Attributed to Nestor the Chronicler · Complete work
1091–1092: The Relics of Theodosius and Omens over Polotsk
1091–1092: The Relics of Theodosius and Omens over Polotsk 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 6599. Игуменъ и черноризци свѣтъ створше, рѣша: «Не добро есть лежати отцю нашему Федосьеви кромѣ манастыря и церкви своея, понеже тъ есть основалъ церковь и черноризци совокупилъ». И свѣтъ створше, повелѣша устроити мѣсто, идеже положити мощи его. И приспѣвшу празднику Успѣнья Богородицѣ треми деньми, и повелѣ игуменъ рушити, гдѣ лежать мощѣ отца нашего Федосья, егоже повелѣнью быхъ азъ грѣшный первое самовидець, Се же и скажю, не слухомъ бо слышавъ, но самъ о собѣ началникъ. Пришедшю бо игумену ко мнѣ и рекшю мнѣ: «Поидевѣ в пещеру к Федосьеви», Азъ же пришодъ съ игуменомъ, не вѣдущю никомуже, разъглядавша, куда копати, и назнаменавша мѣсто, кдѣ копати кромѣ устья. Рече же ко мнѣ игуменъ: «Не мози повѣдати никомуже […] от братьи, да не увѣсть никтоже; но поими, егоже хощеши, да ти поможеть». Азъ же пристроих семь дни рогалия, имже копати.
И въ вторникъ вечоръ в суморокъ, пояхъ съ собою 2 брата, не вѣдущю никомуже, приидох в пещеру и отпѣхъ псалмы, почахъ копати. И, вътрудився, вдах другому брату, и копахомъ до полуночья и трудихомся, не могуще ся докопати. Начахъ тужити, еда како на страну копаемъ. Азъ же, вземь рогалью, начахъ рамяно копати, другу моему опочивающю предъ пещерою, и рече ми: «Удариша в било». И азъ тотъ час прокопах на мощи Федосьеви. И оному глаголющю ко мьнѣ: «Удариша у било», мнѣ же рекшю: «Прокопахъ уже». Егда же прокопахъ, объдержашет мя ужасть, начах звати: «Господи помилуй!» Въ тъй же час сѣдяста два брата в манастыри, егда игуменъ, утаився, нѣ с кимъ принесеть его отай, зряста к пещерѣ. И егда удариша в било, видиста три столпы, акы дугы зарни, и, стоявше, и приидоша надъ верхъ церкве, идѣже положенъ бысть Федосий.
В се же время видѣ Стефанъ, иже бысть в него мѣсто игуменъ, — в се же время бысть епископъ, — видивъ въ своемъ манасътыри чресъ поле зарю велику надъ пещерою, мнѣвъ, яко несуть Федосья, бѣ бо ему извѣщено, переже днемь единѣмь, и съжаливси, яко без него преносят ̀и, и всѣдъ на конь, вборзѣ поѣха, поемъ съ собою Климянта, егоже постави игумена по собѣ. Идяста в собѣ видяста зарю велику. И яко приидоста близъ, видѣста свѣщи многы надъ пещерою, и приидоста к пещерѣ, и не видиста ничтоже, и приидоста дну в пещеру, намъ сѣдящимъ у мощѣй его. Егда бо прокопах, послах ко игумену: «Прииди, да ̀и возмемъ». Игуменъ же прииде съ двѣма братома. И прокопах велми, и влѣзохъ, и видихом мощѣ его лежащѣ, но съставѣ не распалися быша, и власи главнии притяскли бяху. И възлозъше на вариманътью, вынесоша предъ пещеру.
На другий же день совокупишася епископи: Ефримъ Переяславьскый, Стефанъ Володимерьскый, Иванъ Черниговьскый, Маринъ Гургевьскый, игумени вси от всих манастыревъ с чернорисци, приидоша и людье благовѣрнии, взяша мощи Федосьевы съ свѣщами и съ темияном. И принесоша, и положиша ̀и у своей ему церкви, у притворѣ на деснѣй странѣ, мѣсяца августа въ 14 у четвергъ, в час 1 дне, индикта 14, лѣта... И празноваша свѣтло въ тъ день.
