Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv
Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv (
Kyi (
Historical background
In the Primary Chronicle, which is traditionally believed to have been written by a monk of Kyiv Cave Monastery by the name of Nestor and finished in 1113, a special place is held by the legend of the foundation of Kyiv by three brothers.[2] Nestor places those brothers onto various hills of Kyiv.[2] Geographically, the old Kyiv is located on a higher right bank of the Dnieper, which is an extension of the Dnieper Upland, where remnants of the Church of the Tithes are located.
The Chronicle further states that there were people ("who did not know what they were saying") who considered Kyi a mere ferryman.
Nestor also names the approximate date of the assault on Kyiv by the
Text of "Primary Chronicle"
«И быша 3 брата, единому имя Кий, а другому Щекъ, а третьему Хоривъ, и сестра их Лыбѣдь. И сѣдяше Кий на горѣ, кдѣ нынѣ увозъ Боричевъ, а Щекъ сѣдяше на горѣ, кдѣ нынѣ зовется Щековица, а Хоривъ на третьей горѣ, отнюдуже прозвася Хоривіца; створиша городокъ, во имя брата ихъ старѣйшаго, и нарекоша его Киевъ. И бяше около города лѣсъ и боръ великъ, и бяху ловяще звѣрье. Бяхуть бо мудрѣ и смыслени, и нарицахуся Поляне, отъ нихъ же суть Поляне Кияне и до сего дни.
Инии же, не вѣдуще, ркоша, яко Кий есть перевозникъ бысть; у Киева бо перевозъ бяше тогда съ оноя страны Днепра, тѣмь глаголаху: на перевозъ на Киевъ. Аще бо быль перевозникъ Кый, то не бы ходилъ къ Царюграду; но сий Кий княжаше в роду своем; и приходившю ему къ царю не свѣмы, но токмо о семъ вѣмы, якоже сказають, яко велику честь приялъ есть от царя, которого не вѣмъ и при которомъ приходи цари. Идущю же ему опять, приде къ Дунаеви, и възлюби мѣсто и сруби городокъ малъ, и хотяше сѣсти с родомъ своимъ, и не даша ему близъ живущии; еже и до нынѣ нарѣчють Дунайци городіще Киевѣць. Киеви же прішедшю въ свой городъ Киевъ, ту и сконча животъ свой, и брата его Щекъ и Хоривъ и сестра ихъ Лыбѣдь ту скончашася. И по сей братьи почаша дѣржати родъ ихъ княжение въ Поляхъ…
(Filed according to the Hypatian Codex)
Excerpt from the Ruthenian Primary Chronicles
Полѧномъ же живущиим̑ ѡ собѣ. и вла̑дѣющимъ роды своим̑ . ӕже и до сеӕ брат̑ӕ бѧху Полѧне . и живѧху кождо съ родом̑ своимъ . на своихъ мѣстехъ . володѣюще кождо родомъ своимъ ❙ И быша . г҃ . брата . а А єдиному имѧ Кии . а другому Щекъ . а третьєму Хоривъ . и сестра ихъ Лыбѣдь . и сѣдѧше Кии на горѣ кдѣ н҃нѣ оувозъ Боричевъ . а Щекъ сѣдѧше на горѣ . кдѣ ннѣ зоветсѧ Щековица . а Хоривъ на третьєи горѣ . ѿнюдүже прозвасѧ Хоривıца . створиша городокъ . во имѧ брата ихъ старѣишаго . и Києвъ . и бѧше ѡколо города лѣсъ и боръ великъ . и бѧху ловѧще звѣрь . Б бѧхуть бо мудрѣ и смыслени. и нарицихусѧ Полѧне .
