At the end of the fourteenth - at the beginning of the fifteenth century on the territory of modern Russia, the chronicle is developing very rapidly. Numerous arches date from this time, the compilers of which are the most intelligent personalities of that period. The authors of these works collect, translate and edit existing annals, make their own edits and thoughts.
According to tradition, each new book annals in the beginning had statements about the life of Kievan Rus. Often authors referred to the "Tale of Bygone Years" or quoted some excerpts from it. Therefore, with each new vault, a continuous chain of legends about the mother of Russian cities continued. Chroniclers turned their attention not only to the golden-headed Kiev, but also to other big cities: Suzdal, Ryazan, Novgorod, Moscow, Vladimir.
An important document that captures the life of the ancient world is the Laurentian Chronicle. It is named after Lawrence, the monk who, together with his assistants, wrote it in 1377. The place of creation of the vault is considered the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod principality, as evidenced by the corresponding inscription on the pages of the annals. Thus, the first Russian chronicle is a copy of the previous lost code and contains data on events up to 1305.
The Laurentian Chronicle begins with the words “Tales of Bygone Years,” in which the greatness of Russia is sung. Also included in the vault is “The Instruction” of the Kiev Prince Vladimir Monomakh, who was famous for his wisdom and prudence. In it, the prince calls on compatriots to stop the feud, forget the grievances and stand together for a just cause. Further, the Laurentian Chronicle sadly talks about the difficult struggle of the Russian people against the Mongol-Tatars, the painful death of its princes and the heroism of ordinary people.
This annalistic code was written on the eve of the memorable Battle of Kulikovo. Therefore, it contains the aspirations of the people about victory over the invaders, a call for unity. Between the lines, the aggravation of relations between the Golden Horde and Moscow is felt. Therefore, we can safely say that this work was aimed at raising the patriotic spirit of the people.
The Laurentian Chronicle is the oldest Russian memorial of writing. The date indicated by the author is 1377 according to the Old Russian calendar, calculated as 6885 from the creation of the world. For the most part, she paints a camp of things in Vladimir-Suzdal Rus of 1164-1304. But also contains news of the southern principalities of the country.
The ancient chronicle has always attracted the attention of historians, culturologists and other scholars who are interested in antiquity. Of course, the original is not accessible to the general public - it is carefully stored in the archives of the Russian National Library in St. Petersburg. Carefully restored parchment is removed several times a year for examination and verification.
Not so long ago, the site of the Presidential Library . Yeltsin put up a digital scan of the chronicle so that anyone can see this most important historical document. Each person can not only try to read the text in the Old Slavic language, but also get acquainted with its contents in modern Russian dialect.