Attributed to Nestor the Chronicler · Complete work
1103–1108: The Dolobsk Council and Victory over the Cumans
1103–1108: The Dolobsk Council and Victory over the Cumans of 46. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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В лѣто 6611. Вложи Богъ у серьдце русьскымъ княземъ мысль благу: Святополку, Володимеру, и снястася думати на Долобьскѣ. В сѣде Святополкъ съ своею дружиною, а Володимеръ съ своею дружиною, а въ единомь шатрѣ. И поча думати и начаша глаголати дружина Святополча: «Не веремя веснѣ воевати: хочемь погубити смерды и ролью имъ». И рече Володимеръ: «Дивно ми, дружино, оже лошади кто жалуеть, еюже ореть кто, а сего чему не расмотрите, оже начьнетъ смердъ орати, и половчинъ приѣха, ударить смерда стрѣлою, а кобылу его поиметь, а в село въѣхавъ, поиметь жену его и дѣти, и все имѣнье его возметь. То лошади его жалуешь, а самого чему не жалуешь?» И не могоша противу ему отвѣщати дружина Святополча. И рече Святополкъ: «Брате! Се азъ готовъ уже». И въста Святополкъ, и рече ему Володимеръ: «То ти, брате, велико добро створиши Русьской земьли». И посласта къ Давыдови и к Олгови, глаголюща: «Поидита на половци, а любо будемь живи, любо мертви».
Давыдъ же послуша ею, а Олегъ не послуша сего, вину река: «Не здоровлю». Володимерь же, цѣловавъ брата своего, поиде Переяславлю, а Святополкъ по немь и Давыдъ Святъславичь, и Мьстиславъ, Игоревъ унукъ, Вячьславъ Ярополчичь, Ярополкъ Володимеричь. И поидоша на конихъ и в лодьяхъ, и приидоша ниже порогъ, и сташа въ протолчехъ и в Хортичимъ островѣ. И всѣдоша на конѣ, и пѣшьци из лодей высѣдавше, идоша в поле 4 дни и придоша на Сутинъ. Половци же, слышавше, яко идуть русь, и собрашася бес числа и начаша думати. И рече Урусоба: «Просимъ мира в руси, яко крѣпко ся имуть бити с нами, мы бо много зла створихомъ Руской земли». И рѣша уншии Урусобѣ: «Аще ся ты боиши руси, но мы ся не боимъ. Сихъ бо избивше и поидемь в землю ихъ, и приимемъ вся грады ихъ, и кто избавить ихъ от насъ?» Рустии же князи и вои моляху Бога и причистии его матери, ово кутьею, овъ же милостынею къ убогымъ, ови же манастыремъ трѣбованья.
И сице молящимъся, поидоша половьци и посла передъ собою въ сторожѣ Алтунопу, иже словяше мужьствомъ. Тако же и русьстии князи послаша сторожѣ свои. И въстерегоша Алтунопу, и объступиша Алтунопу и въбиша и́ и сущая с нимъ, ни единъ не избы от нихъ, но вся избиша. И поидоша полци половецьстии аки борове, и не бѣ перезрити ихъ, и русь поидоша противу имъ. И великий Богъ вложив жалость велику у половцѣ, и страхъ нападе на ня и трепетъ от лица русьскыхъ вой, и дрѣмаху самѣ, и конемъ ихъ не бяше спѣха у ногахъ. Русь же с весельемь на конихъ и пѣши потекоша к нимъ. Половци же, видивше устремленье руское на ся, не доступивше, побѣгоша передъ рускыми князи. Наши же погнаша, сѣкуще я. Въ 4 мѣсяца априля, и великое спасенье створи Богь въ тъ день благовѣрнымъ княземъ русьскымъ и всимъ хрестьяномъ, а на врагы нашѣ дасть побѣду велику.
И убиша ту в полку князий 20: Урусобу, Кочия, Яросланопу, Китанопу, Кунама, Асупа, Курътыка, Ченегрепа, Сурбаря и прочая князя ихъ, а Бельдузя яша. По семь же сѣдоша братья, побѣдивше враги своя, и приведоша Белдузя къ Святополку, и нача Белдузь даяти на собѣ злато, и сребро, и конѣ, и скотъ. Святополкъ же посла Володимеру. И пришедшю ему, упроси его Володимеръ: «То веде, яла вы рота. Многажды бо, ходивше ротѣ, воевасте Русьскую землю. То чему ты не училъ сыновъ своихъ и роду своего не переступати ротѣ, но проливаете кровь хрестьяньску? Да се буди кровь твоя на главѣ твоей». И повели убити ̀и, и тако расѣкоша ̀и на уды. И по семь сняшася братья вся, и рече Володимеръ: «”Се день, иже створи Господь, възрадуемься и възвеселимься во нь”, яко Богъ избавилъ ны есть от врагъ нашихъ, и покори враги наша, и „скруши главы змѣевыя, и далъ есть Господь брашно ихъ намъ“».