— ЛѢТОПИСЬ ПО ИПАТЬЕВСКОМУ СПИСКУ, ПСРЛ. — Т. 2. Ипатьевская летопись. — СПб., 1908. — Стлб. 1–21.[4]
Translation by Dmitry Likhachov
In those times
Dmitry Likhachov, Story about establishing of Kyiv. Primary Chronicles (ПРЕДАНИЕ ОБ ОСНОВАНИИ КИЕВА. Повесть временных лет)[5]
Translation by Samuel Hazzard Cross
While the Polyanians lived apart and governed their families (for before the time of these brothers there were already Polyanians, and each one lived with his gens on his own lands, ruling over his kinsfolk), there were three brothers, Kiy (sic!), Shchek, and Khoriv, and their sister was named Lybed’. Kiy (sic!) lived upon the hill where the Borichev trail now is, and Shchek dwelt upon the hill now named Shchekovitsa, while on the third resided Khoriv, after whom this hill is named Khorevitsa. They built a town and named it Kyiv after their oldest brother. Around the town lay a wood and a great pine-forest in which they used to catch wild beasts. These men were wise and prudent; they were called Polyanians, and there are Polyanians descended from them living in Kyiv to this day.
— Samuel Hazzard Cross and Olgerd P. Sherb owitz-Wetzor, The Primary Chronicle (Laurentian Text)[6]
Archaeological excavations
Archaeological excavations have shown that there was indeed an ancient settlement starting with the 6th century. Some speculate that Kyi was a real person, a knyaz (prince) from the tribe of the Polans. According to legend, Kyi, the eldest brother, was a Polianian Prince, and the city was named after him.[7] In addition, the legend says that the appearance of a large city on the hilly banks of the Dnieper was predicted by Andrew the Apostle.[8]
Historiographical interpretation
Many historians consider Kyi and his rule circa the 6th century to be actual history.
The names of Kyi and his brothers have equivalents in an Armenian chronicle from the 7th century, History of
Khoryv or Horiv, and his oronym Khorevytsia, some scholars related to the
Byzantine sources report that the Kievan prince Kyi (originally Kuver) was brought up at the court of Emperor Justinian I in his youth, converted to Christianity in Constantinople, and was educated there. "He had the great honor of the king," received benefits in the Lower Danube, where he founded the "town of Kiev", but due to resistance from local tribes could not gain a foothold there. That's why Kyi returned home, where he "laid" (probably rebuilt or moved from another city) his capital Kyiv.
According to other Byzantine testimonies, Kyi was a contemporary of Emperor Heraclius (575–641). As his contemporary John of Nicaea writes in detail, "by the power of the Holy and Life-Giving Baptism he received, he defeated all barbarians and pagans." The friendly ties of the ancient prince with the Byzantine imperial court is evidenced by the "Primary Chronicle".
Archaeological evidence
In the sixth to seventh centuries, the borders of three cultural groups of monuments converged on the Polans land — Kyiv Oblast — Prague, Penkiv and Kolochyn cultures, and in the eighth to tenth centuries — Luka-Raikovetska and Volyntsevo culture. From the very beginning, Kyiv was the center of not one, but several tribal groups.
Modern tributes
In addition to the respective hills and the river, there are Shchekavytska and Khoryva Streets in Kyiv's ancient neighborhood of Podil.[citation needed]
In 1982, Kyi, Shchek, Khoryv and Lybid were depicted (standing on an ancient riverboat) in a sculpture at the river-side of Navodnytsky Park. The Monument to the Founders of Kyiv, created by Vasyl Borodai, soon became iconic for the city and has been used as Kyiv's unofficial emblem. In the 2000s another statue was installed at a fountain of the Maidan Nezalezhnosti.
See also
- Lech, Czech, and Rus
- Jonakr's sons
References
- ^ "An Armenian historian of the seventh century, Zenob Glak, knew of a similar legend concerning the founding of the city of Kuar (Kyiv) in the land of Poluni (Polianians) by three brothers Kuar, Mentery, and Kherean." [in:] Medieval Rus' epics, chronicles, and tales. 1974; "Similarly to Nestor's story about Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv, the Armenian legend of Kuar and his brothers says (in the 6th or in the 7th century). [in:] Київ, анциент анд модерн киты. 1983
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Oleh Yastrubov. "And gave it its name Kyiv". Newspaper "Den". 14 July 2006.
- ISBN 978-0-8108-7847-1.
- ^ "Іпатіївський літопис. До лЂта 6414 [906]".
- ^ "Повесть временных лет".
