Prince Kiy is the legendary founder of the city of Kiev, which in a few centuries will become the center of the Old Russian state. There is much debate about the reality of this person: some historians consider his work to be absolutely legendary, others say that legends may have a foundation for real events. So who was Prince Kiy? Biography, various versions of his life, as well as their interpretation will be the subject of our discussion.
Certificate “Tales of Bygone Years”
The first source that should be mentioned in the search for truth, who was the founder of Kiev, Prince Kiy, is the chronicle "A Tale of Bygone Years."
According to the chronicles, the brothers Kiy, Schek and Horeb, as well as their sister, the beautiful Lybid, belonged to the Glade tribe. Cheek lived on the mountain, which in the future was called Shchekovitsa, and Horeb - on a hill, which was called Horivitsa. In honor of Lybed, the river that flows into the Dnieper was named. Three brothers and a sister founded the city, which was named Kiev by the name of the eldest of them.
At the same time, the chronicler gives another version of the founding of the city, according to which Kiy is not a prince at all, but a simple carrier across the Dnieper. Therefore, this area began to be called "transport Kiev". In the future, this name was also fixed for the city founded in these places. But the chronicler himself refutes this version, saying that Kiy visited Constantinople (the capital of Byzantium) and was accepted by the emperor, and a simple carrier could not do this, so he is definitely a prince.
Further in the annals it is said that, returning back, Prince Kiy founded a small town on the banks of the Danube, in which he decided to settle. But the locals disliked the aliens, and therefore they were forced to return to the banks of their native Dnieper, to Kiev. Nevertheless, on the Danube there remained a settlement, which was called Kievets. Kiy, like his brothers and sister, died in the city he founded in Kiev.
It is this legend of Prince Kie that is the most authoritative.
Version of the Novgorod Chronicle
The Novgorod Chronicle is a peculiar continuation of The Tale of Bygone Years. Nevertheless, it clearly states that Kiy is not a prince, but a carrier. It also says that he was a catcher of animals.
This chronicle also links the activities of Kiy to a specific time - 854. But most historians believe that if he existed, he lived much earlier. After all, it turns out that only 28 years later, the ruler of Novgorod Oleg captured Kiev . Prince Kiy was to found Kiev no later than the end of the VIII century. So, in any case, considered the famous Soviet historian Mikhail Nikolaevich Tikhomirov.
Polish Chronicle of Jan Dlugosh
Cue is mentioned not only in domestic annals, but also in sources of other countries. For example, there is a mention of him in the Polish chronicle of the 15th century by Jan Dlugosz. However, Dlugosh, referring to Kie, relied primarily on all the same Russian chronicles that we spoke about above, so his message is secondary.
So how is Cue represented in this chronicle? The prince is only mentioned due to the fact that he was named the founder of the dynasty, which ruled in Kiev until the brothers Askold and Dir. But the "Tale of Bygone Years" considers the latter not the descendants of Kiy, but the Vikings. Moreover, the Arab chronicles and some modern historians generally doubt that Askold and Deer could rule at the same time, considering them either father and son, or people not connected to each other at all.
Armenian interpretation
There is also a legend in Armenia, which not only echoes the message from The Tale of Bygone Years, but even operates with identical names. She came to us through the “History of Taron” by Zenob Glack (approximately VI-VIII century). The legend speaks of two brothers who were forced to flee from their native places to Armenia. The local king at first granted them and bestowed the lands, but in 15 years he killed them, and delivered the property to their sons - Kuar, Meltey and Khorean. Each of the brothers founded the city and named it by its own name. Between the settlements, they founded a pagan temple.
In the names of the brothers Quar and Horean, Kiy and Horeb are easily guessed. The name of the city of Quara is identical to Kiev. But what about Meltheus? The fact is that this name is translated from Armenian as “snake”. The same translation from Old Slavic has the name Cheeks.
But how are the Armenian and Slavic legends related? There is a version that they are united by an ancient common Indo-European legend. It is also suggested that both peoples adopted it from the Scythians.
Archeology data
How does this information from legends compare with real material data obtained as a result of archaeological excavations? After all, only a legend confirmed by archeology can claim historicity.
However, there are archaeological finds that indicate the presence of a settlement on the site of modern Kiev at the end of the 5th century AD. e. Therefore, in 1982, they officially celebrated 1,500 years since the foundation of Kiev. At the time the settlement was laid, it was located on the borders of three archaeological cultures simultaneously : Kolochinsky, Penkovsky and Prague-Korchak. All three cultural groups, most scientists belong to the Slavic tribes. Even earlier, from the 2nd to the 5th centuries, Kiev culture was located on the site of the future capital of Ukraine. Its direct successor is the above-mentioned Kolochin culture, and its predecessor is Zarubinetskaya.
