the best of all things. “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” For almsgiving is better and higher than all things, lifting a man up to heaven itself before God — as the angel said to Cornelius: “Your prayers and your alms have gone up in remembrance before God.” Wonderful it is, how much good he did for the land of Rus', having baptized it. But we who are Christians do not repay him honor in return for that gift. Had he not baptized us, we would this day be in the devil's deception, as our forefathers perished. If we also brought zeal and prayers to God on his behalf, on the day of his falling asleep, God, seeing our devotion toward him, would glorify him. For it is right for us to pray to God for him, since through him we came to know God. May the Lord grant you according to your heart and fulfill all your petitions, you who longed for the kingdom of heaven. May the Lord give you a crown among the righteous, food of paradise, joy and exultation with Abraham and the other patriarchs, as Solomon said: “When the righteous dies, his hope does not perish.” Him the people of Rus' hold in remembrance, recalling his holy baptism and glorifying God in prayers and in songs and in psalms, singing to the Lord — the new people, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, awaiting that the great God, our Savior Jesus Christ, will render to each one, according to his labors, a joy unspeakable, which may all Christians attain.
Sviatopolk sat in Kyiv after his father, and he summoned the men of Kyiv and began to give them wealth, and they took it, but their hearts were not with him, for their brothers were with Boris. Boris, returning with his troops and finding no Pechenegs, received the news: “Your father is dead.” And he wept greatly for his father, for he was loved by him above all, and coming, he halted on the Alta. His father's retinue said to him: “Here is your father's retinue and the troops. Go and sit in Kyiv on your father's throne.” He said: “May it never be that I raise my hands against my elder brother: if my father has died, this one shall be to me in my father's place.” Hearing this, the troops dispersed from him, and Boris stood with his own servants. Sviatopolk was filled with lawlessness, having taken to himself Cain's counsel; he sent to Boris, saying: “I wish to have love with you, and I will add to what our father left you,” deceiving him, planning how to destroy him. Sviatopolk came by night to Vyshhorod and secretly summoned Putsha and the boyars of Vyshhorod, and said to them: “Do you accept me with all your heart?”
And Putsha said: “We can lay down our heads with the men of Vyshhorod.” He said to them: “Tell no one: go and kill my brother Boris.” They promised him at once to do this. Of such men Solomon said: “They are swift to shed blood without justice. They gather evil to themselves. Such bargain for blood. The ways of such men bring lawlessness to its end, for they seize their own souls by impiety.” The emissaries came by night and drew near, and heard blessed Boris singing the matins — for it had been told him that they meant to destroy him. And he rose and began to sing, saying: “Lord, how my tormentors are multiplied; many rise against me,” and again: “For your arrows have sunk into me, for I stand ready for wounds, and my suffering is before me,” and again he said: “Lord, hear my prayer, and enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living shall be justified before you, for the enemy has pursued my soul.”
And when he had finished the six psalms and saw that the emissaries had come to destroy him, he began to sing the psalter, saying: “Fat bulls have beset me round about, and a crowd of evildoers has closed in on me. Lord my God, I have hoped in you; save me, and deliver me from all who pursue me.” After that he began to sing the canon. So, at matins, he prayed, gazing at the icon, speaking to the image of the Master: “Lord Jesus Christ, who in this image appeared on earth for the sake of our salvation, who by your own will deigned to nail your hands to the cross and accepted passion for the sake of our sins, so vouchsafe me also to accept passion. And behold, I receive it not from enemies, but from my own brother — let it not be counted to him, Lord, as sin.” And when he had prayed, he lay down on his bed. And lo, they fell upon him like wild beasts around the tent, and thrust their spears at him, and pierced Boris; and his servant, who had thrown himself upon him, they pierced together with him. For this one was loved by Boris.