Взяша бо тогда скоты, и овцѣ, и кони, и вельблуды, и вежѣ с добыткомъ и съ челядью, и заяша печенѣгы и торъкы с вежами. И приидоша в Русь с полономъ великымъ и съ славою и с побѣдою великою усвояси.
Того же лѣта приидоша прузии, августа въ 1 день. Томъ же лѣтѣ, того же мѣсяца въ 18 день иде Святополкъ и сруби Гурьговъ, егоже бѣша пожьглѣ половци. Того же лѣта бися Ярославъ с моръдвою мѣсяца марта въ 4 день, и побѣженъ бысть Ярославъ.
В лѣто 6612. Ведена дщи Володарева за цесаревичь за Олексиничь Цесарюграду, мѣсяца июля въ 20. В том же лѣтѣ ведена Передъслава, дщи Святополча, во Угры за королевча, мѣсяца августа въ 21. Того лѣта прииде митрополитъ Никифоръ в Русь мѣсяца декабря въ 6 день. Того же мѣсяца преставися Вячьславъ Ярополчичь въ 13 день. Того же мѣсяца въ 18 Никифоръ митрополитъ посаженъ на столѣ. Сего же лѣта исходяща, посла Святополкъ Путяту на Менескъ, а Володимеръ посла сына своего Ярополка, а Олегъ самъ иде на Глѣба, поемъше Давыда Всеславича, и не въспѣша ничтоже и възратишася опять. И родися у Святополка сынъ, и нарекоша имя ему Брячиславъ, В се же лѣто бысть знаменье: стояше солнце въ крузѣ, а посредѣ круга хрестъ, а посредѣ креста солнце, а внѣ круга обаполы 2 солнци, надъ солнцемь же кромѣ круга дуга, рогома на сѣверъ. Тако же знаменье в лунѣ тѣмь же образомъ мѣсяца февраля въ 4 и 5 и 6 день, въ дне по три дни, а в ночи и в лунѣ по три ночи.
В лѣто 6613. Увалися верхъ святаго Андрѣя. В се же лѣто постави митрополитъ Анфилохыя епископа Володимерю августа въ 27. Томъ же лѣтѣ постави Лазоря Переяславлю мѣсяца ноября 12. Томъ же лѣтѣ постави Мину Полотьскѣ мѣсяца декабря въ 13 день. Томъ же лѣтѣ явися звѣзда с хвостомъ на западѣ и стоя мѣсяць. Того же лѣта пришедъ Бонякъ зимѣ на Зарубѣ на торкы и береньдѣѣ.
В лѣто 6614. Повоева половци около Зарѣчьска, и посла по нихъ Святополкъ Яня и Иванка Захарьича и Козарина, и въгонивьше половцѣ до Дуная, полон отяша […]. В се же лѣто преставися Янь, старець добрый, живъ лѣтъ 90, въ старостѣ маститѣ, живъ по закону Божию, не хужий первыхъ праведникъ. У него же азъ слышахъ многа словеса, яже вписахъ в лѣтописиць. Бѣ бо мужь благъ, и кротокъ, и смѣренъ, отгрѣбаяся от всякоя вещи, егоже и гробъ есть въ Печерьскомь монастырѣ, у притворѣ, идѣже лежить тѣло его, положено мѣсяца июня въ 24. В то же лѣто пострижеся Еупракси, Всеволожа дщи, мѣсяца декабря въ 6 день. Того же лѣта помраченье бысть въ солнци августа. Тогда пострижеся князь Святоша, сынъ Давыдовъ, внук, Святославль, Никола, мѣсяца февраля въ 17. В том же лѣтѣ побѣдиша зимѣгола Всеславича и всю братию и дружину, убиша их 9 тысяч.
