The depth of historical memory

Nicholas Zharkikh

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

Another point related to the chronology – depth of historical memory in the synodikons. To determine it, it is necessary for each section where historical persons are recorded to determine the initial date of historical information about the most ancient person and the date of such information for the latest person. The difference of these dates will give us the depth of historical memory.

Oddly enough, none of the synodikon researchers explored this indicator, and only I first began to calculate it. Prior to my work, the researchers were guided by a priori common notions that synodikons contain data from some immemorial past time.

The experience of studying the depth of memory completely refutes this idea. The depth of memory for both the historical and the current parts of the synodikons is characterized by the number 25 years, that is, one generation. The children remembered their parents and inscribed them – that’s all. There is no incredible depth here.