There was a servant there, a Hungarian by birth, named George, whom Boris loved greatly; he wore a golden neck chain which Boris had given him, and he was standing beside him. They killed many of Boris's servants too. George they could not strip of the chain quickly, so they cut off his head and so took the chain away; and because they cast the head aside, they never found his body afterward among the slain. Having slain Boris, the villains wrapped him in a tent cloth, laid him on a cart, and carried him off — and he was still breathing. When the accursed Sviatopolk saw this — that he still breathed — he sent two Varangians to finish him. When they came and saw that he still lived, one of them drew his sword and thrust it into his heart. Thus blessed Boris ended his life, receiving from Christ God a crown with the righteous; he was numbered with the prophets and with the apostles, dwelling amid the ranks of the martyrs, resting on Abraham's bosom, beholding joy unspeakable, singing with the angels and rejoicing with the choirs of the saints.
And they laid his body to rest — they brought it secretly to Vyshhorod, to the church of St. Basil. The accursed murderers came to Sviatopolk, lawless men, as though they had won praise. These are the names of the lawbreakers: Putsha, Talets, Elovich, Lyashko — and their father is Satan. Such men become servants of the devils: devils are sent forth for evil, and angels for good. For an angel never does harm to a man, but always plans good for him; moreover, angels aid Christians and shield them from the opposing foe. But devils are always lying in wait for evil, envying man because they see him honored by God; and in their envy they are swift to be sent forth for evil. For it is said: “Who will go and deceive Ahab?” And a devil said: “Behold, I will go.” A wicked man who hastens to evil is worse than a devil: devils fear God, but a wicked man fears neither God nor feels shame before men; devils fear the cross of the Lord, but a wicked man does not even fear the cross.
Therefore David also said: “If you indeed speak righteousness and judge aright, you sons of men — for you work lawlessness in your hearts, and your hands weave injustice on the earth: sinners have been estranged from the womb, they have gone astray from the belly, speaking falsehood; their rage is after the likeness […] of a serpent.”
The accursed Sviatopolk pondered within himself, saying: “Now I have killed Boris, but how can I kill Gleb?” And taking Cain's counsel, he sent to Gleb with deceit, saying this: “Come quickly — your father calls you; he is very ill.” Gleb mounted his horse and set out with a small retinue, for he had been obedient to his father. When he came to the Volga, on the plain his horse stumbled in a ditch and slightly broke its leg. He came to Smolensk and went on from Smolensk in plain sight, and halted at Smiadyn in a boat. At that same time news had come to Yaroslav from Predslava of their father's death, and Yaroslav sent to Gleb, saying: “Do not go: your father is dead, and your brother has been killed by Sviatopolk.”
Hearing this, Gleb wept greatly with tears, mourning for his father and even more for his brother, and began to pray with tears, saying: “Woe is me, Lord! Better would it have been for me to die with my brother than to live in this world. Had I seen your angelic face, brother, I would have died with you. But now why am I left alone? Where are your words, which you spoke to me, my beloved brother? Now I shall never hear your gentle instruction. If you have received boldness before God, pray for me, that I too might receive the same passion there. Better would it be for me to die with you than to live in this deceitful world.” And while he prayed thus with tears, suddenly there came the emissaries from Sviatopolk for the destruction of Gleb. At once they seized Gleb's boat and bared their weapons. And Gleb's servants lost heart.
The accursed Goriaser ordered Gleb killed speedily. Gleb's cook, named Torchin, drew a knife and cut Gleb's throat, like an innocent lamb.
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 6523. Vladimir was getting ready to march against Yaroslav, so Yaroslav sent overseas and brought Varangians, because he feared his father. But God did not give the devil cause to rejoice. Vladimir fell ill; at that very time Boris was with him, and the Pechenegs were marching on Rus'. Vladimir sent Boris against them, while he himself was gravely ill, and in that illness he died, on the 15th day of the month of July. Vladimir the grand prince died at Berestovo, and they kept it hidden, for Sviatopolk was in Kyiv. At night they took up the floor between the storage cells, wrapped him in a carpet, lowered him with ropes to the ground, laid him on a sledge, carried him, and set him in the church of the Holy Mother of God, which he himself had built. When the people saw this, they gathered without number and wept for him: the boyars, as for the defender of their land; the poor, as for their defender and provider. And they laid him in a marble tomb and buried his body with great weeping—the blessed prince.