В лѣто 6615, кругъ луны 4, а солнечнаго — 8 лѣто. В се же время преставися Володимеря княгини мѣсяца маия въ 7 день. Того же мѣсяца воева Бонякъ и зая конѣ у Переяславлѣ. Томъ же лѣтѣ прииде Бонякъ, и Шарукань старый и ини князи мнози, и сташа около Лубна. Святополкъ же, и Володимеръ, и Олегь, Святославъ, Мьстиславъ, Вячьславь, Ярополкъ идоша на половцѣ къ Лубьну, въ 6 часъ дне бродишася чересъ Сулу и кликоша на нѣ. Половци же вжасошася, от страха не възмогоша и стяга поставити, но побѣгоша, хватаючи коний, а друзии пѣши побѣгоша. Наши же начаша сѣщи я, а другыа руками имати, и гнаша я до Хорола. Убиша же Тааза, Бонякова брата, и Сугра яша и братию его, а Шарукань одва утече.
Отбѣгоша же товара своего, и взяша рускии вои мѣсяца августа въ 12 день, а възвратишася въсвоаси. с побѣдою великою. Святополкъ же прииде завътреню в Печерьскый манастырь на Успенье святыя Богородица, и братья цѣловаша и радостью великою, яко врази наши побѣжены быша молитвами святыя Богородица и великаго Федосья, отца нашего. И тако бо обычай имяше Святополкъ: коли идяше на войну, или инамо, оли поклонився у гроба Федосьева и молитву вземъ у игумена, сущаго ту, то же идяше на путь свой. В то же лѣто преставися княгини, Святополча мати мѣсяца генваря въ 4 день. Томъ же лѣтѣ, того же мѣсяца, иде Володимеръ, и Давыдъ, и Олегъ къ Аяпѣ и другому Аепѣ и створиша миръ.
И поя Володимеръ за Георгия Аепину дщерь, Асѣну внуку, а Олегъ поя за сына Аепину дщерь, Гиргеневу внуку, мѣсяца генваря во вторый на 10 день. А февраля 5 трясеся земля пред зорями в нощи.
В лѣто 6616. Заложена бысть церкви святаго Михаила Золотоверхая Святополкомъ княземъ мѣсяца июля въ 11. И тряпезницю кончаша Печерьскаго манастыря при Фектистѣ игуменѣ, юже заложи повеленьемь Глѣбовомъ, иже ю и стяжа. В се же лѣто вода бысть велика во Днѣпрѣ, и въ Деснѣ, и въ Припетѣ. Того же лѣта вложи Богъ въ сердце архимандриту, игумену печерьскому, нача понужати Феоктистъ Святополка князя вписати Федосья в синаникъ, Богу тако изволшю. Святополкъ же радъ бысть, обѣщася створити се, и се вѣды житье его. И нача Святополкъ узвѣщати житье Федосьево и велѣ ̀и вписати в сѣнаникъ, еже створи митрополитъ — вписа его в сѣнаникъ. Повелѣ же митрополитъ по всѣмъ епискупьямъ вписати Федосья в сѣнаникъ. Вси же епископи с радостью вписаша, и поминають его во всѣхъ сборѣхъ. В се же лѣто прѣставися Ерина, Всеволожа дщерь, мѣсяца июля в 24. В се же лѣто кончаша верхъ святыя Борогодица Влахѣрны на Кловѣ, заложенѣй Стефаномъ епископомъ, бывшу ему прѣже игуменомъ Печерьскаго манастыря.
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 6611. God laid a good purpose in the hearts of the princes of Rus' — Sviatopolk's and Vladimir's — and they met to take counsel at Dolobsk. Sviatopolk sat there with his retinue, and Vladimir with his retinue, in one tent. And as they began their deliberation, Sviatopolk's retinue began to speak: “It is no time to go to war in spring: we shall be ruining the peasants and their plowing.” And Vladimir said: “I marvel at you, my retinue, that anyone begrudges the horse on which he plows, and that you do not consider this: when the peasant begins to plow, a Cuman comes riding, strikes the peasant with an arrow, takes his mare, and riding into the village, takes his wife and his children, and all his goods. So you begrudge his horse, but why do you not begrudge the man himself?” Sviatopolk's retinue could make no answer to him. And Sviatopolk said: “Brother! I am ready now.” And when Sviatopolk rose, Vladimir said to him: “By this, brother, you will do great good for the land of Rus'.” And they sent to David and to Oleg, saying: “Come against the Cumans, and let us live or die.”
