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1097, Part 1: The Liubech Council and the Blinding of Vasilko
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В лѣто 6605. Приидоша Святополкъ и Володимеръ, и Давыдъ Игоревичь, и Василко Ростиславичь, и Давыдъ Святославичь и братъ его Олегъ, и сняшася Любчи на строенье мира. И глаголаше к собѣ, рекуще: «Почто губимъ Рускую землю, сами на ся котору […] имуще? А половци землю нашю несуть роздно и ради суть, оже межи нами рать донынѣ. Отселѣ имѣмься въ едино сердце и съблюдѣмь Рускую землю. Кождо держить очьчину свою: Святополку — Киевъ Изяславль, Володимеръ — Всеволожю, Давыдъ и Олегъ, Ярославъ — Святославлю, имьже раздаялъ Всеволодъ городы: Давыдови Володимерь, Ростиславичема — Перемышль Володареви, Теребовлъ […] Василькови». И на томъ цѣловаша хрестъ: «Да аще отселѣ кто на кого вьстанеть, то на того будемъ вси и честьный крестъ». И рекоша вси: «Да будеть на нь хрестъ честный и вся земьля Руская». И цѣловавшеся и поидоша усвояси.
И прииде Святополкъ Кыеву съ Давыдомъ, и радѣ быша людье вси, токмо дьяволъ печаленъ быше о любви сѣй. И влѣзе сотона у сердьце нѣкоторымъ мужемъ, и начаша глаголати къ Давыдови Игоревичю, рекуще сице, яко «Володимеръ сложилъся есть с Василкомъ на Святополка и на тя». Давыдъ же, имъ вѣры лживымъ словесемь, нача молвити на Василка, глаголя сице: «Кто есть убилъ брата твоего Ярополка, а нынѣ мыслить на тя и на мя, и сложилъся есть с Володимеромъ? Да промышляй си о своей головѣ». Святополкъ же смятеся умомъ, рекий: «Еда се право будеть или лжа, не вѣдѣ. И рече Святополкъ к Давыдови: «Да аще право молвиши, да Богъ ти буди послухъ, аще ли завистью молвиши, да Богъ будеть за тѣмъ». Святополкъ же съжалиси по братѣ своемь и о себѣ нача помышляти, еда се право будеть? И я вѣру Давыдови, и перельсти Давыдъ Святополка, и начаста думати о Василцѣ, а Василко сего не вѣдаше и Володимеръ. И нача Давыдъ глаголати: «Аще не имеве Василка, то ни тобѣ княженья у Киевѣ, ни мнѣ Володимери». И послуша сего Святополкъ. И прииде Василко въ 4 ноября и перевезеся на Выдобичь, иде поклонится къ святому Михаилу в манастырь, и ужина ту, а товары своя постави на Рудици. Вечеру же бывшю, прииде в товаръ свой. Наутрия же бывшю, присла Святополкъ, река: «Не ходи от именинъ моихъ». Василко же отопрѣся, река: «Не могу ждати, еда будеть рать дома». И присла к нему Давыдъ: «Не ходи, брате, и не ослушайся брата старѣйшаго. Поидевѣ оба». И не въсхотѣ Василко створити тако, ни послушаеть ею. И рече Давыдъ къ Святополку: «Видиши ли, не помнить тебе, ходя в руку твоею. Аще ли отъидеть въ свою волость, самъ узриши, аще ти не займеть городовъ твоихъ — Турова и Пиньска и прочихъ городовъ твоихъ. Да помянеши мя. Но, призвавъ ̀и ныня, ими и дай его мнѣ». И послуша его Святополкъ и посла по Василка, глаголя: «Да аще не хощеши ждати до имянинъ моихъ, и прииди нынѣ, да цѣлуеши мя, и посѣдимы вси с Давыдомъ». Василко же обѣщася приити, не вѣдый лесть, юже коваше на нь Давыдъ, Василко же, всѣдъ на конь, поѣха, и въсрѣте ̀и отрокъ его и повѣда ему, глаголя: «Не ходи, княже, хотять тя яти». И не послуша сего, помышляя: «Како мя хотять яти? Оногды, цѣловали хресть, рекуще: аще кто на кого будеть, хресть на того и мы вси». И помысливъ си, перехрестися, река: «Воля Господня да будеть». И приѣха в малѣ дружинѣ на княжь дворъ, и вылезе противу ему Святополкъ, и идоша въ гридьницю, и прииде Давыдъ, и сѣдоша. И нача Святополкъ глаголати: «Остани на святокъ». И рече Василко: «Не могу, брате, остати, уже есмь повелѣл товаромъ поити переди». Давыдъ же сѣдядше аки нѣмъ. И рече Святополкъ: «Завътрокай, брате!». И обѣщася Василко завътрокати. И рече Святополкъ: «Посидита вы здѣ, а язъ лѣзу, наряжю». И лѣзе вонъ, а Давыдъ с Василкомъ сѣдоста. И нача Василко глаголати ко Давыдови, и не бѣ в Давыдѣ гласа и ни послушанья: бѣ бо вжаслъся и лесть имѣя въ сердцѣ».
