Attributed to Nestor the Chronicler · Complete work
1086–1090: The Death of Yaropolk and the Building of Pereiaslav
1086–1090: The Death of Yaropolk and the Building of Pereiaslav of 46. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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В лѣто 6594. Всеволодъ заложи церковь святаго Андрѣя при Иванѣ преподобномь митрополитѣ, створи у церкви тоя манастырь, в нем же пострижеся дщи его дѣвою, именемь Янька. Сия же Янка, совокупивши черноризици многи, пребываше с ними по манастырьскому чину.
В лѣто 6595. Приде Ярополкъ из Ляховъ и створи миръ с Володимеромъ, и иде Володимеръ опять Чернѣгову, а Ярополкъ сѣде Володимерѣ. И пересѣдивъ мало днѣй, иде Звенигороду. И не дошедшу ему города, прободенъ бысть от проклятаго Нерядьца, от дьяволя наученья и от злыхъ человѣкъ. Князю же Ярополку лежащу на санках, а онъ с коня саблею прободе я мѣсяца ноября въ 22. Тогда въздвигнувся Ярополкъ, выторгну исъ себе саблю, и рече великимъ гласомъ: «Охъ, тот мя вороже погуби». И бѣжа Нерядець проклятый до Перемышля к Рюрикови, а Ярополка взяша отроци на конь передъ ся — Радко и Воикина и инии отроци, несоша к Володимерю, а оттуду Киеву. И изииде противу ему благовѣрный князь Всеволодь со сынома своима, Володимеремь и Ростиславомь, и вси бояре, и блаженый митрополитъ Иванъ и чернорисци и прозвутерѣ.
И вси кияне великъ плачь створиша над нимь, со псалъмы и пѣснми проводиша ̀и до манастыря святаго Дмитрия, съпрятавше тѣло его, съ честью положиша ̀и в рацѣ у церкви святаго апостола Петра, юже бо самъ началъ здати, мѣсяца декабря въ 5 день. Многы бѣды приемь, без вины изгонимъ от братья своея, обидимъ и разграбленъ, наконець и смерть горку прия, но вѣчнѣй жизни и покою сподобися. Такъ бо бяше блаженый князь Ярополкъ кротокъ, смиренъ, братолюбивъ и нищелюбець, десятину дая от всихъ скотъ своих святѣй Богородици и от жита на вся лѣта, и моляше Бога всегда, глаголя: «Господи Боже мой Иисусъ Христѣ! Приими молитву мою и дай же ми смерть таку, якоже вдалъ еси брату моему, Борису и Глѣбови, от чюжюю руку, да омыю грѣхи вся своею кровью, избуду суетнаго свѣта и сѣти вражии».
Его же прошенья не лиши его благий Богъ: усприя благая она, ихже ни око не види, ни ухо слыша, ни на сердце человѣку не взиде, яже уготова Богъ любящим его. В се же лѣто ходи Всеволодо къ Перемышлю.
В лѣто 6596. Священа бысть церки святаго Михаила манастыря Всеволожа митрополитомь Иоаномь и епископы Лукою, Исаемь, игуменьство тогда держащу того манастыря Лазореви. Том же лѣтѣ иде Святополкъ из Новагорода Турову на княженье. У се же лѣто умре Никонъ, печерьски игуменъ. В се же лѣто взяша болгаре Муромъ.
В лѣто 6597. Священа бысть церкви печерьская святыя Богородица манастыря Федосьева Иваномъ митрополитомь, и Лукою, Бѣлогородским епископомь, и епискупомь Ростовьским Исаиемь, и Иваномь Черниговьскымь епискупомь, и Антоньемь, гурьговьскимь игуменомь, при благовѣрном князи Всеволодѣ, державному Руския земля, и чадома его, Володимера и Ростислава, воеводьство держащю киевьской тысящи Яневи, игуменьство держащу Ивану. В се же лѣто преставися Иоанъ митрополитъ. Бысть же Иоанъ си мужь хитръ книгамъ и учѣнью, милостивъ убогимъ и вдовицамъ, ласкав же всякому, к богату и къ убогу, смиренъ же умомъ и кротокъ, и молчаливъ, рѣчистъ же книгами святыми, утѣшая печальныя, и сякова не бысть преже в Руси, ни по нѣмь не будеть такий. В се же лѣто иде Янъка въ Греки, дщѣ Всеволожа, нареченая прѣже.
