Hypatian chronicle (1198 – 1259)

Nicholas Zharkikh

Shortened text of the section. Full text in ukrainian version.

Hypatian chronicle [PSRL, vol. 2; there are several editions] consists of several parts. It is important for us that the Kyiv chronicle ends in 1199 and continues until 1292 with the Galician-Volyn chronicle (GVL), which in turn can be divided into parts devoted mainly to princes Danylo Romanovych, Vasylko Romanovych, and Volodymyr Vasylkovich. After the latter’s death (1288), the chronicle did not find a patron in any of the representatives of the Volyn dynasty and fell into disrepair, the records of 1289-1292 clearly have the character of additions.

The chronicle reached us in the Hypatian copy, rewritten approx. 1425 year. In it, the Halych-Volyn annals underwent editorial processing, which was not present in the older edition (Khlebnikov copy of the 16th century).

I quote the annals for [Annals of Rus. – K.: 1989] – precisely because the text of the Galician-Volyn chronicle is not easy to understand (see in the excerpts how many words the translator had to add to give it at least a little coherence). I am not interested now in the text chronicle, but in events, about which annalist writes, therefore I consider it appropriate to use the previous work on the text. Of course, in doubtful cases, I do not limit myself to the translation of Makhnovets in search of meaning.

At the beginning of the paragraphs in my excerpts, the dates of the Hypatian copy and their formal translation into modern chronology are set in bold font for orientation in the full text of the annals.

As far as chronology is concerned, the old article by M. S. Hrushevsky remains unsurpassed [. – Proceedings of the Shevchenko Scientific Society, 1901, vol. 41, p. 1 – 72]. L.E. Makhnovets used this article in his comments to the annals, but gave more dates without special justification (abbreviated I give them as "L. M. date"), and only in some cases I give my own chronological considerations. I also note the dates from M. Kotlyar’s edition [. Research, Text. Comment. – K.: Naukova dumka, 2002 – 400 p.] (M. K.) and from the new Polish edition [ (Kronika Romanowiczów). – Kraków, Warszawa: 2017. – 710 p.] (K. R.). M.F. Kotlyar gave an overview of the study of the chronology of the Galician-Volyn chronicle [. – Ukraine: cultural heritage, national consciousness, statehood, 2007, vol. 15, p. 73 – 81].