Се же повѣмь мало нѣчто, еже ся збысть прорѣченье Федосьево. Игуменьство бо Федосьеви держащю у животѣ своемь и правящю стадо, порученое ему Богомъ — черноризци, не токмо же си едини, но в мирьскими печашеся душами, како быша спаслися, паче же о сынех своихъ душевных, утѣшая и наказая приходящая к нему, другоичи в домы ихъ приходя и благословленье имъ подавая. Единою бо ему пришедшю в домь Яновъ къ Яновѣ и к женѣ его Марьи — Федосий бо бѣ любя я, занеже живяста по заповидѣ Господнѣ и в любви живяста, единою же ему пришедшю к нима, и учашеть я о милостынѣ ко убогим, и о царьствѣ небеснѣмь, еже прияти праведникомь, а грѣшьнымъ муку, и о смертнемь часѣ. И се ему глаголющю и о положеньи тѣла у гробѣ има. И рече ему Яневая: «Кто вѣсть, гдѣ мя положать?» Речеже ей Федосий: «Поистинѣ идеже азъ лягу, ту и ты положена будеши».
Се же събысться. Игумену бо преставльшуся преже 18 лѣт, се сбысться: в се бо лѣто преставися Яновая, именемь Марья, мѣсяца августа в 16 день. И пришедъше чернорисци, пѣвше обычныя пѣсни, и, принесше, и положиша ю у церквѣ святыя Богородица, противу гробу Федосьеву, на лѣвой сторонѣ. Федосий бо положенъ бысть 14 день, а си въ 16 день. Се сбысться прорѣченье блаженаго отца нашего Федосья, добраго пастуха, иже пасяше словесныя овца нелицемѣрно, с кротостью и с расмотрениемь блюда их и бдѣниемь, и моляся за порученое ему стадо и за люди хрьстьяньския, и за землю Рускую, иже по отшествии его моляся за люди вѣрныя и за своя ученикы, иже, взирающе на раку твою, поминають ученье твое и въздержанье твое, и прославляють Бога. Азъ же, грѣшный твой рабъ и ученикъ, недоумѣю, чимъ похвалити тя, добраго твоего житья и въздержанья.
Но се реку мало нѣчто.
«Радуйся, отче нашь и наставниче, Федосий! Мирьскыя плища отринувъ, молчанье възлюбивъ, Богу послужилъ еси у мнишьскомъ житьи, всяко собѣ принесѣнье принеслъ еси божественое, пощеньемь преузвысився, плотьскых сластий възненавидивъ, и мирьскую красоту и желанье вѣка сего отринувъ, услѣдуя стопамъ высокомысленымъ отцемь, ревнуя, молчаньемъ взвышаяся, смиреньемь украшаяся. Радуйся, укрѣплеся надежею и вѣчных благъ приемъ, умертвивъ плотьскую похоть, источникъ безаконью и мятежь, преподобне, и бѣсовьскихъ кознѣй избѣгъ и от сѣтий его. С праведными, отче, почилъ еси, усприемъ противу трудомъ своим възмѣздье, отцемь наслѣдникъ бывъ, послѣдовавъ ученью их и нраву ихъ, въздержанью ихъ, и правило ихъ правя. Паче же ревноваше великому Федосью житьемь и нравомь, и въздержаньемь ревнуя и послѣдьствуя обычаю его, и прѣходя от дѣла в дѣло уншее, обычныя молбы Богу уздая и воню благоуханья принося, кадѣло молитвеное, темьянъ благоуханьный. Побѣдивъ мирьскую похоть и миродерьжьца князя зѣка сего, супротивника поправъ дъявола и его козни, побѣдьникъ явися, противнымъ его стрѣламъ и гордымъ помысломъ ставъ супротивно, укрипився оружьемь крестьнымъ и вѣрою непобидимою, и Божьею помощью. И помолися за мя, честный отче, избавлену быти от сити неприязненъ, и от противнаго врага съблюди мя твоими молитвами».
В се же лѣто бысть знаменье въ солнци, погибе, мало ся его оста — акы мѣсяць бысть, в час 2 дне, мѣсяца маия въ 21. В се же лѣто бысть: Всеволоду ловы дѣюща звѣриныя за Вышегородомь, заметавшимъ тенета и людемь кликнувшимъ, спаде привеликъ змѣй с небесѣ, и ужасошася вси людье. В се же время земля стукну, мнозѣ слышаша. В се же лѣто волъхвь явися у Ростовѣ и погибе.
