Andrei M. Ranchin, DSc in Philology, Leading Researcher, Institute of Scientific Information for Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Nakhimovsky Avenue, 51/21, 117418, Moscow, Russia. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0414-5106
The article examines the hypothesis by A.V. Kizim (set out in his article published in the “Literarovecheskii zhurnal” in 2023) about the writing of The Tale of Igor’s Campaign in the spring of 1196. It is proved that, contrary to the assumption of A.V. Kizim, in the text of the work there are no undeniable allusions to the events of the civil strife of 1195–1196. This intradynastic war is ten years distant from the campaign of Prince Igor, described in The Tale of Igor’s Campaign; during the civil strife, the Russian lands were not subject to Polovtsian invasions. Wisdom, greatness and strength in the work are embodied by the Kiev prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich, who died in 1194. The need to create such an image after Svyatoslav’s death is unclear. A strong dating feature, an indicator of the upper limit for dating, should be recognized as the author’s appeal to Prince Yaroslav Galitsky “to stand up for Igor’s wounds”: Yaroslav Osmomysl died on October 1, 1187, the scribe could not address the late prince.
“The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”; A.V. Kizim; dating; dream of Prince Svyatoslav; image of Oleg Svyatoslavich; civil strife 1195–1196.
17.04.2025
12.05.2025
Ranchin, A.M. “When Was The Tale of Igor’s Campaign Written? A Remark in the Disputeˮ. Literaturovedcheskii zhurnal, no. 3(69), 2025, pp. 9–17. (In Russ.)
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