И посѣдѣвъ мало Давыдъ, рече: «Гдѣ есть братъ?» Они же рекоша ему: «Стоить на сѣнехъ». И въставъ Давыдъ, рече: «Ать иду по нь, а ты ту, брате, посѣди». И, въставъ, Давыдъ лѣзе вонъ. И яко выступи Давыдъ, и запроша Василка, въ 5 ноября, и оковавъше въ двоѣ оковы, и приставиша к нему сторожѣ на ночь. Наутрия же Святополкъ созва бояре и кияне и повѣда имъ, еже бѣ ему повѣдалъ Давыдъ, яко «Брата ти убилъ и на тя свѣщалъ с Володимеромъ, хочеть тя убити и градъ твой заяти». И рекоша бояре и людье: «Тобѣ, княже, головы своеѣ достоить блюсти. Да аще есть молвилъ право Давыдъ, да прииметь Василко казнь: аще ли неправо глаголалъ Давыдъ, да прииметь месть от Бога и отвѣщаеть предъ Богомъ». И увѣдѣша игумени и начаша молитися о Васильцѣ къ Святополку, и рече имъ Святополкъ: «Ото Давыдъ». Давыдъ же, се въвѣдавъ, нача поостривати на ослѣпленье: «Аще ли сего не створиши и его пустиши, тъ ни тобѣ княжити, ни мнѣ». Святополкъ же хотяше пустити ̀и, но Давыдъ не хотяше, блюдася его.
И на ту ночь ведоша ̀и Звенигороду, иже есть городъ малъ у Киева, яко десяти веръстъ […] въдале, и привезъше ̀и на колѣхъ, окована суща, и съсадиша ̀и с колъ и въведоша в-истобъку малу. И сѣдящю ему, узрѣ Василко торчина, остряща ножь, и вразумѣ, яко хотят ̀и ослипити, и възпи къ Богу плачемъ великомъ и стонаньемь великомъ. И се влѣзоша послании Святополкомъ и Давыдомъ Сновидъ Изечевичь, конюхъ Святополчь, и Дмитръ, конюхъ Давыдовъ, почаста простирати коверъ и, простерша, яста Василка и хотяще поврѣщи ̀и, боряшеться с нима крѣпко, и не можета его поврѣщи. И се влѣзъше друзии, повергоша ̀и, и связаша ̀и, и снемьше доску с печи и възложиша на персии ему. И сѣдоста обаполы Сновидъ Изечевичь и Дмитръ и не можаста его удержати. И приступиста ина два, и сняста другую дъску с печи, и сѣдоста, и вдавиша ̀и рамяно, яко персемъ троскотати.
И приступи търчинъ именемь Береньди, овчюхъ Святополчь, держа ножь, хотя уверьтѣти ножь в око, и грѣши ока и перерѣза ему лице, и бяше знати рану ту на лици ему. По семь же увертѣ ему ножь в зѣницю, изя зѣницю, по семь у другое око уверьтѣ ножь, изя другую зиницю. И томъ часѣ бысть яко мертвъ. И вземьше ̀и на коврѣ, узложиша ̀и на кола яко мертва, и повезоша ̀и Володимерю. И пришедъше, сташа с нимъ, перешедъше мостъ Въздвиженьскы, на торговищи, и сволъкоша с него сорочьку кроваву и вдаша попадьи опрати. Попадья же, оправъши, узволоче на нь, онѣмъ обѣдающимъ, и плакатися нача попадья оному, яко мерьтву сущю. Узбуди ̀и плачь, и рече: «Кдѣ се есьмь?» Они же рекоша ему: «Въ Звѣждени градѣ». И въпроси воды, они же даша ему, и испи воды, и въступи во нь душа, и помянуся, и пощюпа сорочкы и рече: «Чему есте сняли с мене? Да быхъ в сѣй сорочици смерть приялъ и сталъ предъ Богомъ в кровавѣ сорочицѣ».
Онѣмъ же обѣдавшимъ, поидоша с нимь въекорѣ на колѣхъ, а по грудну пути, бѣ бо тогда мѣсяць груденъ, рекше ноябрь. И приидоша с нимъ Володимерю въ 6 день. Прииде же и Давыдъ по немъ, яко звѣрь уловилъ. И посадиша ̀и у дворѣ Вакѣевѣ, и приставиша 30 мужь стрѣщи, а 2 отрока княжа, Улана и Колчю.
Вълодимеръ же, слышавъ, яко ятъ есть Василко и ослѣпленъ, ужасася, и въсплакася вельми и рече: «Сего не было есть у Русьской земли ни при дѣдехъ наших, ни при отцихъ нашихъ, сякого зла». И ту абье посла ко Давыду и к Ольгови Святъславичема, глаголя: «Поидѣта к Городцю, да поправимъ сего зла, еже ся сотвори у Русьской земли и в насъ, братьи, оже уверже в ны ножь. Да аще сего не поправимъ, болше зло въстанеть в насъ, и начнеть братъ брата заколати, и погыбнеть земля Русьская, и врази наши половци, пришедъше, возмуть землю Русьскую». Се слышавъ, Давыдъ и Олегъ печална быста вельми и начаста плакатися, рекуща, яко «Сего не было в родѣ нашемь». И ту абье собравъша воя и приидоста к Володимеру. Володимеру сущю с вои стоящю у бору, Володимеръ же и Давыдъ и Олегъ послаша мужѣ свои къ Святополку, глаголюще: «Что се створилъ еси в Русьской землѣ — уверьглъ еси ножь в ны? Чему еси ослипил брата своего? Аще бы ти вина какая была на нь, обличилъ бы пред нами и, упрѣвъ бы ̀и, створилъ ему. А ныне кая вина до него, оже ему се створилъ еси?» И рече Святополкъ: «Повѣдалъ ми Давыдъ Игоревичь, яко Василко брата ти убилъ, Ярополка, и тебе хощеть убити и заяти волость твою — Туровъ, и Пинескъ, и Берести и Погорину, и шелъ ротѣ с Володимѣромъ, яко сѣсти Володимеру в Киевѣ, а Василкови Володимери. А неволя ми главы своея блюсти. И не язъ его слѣпилъ, но Давыдъ, и велъ ̀и к собѣ».
