Attributed to Nestor the Chronicler · Complete work
1115–1117: The Translation of Boris and Gleb
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В лѣто 6623, индикта 8. Съвъкупишася братья, русции князи, Володимеръ, зовемый Монамахъ, сынъ Всеволожь, и Давыдъ Святославлиць, и Олегъ, братъ его, и сдумаша перенести мощи Бориса и Глѣба: бяху бо создали церковь има камяну на похвалу и честь телесема ею и на положение. Первое же освятиша церковь камяную мая въ 1 день, в суботу, наутрия же въ 2 день перенесоша святая. И бысть сборъ великъ, сшедшюся народу съ всихъ странъ, митрополитъ Микифоръ съ всими епископы: съ Фектистомъ черниговьскымъ, с Лазаремъ переяславьскымъ, с попомъ Никитою бѣлогородьскымъ и с Данилою гурьговьскымъ, и съ игумены: с Прохоромъ печерьскымъ, и съ Селивестромъ святаго Михаила, и Сава святаго Спаса, и Григорий святаго Андрѣя, Петръ кловьскый и прочии игумени. И освятиша церковь каменую. И отпѣвшимъ имъ обѣдьнюю, обѣдаша у Ольга и пиша, и бысть учрежение велико, и накормиша убогыя и странъныя по 3 дни.
И яко бысть утро, митрополитъ, епископи, игумени оболокошася у святительскыя ризы и свѣща вожгоша с кадѣлы благовоньными, и придоша к ракама святою, и взяша раку Борисову, и въставиша ́и на возила, и поволокоша ужи князи и бояре, черньцемъ упрѣдъ идущимъ съ свѣщами, попомъ по нимъ идущимъ, таже игумени, таже епископи предъ ракою, а княземъ с ракою идущимъ межи воромъ. И не бѣ лзѣ вести от множества народа: поламляху воръ, а инии и покрили бяху градъ и забрала, яко страшно бяше видити народа множество. И повелѣ Володимеръ, рѣжючи паволокы, орници, бѣль розметати народу, овъ же сребреникы метати людемъ, силно налегшимъ, а быша легко внесли въ церковь и поставиша раку средѣ церкви, и идоша по Глѣба. Тѣмже образомъ и сего привезоша и поставиша у брата.
Распри же бывши межи Володимеромъ, и Давыдомъ и Ольгомъ: Володимеру бо хотящю я поставити средѣ церкви и теремъ серебрянъ поставити над нима, а Давыдъ и Олегъ хотяшета поставити я в комару, «идеже отець мой назнаменалъ», на правой сторонѣ, идеже бяста устроенѣ комарѣ има. И рече митрополитъ и епископи: «Верзите жребий, да кдѣ изволита мученика, ту же я поставимъ». И вгодно се бысть. И положи Володимеръ свой жребий, а Давыдъ и Олегъ свой жребий на святой тряпезѣ, и выняся жребий Давыдовъ и Олговъ. И поставиша я в комару тою, на деснѣй странѣ, кде ныне лежита. Принесена же бысть святая мученика маия въ вторый день из деревяной церкви в каменую Вышегородѣ. Иже еста похвала княземъ нашимъ и заступника земли Русцѣй, иже славу свѣта сего попраста, а Христа узлюбиста, по стопамъ его изволиста шествовати, овчате Христовѣ добрии, яже влекома на заколение, не противистася, ни отбѣжаста нужныя смерти.
Тѣмже и съ Христосомъ въцаристася у вѣчную радость, и даръ ицѣления приемъша от Спаса нашего Иисуса Христа, неискудно подаваета недужнымъ, с вѣрою приходящимъ въ святый храмъ ею, поборника отечьству своему. Князи же и бояре, и вси людие празноваша по три дни и похвалиша Бога и святою мученику. И тако разидошася кождо въсвояси. Володимеръ же окова рацѣ сребромъ и златомъ и украси гроба ею, такоже и комарѣ покова сребромъ и златомъ, имже покланяются людие, просяще прощения грѣхомъ.
В се же лѣто бысть знамение: погибе солнце и бысть яко мѣсяць, егоже глаголють невѣгласи снѣдаемо солнце. В се же лѣто преставися Олегъ Святославличь, мѣсяца августа въ 1 день, а во вторый погребенъ бысть у святаго Спаса, у гроба отца своего Святослава. Того же лѣта устрои мостъ чересъ Днѣпръ.