David obeyed the two, but Oleg did not heed this, giving as his excuse: “I am not well.” Vladimir, having kissed his brother, set out for Pereiaslav, and Sviatopolk after him, and David Sviatoslavich, and Mstislav, Igor's grandson, and Viacheslav Yaropolchich, and Yaropolk Vladimirovich. They went on horseback and in boats, and came below the rapids, and halted at Protolchi and on Khortitsa Island. They mounted their horses, and the foot soldiers, stepping out of the boats, marched into the steppe for 4 days and came to Suten. The Cumans, hearing that Rus' was coming, gathered beyond number and began to take counsel. And Urusoba said: “Let us ask peace of Rus', for they will fight us fiercely; we have done much evil to the land of Rus'.” And the younger men said to Urusoba: “You may fear Rus', but we do not fear them. We shall slay these men and go into their land and take all their towns; and who will deliver them from us?” The princes and the troops of Rus' prayed to God and to His most pure Mother — some with offerings of kutya, some with alms to the poor, and some with gifts to the monasteries.
And while they prayed thus, the Cumans advanced, and sent Altunopa ahead with their scouting force, a man renowned for his valor. In like manner the princes of Rus' sent out their own scouts. And they lay in wait and caught Altunopa, and surrounded Altunopa and those with him, and cut them down, and not one of them escaped, but all were slain. And the Cuman host moved like forests, so that they could not be counted, and Rus' went out against them. And the great God put great faintness into the Cumans: fear and trembling fell upon them at the sight of the troops of Rus', and they grew drowsy, and their horses had no speed in their legs. Rus' came running upon them with joy, mounted and on foot. The Cumans, seeing the charge of Rus' upon them, fled before the princes of Rus' without ever closing with them. Ours pursued them, cutting them down. On the 4th day of the month of April God wrought great salvation that day for the faithful princes of Rus' and for all Christians, and gave great victory over our enemies.
And they slew there in the battle 20 princes: Urusoba, Kochii, Yaroslanopa, Kitanopa, Kunam, Asup, Kurtyk, Chenegrepa, Surbar, and their other princes; and Belduz they took alive. Then the brothers sat down, having conquered their enemies, and brought Belduz before Sviatopolk, and Belduz began to offer gold, and silver, and horses, and cattle for his life. Sviatopolk sent for Vladimir. And when he had come, Vladimir questioned him: “Do you see? An oath bound you. Many a time, going under oath, you raided the land of Rus'. Why did you not teach your sons and your kin not to break their oaths? Yet you shed Christian blood. Let your blood now be on your own head.” And he commanded him to be slain, and so they cut him to pieces. Then all the brothers gathered together, and Vladimir said: “‘This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it,’ for God has delivered us from our enemies and subdued our enemies, and ‘he has crushed the head of the serpent, and the Lord has given their flesh to us for food.’”
For they took then cattle, and sheep, and horses, and camels, and tents with their goods and with their slaves, and captured Pechenegs and Torks with their tents. And they came to Rus' with great plunder and with glory and with great victory, each to his own home.
In the same year locusts came, on August 1. In the same year, on the 18th of the same month, Sviatopolk marched and rebuilt Yuriev, which the Cumans had burned. In the same year Yaroslav fought with the Mordvians on March 4, and Yaroslav was defeated.
In the year 6612. Volodar's daughter was led to Constantinople as bride to the emperor's son, Alexios's son, on July 20. In the same year Predslava, daughter of Sviatopolk, was led to Hungary as bride to the king's son, on August 21. That year Metropolitan Nikephoros came to Rus' on December 6. In the same month Viacheslav Yaropolchich died on the 13th. On the 18th of the same month Metropolitan Nikephoros was seated upon the throne. As that year ended, Sviatopolk sent Putiata against Minsk, and Vladimir sent his son Yaropolk, and Oleg himself marched against Gleb, taking David Vseslavich with them, and they accomplished nothing and turned back again. And a son was born to Sviatopolk, and they gave him the name Briachislav. In the same year there was a sign: the sun stood in a circle, and in the middle of the circle a cross, and in the middle of the cross the sun, and outside the circle on either side 2 suns, and above the sun, beyond the circle, an arc with its horns toward the north. The same sign appeared in the moon in the same manner on February 4 and 5 and 6 — three days in the day, and in the night and in the moon three nights.