В лѣто 6598. Приведе Янка митрополита Иоана скопьчину, егоже видивши людье вси рекоша: «Се мертвець пришелъ». От года бо до года пребывъ, умре. Бѣ же се мужь не книженъ и умомъ простъ и просторѣкъ. В се же лѣто священа бысть церкви святаго Михаила переяславлеския Ефрѣмомъ, тоя церкви митрополитомъ, иже ю есть создалъ велику сущю, и пристрою в нѣй велику створи, украсивь ю всякою красотою, церковьными съсуды. Сий бо Ефрѣмь в си лѣта много зданье въздвиже: докончавъ церковь святаго Михаила, заложи же церковь на воротехъ святаго Федора, и святаго Андрѣя у церкве у воротъ, и городѣ каменъ, и строенно банное камяно, сего же не бысть в Руси. И въкраси городъ Переяславьскый зданьи церковными и прочими зданьи.
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 6594. Vsevolod founded the church of the holy Andrew, while the venerable John was metropolitan, and made a monastery at that church, in which his daughter took the veil as a maiden, Yanka by name. This Yanka, gathering many nuns about her, abode with them according to the monastic rule.
In the year 6595. Yaropolk came back from the Poles and made peace with Vladimir, and Vladimir went back to Chernihiv, and Yaropolk sat in Volodymyr. And after sitting there but a few days, he set out for Zvenigorod. And before he reached the city, he was run through by the accursed Neradets, at the devil's prompting and through wicked men: while Prince Yaropolk lay in his sledge, he stabbed him from horseback with a saber, on the twenty-second day of the month of November. Then Yaropolk raised himself up, tore the saber out of his body, and cried with a great voice: “Ah, this foe has destroyed me.” And the accursed Neradets fled away to Peremyshl, to Rurik; but the pages set Yaropolk on a horse before them — Radko and Voikin and other pages — and bore him to Volodymyr, and from there to Kyiv. And against him came out the faithful prince Vsevolod with his two sons, Vladimir and Rostislav, and all the boyars, and the blessed metropolitan John, and the monks and the priests.
And all the Kyivans made great lamentation over him; with psalms and hymns they bore him to the monastery of the holy Demetrius, and having prepared his body, they laid it with honor in a shrine at the church of the holy apostle Peter — a church he himself had begun to build — on the fifth day of the month of December. He had received many afflictions: driven from his brothers without cause, wronged and plundered, and at the last he took a bitter death; but he was counted worthy of eternal life and rest. For the blessed prince Yaropolk was meek and humble, a lover of his brothers and of the poor, giving a tithe of all his herds to the holy Mother of God, and of his grain in every year; and he prayed to God without ceasing, saying: “Lord my God, Jesus Christ, receive my prayer, and grant me such a death as you gave to my brothers Boris and Gleb, at a stranger's hand, that I may wash away all my sins with my own blood, and be delivered from the vanity of this world and from the net of the enemy.”
And the good God did not refuse him his request: he received those good things which no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, which God has prepared for those who love him. In the same year Vsevolod marched against Peremyshl.
In the year 6596. The church of the holy Michael of Vsevolod's monastery was consecrated by the metropolitan John and by the bishops Luke and Isaiah, while Lazar held the abbacy of that monastery. In that year Sviatopolk went from Novgorod to Turov to reign. In the same year Nikon, abbot of the Caves, died. In the same year the Bulgars took Murom.
In the year 6597. The church of the holy Mother of God of Theodosius's monastery at the Caves was consecrated by the metropolitan John, and by Luke, bishop of Bilhorod, and by Isaiah, bishop of Rostov, and by John, bishop of Chernihiv, and by Anthony, abbot of Yuriev; in the days of the faithful prince Vsevolod, who held dominion over the land of Rus', and of his two children, Vladimir and Rostislav, while Jan held command of the Kyiv thousand, and John held the abbacy. In the same year the metropolitan John died. This John was a man skilled in books and learning, merciful to the poor and to widows, gracious to every man, to rich and poor alike, humble of mind, meek and quiet, eloquent in the holy books, comforting the sorrowful; such a one had never been in Rus' before him, nor after him shall there be his like. In the same year Yanka, Vsevolod's daughter, of whom mention was made before, went to Constantinople.