В лѣто 6624. Приходи Володимеръ на Глѣба, Глѣбъ бо бяше воевалъ дрѣговичи и Случескъ пожегъ, и не каяшеться о семъ, ни покаряшеться, но болѣ противу Володимеру глаголаше, укаряя ̀и. Володимеръ же, надѣяся на Бога и на правду, поиде къ Мѣньску съ сынъми своими и с Давыдомъ Святославичемъ и Олговичи. И взя Вячеславъ Ръшю и Копысу, а Давыдъ съ Ярополкомъ узя Дрьютескъ на щитъ. А Володимеръ самъ поиде къ Мѣньску и затворися Глѣбъ въ градѣ. Володимеръ же нача ставити истьбу у товара своего противу граду. Глѣбови же, узрившю, ужасеся сердцемь, и нача ся молити Глѣбъ Володимеру, шля от себе послы. Володимеръ же съжалиси тѣмь, оже проливашеться кровь въ дьни постъныя великого поста, и вдасть ему миръ. Глѣбъ же, вышедъ из города съ дѣтми и съ дружиною, поклонися Володимеру, и молвиша рѣчи о мирѣ, и обѣщася Глѣбъ по всему послушати Володимера. Володимеръ же, омирѣвъ Глѣба и наказавъ его о всемъ, вдасть ему Менескъ, а самъ възратися Киеву. Ярополкъ же сруби городъ Желъди дрьючаномъ, ихже бѣ полонилъ.
В се же лѣто Мьстиславъ Володимеричь ходи на чюдь с новгородчи и со пьсковичи, и взя городъ ихъ именемъ Медвѣжа Глава, и погостъ бе-щисла взяша, и възвратишася въсвояси съ многомъ полономъ. В се же лѣто иде Леонъ царевичь, зять Володимерь, на куръ на Олексия царя, и вдася городовъ ему дунайскыхъ нѣколко, и въ Дерьстрѣ городѣ лестию убиста ̀и два сорочинина, посланая царемъ, мѣсяца августа въ 15 день. В се же лѣто князь великый Володимеръ посла Ивана Воитишича, и посажа посадники по Дунаю. В се же лѣто посла Володимеръ сына своего Ярополка, а Давыдъ сына своего Всеволода на Донъ, и взяша три грады: Сугровъ, Шаруканъ, Балинъ. Тогда же Ярополкъ приведе собѣ жену красну велми, ясьскаго князя дщерь полонивъ. Томъ же лѣтѣ и Предъславна черница, Святославна, предъставися. Томъ же лѣте ходи Вячеславъ на Дунай с Фомою Ратиборичемъ и, пришедъ къ Дьрьсту, и не въспѣвше ничтоже, воротишася. В се же лѣто бишася с половци и с торкы и с печенѣгы у Дона, и сѣкошася два дни и двѣ нощи, и придоша в Русь къ Володимеру торци и печенѣзи. В се же лѣто преставися Романъ Всеславичь.
В се же лѣто преставися Мьстиславъ, внукъ Игоревъ. Томъ же лѣтѣ Володимерь отда дщерь свою Огафью за Всеволодка.
В лѣто 6625. Приведе Володимеръ Мьстислава из Новагорода, и дасть ему отець Бѣлъгородъ, а Новѣгородѣ сѣде Мьстиславичь, сынъ его, внукъ Володимеровъ. В се же лѣто иде Володимеръ на Ярослава к Володимерю и Давыдъ Ольговичь, и Володарь, и Василко и оступиша и́ у городѣ Володимери, и стояша дний шестьдесять, и створи миръ съ Ярославомъ. Ярославу покорившюся и вдарившю челомъ передъ строемъ своимъ Володимеромъ, и наказавъ его Володимеръ о всемъ, веля ему к собѣ приходити, «когда тя позову». И тако в мирѣ разидошася кождо въсвояси.
Тогда же придоша половци къ болгаромъ, и высла имъ князь болъгарьскый пити съ отравою, и пивъ Аепа и прочии князи, вси помроша. Семъ же лѣтѣ преставися Лазоръ, епископъ переяславьскый, семтября въ 6. Томъ же лѣтѣ придоша бѣловѣжьци в Русь. В се же лѣто поя Володимеръ за Андрѣя внуку Тугъртъканову. В се же лѣто потрясеся земля, семтября въ двадесять шестый. Того же лѣта выведе Глѣба из Мѣньска Володимеръ. И церковь заложи на Льтѣ мученику. Володимеръ же посла сына Романа во Володимерь княжить. Того же лѣта умре куръ Олексий, и взя царство сынъ его Иванъ.