И рѣша мужи Володимери, и Давыдови и Олгови: «Извѣта о семь не имѣй, яко Давыдъ есть слѣпилъ ̀и. Не в Давыдовѣ градѣ ятъ есть, ни ослѣпленъ, но въ твоемъ городѣ ятъ и ослѣпленъ». И се имъ глаголющимъ, разидошася раздно. Наутрия же хотя Володимеру и Давыдови и Олгови чересъ Днѣпръ на Святополка, Святополкъ же хотяше побѣгнути ис Кыева, и не даша ему кияне побѣгнути, но послаша Усеволожюю и митрополита Николу къ Володимеру, глаголюща: «Молимся, княже, тобѣ и братома твоима, не мозѣте погубити Русьской землѣ. Аще бо возмете рать межю собою, погани имуть радоватися и возмуть землю нашю, юже бѣша стяжали ваши дѣди и отци ваши трудомъ великимъ и хороборьствомъ, побарающе по Русьской земли, а ины земли приискаху, а вы хощете погубити Русьскую землю».
Всеволожая и митрополитъ приидоста к Володимерю и молистася ему и повѣдаста молбу кыянъ, яко створити миръ и блюсти земли Руской, и брань имѣти с погаными. И се слышавъ, Володимеръ расплакася и рече: «Поистинѣ отци наши и дѣди наши соблюдоша Русьскую землю, а мы ю хочемъ погубити». И преклонися на молбу княгинину, чтяшеть бо ю яко матерь, отца ради своего, бѣ бо любимъ отцю своему повелику в животѣ и по смерти, и не ослушася его ни в чемь же. И послуша яко матере и митрополита такоже, чтя санъ святительскый, не прѣслуша молбы его.
Володимеръ же такъ есть любьзнивъ: любовь имѣя к митрополитомъ и къ епискупомъ и къ игуменом, паче же и черноризецький чинъ любя, и приходящая к нему напиташе и напояше, акы мати дѣти своя. Аще кого видить или шюмна, или в коемь зазорѣ, и не осужаше, но все на любовь прикладаше и втѣшаше.
Но мы на прежереченое узвратѣмься. Княгини же бывши у Володимера, и прииде Кыеву и повѣда всю рѣчь Святополку и кияномъ, яко миръ будеть. И начаша межи собою мужѣ слати и вмиришася на семь, яко рѣша Святополку, яко «Се Давыдова есть сколота; то иди ты, Святополче, на Давыда, люби ими ̀и, любо прожени». Святополк же емься по се, и цѣловаше хрестъ межи собою, миръ створше.
Василкови же сущю в Володимери на прѣжереченомь мѣстѣ, яко приближися постъ великый, и мнѣ ту сущю, у Володимѣрѣ, у едину нощь присла по мя князь Давыдъ. И приидохъ к нему, и сѣдяху дружина около его, и посади мя и рече ми: «Се молвилъ Василко сыночи ко Вланови и къ Колчи, реклъ тако Василко: „Се слышу, оже идеть Володимеръ и Святополкъ на Давыда. Даже бы мене Давыдъ послушалъ, да быхъ послалъ мужа своего к Володимеру, и воротися, вѣдѣ бо ся с нимъ что молвивъ — не поидеть“. Да се, Василю, шлю тя, ѣди к Василкови со сима отрокома, и молви ему тако: „Оже хощеши послати мужа своего, и воротится Володимеръ, то вдам ти который любо городъ: любо Всеволожь, любо Шеполь, любо Перемиль“». Азъ же идохъ к Василкови и повѣдахъ ему всю рѣчь Давыдову. Он же рче: «Сего есмь не молвилъ, но надѣяся на Богъ. Послю к Володимеру, да быша не прольяли крови мене дѣля. Но сему ми дивно: даеть ми градъ свой, а мой Теребовль, моя волость пождавше и нынѣ”». Якоже и бысть: въскорѣ бо прия власть свою. Мнѣ же рече: «Иди къ Давыдови и рци ему: „Пришли ми Кулмѣя, азъ его пошьлю к Володимеру“». И не послуша его Давыдъ и посла мя река пакы: «Нѣ ту Кулъмѣя». И рече ми Василко: «Посѣди мало».