In the year 6613. The top of the church of St. Andrew collapsed. In the same year the metropolitan consecrated Amphilochius bishop of Volodymyr on August 27. In the same year he consecrated Lazar for Pereiaslav on November 12. In the same year he consecrated Mina for Polotsk on December 13. In the same year a star with a tail appeared in the west and stood for a month. That same year Boniak came in winter upon the Torks and the Berendei at Zarub.
In the year 6614. The Cumans raided around Zarechsk, and Sviatopolk sent Jan and Ivanko Zakharich and Kozarin after them, and they drove the Cumans to the Danube and took captives […]. In the same year Jan died, a good elder, who had lived 90 years, revered in his old age, living according to God's law, no lesser than the righteous men of the first age. From him I heard many words, which I wrote down in this chronicle. For he was a good man, and meek, and humble, holding himself apart from every possession; and his grave is in the Caves Monastery, in the narthex, where his body lies, laid there on June 24. In the same year Evpraksia, daughter of Vsevolod, took the veil on December 6. That same year there was an eclipse of the sun in August. Then Prince Sviatosha, son of David, grandson of Sviatoslav, took monastic vows, taking the name Nicholas, on February 17. In that same year the Semigallians defeated Vseslavich, and all his brothers and his retinue, and slew 9 thousand of them.
In the year 6615, the 4th year of the lunar cycle and the 8th of the solar. At this time Vladimir's princess died on May 7. In the same month Boniak raided and seized the horses near Pereiaslav. That same year Boniak came, and old Sharukan, and many other princes with them, and encamped around Lubno. And Sviatopolk, and Vladimir, and Oleg, Sviatoslav, Mstislav, Viacheslav, Yaropolk marched against the Cumans to Lubno; at the sixth hour of the day they forded the Sula and raised their cry against them. The Cumans were seized with dread; from terror they could not so much as set up a banner, but fled, some seizing horses, while others fled on foot. Ours began to cut them down, and others to take them with bare hands, and they chased them to the Khorol. They killed Taaz, Boniak's brother, and took Sugra and his brothers captive, and Sharukan barely escaped.
The Cumans fled, leaving their goods behind, and the troops of Rus' took them on August 12, and they returned home with great victory. And Sviatopolk came the next day to the Caves Monastery on the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God, and the brothers greeted him with a kiss and with great joy, because our enemies had been defeated through the prayers of the Holy Mother of God and of our father the great Theodosius. And such was Sviatopolk's custom: whenever he went to war, or anywhere else, he did not set out on his way until he had bowed at Theodosius's tomb and taken his blessing from the abbot who was there. In that year the princess, Sviatopolk's mother, died on January 4. That same year, in that same month, Vladimir, and David, and Oleg went to Aepa and to the other Aepa and made peace.
And Vladimir took Aepa's daughter, Asen's granddaughter, as bride for George, and Oleg took Aepa's daughter, Girgen's granddaughter, as bride for his son, on the 12th day of the month of January. And on February 5, before dawn, in the night, the earth trembled.
In the year 6616. The church of St. Michael of the Golden Domes was founded by Prince Sviatopolk on July 11. And the refectory of the Caves Monastery was finished under Abbot Theoktist; Gleb had ordered it founded, and it was Gleb who furnished it. In the same year there was a great flood in the Dnieper, and in the Desna, and in the Pripyat. That same year God put it into the heart of the archimandrite, abbot of the Caves, and Theoktist began to press Prince Sviatopolk to enter Theodosius in the synodicon, God so willing. And Sviatopolk rejoiced and promised to do it, for he knew the manner of his life. And Sviatopolk began to make known Theodosius's manner of life and ordered him written into the synodicon, which the metropolitan did — he wrote him into the synodicon. And the metropolitan commanded that Theodosius be entered in the synodicon in all the dioceses. And all the bishops wrote him in with joy, and they commemorate him at all the synods. In the same year Irina, daughter of Vsevolod, died on July 24. In the same year they finished the top of the church of the Holy Mother of God of Blachernae at Klov, founded by Bishop Stephen, formerly abbot of the Caves Monastery.