In the year 6598. Yanka brought the metropolitan John, an emasculated man; and when all the people beheld him they said: “Behold, a dead man has come.” For he lived on from year to year, and died. This was a man unlearned in books, simple of mind, and plain of speech. In the same year the church of the holy Michael at Pereiaslav was consecrated by Ephrem, metropolitan of that church, who had built it on a great scale, and made to it a great addition, adorning it with every beauty and with the vessels of the church. This Ephrem in those years raised up many buildings: having brought to completion the church of the holy Michael, he laid the foundations of a church of the holy Theodore above the gates, and of the holy Andrew by the church at the gates, and of a stone wall for the city, and a stone bathhouse built of masonry — such as had never before been in Rus'. And he adorned the city of Pereiaslav with church buildings and with other works besides.
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 6594. Vsevolod founded the church of St. Andrew while the venerable John was metropolitan, and he made a monastery at that church. In it his daughter took the veil while still a maiden; her name was Yanka. This Yanka gathered many nuns around her and lived with them according to the monastic rule.
In the year 6595. Yaropolk came back from the Poles and made peace with Vladimir, and Vladimir went back to Chernihiv, while Yaropolk settled in Volodymyr. After sitting there a few days, he set out for Zvenigorod. Before he reached the town, he was stabbed by the accursed Neradets, at the devil's prompting and through wicked men. While Prince Yaropolk lay on a sledge, Neradets stabbed him from his horse with a saber on November 22. Then Yaropolk raised himself, pulled the saber out of his own body, and said in a loud voice: “Ah, that enemy has destroyed me.” The accursed Neradets fled to Peremyshl, to Rurik. Yaropolk's attendants lifted him onto a horse in front of them — Radko, Voikin, and the other attendants — and carried him to Volodymyr, and from there to Kyiv. And the faithful Prince Vsevolod came out to meet him with his two sons, Vladimir and Rostislav, and all the boyars, and the blessed Metropolitan John, and the monks and the priests.
And all the people of Kyiv raised great weeping over him, and with psalms and hymns they escorted him to the monastery of St. Demetrius. Having prepared his body, they laid it with honor in the shrine at the church of the holy apostle Peter, which he himself had begun to build, on December 5. He had received many hardships: driven out by his brothers without guilt, wronged and plundered, and in the end he accepted a bitter death; but he was granted eternal life and rest. The blessed Prince Yaropolk was like this: meek, humble, loving his brothers and loving the poor. He gave a tenth of all his herds to the holy Mother of God, and a tenth of the grain every year, and he prayed to God constantly, saying: “Lord my God, Jesus Christ! Receive my prayer and grant me a death like the one you gave my brothers Boris and Gleb, at a stranger's hand, so that I may wash away all my sins with my own blood and be delivered from this empty world and from the enemy's net.”
The good God did not refuse him his request: he received those good things that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and that have not entered the heart of man, which God prepared for those who love him. In the same year Vsevolod marched on Peremyshl.
In the year 6596. The church of St. Michael of Vsevolod's monastery was consecrated by Metropolitan John and by the bishops Luke and Isaiah, with Lazar holding the abbacy of that monastery at the time. In that year Sviatopolk went from Novgorod to Turov to take up his rule. In that year Nikon, abbot of the Caves, died. In the same year the Volga Bulgars took Murom.
In the year 6597. The church of the holy Mother of God of Theodosius's monastery, the Caves church, was consecrated by Metropolitan John, and by Luke, bishop of Bilhorod, and by Isaiah, bishop of Rostov, and by John, bishop of Chernihiv, and by Anthony, abbot of Yuriev, while the faithful Prince Vsevolod ruled the land of Rus', with his two children Vladimir and Rostislav, with Jan commanding the Kyiv thousand, and John holding the abbacy. In the same year Metropolitan John died. This John was a man skilled in books and learning, merciful to the poor and to widows, gracious to everyone, to rich and to poor alike, humble in mind, meek, and quiet, eloquent in the holy books, comforting the sorrowful; there was never such a man in Rus' before him, nor will there be one like him after him. In the same year Yanka, Vsevolod's daughter, of whom we spoke earlier, went to Constantinople.
In the year 6598. Yanka brought back Metropolitan John, a eunuch. When all the people saw him, they said: “Here a dead man has come.” He lived from one year to the next and died. This man was not learned in books; he was simple in mind and plain in speech. In the same year the church of St. Michael at Pereiaslav was consecrated by Ephrem, metropolitan of that church, who had built it, great as it was, and then made a great addition to it, adorning it with every kind of beauty, with church vessels. This Ephrem in those years raised many buildings: after finishing the church of St. Michael, he founded a church of St. Theodore on the gates, and a church of St. Andrew at the church by the gates, and a stone town, and a built stone bathhouse — such as had never existed in Rus'. And he adorned the town of Pereiaslav with church buildings and other buildings.