He was a new Constantine of great Rome: Constantine baptized all his people himself, and this man did the same as he. Before, he was in paganism and lusted after foul desires; afterward he gave himself to repentance, as the apostle said: “Where sin multiplied, grace abounded all the more.” Before, in ignorance, he had certain sins; afterward he wiped them out with repentance and alms, as it is said: “In what I find you, in that I will judge you.” As the prophet says: “As I live, Adonai the Lord: I do not want the death of a sinner, but that he turn from his way and live; turn back from your evil way.” For many who do righteous deeds and live by what is right turn from the right path toward death and perish; but others live crooked lives, come to their senses before death, and cleanse their sins with good repentance. As the prophet says: “The righteous man cannot be saved on the day of his sin. When they say to a righteous man, ‘You shall live,’ and he trusts in his righteousness and does wrong, none of his righteousness will be remembered; for the wrong he has done, in it he will die. And when they say to an unrighteous man, ‘You shall surely die,’ and he turns from his way and does justice and righteousness, he returns the pledge, repays the loan, and gives back what he seized. All the sins he committed will not be remembered, because he did justice and righteousness, and he will live by them. I will judge each of you by his own way, house of Israel!”
He died with a good confession; by repentance he wiped away his sins, and by almsgiving, which is better than every other good thing. “I want mercy, and not sacrifice.” Alms are better and higher than everything; they lift a person up to heaven itself, into the presence of God. As the angel said to Cornelius: “Your prayers and your alms have risen as a memorial before God.” It is a wonder how much good he did for the land of Rus' when he baptized it. Yet we, who are Christians, do not repay honor equal to what he gave us. If he had not baptized us, we would still be in the devil's deceit, as our forefathers perished. So if we brought diligence and prayers to God for him on the day of his passing, God, seeing our devotion to him, would glorify him. It is right for us to pray to God for him, because through him we came to know God. May the Lord give you what your heart desires and fulfill all your petitions, you who longed for the kingdom of heaven. May the Lord give you a crown with the righteous, food in paradise, joy and exultation with Abraham and the other patriarchs, as Solomon said: “When a righteous man dies, hope does not perish.” For this the Rus' people keep him in memory, commemorating his holy baptism and glorifying God with prayers and songs and psalms, singing to the Lord—a new people enlightened by the Holy Spirit, waiting for the great hope in God, our Savior Jesus Christ, to give each one, in return for his labors, joy beyond words; may all Christians attain that joy.
Sviatopolk took his father's place in Kyiv. He called the men of Kyiv together and began to give them property. They took it, but their hearts were not with him, for their brothers were with Boris. Boris was returning with his troops, having found no Pechenegs, when news came to him: “Your father has died.” He wept greatly for his father, for his father loved him more than all his sons, and he came and halted at the Alta. His father's retinue said to him: “Here is your father's retinue and your father's troops. Go and sit in Kyiv on your father's throne.” He said: “May that never be—for me to raise my hand against my elder brother. If my father has died, then this brother takes my father's place.” Hearing this, the troops went away from him, and Boris stayed on with his young retainers. Sviatopolk was filled with iniquity; he took on Cain's way of thinking. He sent to Boris, saying: “I want to have love with you, and I will add to what our father left you”—deceiving him, planning how to destroy him. Sviatopolk came by night to Vyshhorod and secretly called Putsha and the boyars of Vyshhorod, and said to them: “Do you accept me with all your heart?”
Putsha said: “We are ready to lay down our heads for you, and the men of Vyshhorod with us.” He said to them: “Tell no one. Go and kill my brother Boris.” They quickly promised him to do it. Of such men Solomon said: “They are quick to shed blood without justice. They gather evil for themselves. They lie in ambush for blood. Such are the ways of everyone who works iniquity; by ungodliness they take their own souls.” The men who were sent came by night and drew near, and they heard blessed Boris singing the morning service—for it had been reported to him that they meant to destroy him. Rising, he began to sing: “Lord, how those who trouble me have multiplied! Many rise up against me.” And again: “For your arrows have sunk into me, for I am ready for wounds, and my suffering is before me.” And again he said: “Lord, hear my prayer, and do not enter into judgment with your servant, for no one living will be justified before you; for the enemy has pursued my soul.”