И повелѣ слузи своему ити вонъ, и сѣде со мною, и нача глаголати: «Се азъ слышю, оже мя хочеть Давыдъ давати ляхомъ; то ся мало насытилъ крове моея, и се хощеть болше ся насытити, иже мя вдасть имъ. Азъ бо ляхомъ много зла створихъ и еще есмь хотѣлъ створити и мьстити Русьскую землю. Аще мя вдасть ляхомъ, не боюся смерти, но се повѣдаю ти поистинѣ, яко наведе на мя Богъ за мое узвышенье, яко приде ми вѣсть, яко идуть ко мнѣ берендичи, и печенѣзи, и торци, и се рекохъ въ умѣ своемь: оже ми будуть берендичи, и торци и печенѣзи, и реку брату своему Володареви и Давыдови: „Дайта дружину свою моложьшюю, а сама пийта и веселитася“. И помыслихъ: „На землю Лядьскую наступлю на зиму и на лѣто, и возму землю Лядьскую, и мьщю землю Русьскую“. И по семь хотѣлъ есмь переяти болгары дунайскыя и посадити я у себе. По семь хотяхъ проситися у Святополка и у Володимера на половцѣ, и поиду, рѣхъ, на половцѣ, да любо налѣзу собѣ славу, любо главу свою сложю за Русьскую землю. А иное помышленье въ сердци моемъ не было ни на Святополка, ни на Давыда. И се кленуся Богомь и его пришествиемь, яко не помыслилъ есмь зла братьи моей ни в чемь же. Но за мое узнесенье — иже поидоша береньдичи ко мнѣ и веселяся сердце мое и възвеселися умъ мой — и низложи мя Богъ и смѣри мя».
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 6605. There came Sviatopolk, and Vladimir, and David Igorevich, and Vasilko Rostislavich, and David Sviatoslavich and his brother Oleg, and they met at Liubech to establish peace. And they said one to another: “Why do we destroy the land of Rus', holding strife […] among ourselves, while the Cumans carry off our land piece by piece and rejoice that there is war between us to this day? From this hour let us be of one heart, and keep the land of Rus'. Let each hold his own patrimony: Sviatopolk — Kyiv, the holding of Iziaslav; Vladimir — the holding of Vsevolod; David and Oleg and Yaroslav — the holding of Sviatoslav, whose cities Vsevolod had given out: to David, Volodymyr; and to the sons of Rostislav — Peremyshl to Volodar, and Terebovl […] to Vasilko.” And on this they kissed the cross: “If from this hour any rise up against another, then against him we shall all stand, and the honorable cross.” And all said: “Let the honorable cross and all the land of Rus' be upon him.” And having kissed the cross, they went each his own way.
And Sviatopolk came to Kyiv with David, and all the people rejoiced — only the devil grieved over this love. And Satan entered into the heart of certain men, and they began to say to David Igorevich: “Vladimir has leagued himself with Vasilko against Sviatopolk and against you.” And David, giving credence to lying words, began to speak against Vasilko, saying: “Who was it that killed your brother Yaropolk? And now he is plotting against you and against me, and has leagued himself with Vladimir. So look to your own head.” And Sviatopolk was troubled in mind, saying: “Whether this be truth or a lie, I do not know.” And Sviatopolk said to David: “If you speak truly, may God be your witness; but if you speak out of envy, may God be against you.” And Sviatopolk grieved for his brother, and began to ponder with himself whether this might be true; and he gave credence to David, and David beguiled Sviatopolk, and the two of them took counsel against Vasilko — and neither Vasilko nor Vladimir knew of it. And David began to say: “If we do not seize Vasilko, there will be no princedom in Kyiv for you, nor Volodymyr for me.” And Sviatopolk heeded this. And Vasilko came on the 4th of November and crossed over to Vydubychi, to bow before St. Michael in the monastery, and supped there, and set his baggage-train at Ruditsa. And when evening came, he went out to his baggage-train. And the next morning Sviatopolk sent to him, saying: “Do not go away before my name-day.” But Vasilko refused, saying: “I cannot wait; there may be war at home.” And David sent to him: “Do not go, brother, and do not disobey your elder brother. Let us two go together.” And Vasilko would not do so, nor would he listen to either of them. And David said to Sviatopolk: “Do you see? He does not regard you, though he goes under your hand. But when he is gone to his own realm, you shall see with your own eyes whether he does not lay hold of your cities — Turov and Pinsk and the rest of your cities. Then you will remember me. But summon him now, seize him, and give him to me.” And Sviatopolk heeded him and sent for Vasilko, saying: “Since you will not wait for my name-day, come now and kiss me, and let us all sit together with David.” And Vasilko promised to come, not knowing the treachery David was weaving against him. And Vasilko mounted his horse and rode off, and his servant met him and told him, saying: “Do not go, prince; they mean to seize you.” But he did not heed it, pondering: “How could they seize me? Just now they kissed the cross, saying: if any be against another, then against him we shall all be, and the cross.” And having so pondered, he crossed himself and said: “The Lord's will be done.” And he came with a small retinue to the prince's court, and Sviatopolk came out to meet him, and they went into the great hall, and David came, and they sat down. And Sviatopolk began to say: “Stay for the feast.” And Vasilko said: “I cannot stay, brother; I have already bidden my baggage-train go on ahead.” And David sat as though struck dumb. And Sviatopolk said: “Then break your fast, brother!” And Vasilko agreed to breakfast. And Sviatopolk said: “Sit here, you two, and I will go up and give my orders.” And he went out, and David sat with Vasilko. And Vasilko began to speak with David, and there was in David neither voice nor hearing: for he was terrified, and treachery was in his heart.