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 6611. God put a good thought into the hearts of the princes of Rus', Sviatopolk and Vladimir, and the two met to take counsel at Dolobsk. Sviatopolk sat with his retinue, and Vladimir with his retinue, and they were in one tent. As they began to take counsel, Sviatopolk's retinue spoke up: “It is not the time to make war in spring: we shall be destroying the peasants and their fields.” Vladimir said: “I am amazed at you, retainers. You worry about the horse a man plows with. Why do you not think about this: a peasant starts plowing, a Cuman rides up, strikes the peasant with an arrow, takes his mare, rides into the village, takes his wife and his children, and carries off all his property. You worry about his horse, but why do you not worry about the man himself?” Sviatopolk's retinue could not answer him. Sviatopolk said: “Brother! Here I am, ready.” Sviatopolk rose, and Vladimir said to him: “By doing this, brother, you will do a great good for the land of Rus'.” The two sent to David and Oleg, saying: “March with us against the Cumans; whether we live or die, we go.”
David listened to the two of them, but Oleg did not listen, giving as his excuse: “I am not well.” Vladimir kissed his brother and set out for Pereiaslav, and Sviatopolk followed him, and David Sviatoslavich, and Mstislav, Igor's grandson, and Viacheslav Yaropolchich, and Yaropolk Vladimirovich. They marched on horseback and in boats and came below the rapids and stopped at Protolchi and on Khortitsa Island. The horsemen mounted, and the foot soldiers climbed out of the boats and went across the open country for 4 days and came to Suten. The Cumans heard that the Rus' were coming, gathered beyond counting, and began to take counsel. Urusoba said: “Let us ask the Rus' for peace. They will fight us hard, for we have done much evil to the land of Rus'.” The younger men said to Urusoba: “If you fear the Rus', we do not. We will kill these men, go into their land, take all their towns, and who will deliver them from us?” The princes and troops of Rus' prayed to God and to his most pure Mother, some with offerings, some with alms to the poor, and some by supplying the monasteries' needs.
While they were praying like this, the Cumans marched out and sent Altunopa ahead as their watch; he was famous for his bravery. The princes of Rus' likewise sent out their scouts. They caught Altunopa, surrounded him and those with him, and killed them; not one of them escaped—all were killed. The Cuman regiments marched on like forests, so many that the eye could not take them in, and the Rus' went out against them. And the great God put great dismay into the Cumans; fear and trembling fell on them at the sight of the Rus' troops; they grew drowsy, and their horses had no speed left in their legs. The Rus' came running at them with joy, on horseback and on foot. The Cumans, seeing the Rus' bearing down on them, could not stand and fled before the Rus' princes. Our men pursued them, cutting them down. This was on April 4, and God worked great salvation that day for the faithful princes of Rus' and for all Christians, and gave a great victory over our enemies.
There in the battle they killed 20 princes: Urusoba, Kochii, Yaroslanopa, Kitanopa, Kunam, Asup, Kurtyk, Chenegrepa, Surbar, and their other princes, and they took Belduz captive. Then the brothers sat down, having defeated their enemies, and brought Belduz to Sviatopolk, and Belduz began offering gold, silver, horses, and cattle to ransom himself. Sviatopolk sent for Vladimir. When he came, Vladimir questioned him: “Do you know—the oath has caught you. Many times you swore oaths and then raided the land of Rus'. Why did you not teach your sons and your kin not to break the oath? Instead you shed Christian blood. Let your blood be on your own head.” And he ordered him killed, and so they cut him to pieces. After that all the brothers gathered, and Vladimir said: “‘This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it,’ for God has delivered us from our enemies and subdued our enemies, and ‘he has crushed the heads of the serpents, and the Lord has given their flesh to us for food.’”
They took then cattle and sheep and horses and camels, and the wagons with their goods and their slaves, and captured Pechenegs and Torks with their wagons. They came back to Rus' with great plunder and with glory and a great victory, each man to his own home.
That year locusts came, on August 1. That year, on the 18th of the same month, Sviatopolk marched out and built the wooden fortress of Yuriev, which the Cumans had burned. That year Yaroslav fought the Mordvians on March 4, and Yaroslav was defeated.
In the year 6612. Volodar's daughter was led to Constantinople as a bride for the emperor's son, the son of Alexios, on July 20. That year Predslava, Sviatopolk's daughter, was led to the Magyars as a bride for the king's son, on August 21. That year Metropolitan Nikephoros came to Rus' on December 6. On the 13th of the same month Viacheslav Yaropolchich died. On the 18th of the same month Metropolitan Nikephoros was enthroned. As that year was ending, Sviatopolk sent Putiata against Minsk, and Vladimir sent his son Yaropolk, and Oleg himself marched against Gleb, taking David Vseslavich along, and they accomplished nothing and turned back. A son was born to Sviatopolk, and they gave him the name Briachislav. That same year there was a sign: the sun stood in a circle, and in the middle of the circle a cross, and in the middle of the cross the sun, and outside the circle 2 suns on either side, and above the sun, beyond the circle, an arc with its horns toward the north. The same sign appeared at the moon in the same way on February 4, 5, and 6, in the daytime for three days, and at night with the moon for three nights.