В лѣто 6600. Предивно бысть чюдо у Полотьскѣ у мечьтѣ: и в нощи бывши тутенъ, стонаше полунощи, яко человѣци рыщуть бѣси по улици. Аще кто вылѣзяще ис хоромины, хотя видѣти, и абье уязвенъ бяше невидимо от бѣсовъ, и с того умираху, и не смѣяху излазити ис хоромъ. По сѣмь же начаша во дне являтися на конѣх, и не бѣ их видити самѣх, но кони ихъ видити копыта, и тако уязьвляху люди полотскыя и его область. Тѣмь и человѣци глаголаху, яко навье бьють полочаны. Се же знаменье поча быти от Дрьюцька. В си же времена бысть знаменье у небесѣ, яко кругъ бысть посредѣ неба привеликъ. У се же лѣто ведро бяше, яко изгаряше земьля, и мнози борове изгоряхуся самѣ и болота, многа знаменья бываху по землѣ, и рать велика бяше от половець отвсюду. И взяша 3 городы: Пѣсоченъ, Переволоку, Прилукъ и многа села повоеваша. В се же лѣто воеваша половцѣ ляхи с Васильемь Ростиславличемь. У се же лѣто умре Рюрикъ, сынъ Ростиславль. У си же веремена мнози человѣци умираху различными недугы, якоже глаголаху продающе крсты, яко продахом крсты от Филипова дни до мясопущь 7 тысящь. Се же бысть за грѣхы нашѣ, яко умножишася грѣси наши и неправды. Се же наведе на ны Богъ, веля намъ имѣти покаание и вьстагнутися от грѣха, и зависти, от прочих злых дѣлъ неприязненыхъ.
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 6599. The abbot and the monks took counsel and said: “It is not right that our father Theodosius should lie outside the monastery and his own church, for it was he who laid the church's foundations and gathered together the monks.” And when they had taken counsel, they commanded that a place be made ready where his relics might be laid. And when the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God drew near within three days, the abbot commanded that they dig up the place where the relics of our father Theodosius lay — and I, a sinner, was the first to carry out that command; and this I shall tell: for I did not hear it by report, but was myself the chief doer of it. The abbot came to me and said to me: “Let us go together to the cave, to Theodosius.” And I went with the abbot, unknown to any man; we looked out where to dig, and marked the place to be dug, apart from the entrance. And the abbot said to me: “Tell it to no one […] of the brethren, that no one may know; but take with you whom you will, to help you.” And I spent seven days making ready the spades with which to dig.
And on Tuesday evening, at dusk, I took two brethren with me and, unknown to any man, came into the cave; and having sung psalms, I began to dig. And when I had wearied, I gave it over to the other brother, and we dug till midnight and labored on, yet could not dig through. I began to grieve, lest perhaps we were digging off to one side. Then I took the spade and began to dig hard with all my strength, while my friend rested before the cave; and he said to me: “They have struck the semantron.” And at that very moment I broke through upon the relics of Theodosius. And as he said to me, “They have struck the semantron,” I answered: “I have broken through already.” And when I had broken through, a dread seized hold of me, and I began to cry: “Lord, have mercy!” At that same hour two brethren sat in the monastery, watching toward the cave, for fear the abbot, keeping it secret, might bring him away secretly with some companion. And when the semantron was struck, they saw three pillars like arcs of glowing light, which stood, and came over the top of the church, where Theodosius was laid.
At the same time Stephen saw them — he who had been abbot in his place, and was now a bishop — seeing from his own monastery, across the field, a great radiance above the cave; and supposing that they were removing Theodosius, for it had been made known to him a single day before, he grieved that they were bearing him away without him; and mounting a horse, he rode swiftly, taking with him Kliment, whom he had made abbot after himself. As they rode, the two of them saw the great radiance; and when they drew near, they saw many candles above the cave; and they came to the cave and saw nothing, and went down into the depths of the cave, where we sat by his relics. For when I had broken through, I sent to the abbot: “Come, and let us take him up.” And the abbot came with two brethren. And I dug the breach wide, and went in, and we saw his relics lying there; yet the body had not wasted away, and the hair of his head still clung fast. And laying him upon a cloak, they carried him out before the cave.