When he finished the six psalms and saw that the men who had been sent were there to destroy him, he began to sing from the psalter: “Fat bulls have surrounded me; the assembly of evildoers has hemmed me in. Lord my God, I have hoped in you; save me, and deliver me from all who pursue me.” After this he began to sing the canon. And so, at the morning service, he prayed, gazing at the icon, speaking to the image of the Master: “Lord Jesus Christ, who appeared on earth in this form for the sake of our salvation, who was willing by your own will to nail your hands to the cross, and who took suffering for our sins—make me too worthy to accept suffering. But I do not accept it from enemies; I accept it from my own brother. Lord, do not count this sin against him.” When he had prayed, he lay down on his bed. And then they rushed at him like wild beasts around the tent; they pushed in their spears and pierced Boris, and his servant, who had thrown himself on him, they pierced along with him. For Boris loved this servant.
This young man was a Hungarian by birth, named George, and Boris loved him greatly; Boris had placed a golden neck ring on him, and he was standing by him. They killed many of Boris's retainers. They could not pull the ring off George's neck quickly, so they cut off his head and so took the ring, and they threw the head away; that is why they later could not find his body among the dead. The cursed men killed Boris, wrapped him in the tent, put him on a cart, and carried him off while he was still breathing. The cursed Sviatopolk saw this—that he was still breathing—and sent two Varangians to finish him off. They came and saw that he was still alive, and one of them drew his sword and stabbed him to the heart. And so the blessed Boris died. He received a crown from Christ God with the righteous; he was numbered with the prophets and the apostles and took his place among the choir of martyrs, resting in Abraham's bosom, seeing joy beyond words, singing with the angels and rejoicing with the choirs of the saints.
They laid his body—they brought it secretly to Vyshhorod, to the church of St. Basil. The cursed murderers came to Sviatopolk as if they had won praise, these lawless men. The names of these lawbreakers are Putsha, Talets, Elovich, and Lyashko; their father is Satan. Such men are servants of demons: demons are sent out for evil, and angels are sent down for good. An angel never does evil to a person; it always plans good for him. Angels also help Christians and protect them from the enemy who opposes them. Demons are always hunting for evil, envying man, because they see that man is honored by God; envying him, they are quick to be sent down for evil. For it is written: “Who will go and deceive Ahab?” And a demon said: “Here, I will go.” A wicked man who hurries to evil is worse than a demon: demons fear God, but a wicked man neither fears God nor feels shame before men; demons fear the Lord's cross, but a wicked man does not even fear the cross.
That is why David also said: “If you truly speak what is right and judge what is right, you sons of men—for you work iniquity in your heart; your hands weave unrighteousness on the earth. Sinners are estranged from the womb; they have gone astray from the belly, speaking lies. Their fury is like the likeness […] of a serpent.”
The cursed Sviatopolk thought to himself: “I have already killed Boris. But how can I kill Gleb?” Taking Cain's intent, he sent to Gleb with deceit, saying this: “Come quickly. Your father is calling you; he is very ill.” Gleb mounted a horse and went with a small retinue, for he was obedient to his father. When he came to the Volga and was riding over the plain, his horse stumbled in a rut and slightly injured its leg. He came to Smolensk, went on from Smolensk within sight of the town, and stopped at Smiadyn on a boat. At that time news had already come to Yaroslav from Predslava about their father's death, and Yaroslav sent to Gleb, saying: “Do not go. Your father has died, and your brother has been killed by Sviatopolk.”
Hearing this, Gleb cried out loudly with tears, mourning his father, and even more his brother, and he began to pray with tears, saying: “Woe is me, Lord! Better for me to die with my brother than to live in this world. Brother, if I had seen your angelic face, I would have died with you. Why then am I left alone? Where are your words, my beloved brother, that you said to me? Now I will never hear your gentle teaching again. If you have received boldness before God, pray for me, that I too may receive the same passion. Better for me to die with you than to live in this deceitful world.” While he was praying like this with tears, the men sent by Sviatopolk to destroy Gleb suddenly arrived. At once they seized Gleb's boat and drew their weapons, and Gleb's retainers lost heart.
The cursed Goriaser ordered Gleb to be cut down at once. Gleb's cook, named Torchin, drew a knife and slaughtered Gleb like an innocent lamb.