Podoprigora Vasiliy V.,
Candidate of Philology Sciences, Junior Researcher, State Public Scientific Technological Library of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, Novosibirsk, Russia, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Report of Hustynja Chronicle of 17th Century on the Struggle For Principality of Halych in the late 12th – First Third of 13th Century
DOI: 10.31518/2618-9100-2019-2-2
The article examines how the events of the late 12th – first third of the 13th century were reflected in the Hustynja Chronicle composed in Left-Bank Ukraine in the 17th century. Twice in this time, after the death of Yaroslav Osmomysl in 1187 and the defeat of Roman Mstyslavych in 1205 the rivalry between the Russian princes-Rurikides, Polish and Hungarian kings for the throne of Halych escalated. The main atention is paid to the manner of citing the borrowed sources by the compiler of the Hustynja chronicle, such as the choice of certain reports of Russian chronicles, identification of his likes and dislikes towards certain historical heroes, rethinking of information sources. Materials of Old Russian chronicles, considered to be used by the Hustynja chronicle’s compiler, such as the Hypatian chronicle – the main Russian source on the history of South-Western Russia in 12th – 13th centuries, as well as the Voskresensky and Nikon chronicles and the Tver Miscellany are involved to comparison with Hustynja Chronicle’s accounts. In Hustynja chronicle’s accounts of the struggle for the possession of Halych in 1180-s more attention is given to the characters, ignored by the compiler of the Kievan Grand-Ducal chronicle of hegumen Moses – main source, which was contemporary to described events. At the same time, the concurrence in the positions of both sources is found in regard to the rivalry of Rurik Rostislavich and Roman Mstislavich of Volhynia. The Hustynja chronicle takes the side of the Grand Prince of Kiev, and this trend also affected the narrative of the events of the early 13th century. However, the image of Roman Mstislavich in the Hustynja chronicle can not be called negative. It even contains a unique reference missing in other Old Russian chronicles to the rights of Roman to Halych throne, while the Hypatian chronicle emphasizes the rights of Vladimir Yaroslavich. In the narrative of the first third of 13th century controversy between the Hustynja and Hypatian chronicles becomes even more notable. Here the same trend is clear: the compiler consistently supports the position of the “senior” prince, either Rurik of Kiev or Mstislav Mstislavich the Daring. Prince Mstislav appears in the narration of the Hustynja chronicle as an influential figure who determined the South Russian politics, which is diametrically opposite to the image of this prince in the South Russian chronicle compilation (Hypatian chronicle). Reports of Mstislav the Daring’s deeds in the Hustynja chronicle is more complete, discrediting information about this prince not included in its narrative.
Publishing: 29/04/2019
How to cite: Podoprigora V.V. The Report of Hustynja Chronicle of 17th Century on the Struggle For Principality of Halych in the late 12th – First Third of 13th Century // Historical Courier, 2019, # 1 (4). Article 2. [Available online:] http://istkurier.ru/data/2019/ISTKURIER-2019-2-02.pdf
Links: Issue 2 2019
Keywords: chronicle writing; chronicle compilations; Galicia-Volhynia Principality; Hustynja Chronicle; South Russian Chronicle Compilation of the 13th century; Roman Mstislavitch of Volhynia; Mstislav Mstislavich the Daring