And David, sitting a little while, said: “Where is the brother?” And they said to him: “He stands on the outer stair.” And David rose and said: “I will go after him; do you sit here, brother.” And David rose and went out. And the moment David had stepped out, they seized Vasilko — it was the 5th of November — and bound him in double fetters, and set a watch over him for the night. The next morning Sviatopolk summoned the boyars and the men of Kyiv, and told them what David had told him: “He killed your brother, and he has conspired against you with Vladimir; he means to kill you and seize your city.” And the boyars and the people said: “It is your own head you must guard, prince. If David has spoken the truth, let Vasilko suffer the penalty; but if David has spoken falsely, let him meet the vengeance of God and answer before God.” And the abbots learned of it, and began to intercede with Sviatopolk for Vasilko, and Sviatopolk said to them: “It is David's doing.” And David, seeing this, began to whet them on to blinding him: “If you do not do this, and let him go, then neither you will reign nor I.” And Sviatopolk wished to let him go, but David would not, for he feared him.
That night they took him to Zvenigorod, a small town near Kyiv, about ten versts […] away, and brought him there on carts, still in his fetters, and took him down from the cart and led him into a small hut. And as he sat there, Vasilko saw a Tork whetting a knife, and he understood that they meant to blind him, and he cried out to God with great weeping and great groaning. And then there came in, sent by Sviatopolk and David, Snovid Izechevich, Sviatopolk's groom, and Dmitr, David's groom; and they began to spread a carpet, and having spread it, they seized Vasilko and would have thrown him down, and he wrestled with them mightily, and the two could not throw him. Then others came in, and they flung him down and bound him, and took a board from the stove and laid it upon his breast. And Snovid Izechevich and Dmitr sat on either side of him and could not hold him. And two more came up, and took a second board from the stove, and sat on it, and pressed him down by the shoulders, so that his breast cracked.
And there came up a Tork named Berendi, Sviatopolk's shepherd, holding a knife, and he meant to thrust the knife into his eye, but missed the eye and cut open his cheek, and the mark of that wound could ever after be seen on his face. And then he thrust the knife into his eye, and took out the eye, and then thrust the knife into the other eye, and took out the other. And in that hour he was as one dead. And they took him up on the carpet, and laid him on the cart as one dead, and carried him to Volodymyr. And having come, they halted with him in the marketplace, beyond the Vozdvizhen bridge, and stripped the bloody shirt from him and gave it to the priest's wife to wash. And the priest's wife, having washed it, drew it on him again, while they sat at dinner, and she began to weep over him as over one dead. And the weeping woke him, and he said: “Where am I?” And they said to him: “In the town of Zvizhden.” And he asked for water, and they gave it, and he drank the water, and his soul came back into him, and he came to himself, and touched the shirt and said: “Why have you taken it off me? I would have died in this shirt and stood before God in a bloody shirt.”
And when they had dined, they set out with him in haste on the carts, by the frozen road, for the month was then Gruden, that is, November. And they brought him to Volodymyr on the 6th. And David came after him like a beast that has made its catch. And they lodged him at the court of Vakei, and set 30 men to guard him, and with them 2 princely servants, Ulan and Kolcha.
And Vladimir, hearing that Vasilko had been seized and blinded, was appalled, and wept aloud, and said: “Never has such evil been in the land of Rus', neither under our grandfathers nor under our fathers.” And at once he sent to David and to Oleg Sviatoslavich, saying: “Come to Gorodets, that we may mend this evil that has been done in the land of Rus' and among us brothers, in that a knife has been thrown in among us. If we do not mend it, worse evil will rise among us, and brother will begin to slay brother, and the land of Rus' will perish, and our enemies the Cumans will come and seize the land of Rus'.” And when David and Oleg heard this they were exceedingly grieved, and began to weep, saying: “This has never been in our line.” And at once they gathered troops and came to Vladimir. And as Vladimir stood with his troops by the forest, Vladimir and David and Oleg sent their men to Sviatopolk, saying: “What have you done in the land of Rus' — you have thrown a knife in among us? Why have you blinded your brother? If there had been any guilt in him, you would have accused him before us, and proved it, and so dealt with him. And now, what guilt was his, that you have done this to him?” And Sviatopolk said: “David Igorevich told me: ‘Vasilko killed your brother Yaropolk, and he means to kill you and seize your holding — Turov, and Pinsk, and Brest, and Pogorina — and he has sworn an oath with Vladimir, that Vladimir should sit in Kyiv and Vasilko in Volodymyr.’ And I had no choice but to guard my own head. And it was not I who blinded him, but David, and he had him brought to himself.”
And the men of Vladimir and of David and of Oleg said: “You cannot lay the blame for this on David: it was not in David's town that he was seized and blinded, but in your own town he was seized and blinded.” And even as they spoke, they went apart, each his own way. The next day Vladimir and David and Oleg meant to cross the Dnieper against Sviatopolk, and Sviatopolk meant to flee from Kyiv, but the men of Kyiv would not let him flee, and they sent Vsevolod's widow and Metropolitan Nicholas to Vladimir, saying: “We beseech you, prince, and your brothers: do not destroy the land of Rus'. For if you take up war among yourselves, the pagans will rejoice and will take our land, which your grandfathers and your fathers won by great toil and by valor, doing battle for the land of Rus', and seeking out other lands besides; and would you now destroy the land of Rus'?”
And Vsevolod's widow and the metropolitan came to Vladimir, and entreated him, and told him the plea of the men of Kyiv: that he should make peace and guard the land of Rus', and wage war upon the pagans. And when Vladimir heard this he wept, and said: “Truly our fathers and our grandfathers kept the land of Rus', and we wish to destroy it.” And he bowed to the princess's plea, for he honored her as a mother for his father's sake; for his father had loved him greatly in life and after death, and he had never disobeyed him in anything. And he listened to her as to a mother, and to the metropolitan as well, honoring his holy office, and did not disregard his plea.