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 6623, indiction 8. The brothers, the Rus' princes, gathered together—Vladimir, called Monomakh, son of Vsevolod, and David Sviatoslavich, and Oleg his brother—and took counsel to translate the relics of Boris and Gleb, for they had built for them a stone church, to the praise and honor of their bodies and for their enshrinement. First they consecrated the stone church on May 1, on a Saturday, and the next day, on the 2nd, they translated the saints. And there was a great assembly, people having come together from all lands: Metropolitan Nikephoros with all the bishops—Theoktist of Chernihiv, Lazar of Pereiaslav, the priest Nikita of Bilhorod, and Daniil of Yuriev—and with the abbots: Prokhor of the Caves, and Sylvester of St. Michael's, and Sava of the Holy Savior, and Gregory of St. Andrew's, and Peter of Klov, and the other abbots. And they consecrated the stone church. And when they had sung the liturgy, they dined at Oleg's and drank, and there was great festivity, and they fed the poor and the wayfarers for 3 days.
And when morning came, the metropolitan, the bishops, and the abbots vested themselves in hierarchal vestments and lit candles with fragrant censers, and came to the tombs of the saints, and took Boris's tomb and set it upon the carriages, and princes and boyars pulled the ropes, monks going before with candles, priests following after them, then the abbots, then the bishops before the tomb, and the princes going with the tomb within the palisade. And the press of the crowd made it impossible to move: they broke down the palisade, and others had even climbed the walls and battlements, so that it was fearful to see the multitude of the people. And Vladimir ordered silks, coverlets, and fine linen cut up and scattered among the people, while others threw silver coins to them as they pressed on so hard, so that they could bring the tomb easily into the church and set it in the middle of the church; and they went after Gleb. In the same manner they brought him too and set him beside his brother.
But a dispute arose between Vladimir and David and Oleg: for Vladimir wished to set them in the middle of the church and to raise a silver canopy over them, while David and Oleg wished to set them in the chapel, “where my father had marked out the place,” on the right side, where their chapel had been built. And the metropolitan and the bishops said: “Cast lots, and where the martyrs choose, there we shall place them.” And this pleased all. And Vladimir laid his lot, and David and Oleg theirs, upon the holy altar, and the lot of David and Oleg was drawn. And they set them in that chapel, on the right side, where they lie to this day. The holy martyrs were brought on May 2, from the wooden church into the stone one at Vyshhorod. They are the glory of our princes and the intercessors of the land of Rus'; they made nothing of the glory of this world and loved Christ, choosing to walk in his footsteps—good lambs of Christ, who, drawn to the slaughter, did not resist, nor flee from the death they could not escape.
And so they reign with Christ in eternal joy, and having received the gift of healing from our Savior Jesus Christ, they bestow it unsparingly upon the sick who come with faith to their holy shrine—champions of their fatherland. And the princes and the boyars, and all the people, kept the feast for three days, praising God and the holy martyrs, and so each went his way home. And Vladimir bound the tombs with silver and gold and adorned them, and sheathed the chapel also with silver and gold; and before them the people bow, praying for the forgiveness of their sins.
In that same year there was a sign: the sun perished and became like the moon, which the ignorant call “the eaten sun.” In that same year Oleg Sviatoslavich died, on August 1, and on the second day he was buried at the Holy Savior, by the tomb of his father Sviatoslav. That same year a bridge was built across the Dnieper.
In the year 6624. Vladimir marched against Gleb, for Gleb had made war on the Dregovichians and burned Sluchesk, and he repented neither of this nor submitted, but spoke ever more against Vladimir, reviling him. And Vladimir, trusting in God and in the right, set out for Minsk with his sons, and with David Sviatoslavich and the sons of Oleg. And Viacheslav took Rsha and Kopys, and David with Yaropolk took Drutsk by storm. And Vladimir himself rode to Minsk, and Gleb shut himself in the city. And Vladimir began to set up a siege tower by his camp, opposite the city. When Gleb saw it, his heart failed, and Gleb began to entreat Vladimir, sending envoys to him. And Vladimir took pity, because blood was being shed in the fasting days of the Great Fast, and he gave him peace. And Gleb came out of the city with his children and his retinue and bowed before Vladimir, and they spoke of peace, and Gleb promised to obey Vladimir in all things. And Vladimir, having made peace with Gleb and instructed him in everything, gave him Minsk, and himself returned to Kyiv. And Yaropolk built the town of Zheldi for the people of Drutsk whom he had taken captive.
