Monuments of book culture: The exhibition “Russian chronicle in collections of the Manuscript Department of the National Library of Russia” in Saint-Petersburg

The Department of Manuscripts of the National Library of Russia (St. Petersburg) hosted the opening of the exhibition "Russian chronicles in collections of the Department of Manuscripts of the National Library of Russia. To the 150th anniversary of the birth of Academician A. A. Shakhmatov".

The exhibition is timed to the anniversary of an outstanding Russian philologist and linguist, Academician Alexei Alexandrovich Shakhmatov (1864-1920), who became the founder of the most important methods of research of ancient chronicle monuments.

Russian chronicles - unique patterns of social thought of Old Russia. Up until the end of the XVII century, their texts are one of the primary sources of information on past centuries. Firtsly the news chronicles were used by V. N. Tatischev, N. M. Karamzin, S. M. Solovyov in creating their "history", but a systematic study of the monuments of Russian chronicle was begun only by A. A. Shakhmatov.

The Manuscript Department of the National Library has a rich collection of manuscripts containing texts of the chronicles. The oldest of them - parchment Laurentian Chronicle 1377.

The exhibition features several dozen of Russian chronicles of the XV-XVII centuries, never comprehensively put up for display. These include well-known researchers’ lists of Hypatian, Sofia first and fourth Novgorod chronicles, as well as less well-known monuments. In addition to the all-Russian chronicles of the XV century in the exhibition are showcased monuments of local chronicles of various regions of the Russian state of the XV-XVII centuries. Among the exhibits are the chronicles of the grand office, as well as private and monastic origin.