Moscow codex of 1492
(1200 – 1278)
Nicholas Zharkikh
Shortened text of the section. Full text in ukrainian version.
Moscow codex (chronicle archive) of 1492 (MZ1492) [PSRL, 1949, vol. 25] is the most important of the Moscow chronicles of the late 15th century. The main copy of the chronicle – Uvarovsky – was rewritten in the 1st third of the 16th century. The second copy – the Hermitage copy – was rewritten at the end of the 18th century. Each copy has individual defects (omissions of text), which are mutually complemented by the comparison of copies.
Notes
Observations on the text
A comparison of the Moscow codex of 1492 (within the extracts made by me!) with previous annals shows its two main sources: an annals of the Laurentian – Trinity – Simeon type and S1LSI. 65 episodes were taken from the first, 57% (LL – 51, LPS – 6, SimL – 8), from the second – 26 episodes (23%). The share of «Yuri Vsevolovych’s chronicle» – 21 episodes – 18%. Episode 109 is of unknown origin, similar in content to the Trinity – Simeon chronicles. Perhaps he was in TL, but did not get to SimL, nor to Karamzin’s extracts.
Structure of MZ1492 sources
From the given structure it is clear that the compiler of MZ1492 did not eat his bread in vain and carefully chose from the sources available to him what seemed to him the best and most meaningful.