Such was Vladimir's loving kindness: he bore love for metropolitans and for bishops and for abbots, and more than all he loved the monastic order; and whoever came to him he fed and gave drink, like a mother her children. And if he saw anyone unruly, or in any fault, he did not condemn him, but turned all to love, and comforted him.
But let us return to what was told before. And the princess, having been with Vladimir, came to Kyiv and told Sviatopolk and the Kyivans the whole matter: that there would be peace. And they began to send men between them, and on these terms they made peace with one another, saying to Sviatopolk: “This mischief is David's doing; so do you, Sviatopolk, go against David — either seize him, or drive him out.” And Sviatopolk took hold of this, and they kissed the cross between them, having made peace.
And while Vasilko was at Volodymyr, in the place told of before, and the great fast drew near — and I was there at Volodymyr — one night Prince David sent for me. And I came to him, and his retinue sat about him, and he seated me, and said to me: “Vasilko said yesterday to Vlan and to Kolcha — thus said Vasilko: ‘I hear that Vladimir and Sviatopolk are coming against David. If only David would heed me, I would send my man to Vladimir, and he would turn back, for Vladimir knows what I said to him — he would not come.’ So now, Vasil, I send you: go to Vasilko with these two servants, and say to him: ‘If you will send your man, Vladimir will turn back, and then I will give you whatever city you please: Vsevolozh, or Shepol, or Peremil.’” And I went to Vasilko and told him the whole of David's message. And he said: “I never said that; I trust in God. I will send to Vladimir, that they may not shed blood on my account. But this I marvel at: he offers me a city of his own, while my Terebovl, my own holding, waits for me even now.” And so it came to pass, for soon he recovered his realm. And he said to me: “Go to David, and say: ‘Send me Kulmei, and I will send him to Vladimir.’” And David did not heed him, and sent me back again, saying: “There is no Kulmei here.” And Vasilko said to me: “Sit a while.”
And he bade his servant go out, and sat down with me, and began to speak: “I hear that David means to give me up to the Poles; he has scarcely glutted himself with my blood, and now he wishes to glut himself further, giving me over to them. I did the Poles much evil, and I yet meant to do more, and to avenge the land of Rus'. If he gives me to the Poles, I do not fear death; but this I tell you in truth: God brought me low for my exaltation. For word came to me that the Berendei were coming to me, and the Pechenegs, and the Torks; and I said in my heart: ‘If the Berendei and the Torks and the Pechenegs are mine, I will say to my brother Volodar and to David: Give me your younger retinue, and do you drink and make merry.’ And I thought: ‘On the Polish land I will fall, in winter and in summer, and I will take the Polish land, and avenge the land of Rus'.’ And after that I meant to take the Danube Bulgars and settle them under me. And after that I meant to ask leave of Sviatopolk and of Vladimir to go against the Cumans, and I said: I will go against the Cumans, and either I shall win myself glory, or I shall lay down my head for the land of Rus'. And I had no other thought in my heart, either against Sviatopolk or against David. And I swear it by God and by his coming: I thought no evil against my brothers in anything. But for my exaltation — when the Berendei came to me, and my heart rejoiced and my mind was glad — God cast me down and humbled me.”
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 6605. Sviatopolk and Vladimir, and David Igorevich, and Vasilko Rostislavich, and David Sviatoslavich and his brother Oleg came together and met at Liubech to establish peace. They said among themselves: “Why do we destroy the Rus' land, holding a quarrel […] among ourselves? The Cumans carry off our land piece by piece, and they rejoice that there is war among us to this day. From now on let us be of one heart, and let us guard the Rus' land. Let each one hold his own patrimony: to Sviatopolk—Kyiv, the holding of Iziaslav; to Vladimir—the holding of Vsevolod; to David, Oleg, and Yaroslav—the holding of Sviatoslav, to whom Vsevolod gave the cities: to David, Volodymyr; to the Rostislaviches, Peremyshl; to Volodar, Terebovl; […] to Vasilko.” And on this they kissed the cross: “From now on, if anyone rises up against another, then we shall all be against him, together with the honored cross.” And all said: “May the honored cross and the whole Rus' land be upon him.” And they kissed the cross to one another, and each went back to his own city.
