Year of foundation of Vladimir and the year of the first mention

There are few cities in our country, the history of which is as controversial as Vladimir-on-Klyazma. The year of Vladimir's foundation is the subject of scientific disputes, which have been going on for about two centuries. So far the results of this prolonged discussion have not been summed up. And today the year of Vladimir's founding is a contentious issue.

Two major versions

It is customary to calculate the age of the cities of Ancient Rus by the first mention of them in the annals. But with regard to the city of interest to us, this principle can not be applied, since there are certain complications. The year of foundation and mention of Vladimir in chronicles is indicated in different ways. This city, according to one of them (The Power Book, Vladimir chronicler, Nikonovskaya, Voskresenskaya, Sofia First Chronicle, etc.), was built by Vladimir Svyatoslavich at the end of the 10th century.

According to other sources, the year of the foundation of Vladimir in the annals (Lviv, Novgorod first) - 1108th or about this time. The city was founded, according to the second point of view, by Vladimir Monomakh, the Pereyaslav prince.

Depending on what kind of records scientists consider the most authoritative, they put forward and substantiate various conclusions about the dating. The year of Vladimir's foundation and the year of his first mention of him are of interest to many historians today.

Views of Tatishchev and Karamzin

For example, V.N. Tatishchev expressed one of the first doubts in the original point of view. He believed that under the 90s of the 10th century, the chronicles refer to the foundation of Vladimir Volynsky, not Vladimir-on-Klyazma. The scientist justified his point of view by the fact that until the time of Yuri Dolgoruky Vladimir Zalessky is not mentioned anywhere else. N.M. Karamzin also attributed the foundation of this city to the beginning of the 12th century.

What did Fedotov, Bunin and Voronin think?

Most of the scientists of later time took the positions of Karamzin and Tatishchev. They tried to support with new arguments the arguments that the year of Vladimir's foundation was 1108 (or about the beginning of the 12th century). Suzdal and the Rostovites, Fedotov pointed out, were proud of the fact that their cities are more ancient than Vladimir. Repeating the argument of Tatishchev that this city in the annals is not mentioned in connection with the war between Oleg and Mstislav at the end of the 11th century, A.I. Bunin added that Mstislav, after having freed the scorched Suzdal, decided to stay in it. And if at that time Vladimir already existed, it would be more convenient to settle in it.

In several works Voronin NN. It also touches upon the question of which year Vladimir founded should be considered correct. The scientist in the works of the 30-40-ies defined it as the end of the 11th century. Later, on the basis of the Lviv and Novgorod first chronicles, he decided that the year of foundation of the city of Vladimir - 1108th. However, there are other opinions.

Opinions of Kosatkin and Iosaph

The arguments of those who believe that the year of foundation of the city of Vladimir is earlier is also insufficiently thorough and not numerous. Kosatkin and Iosaf pointed to the correspondence, known from Nikon's Chronicle, Andrei Bogolyubsky with Luke Chrysosterg, Byzantine Patriarch. It mentions that the city was founded by Vladimir Svyatoslavich. However, these authors are accused that the authority of this correspondence has not been proven.

The question of buried coins

The year of Vladimir's birth and the year of his first mention of him were also of interest to Tikhonravov. It is impossible to call convincing the argument of this scientist, who tried to prove the early date with finds in the vicinity of the city of treasures of coins belonging to the 7th-10th centuries.

Opponents objected that these coins could be buried after many centuries after they came into circulation. However, this is possible only in theory, but it is unlikely in practice. It is difficult to assume that a lot of coins of the 7th-10th centuries were completely inviolable to somebody, and during the burial there was not added a single coin that related to the time when the treasure was hidden. It seems, however, that the vulnerability of Tikhonravov's position is different. By very busy in the times of antiquity the trading Volga route there are treasures of coins. It is very likely that they may not have a direct relationship to Vladimir, despite the fact that they were hidden at the end of the 10th century.

Moments missed when studying by some scientists

One can not fail to notice, referring to the arguments of scientists who believed that the foundation of Vladimir was at the beginning of the 12th century, a tendency to treat this issue in isolation, without touching on the problems of Christianization of Russia in the North-East, than narrowing the already artificially poor source base. It is often substituted for the study of written monuments by constructions, which are based on indirect evidence. Of the chronicles, places that contradict the established conclusions of different scientists sometimes drop.

Did Vladimir Monomakh really founded the city?

Chronicle news that the city was founded by Vladimir Svyatoslavich, N.N. Voronin declared legendary. Their appearance he associated with the processing of the annals by the environment of Andrei Bogolyubov, who sought to prove the antiquity of the city of interest to us to strengthen the prestige of the capital of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality and, accordingly, of this principality itself.

What can you say about this? Let, according to the generally accepted opinion about which year the foundation of the city of Vladimir is historically true, it was erected in 1108. In 1111, Andrei Bogolyubsky was born, that is, only three years after the city was founded by Vladimir Monomakh. It is difficult to imagine a learned druzhina of the prince proving to contemporaries who were witnesses to Vladimir's book that it was not founded by Monomakh, but more than a hundred years ago. It is unlikely that clever politician Prince Andrew could count on the unconsciousness of his contemporaries, and also show contempt for Vladimir Monomakh, his great grandfather, who enjoyed exceptional authority in Russia.

However, we received the famous "Instruction" of Vladimir Monomakh to the children and the chronicle of his life as part of the Laurentian Chronicle. Narrated in it about the numerous campaigns of this prince, but there is no mention of Vladimir's foundation.

The main argument of the supporters of the later version

Let us dwell on the argument, which is the most important in favor of the version that the city was founded at the beginning of the 12th century. Oleg Svyatoslavich captured in 1096 Suzdal and Rostov, but under pressure from the troops of Mstislav Novgorod soon had to retreat to Murom. He burned Suzdal, retreating. Nothing is said at the same time about Vladimir, although he had to share his fate, because he was on the way to Oleg. Hence, we can conclude that at that time the city did not exist.

Can this argument be considered convincing?

This argument can hardly be considered convincing . First, it was not necessary for Oleg to follow through this city, since from Suzdal to Murom there was a shorter route, located along the bank of the Nerl River. It would be unreasonable with a hasty retreat to extend it by as much as ten versts. In the Typographic Chronicle, secondly, there is a news of Vladimir in 1095, which refers to the events of the same period. It says that Oleg took Vladimir among other cities.

Contradict late dating such toponyms as Pochayna, Lybid, Irpen. They are Kiev. If the city founded Monomakh, it would be more logical to expect the Pereyaslav names, since this prince until 1113 was Pereyaslav, and the people who came with him could only be from this principality. N.N. Voronin, however, is inclined to attribute the appearance of these names by the middle of the 12th century. However, this is unlikely, because at that time Andrei Bogolyubsky was in opposition to Kiev and relied on the arrangement of the capital for masters from Galich.

And yet, what year of Vladimir's foundation is historically true? Unfortunately, today we can not answer this question unambiguously. The irrefutable argument that Vladimir emerged later is not, for example, the fact that the cultural layer belonging to the 10th-11th centuries was not found in it. After all, many of the ancient cities have not been archaeologically confirmed. However, this is not also a proof of the opposite - an earlier date of its occurrence. Traditionally it is believed that the year of foundation of Vladimir is 1108th. In 1958, his 850th anniversary was celebrated.

Whenever this city was founded, it began to grow and grow with time thanks to the cares of Yuri Dolgoruky and Vladimir Monomakh. In 1157 Andrei Bogolyubsky transferred here the capital of the principality.