On the next day the bishops gathered: Ephrem of Pereiaslav, Stephen of Volodymyr, John of Chernihiv, Marin of Yuriev, and all the abbots from all the monasteries with their monks; and the faithful people came, and they took up the relics of Theodosius with candles and with incense. And they bore them, and laid them in the church he had built for himself, in the narthex, on the right side, on the fourteenth day of the month of August, on a Thursday, at the first hour of the day, in the fourteenth indiction, in the year… And they kept high feast on that day.
And now I shall tell a little of how the prophecy of Theodosius was fulfilled. While Theodosius held the abbacy in his lifetime, and shepherded the flock entrusted to him by God — the monks — he had care not for these alone, but for the souls of those in the world as well, how they might be saved, and above all for his own spiritual sons: he comforted and instructed those who came to him, and at times went to their houses, giving them his blessing. Once he came to the house of Jan, to Jan and to Maria his wife — for Theodosius loved them, because they lived according to the Lord's commandment and dwelt in love. And when he had come to them, he taught them of almsgiving to the poor, and of the kingdom of heaven, which the righteous receive and sinners torment, and of the hour of death. And as he spoke also of the laying of their bodies in the grave, Jan's wife said to him: “Who knows where they will lay me?” And Theodosius answered her: “In very truth, where I lie, there you too shall be laid.”
And this came to pass. The abbot had been gone eighteen years when it was fulfilled: for in that year Jan's wife, Maria by name, reposed, on the sixteenth day of the month of August. And the monks came, singing the customary hymns, and bore her, and laid her beside the church of the holy Mother of God, opposite the grave of Theodosius, on the left side; for Theodosius was laid there on the fourteenth, and she on the sixteenth. So was fulfilled the prophecy of our blessed father Theodosius, the good shepherd, who tended his rational sheep without guile, with meekness and with careful watching over them and with vigil, praying for the flock entrusted to him, and for the Christian people, and for the land of Rus'; and after his departure he prays for the faithful people and for his own disciples, who, looking upon your shrine, call to mind your teaching and your self-restraint, and glorify God. And I, a sinner, your servant and disciple, am at a loss how to praise you: your good life and your abstinence.
But this I will say, a few words.
“Rejoice, our father and teacher, Theodosius! Rejecting the splendor of the world, loving silence, you served God in the monastic life; you made of yourself a divine offering, were exalted by fasting, hated the pleasures of the flesh, renounced the beauty of the world and the desire of this age; you followed in the lofty footsteps of the fathers, zealous, lifted up by silence, adorned with humility. Rejoice: you were made strong by hope and received blessings everlasting; you mortified fleshly lust, that wellspring of lawlessness and tumult, venerable father, and escaped the devils' wiles and their snares. With the righteous, father, you have found rest, receiving in return the recompense of your labors; heir of the fathers, you followed their teaching and their manner of life and their abstinence, and kept their rule. Above all you strove to be like great Theodosius in life and in character and in abstinence, following his example and passing from deed to better deed, paying to God the accustomed prayers, bringing up the fragrance of sweet savor — a censer of prayer, fragrant incense. Having conquered the desire of the world and the world-ruling prince of this age, having trampled underfoot the adversary devil and his wiles, you appeared a victor, standing firm against his arrows and his proud thoughts, fortified with the weapon of the cross and with invincible faith, and with the help of God. Pray then for me, honored father: deliver me from the enemy's net, and by your prayers keep me from the foe that stands against me.”
In the same year there was a sign in the sun: it failed, and so little of it remained that it was as if a moon, at the second hour of the day, on the twenty-first day of the month of May. In the same year it came to pass that, as Vsevolod was hunting wild beasts beyond Vyshhorod, and the nets were being spread, and the men gave a shout, a serpent of monstrous size fell from the sky, and all the people were stricken with terror. At the same time the earth boomed, and many heard it. In the same year a sorcerer appeared at Rostov, and perished.
