To the millennium of the Chernihiv principality: seals of Svyatoslav Yaroslavych

Svyatoslav Yaroslavych occupied the Chernigov princely table with 1054 Dr.. to 1073 р., and Kyiv - from 1073 to 1076 Dr.. This prince left behind an interesting sfragistic heritage. Станом на 1996 Dr.. was recorded 11 his seal from 9 pairs of matrices [1]. The obverse depicts Svyatoslav's heavenly patron - St. Mykola Mirlikiiskyi, on the reverse - the prince himself. According to stylistic and technical features, seals are divided into 2 groups. The first, earlier, differs in the large size of the blank and stamps (37–40 mm). The bulla found in Volodymyr-Volynskyi is considered the prototype, which imitated the Byzantine imperial seals of the 10th - first half of the 11th century. [2]. The prince is sitting on the throne, with the nimbus of the autocrator, on the reverse side – the waist image of St. Nicholas with the column inscription "NIKULA". The second group imitates the seal, found in the Kyiv region. It differs in that, that it depicts the prince in full height, in a princely cap, with a cross on a long handle and the signature "СВ̃Я", i.e. "SVIATOSLAV" [3]. Of the eight seals of this group, two were found in Chernihiv, one - in Novgorod-Siverskyi, three - in Kyiv and Kyiv region, one is in Novgorod; place, where another one was found, unknown. The topography of the finds of seals indicates that, that the transition from one group to another took place in the Chernihiv period of the reign of Svyatoslav Yaroslavich. Newly, the author was allowed to familiarize himself with the seal, which is with professor S. Adhesives .

According to him, was found between Chernihiv and Lubech. Total size – 34 х 31 мм, the press - 27 мм, cord hole - 2 мм, thickness - 3 мм, weight - 27 g. The obverse shows a full-length man with a cross on a long handle in his right hand, the left hand holds the state, inscription on both sides of the legs: «[St] / ENG» («[WORLD] / [О]FIG[A]IN"), the entire image is surrounded by a cord-shaped rim [4]. On the back is a clear image of a beardless man, with a long mustache, with big almond-shaped eyes of St. Nicholas in consecration robes, with a necklace around his neck, who blesses with his right hand, and in his left hand he holds a codex, on both sides of the letter head in a column: «AOS [5] / AOS [6]», cord-shaped rim around the image, diameter 22 мм. The bull was identical to the seal of Svyatoslav, which was found in 1983 Dr.. in the old suburb of Chernihiv and is now kept in the Chernihiv Regional Historical Museum named after V.V.. Tarnovsky [7]. In addition to it, another similar seal is kept in the museum, which was found in 1981–1984. in Chernihiv Podol [8].

summer 2011 Dr.. the princely bull was restored, kept by a private collector [9]. turned, that it consists of two plates. The plate with the image of the saint is thinner, thickness approx 0,5 мм, of purer lead. During the soaking of the bulla in the tannin solution, a nimbus and letters on the right were traced around the head. There is a convex deformation on the right side, which resembles a shield. It arose as a result of compression of the horizontal hole for the cord, which was made to depth 0,5 see. This operation took place already after the print was made with a matrix. The advisability of laying a horizontal hole in the presence of the usual vertical hole raises questions.

Another plate, with an inscription, made of lead with a high content of antimony, therefore, the patina is dark and significant shells are present, thickness approx 2 мм. The initial letters of the 4-line inscription are deformed due to the above-mentioned reason and therefore cannot be read. It is safe to say, that the first line consists of 4 letters and this word "KЕRO"; the second line consists of 4 letters, letters are read О та Do, or omega; the third - from 4 letters, letters are read famous historian Dmytro Yavornytsky visited the estate of Vasyl Tarnovsky and possible OG; fourth, probably two letters. Rim diameter 22 мм. We assume that this seal belongs to the book. Rostislav Volodymyrovych or Mstislav Izyaslavych.

In conclusion, it can be noted, that our conclusion regarding the new finds of princely seals in the Chernihiv-Lyubych area was fully justified [10] and we are waiting for more than one find, which will allow to open new pages as stories of Presence, as well as all of Ukraine - Russia [11].

Старший науковий співробітник музею,

кандидат історичних наук Ігор Ситий

[1] Yanin V.L., Gaidukov P.G.. Actual seals of Ancient Rus' X–XV centuries. Т. ІІІ. Stamps, registered 1970–1996. - M.: Intrada, 1998. - WITH. 19.

[2] Yanin V.L., Gaidukov P.G.. - WITH. 20.

[3] There only.

[4] The letters of the inscription are indistinct, therefore, the decipherment is hypothetical. Yanin and Haydukov believe, that the left hand is folded in a gesture of blessing.

[5] The letters are cut in reverse.

[6] Yanin and Haydukov present a different inscription: "SI / AOS».

[7] Yanin V.L., Gaidukov P.G.. - WITH. 309, table. 51, photo 13b; with. 259, table. 1, animal. 13be; with. 114, description; inv. No. Arch 42: 30 х 29 мм, thickness 2 мм, diameter of the hole for the cord 2 мм.

[8] Yanin V.L., Gaidukov P.G.. - WITH. 114; with. 309, table. 51, photo 10a; with. 259; table. 1, animal. 10and; inv. No. Arch 117: 20x19 mm, thickness 3 мм, trimmed along the rim, a later hole for a rope at the top.

[9] Fed and. Princely Bull of the XI century. //Chernihiv antiquities. Scientific collection based on the materials of the VIII International Scientific Conference "Christian Antiquities of Kyivan Rus". – Чернігів: Chernihiv amulets, 2009. — Vip. II. — S. 290–291; Severyan annals. – 2010.– № 6. - WITH. 9–10.

[10] Fed and. Princely Bull of the XI century. //Chernihiv antiquities. Scientific collection based on the materials of the VIII International Scientific Conference "Christian Antiquities of Kyivan Rus". – Чернігів: Chernihiv amulets, 2009. — Vip. II. — S. 290–291; Severyan annals. – 2010.– № 6. - WITH. 9–10.

[11] Newly, we became aware of another seal from this area, which was found in 15 km from Chernigov, in the direction of Ljubech and is kept by a Kyiv collector. It clearly shows the image of a man, and an inscription on the back.