Boris stones
Boris Stones (
History
Although these landmarks were described in the 16th century by
Subsequently, several other boulders with Boris's name were discovered. In the 1930s, two of these were blown up by Communist authorities as religious objects and their remains used to pave the road between Minsk and Moscow. Another one was thrown into the river, where it lay until its discovery in 1988. When an attempt to recover it was made, the stone broke apart into three pieces. Three other boulders were moved to be exhibited near St. Sophia Cathedral in
Description
Both names for the stones are somewhat misleading: only four of them are located along the banks of the Dvina, and one of the stones does not mention Boris at all. What unites them is their programmatic illustration: "In each case the centrepiece is an enormous cross flanked by abbreviated elements of the conventional Greek legend proclaiming Christ's victory".[2] It is generally accepted that the Boris mentioned in the inscriptions was Rogvolod Vseslavich (baptismal name "Boris"), Vseslav's son, although it is quite likely that such boulders had been venerated by pagan locals long before the land was Christianised.
See also
- The cross of Saint Euphrosyne
- Blue stones and sledoviks – similar landmarks in Russia
- Jelling stones – similar landmarks in Denmark
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Franklin, Simon (2002). Writing, society and culture in early Rus, c. 950-1300. Cambridge UP. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-521-81381-5.
External links
- (in Russian) Article by Konstanty Tyszkiewicz
- (in Russian) Photographs