But archaeologists found only the remains of an ordinary Slavic settlement of the fifth century. About any full-fledged city with a resident population then it was not a question. Only since the VIII century can we say with confidence that a full-fledged city appeared on the site of Kiev, with fortifications and an urban lifestyle, naturally, adjusted for the era. At this time, from the 8th to the 10th centuries, the Volintsevskaya culture and the Luki-Raykovetskaya culture intersected at this place. Volintsevskaya culture is usually associated with the Slavic tribes of the northerners, who had a center in Chernigov. Luke-Raykovets culture was a successor to the Korchak culture, and possibly connected with the tribes of the Polyans, who actually founded Kiev, according to the theory accepted by most historians. It should be noted that representatives of the Volintsev culture pushed their neighbors to the west.
In 1908, a famous archaeologist Hvoyka V.V. discovered a complex on Starokievskaya Hill, which he himself interpreted as the pagan altar of Prince Kiy. Tentatively this find dates back to the VIII-X centuries. However, later the conclusions of Hvoik about the purpose of this building by some experts were called into question.
Search for truth in Byzantine sources
As mentioned above, in the "Tale of Bygone Years", Kiy was in Constantinople. The prince was adopted by the Byzantine emperor. Therefore, if this is not a fiction of the chronicler or just a legend, this fact could serve as a good clue to find out who Kiy was and what time he lived.
Some medieval historians even tried to connect this event with the message of the Byzantine Nicephorus Grigory, who lived in the XIII-XIV centuries. According to him, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great in the 4th century, the rulers of various countries came to him in Constantinople. Among them was also named "master of Russia." It should be noted that this message was taken quite seriously in the Middle Ages. In one of the chronicle vaults of the XVIII century, based on this Byzantine testimony, the year of foundation of Kiev was indicated - 334 from the Birth of Christ.
But with a more thorough approach, the testimony of Nicephorus Grigora does not hold water. During the reign of Constantine the Great, no Russia could exist yet, and the Slavs were disparate tribes, not even united in the likeness of states. For the first time, the term “Russia” appeared only in the 9th century, that is, five hundred years later. In addition, this event was not mentioned anywhere else, and Nicephorus Grigora himself lived 1000 years later than the events described. Most likely, to emphasize the greatness of Constantine the Great, he composed this message about the embassy, inserting the name of the modern Nicephorus states there.
More realistic is the attempt to connect the rule of the founder of Kiev with the time of Justinian I. It was then that a man lived with whom Kiy could be compared. The prince made a trip to Constantinople. Perhaps this was a military campaign, which often at that time was carried out by the Slavs from the Ants union. One of them, Hilbudiy, was even appointed emperor by the governor of the province of Thrace. Some modern scholars are trying to compare Hilbudia and Kia. Literally in the "Tale of Bygone Years" it is indicated that Kiy "received a great honor from the king." The word "honor" for the ancient Slavs also meant the transition to service. So Kiy could well serve with Justinian as a federation or even hold a post in the Byzantine army, as Hilbudiy did. In addition, in the Byzantine sources indicated the name of the father of Hilbudiy - Samvatas. One of the names of Kiev was the same.
Historical Hilbudiy was killed in 533 in a battle with one of the Slavic tribes.
Another version compares Kiya with the leader of the Bulgarians Kubera, who lived in the first half of the 7th century.
Khazar version
There is also a hypothesis that Kiy - the prince of Kiev - was of Khazar or Magyar origin. This version was first put forward by the famous historian Vernadsky G.V. He believed that Kiev was founded relatively late, not earlier than 830. This happened when the borders of the Khazar state advanced to the Dnieper. According to this version, Kiy, Schek and Horeb were either Khazars or leaders of the Magyar tribes in the service of the Khazars.
The name "Cue" Vernadsky derived from the Turkic word, which meant the river bank. In addition, the Byzantine emperor Konstantin Bagryanorodny calls Kiev Samvatas, and, according to linguists, this toponym is of Khazar origin.
Reign
So when did Kiy-prince live? Nobody will exactly name the years of rule. Even the century in which he ruled, if existed in reality, is very difficult to name. But you can outline some time frames.
According to various testimonies and interpretations, Kiy lived in the interval from the 4th to the 9th centuries. However, if we discard the most extreme and unlikely ones, such as, for example, the testimony of Nicephorus Grigor, we get a time period from the VI to VIII centuries.
Conclusions of scientists
Most modern scientists consider Kiy’s personality to be absolutely legendary. They define his name as an eponym. That is, the legend of Kiev, in the opinion of academic science, was invented in order to explain the name of the city whose origin was forgotten.
But still I do not want to believe in such a boring and banal explanation, because the legend is much more interesting.
Cue in modern culture
Currently, Kiy is considered the patron saint of the capital of Ukraine. The monument to the founders of Kiev Kiy, Schek, Khoriv and Lybed was erected in 1982, in honor of the celebration of the 1500th anniversary of the founding of the city.
In 1980, the book "Prince Cue" was written. It belongs to the pen of the Ukrainian writer Vladimir Malik.
Cue: history and legend
In the story of Prince Kie, it is very difficult to separate the real story from the legend. Moreover, most historians believe that this ruler never existed.
Nevertheless, the foundation of the city of Kiev will forever remain connected in the view of many people Kiy - the prince, whose name is included in the legend.