In that same year Mstislav Vladimirovich marched against the Chud with the men of Novgorod and the men of Pskov, and took their town called Bear's Head, and took trading posts beyond number, and returned home with many captives. In that same year Leo the tsarevich, Vladimir's son-in-law, went to war against the emperor Alexios, and several towns on the Danube gave themselves over to him, and in the city of Dorostolon two Saracens sent by the emperor treacherously slew him, on August 15. In that same year Grand Prince Vladimir sent Ivan Voitishich, and he set governors along the Danube. In that same year Vladimir sent his son Yaropolk, and David his son Vsevolod, to the Don, and they took three towns: Sugrov, Sharukan, and Balin. Then Yaropolk brought home a wife very beautiful, having taken captive the daughter of a prince of the Yas. That same year Predslava the nun, Sviatoslav's daughter, died. That same year Viacheslav went to the Danube with Foma Ratiborich, and coming to Dorostolon, and accomplishing nothing, they turned back. In that same year the Cumans fought with the Torks and the Pechenegs by the Don, and they cut at one another for two days and two nights, and then the Torks and the Pechenegs came into Rus' to Vladimir. In that same year Roman Vseslavich died.
In that same year Mstislav, Igor's grandson, died. That same year Vladimir gave his daughter Agafia in marriage to Vsevolodko.
In the year 6625. Vladimir brought Mstislav from Novgorod, and his father gave him Bilhorod, and in Novgorod sat Mstislavich, his son, Vladimir's grandson. In that same year Vladimir marched against Yaroslav to Volodymyr, and David Olgovich, and Volodar, and Vasilko, and they besieged him in the town of Volodymyr, and stood before it for sixty days, and made peace with Yaroslav. Yaroslav submitted and bowed to the ground before Vladimir's ranks, and Vladimir instructed him in everything, ordering him to come to him “whenever I summon you.” And so they parted in peace, each to his own place.
Then the Cumans came against the Bulgars, and the Bulgar prince sent out to them drink mixed with poison; and Aepa and the other princes drank, and they all died. In that year Lazar, bishop of Pereiaslav, died on September 6. That same year the people of Bela Vezha came into Rus'. In that same year Vladimir married Andrew to Tugorkan's granddaughter. In that same year there was an earthquake, on the twenty-sixth of September. That same year Vladimir brought Gleb out of Minsk. And he founded a church to the martyr on the Alta. And Vladimir sent his son Roman to Volodymyr to reign. That same year the emperor Alexios died, and his son John took the empire.
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 6623, indiction 8. The brothers, the Rus' princes, gathered — Vladimir, called Monomakh, son of Vsevolod, and David Sviatoslavich, and Oleg his brother — and they took counsel to move the relics of Boris and Gleb, for they had built a stone church for them, to the praise and honor of their bodies and for their laying to rest. First they consecrated the stone church on May 1, on a Saturday; the next day, on the 2nd, they moved the saints. There was a great gathering: people had come together from all lands, and Metropolitan Nikephoros with all the bishops — with Theoktist of Chernihiv, with Lazar of Pereiaslav, with the priest Nikita of Bilhorod, and with Daniil of Yuriev — and with the abbots: with Prokhor of the Caves, and with Sylvester of St. Michael, and Sava of the Holy Savior, and Gregory of St. Andrew, Peter of Klov, and the other abbots. And they consecrated the stone church. When they had sung the liturgy, they dined at Oleg's and drank, and there was great rejoicing, and they fed the poor and the travelers for 3 days.
When morning came, the metropolitan, the bishops, and the abbots put on their hierarchal vestments and lit candles with fragrant censers, and came to the tombs of the saints. They took Boris's tomb and set it on the cart, and the princes and boyars pulled it with ropes; the monks went ahead with candles, the priests after them, then the abbots, then the bishops before the tomb, and the princes carrying the tomb went between the barriers. It was not possible to move through the mass of people: they broke the barriers, and some had already climbed the walls and the ramparts, so that it was fearful to see the multitude of people. Vladimir ordered silks, coverlets, and linen cloth cut up and scattered to the people, and had another throw silver coins to them, for the people pressed so hard, so that the tomb could be carried easily into the church, and they set it in the middle of the church, and went for Gleb. In the same way they brought him too and set him beside his brother.
A quarrel arose between Vladimir, and David and Oleg: Vladimir wanted to set them in the middle of the church and to place a silver canopy over them; David and Oleg wanted to set them in the chapel, “where my father marked it out,” on the right side, where the two chapels had been built. The metropolitan and the bishops said: “Cast lots, and where the martyrs choose, there we shall set them.” This seemed good. Vladimir laid his lot, and David and Oleg theirs, on the holy table, and the lot of David and Oleg came out. They set them in that chapel, on the right side, where they lie to this day. The holy martyrs were brought on May 2 from the wooden church into the stone one at Vyshhorod. They are the glory of our princes and the defenders of the land of Rus', who cast away the glory of this world and loved Christ, choosing to walk in his footsteps — good lambs of Christ, who, dragged to slaughter, did not resist, and did not run from the death laid upon them.