Sviatopolk came to Kyiv with David, and all the people rejoiced. Only the devil was grieved by this love. Satan entered into the heart of certain men, and they began to say to David Igorevich: “Vladimir has made an agreement with Vasilko against Sviatopolk and against you.” David believed the false words, and he began to speak against Vasilko, saying: “Who killed your brother Yaropolk? Now he is plotting against you and against me, and he has conspired with Vladimir. Take thought for your own head.” Sviatopolk was troubled in mind and said: “I do not know whether this is the truth or a lie.” And Sviatopolk said to David: “If you are speaking the truth, may God be your witness; but if you are speaking out of envy, may God call you to account for it.” Sviatopolk grieved for his brother, and he began to think about himself, whether this might be true. And he believed David. David deceived Sviatopolk, and the two of them began to plot against Vasilko, and Vasilko knew nothing of it, nor Vladimir. David began to say: “If we do not seize Vasilko, then you will have no princedom in Kyiv, and I none in Volodymyr.” Sviatopolk listened to him. Vasilko arrived on November 4 and crossed over to Vydubychi to venerate St. Michael at the monastery. He dined there and put his baggage camp at Ruditsa. When evening came, he went out to his baggage camp. The next morning Sviatopolk sent him word: “Do not go away before my name day.” Vasilko refused, saying: “I cannot wait; war may break out at home.” David sent to him: “Do not go, brother, and do not disobey your elder brother. Let us two go together.” Vasilko did not want to do this and would not listen to either of them. David said to Sviatopolk: “Do you see? He does not obey you, even though he walks in your hand. If he gets away to his own volost, you will see for yourself whether he does not seize your towns—Turov and Pinsk and your other towns. Then you will remember me. But call him here now, seize him, and give him to me.” Sviatopolk listened to him and sent for Vasilko, saying: “If you do not want to wait until my name day, then come now, kiss me, and let us all sit down together with David.” Vasilko promised to come, not knowing the deceit David was weaving against him. Vasilko mounted his horse and rode off, and his servant boy met him on the way and told him: “Do not go, prince; they want to seize you.” He did not listen, but thought: “How can they seize me? They kissed the cross, saying that if anyone turns against another, the cross will be against him, and we shall all be against him too.” Having thought this, he crossed himself and said: “May the Lord's will be done.” He came with a small retinue to the prince's court. Sviatopolk came out to meet him, and they went into the great hall, and David came in, and they sat down. Sviatopolk began to say: “Stay through the holy days.” Vasilko said: “I cannot stay, brother; I have already given orders for my baggage to go on ahead.” David sat as if he were speechless. Sviatopolk said: “Have breakfast with us, brother!” Vasilko agreed to have breakfast. Sviatopolk said: “Sit here, you two; I will go out and give orders.” He went out, and David sat with Vasilko. Vasilko began to speak to David, but David had neither voice nor hearing: terror had seized him, and deceit was in his heart.
David sat a little while and said: “Where is the brother?” They said to him: “He is standing in the entry hall.” David rose and said: “Let me go and fetch him; you sit here, brother.” And he rose and went out. As soon as David stepped out, they seized Vasilko, on November 5, and they shackled him in double shackles and set a watch over him for the night. The next morning Sviatopolk summoned the boyars and the Kyivans and told them what David had told him: “He has killed your brother, and he plotted against you with Vladimir; he wants to kill you and seize your town.” The boyars and the people said: “Prince, you must guard your own head. If David has spoken the truth, let Vasilko receive punishment; but if David has spoken falsely, let him receive vengeance from God and answer for it before God.” The abbots learned of it and began to plead with Sviatopolk for Vasilko, and Sviatopolk said to them: “This is David's doing.” David, finding this out, began to press for his blinding: “If you do not do this, and let him go, then neither you will reign, nor I.” Sviatopolk wanted to let him go, but David would not, for he was afraid of him.
That night they took him to Zvenigorod, which is a small town near Kyiv, about 10 versts […] away. They brought him on carts, still in his shackles, took him down off the cart, and led him into a small hut. As he sat there, Vasilko saw a Tork sharpening a knife, and he understood that they meant to blind him, and he cried out to God with loud weeping and loud groaning. Then the men sent by Sviatopolk and David came in—Snovid Izechevich, Sviatopolk's groom, and Dmitr, David's groom. They began to spread out a carpet, and when they had spread it they seized Vasilko and tried to throw him down. He struggled with them hard, and the two of them could not throw him down. Then others came in, threw him down, and bound him. They took a board from the stove and laid it on his chest. Snovid Izechevich and Dmitr sat on either side of him, but they could not hold him. Two more came up, took a second board from the stove, sat on it, and crushed his chest with their knees until his ribs cracked.
Then a Tork named Berendi, Sviatopolk's shepherd, came up, holding a knife. He meant to thrust the knife into his eye, but he missed the eye and cut his face, and that wound remained visible on his face. After that he thrust the knife into his pupil and dug out the pupil; then he thrust the knife into the other eye and dug out the other pupil. At that moment he was like a dead man. They lifted him up on the carpet, laid him on a cart as a dead man, and drove him to Volodymyr. They came and stopped with him, past the Vozdvizhensky bridge, at the marketplace. They pulled the bloody shirt off him and gave it to the priest's wife to wash. She washed it and put it back on him, while the men were eating their dinner, and she began to weep over him as over a dead man. The weeping woke him, and he said: “Where am I?” They said to him: “In the town of Zvizhden.” He asked for water, and they gave it to him. He drank the water, his soul came back into him, he came to himself, and he felt the shirt and said: “Why did you take it off me? I should have died in this shirt and stood before God in a bloody shirt.”
When they had eaten, they set out with him in haste on carts, along the road over frozen ground, for it was then the month gruden, that is, November. They came with him to Volodymyr on the 6th. David came after him, like a beast that has caught its prey. They placed him in Vakei's courtyard and set 30 men to guard him, and 2 princely servant boys, Ulan and Kolcha.