In the year 6613. The top of the church of St. Andrew fell down. That year the metropolitan consecrated Amphilochius as bishop of Volodymyr on August 27. That year he installed Lazar as bishop of Pereiaslav on November 12. That year he installed Mina as bishop of Polotsk on December 13. That year a star with a tail appeared in the west and stood for a month. That year Boniak came in winter to Zarub against the Torks and the Berendei.
In the year 6614. The Cumans raided around Zarechsk, and Sviatopolk sent Jan and Ivanko Zakharich and Kozarin after them; they chased the Cumans as far as the Danube and took plunder and captives […]. That same year Jan died, a good old man who lived 90 years, held in honor in his old age. He had lived by God's law, no worse than the righteous men of the first times. I heard many words from him, and I wrote them down in this chronicle. He was a kind and meek and humble man, who held himself apart from every worldly thing. His grave is in the Caves Monastery, by the narthex, where his body lies, laid there on June 24. That year Evpraksia, Vsevolod's daughter, took monastic vows, on December 6. That year in August there was an eclipse of the sun. At that time Prince Sviatosha took monastic vows—he was David's son and Sviatoslav's grandson—taking the name Nicholas, on February 17. That same year the Semigallians defeated the Vseslavichi and all their brotherhood and retinue, and killed 9 thousand of them.
In the year 6615, the 4th year of the lunar circle and the 8th year of the solar circle. At that time Vladimir's princess died, on May 7. That same month Boniak raided and seized horses near Pereiaslav. That year Boniak and old Sharukan and many other princes came and encamped around Lubno. Sviatopolk, Vladimir, Oleg, Sviatoslav, Mstislav, Viacheslav, and Yaropolk marched against the Cumans at Lubno; at the sixth hour of the day they forded the Sula and charged with a shout. The Cumans panicked; from terror they could not even plant their banners, but fled, some grabbing for horses, others running on foot. Our men began cutting them down and grabbing others with their bare hands, and drove them to the Khorol. They killed Taaz, Boniak's brother, and took Sugra and his brothers captive, but Sharukan barely escaped.
The Cumans abandoned their property and fled, and the troops of Rus' took it on August 12, and returned home with a great victory. The next day Sviatopolk came to the Caves Monastery, for the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God, and the brothers kissed him with great joy, because our enemies had been put to flight through the prayers of the Holy Mother of God and of our great father Theodosius. Such was Sviatopolk's custom: whenever he went to war, or anywhere else, he would first bow at Theodosius's tomb and receive a blessing from the abbot there, and only then set out on his way. That year the princess, Sviatopolk's mother, died on January 4. That year, in the same month, Vladimir, David, and Oleg went to Aepa and the other Aepa and made peace.
Vladimir married Aepa's daughter, Asen's granddaughter, to his son George, and Oleg took Aepa's daughter, Girgen's granddaughter, for his son, on January 12. And on February 5 the earth shook before dawn, in the night.
In the year 6616. Prince Sviatopolk founded the church of St. Michael of the Golden Roof on July 11. The refectory of the Caves Monastery was finished under Abbot Theoktist; Gleb had ordered it built, and Gleb supplied it. That year there was a great flood on the Dnieper, and on the Desna, and on the Pripyat. That year God put it into the heart of the archimandrite, the abbot of the Caves, and Theoktist began urging Prince Sviatopolk to enter Theodosius in the synodicon, God so willing. Sviatopolk was glad and promised to do it, for he knew Theodosius's way of life. Sviatopolk began to spread the story of Theodosius's life and ordered him entered in the synodicon; the metropolitan did this—he entered him in the synodicon. The metropolitan then ordered Theodosius entered in the synodicon in all the bishoprics. All the bishops entered him with joy, and they commemorate him at all the assemblies of the church. That same year Irina, Vsevolod's daughter, died on July 24. That same year they finished the top of the church of the Holy Mother of God of Blachernae at Klov, founded by Bishop Stephen, who had earlier been abbot of the Caves Monastery.