Therefore they were crowned with Christ in eternal joy, and having received the gift of healing from our Savior Jesus Christ, they give it unfailingly to the sick who come with faith to their holy church — champions of their fatherland. The princes and the boyars and all the people celebrated for 3 days and praised God and the holy martyrs. And so each went home to his own place. Vladimir sheathed the tombs in silver and gold and adorned them, and he also plated the chapel with silver and gold, where the people venerate them, asking forgiveness of their sins.
In the same year there was a sign: the sun perished and became like the moon — what the ignorant call the eating of the sun. In the same year Oleg Sviatoslavich died on August 1, and the next day he was buried at the Holy Savior's, at the tomb of his father Sviatoslav. In the same year a bridge was built across the Dnieper.
In the year 6624. Vladimir marched against Gleb, for Gleb had made war on the Dregovichians and burned Sluchesk, and he did not repent of it and did not submit, but spoke out against Vladimir all the more, reviling him. Vladimir, trusting in God and in right, set out for Minsk with his sons, and with David Sviatoslavich and the Olgovichi. Viacheslav took Rsha and Kopys, and David with Yaropolk took Drutsk by storm. Vladimir himself went to Minsk, and Gleb shut himself in the town. Vladimir began to set up a wooden structure by his baggage train opposite the town. When Gleb saw it, his heart was terrified, and Gleb began to beg Vladimir, sending messengers to him. Vladimir took pity on this — that blood was being shed in the fasting days of the Great Fast — and gave him peace. Gleb came out of the town with his children and his retinue, bowed to Vladimir, and they spoke words of peace, and Gleb promised to obey Vladimir in everything. Vladimir made peace with Gleb, instructed him about everything, gave him Minsk, and returned to Kyiv. And Yaropolk built the town of Zheldi for the Druchans whom he had taken captive.
In the same year Mstislav Vladimirovich marched against the Chud with the men of Novgorod and the men of Pskov, and took their town called Bear's Head, and they took trading posts beyond number, and returned home with much booty. In the same year Leo the tsarevich, Vladimir's son-in-law, went to war against Alexios the emperor, and several towns on the Danube surrendered to him; and in the town of Dorostolon two Saracens sent by the emperor treacherously killed him, on August 15. In the same year Grand Prince Vladimir sent Ivan Voitishich, and he set governors along the Danube. In the same year Vladimir sent his son Yaropolk, and David his son Vsevolod, to the Don, and they took three towns: Sugrov, Sharukan, Balin. Then Yaropolk took for himself a very beautiful wife, the daughter of a prince of the Yas, whom he had captured. In the same year Predslava the nun, Sviatoslavna, also passed away. In the same year Viacheslav went to the Danube with Foma Ratiborich, and coming to Dorostolon, and accomplishing nothing, they turned back. In the same year the Cumans fought with the Torks and the Pechenegs at the Don; they fought for two days and two nights, and the Torks and the Pechenegs came to Rus', to Vladimir. In the same year Roman Vseslavich died.
In the same year Mstislav, Igor's grandson, died. In the same year Vladimir gave his daughter Agafia in marriage to Vsevolodko.
In the year 6625. Vladimir brought Mstislav from Novgorod, and his father gave him Bilhorod; and in Novgorod sat Mstislavich, his son, Vladimir's grandson. In the same year Vladimir marched against Yaroslav, to Volodymyr — and David Olgovich, and Volodar, and Vasilko — and they besieged him in the town of Volodymyr, and stood for 60 days, and he made peace with Yaroslav. Yaroslav submitted and bowed to the ground before Vladimir's ranks, and Vladimir instructed him about everything, ordering him to come to him “when I summon you.” And so in peace each went to his own place.
Then the Cumans came to the Bulgars, and the Bulgarian prince sent them drink mixed with poison; Aepa and the other princes drank, and all died. In that year Lazar, bishop of Pereiaslav, died on September 6. In that year the people of Bela Vezha came to Rus'. In the same year Vladimir took the granddaughter of Tugorkan as wife for Andrew. In the same year there was an earthquake, on September 26. In that year Vladimir brought Gleb out of Minsk. And he laid the foundations of a church to the martyr on the Alta. Vladimir sent his son Roman to reign in Volodymyr. In that year the emperor Alexios died, and his son John took the throne.