Vladimir heard that Vasilko had been seized and blinded. He was horrified, wept bitterly, and said: “This evil has never happened in the Rus' land, neither under our grandfathers nor under our fathers.” At once he sent to David and Oleg Sviatoslavich, saying: “Come to Gorodets, so that we may undo this evil that has been done in the Rus' land and among us brothers—a knife has been thrown into us. If we do not undo it, worse evil will rise among us: brother will begin to slaughter brother, and the Rus' land will perish, and our enemies the Cumans will come and take the Rus' land.” When David and Oleg heard this, they grieved deeply and began to weep, saying: “This has never happened in our family.” At once they gathered troops and came to Vladimir. Vladimir was standing with his troops by the forest. Vladimir, David, and Oleg sent their men to Sviatopolk, saying: “What have you done in the Rus' land—you have thrown a knife into us? Why have you blinded your brother? If there had been any guilt in him, you would have charged him before us and, having proved it, done this to him. And now, what guilt was his, that you did this to him?” Sviatopolk said: “David Igorevich told me that Vasilko killed your brother Yaropolk, and that he wants to kill you and seize your volost—Turov, and Pinsk, and Brest, and Pogorina—and that he swore an oath with Vladimir that Vladimir would sit in Kyiv and Vasilko in Volodymyr. I had no choice but to guard my own head. It was not I who blinded him; it was David, and he had him brought to himself.”
The men of Vladimir, and of David, and of Oleg said: “Do not hide behind that excuse, that David blinded him. He was not seized in David's town, nor blinded there; he was seized and blinded in your town.” While they were saying this, they went apart from one another. The next day Vladimir, David, and Oleg wanted to cross the Dnieper against Sviatopolk. Sviatopolk wanted to flee from Kyiv, but the Kyivans would not let him flee. Instead they sent Vsevolod's widow and Metropolitan Nicholas to Vladimir, saying: “We beg you, prince, and your brothers: do not destroy the Rus' land. If you take up war among yourselves, the pagans will rejoice and will take our land—the land your grandfathers and your fathers won with great labor and courage, fighting for the Rus' land and searching out other lands as well. And you want to destroy the Rus' land.”
Vsevolod's widow and the metropolitan came to Vladimir, pleaded with him, and told him the request of the Kyivans: to make peace, to guard the Rus' land, and to fight the pagans. When Vladimir heard this, he wept and said: “Truly, our fathers and our grandfathers guarded the Rus' land, and we want to destroy it.” He gave in to the princess's prayer, for he honored her as a mother for the sake of his father. His father had loved him greatly, in life and after death, and he had never disobeyed him in anything. So he obeyed her as a mother, and the metropolitan as well, for he honored the holy office of bishop; he did not turn away from his plea.
This is the kind of loving man Vladimir was: he had love for metropolitans, and for bishops, and for abbots, and above all he loved the monastic order. Whoever came to him he fed and gave drink to, like a mother feeds her children. If he saw anyone quarreling, or caught in any fault, he did not condemn him, but turned everything toward love and comforted him.
But let us return to what we spoke of before. When the princess had been with Vladimir, she came to Kyiv and told the whole matter to Sviatopolk and to the Kyivans: there would be peace. Men began to go back and forth between them, and they made peace on this basis: they said to Sviatopolk, “This is David's plot. So you, Sviatopolk, go against David: either seize him or drive him out.” Sviatopolk agreed to this. They kissed the cross between them and made peace.
While Vasilko was kept in Volodymyr at the place spoken of before, Great Lent drew near. I was there in Volodymyr at that time, and one night Prince David sent for me. I came to him; his retinue sat around him. He seated me and said to me: “Vasilko said this not long ago to Vlan and Kolcha. Vasilko said: ‘I hear that Vladimir and Sviatopolk are marching on David. If David would obey me, I would send my man to Vladimir, and he would turn back—Vladimir knows what I said to him, and he will not march.’ So, Vasil, I am sending you: go to Vasilko with these two servant boys and say this to him: ‘If you send your man, Vladimir will turn back, and then I will give you whatever city you like: either Vsevolozh, or Shepol, or Peremil.’” I went to Vasilko and told him all of David's speech. He said: “I never said that; I put my hope in God. I will send to Vladimir, so that they do not shed blood on my account. But this is what amazes me: he offers me his own city, while my Terebovl, my own volost, is still being withheld from me.” And so it turned out: he soon received his volost. He said to me: “Go to David and tell him: ‘Send me Kulmei, and I will send him to Vladimir.’” David did not listen to him, and he sent me back again, saying: “Kulmei is not here.” Vasilko said to me: “Sit a while.”
He ordered his servant to go out, sat down with me, and began to speak: “I hear that David wants to hand me over to the Poles. He has barely satisfied himself with my blood, and now he wants to satisfy himself further by giving me to them. I did great evil to the Poles, and I still wanted to do more and to avenge the Rus' land. If he hands me over to the Poles, I am not afraid of death. But I tell you the truth: God brought this on me for my exaltation. News came to me that the Berendei were coming to me, and the Pechenegs, and the Torks, and I said in my heart: if the Berendei and the Torks and the Pechenegs are mine, I will say to my brother Volodar and to David: ‘Give up your younger retinues, and you two drink and enjoy yourselves.’ And I planned: ‘I will fall on the Polish land in winter and in summer, and I will take the Polish land and avenge the Rus' land.’ After that I wanted to seize the Danube Bulgars and settle them with me. After that I wanted to ask Sviatopolk and Vladimir to let me go against the Cumans, and I said: I will march on the Cumans, and either I win glory for myself, or I lay down my head for the Rus' land. I had no other thought in my heart, neither against Sviatopolk nor against David. And I swear by God and by his coming that I planned no evil against my brothers in any way. But because of my exaltation—that the Berendei came to me and my heart rejoiced and my mind lifted itself up—God brought me down and humbled me.”