In the year 6600. A most wondrous marvel came to pass at Polotsk, an apparition: in the night, when darkness lay deep, at midnight there was groaning, as though devils were racing through the streets like men. If anyone came out of his house, wanting to see, he was at once stricken invisibly by the devils, and of that wound they died; and none dared come out of his house. After this they began to appear in the daytime on horses; and the riders themselves could not be seen, only the hooves of their horses; and so they wounded the people of Polotsk and all its region. Therefore men said that the dead were smiting the Polotskians. This sign began from Drutsk. In those days there was a sign also in the heavens: a very great circle stood in the midst of the sky. In the same year there was such drought that the earth burned, and many pine forests and marshes burned of themselves; many signs came to pass throughout the land, and there was great war from the Cumans on every side. And they took three towns: Pesochen, Perevoloka, and Priluk, and ravaged many villages. In the same year the Cumans made war upon the Poles together with Vasilko, son of Rostislav. At that time also many people died of many kinds of sickness, as those who sold crosses declared: “We sold seven thousand crosses from Philip's day until meat-fare.” This came to pass for our sins, because our sins and unrighteousness were multiplied. This God brought upon us, charging us to have repentance, and to turn from sin, and from envy, and from the other evil works of the enemy.
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 6599. The abbot and the monks took counsel and said: “It is not right that our father Theodosius should lie outside the monastery and outside his own church, for he was the one who founded the church and gathered the monks.” Having taken counsel, they ordered a place prepared where his relics could be laid. When the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God was three days away, the abbot ordered the digging to begin where the relics of our father Theodosius lay. By his command I, a sinner, was the first eyewitness, and this I will tell: I did not learn it by hearsay, but was myself the one who began the work. The abbot came to me and said to me: “Let us two go into the cave, to Theodosius.” I came with the abbot, unknown to anyone; we examined where to dig, and we marked out the spot to dig, away from the entrance. The abbot said to me: “You must tell no one […] of the brothers, so that no one knows of it; but take whomever you wish to help you.” I spent seven days getting ready the tools I would dig with.
On Tuesday evening, at dusk, I took two brothers with me and, unknown to anyone, came into the cave, sang the psalms, and began to dig. When I grew tired, I handed the work to the other brother, and we dug until midnight, laboring, but we could not dig through. I began to grieve: perhaps we were digging off to one side. I took the tool and began to dig hard with all my strength, while my friend rested in front of the cave, and he said to me: “They have struck the board.” And at that very moment I broke through onto the relics of Theodosius. He went on saying to me: “They have struck the board,” and I said: “I have already broken through.” When I broke through, terror seized me, and I began to cry: “Lord, have mercy!” At that same moment two brothers were sitting in the monastery, watching toward the cave for the moment when the abbot, keeping it secret, would bring the relics out in secret with companions. And when the board was struck, they saw three pillars like golden arcs; they stood looking, and the pillars came above the top of the church, where Theodosius was laid.
At that same time Stephen, who had become abbot in his place — he was by then a bishop — saw from his monastery, across the field, a great glow over the cave. Thinking that they were carrying Theodosius away, for it had been made known to him one day before, and grieving that they were transferring him without him, he mounted a horse and rode there quickly, taking with him Kliment, whom he had appointed abbot after himself. As the two rode along, they saw the great glow. When they came near, they saw many candles over the cave; they came to the cave and saw nothing, and went down inside the cave, where we were sitting by his relics. For when I broke through, I sent word to the abbot: “Come, let us take him.” The abbot came with two brothers. I dug the opening out fully and went in, and we saw his relics lying there: his body had not decayed, and the hair of his head was still held fast. Laying him on a cloak, they carried him out in front of the cave.
On the next day the bishops gathered: Ephrem of Pereiaslav, Stephen of Volodymyr, John of Chernihiv, Marin of Yuriev, and all the abbots from all the monasteries with their monks, and the faithful people came as well. They took up the relics of Theodosius with candles and incense, brought them, and laid them in the church that was his own, in the narthex on the right side, on August 14, on a Thursday, at the first hour of the day, in the fourteenth indiction, in the year …. And they kept the feast brightly that day.