- ^ https://archive.org/stream/TheRussianPrimaryChronicle/the%20russian%20primary%20chronicle_djvu.txt [dead link]
- ^ "Kyi, Scheck, Khoryv, and Lybid / Peoples / Ukrainians in the World". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-05.
- ^ "Nine facts about Kyiv church to be used by Ecumenical Patriarch".
- ^ Sakač, S. K. (1940). Krapina-Kijev-Ararat, Priča o troje braće i jednoj sestri. Obnovljeni Život 21/3-4: 129–149, Zagreb
- ^ ISBN 979-10-94441-46-6.
- ^ Medieval Russia's Epics, Chronicles, and Tales. 1963.
- ISBN 953-7029-04-2.
- ^ Jaroslav Rudnyckyj (1982). An Etymological Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: Parts 12–22 (in English and Ukrainian). Vol. 2. Winnipeg: Ukrainian Free Academy of Sciences (UVAN). p. 968.
- ^ ISBN 953-7029-03-4
- ISBN 953-7029-04-2.
Further reading
- В. М. Ричка. Кий // Енциклопедія історії України : у 10 т. / редкол.: В. А. Смолій (голова) та ін. ; Інститут історії України НАН України. — К. : Наукова думка, 2007. — Т. 4 : Ка — Ком. — С. 284. — 528 с. : іл. — ISBN 978-966-00-0692-8.
External links
- Основатели Кий, Щек и Хорив и их сестра Лыбедь, князья Аскольд и Дир Archived 2016-12-11 at the Wayback Machine
- A HISTORY OF UKRAINE. EPISODE 14. THE FOUNDING OF KYIV Archived 2018-02-20 at the Wayback Machine
- Dmytro Lavrov. How many years has Kiev (СКІЛЬКИ РОКІВ МІСТУ КИЄВУ?). The Mirror Weekly. 28 May 2004
- Mykola Kotlyar. Kiev princes Kyi and Askold (КИЇВСЬКІ КНЯЗІ КИЙ І АСКОЛЬД). Magazine "Voyenna istoriya". 2002
- Кий // Українська мала енциклопедія: 16 кн. : у 8 т. / проф. Є. Онацький. — Накладом Адміністратури УАПЦ в Аргентині. — Буенос-Айрес, 1959. — Т. 3, кн. V : Літери К — Ком. — С. 631-632. — 1000 екз.
- Кий, Щек, Хорив і Либідь // Михайлів Т. В., Михайлів Т. А. Видатні постаті українського державотворення. Довідник. — Xарків: Основа, 2014. — 128 с. — (Б-ка журн. „Історія та правознавство“. Вип. 1 (121)). — С. 5.
- Літопис про княжіння Кия, заснування Києва і держави Київська Русь (друга половина V — перша третина VI ст.) // Історія України: Хрестоматія / Упоряд. В. М. Литвин. — К. : Наук. думка, 2013. — 1056 с.
- Кий та його брати // Котляр М. Ф., Кульчицький С. В. Шляхами віків: Довідник з історії України. — К.: Україна, 1993. — 384 с.
- Кий — князь русі / Культура України
- Три брати — засновники Києва // Народні перекази та легенди
- До 1020-ліття хрещення України-Руси // Інтернет-представництво Президента України
- Князь Кий // Котляр М. Ф. Історія України в особах: Давньоруська держава.— К.: Україна, 1996
- Найдавніша легенда про заснування Києва // Сайт „Трипілля“
- „И нарекоши имя ему Киев“. Князь Кий — легенди та бувальщина // День, № 114, 14.07.2006
- Скільки років місту Києву? // Дзеркало тижня» № 21, 29.05.2004[dead link]
- Городище Кия // Веб-енциклопедія «Київ»
- Князь Кий — рицар короля Артура // Народна правда
- «Сидел Кий на горе…» // Сайт «1 сентября» (in Russian)
- Володимир Ільченко. Князь Кий був іранцем? // Журнал «Mandry»
- Урок від князя Кия // Обозреватель (in Russian)
- Дан Берест. Літочислення Києва (in Russian)
- Пам'ятні та ювілейні монети України // Сайт НБУ