Now I will tell a few things about how Theodosius's prophecy came true. While Theodosius held the abbacy in his lifetime and shepherded the flock entrusted to him by God — the monks — he did not care for these alone: he cared also for the souls of people in the world, how they might be saved, and most of all for his spiritual sons, comforting and instructing those who came to him, and also coming to their homes and giving them his blessing. Once he came to Jan's house, to Jan and his wife Maria — Theodosius loved them, because the two of them lived according to the Lord's commandment and lived in love. When he came to them, he taught them about alms for the poor, and about the kingdom of heaven, which the righteous will receive and sinners torment, and about the hour of death. And as he spoke to them about the laying of the body in the grave, Jan's wife said to him: “Who knows where they will lay me?” Theodosius said to her: “Truly, where I lie, there you will be laid too.”
And this came true. The abbot had died 18 years before; now it was fulfilled: in this year Jan's wife, whose name was Maria, died on August 16. The monks came, singing the customary hymns, brought her, and laid her at the church of the holy Mother of God, opposite Theodosius's grave, on the left side. Theodosius had been laid there on the 14th, and she on the 16th. Thus was fulfilled the prophecy of our blessed father Theodosius, the good shepherd, who pastured the rational sheep without pretense, with meekness and with careful watch over them and with vigil, praying for the flock entrusted to him and for the Christian people and for the land of Rus'; who, after his departure, prays for the faithful people and for his disciples. They, as they look on your shrine, remember your teaching and your self-control and glorify God. I, a sinner, your servant and disciple, do not know how to praise you — your good life and your self-control.
But I will say a few words.
“Rejoice, our father and teacher Theodosius! Rejecting worldly entanglements, loving silence, you served God in the monastic life; you offered yourself as a divine offering, raised high by fasting, hating bodily pleasures, rejecting the beauty of the world and the desires of this age, following in the steps of the high-minded fathers, burning with zeal, rising through silence, adorned by humility. Rejoice: strengthened by hope, receiving eternal blessings, you put to death fleshly desire, that source of lawlessness and rebellion, venerable father, and escaped the devils' schemes and their snares. With the righteous, father, you have found rest, receiving the reward for your labors, having become heir of the fathers, following their teaching and their way of life and their self-control and keeping their rule. More than all, you emulated the great Theodosius in life and conduct, zealously following his custom and passing from deed to better deed, offering your customary prayers to God and bringing the fragrance of sweetness, the censer of prayer, fragrant incense. Having conquered worldly desire and the world-ruler, the prince of this darkness; having trampled the adversary the devil and his schemes, you appeared a victor, standing firm against his arrows and proud thoughts, strengthened by the weapon of the cross and by unconquerable faith and by God's help. Pray for me, honored father, that I may be delivered from the enemy's net, and by your prayers keep me from the hostile foe.”
In the same year there was a sign in the sun: it failed, and little of it remained — it was like the moon, at the second hour of the day, on May 21. In the same year, while Vsevolod was hunting wild beasts beyond Vyshhorod, and the nets were being spread and the men gave a shout, a very great serpent fell from the sky, and all the people were terrified. At that time the earth gave a thud, and many heard it. In the same year a sorcerer appeared at Rostov and perished.
In the year 6600. A most strange wonder happened in Polotsk, an apparition: in the night, when there was darkness, at midnight there was groaning, as if devils raced along the street like men. If anyone climbed out of his house to look, he was at once wounded invisibly by devils, and from those wounds people died, and no one dared come out of his house. After this they began to appear in the daytime on horses; the devils themselves could not be seen, only the hooves of their horses could be seen, and so they wounded the people of Polotsk and the whole region. That is why people said that the dead were striking the people of Polotsk. This sign began from Drutsk. At that time there was also a sign in the sky: a very great circle appeared in the middle of the sky. In that year the drought was such that the earth burned, and many pine forests burned on their own, and the swamps; many signs appeared in the land, and there was great war from the Cumans on every side. They took 3 towns: Pesochen, Perevoloka, and Priluk, and they ravaged many villages. In the same year the Cumans waged war on the Poles together with Vasilko Rostislavich. In that year Rurik, son of Rostislav, died. At the same time many people were dying of various diseases; as those who sold crosses said, they had sold 7,000 crosses from St. Philip's day to the beginning of Lent. This happened because of our sins, for our sins and wrongs had multiplied. God brought this upon us, commanding us to have repentance and to turn away from sin and envy and from the other evil works of the enemy.