"The dynasty of Chernihiv" (2003)
Nicholas Zharkikh
Shortened text of the section. Full text in ukrainian version.
Dimnik M. , 1146 – 1246. – Cambridge University Press, 2003. – 437 p.
22 years after the book discussed above, M. D. again turned to the history of the Chernihiv principality. This book is the second part of his work (the first, published in 1994, was devoted to the Chernihiv dynasty of 1054-1146).
Looked in : this morning (March 18, 2022) the Russian occupiers shelled Kyiv again. A residential quarter in the Podilsky district was hit.
And I continue my offensive on the part of the invisible front of the ideological struggle chosen by me (March 18, 2022 at 9:15 a.m.)…
The preface contains an overview of the sources. M. D. mistakenly thought that spring in the annals began on March 8, summer on June 9, autumn on September 10, and winter on December 9 [p. 16].
Finally – the expected counterattack! On the Irpin direction Muscovites for 70 km.
Of course, this does not affect the probability that the house I live in will be hit by a Russian missile. Whatever that probability was, it remains so. But this is empty, the main thing is that our army grinds the enemy’s onslaught!
So, let’s continue (March 19, 2022 at 8:20 am)…
Among the Soviet researchers, M. D. mentioned A. Nasonov and A. Zaitsev (but not V. Mavrodin!) [p. 3]. I also read and evaluated them – therefore, I did not miss anything important.
Today (March 20, 2022) it is clear and relatively quiet in Kyiv, there were only a couple of explosions (it seems that our anti-aircraft defense was working), instead we had to about the terrible event that happened on March 11: in Kreminna, Russian "liberators" shot a house for the elderly from a tank, 56 people killed!
I am not a humanist and not a philanthropist, I think that those old lonely people were all for "Putin led" and "Putin helped". And so they received "help", after which nothing else is needed.
However, I am not angry, I think that their martyrdom crossed out all (possible) their sins and emphasized their suffering. I want to believe that 56 martyrs of Kreminna, 67 martyrs of Bucha, and 10 martyrs of Chernihiv will be commemorated in Ukraine…
I want the reader to imagine the circumstances in which the following lines were written.
On the p. 243 – 246 M. D. analyzed in sufficient details the attack on Kyiv in 1203 (T-9).
: On March 20, 2022, at around 10:48 p.m., a rocket of Russian aggressors hit a shopping center in the Podilsky district in Kyiv, killing eight people.
Ordinary news from the time of the siege of Kyiv… I can still continue (March 21, 2022 at 8:40 am).
The next subsection is called "An unsuccessful attempt by Vsevolod Chermny and Rurik to seize Halych". On the occasion of Roman of Halych’s death M. D. right noted that Danylo had no hereditary rights to Halych, but could hope to sit on his father’s throne. However, this right did not deter his rivals [p. 251].
That Chernihiv, which I am writing about now, which I have visited many times, whose sights I know well and love – it is currently under constant fire from the Rotten Straw Horde, which set out to repeat the feat of the Tatars in 1239 and wipe out the city on gunpowder.
Mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko (March 22, 2022) that more than half of the residents left the city. They are fleeing from Horde shells, among which there are such that four men can barely lift them. Fleeing to Europe – exactly as during the invasion of Batu.
At the same time, Atroshenko that Ukrainian forces are in full control of the city. Everything will be Ukraine! We will win!
And I will continue as long as I can (March 22, 2022 at 8:07 am).
While developing the topic of the Ryazan-Chernihiv conspiracy, M. D. mentioned the unknown sister of Vsevolod Chermny, who was the wife of prince Roman of Ryazan. Sources? – Of course, there are references to Baumgarten (20th century) and Zotov (19th century) [p. 251]. I think this one late fantasy not needed at all.
In Chernihiv, the Russians are targeting hospitals – Mayor of Chernihiv Vladyslav Atroshenko (March 23, 2022 at 7:43).
The Rotten Straw Horde can’t do much beyond that. And I continue because I can do it…
The next subsection is called "The hangings». Teaching Vladyslav Kormylcych’s campaign speech in front of Przemyśl, M. D. a little exaggerated, writing that among the accusations against the Igorovychs was "giving their patrimonies to outsiders from the Chernihiv lands" [p. 270]. This "Chernihiv" origin of the new owners is superfluous, the chronicler of the Romanovychs knew only about "foreigners". And there were no foreigners from Hungary or Volyn?
: for yesterday (i.e. March 23, 2022) 7 Russian planes were destroyed. A trifle – but nice!
And I continue (March 24, 2022 at 8:40 am).
The next subsection is called "Assessment of Vsevolod’s rule". I can to agree from M. D. in the fact that Vsevolod was one of the most successful senior princes of his dynasty [p. 280].
I think that a large part of the general description of Vsevolod given by M.D. can be included in encyclopedias.
This morning in Kyiv seemed surprisingly quiet. One air alarm around 23:00 on March 24, 2022 does not count.
But I always remember – Russian war criminals are constantly shelling Mariupol, Izyum, Kharkiv, Okhtyrka, Trostyanets, Sumy, Chernihiv… Behind the backs of the defenders of these cities, I enjoy relative peace in Kyiv.
Therefore, I continue (March 25, 2022 at 8:00 a.m.).
The next subsection is called "Mstislav Svjatoslavych – senior prince". "He became famous for the fact that he became a victim of a Tatar spear," began M. D. [p. 291]. I don’t know if M. D. read A. I. Herzen’s "Past and thoughts", but the latter also mentions "generals glorified by victories over them"!
From yesterday’s news: Muscovites tried to advance near Irpin. Let me remind you that it is about 30 km from the house where I live. The attack was (expectedly) repulsed.
And behind the broad backs of our soldiers who bear losses in these battles – I can continue (March 26, 2022 at 9:05 am).
The 4th chapter is devoted to the sixth generation of the Chernihiv dynasty. Its first subdivision is called "Michael becomes Yuriy’s agent in Novgorod".
Mariupol burned by the Russian invaders is our pain, and the same from Trostianets, liberated by our troops, is our hope!
So, I continue (March 27, 2022 at 9:10 am).
The next subsection is called "Michael and Vladimir of Kiev at odds with Daniil of Volyn’".
This morning (March 28, 2022 at 7:45 AM) I woke up alive and in my usual comfort. I do not forget for a moment that my life is paid for by the death of our soldiers in the fight against the Russian aggressors.
But our soldiers save not only me from Muscovites – they also save fat pigs on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, who are unable to defend themselves.
An extremely nasty type of these pigs are "professors" and "scientists" who sip their coffee and seriously think about "Ukrainian Nazism" in general and about Nicholas Zharkikh as a representative of this "Ukrainian Nazism". Of course, I don’t owe anything and I generously send to them my informational napalm.
But now I am not talking about that. I know who is who and what is what in this world, but they do not know and live in illusions. Stupidity and incompetence, inability to sober analysis cannot be concentrated in only one area of evaluations of the current policy, but extend to all areas of "activity" of these pigs. Such are and will be their "scientific works". Therefore, what I write is science, and what they write is an imitation of science or simply commissioned materials.
So, continuing…
Mention that Michael returned to Chernihiv "to his brothers" (T-104) gave M. D. the tributary to list these "brothers": Mstislav Glibovich, Vasylko of Kozelsk (!), Oleg Svyatoslavich of Novgorod-Siversky, Izyaslav Volodymyrovych of Putivl, Svyatoslav of Trubchevsk and the nameless Kursk prince of the 1228 model [p. 315]. None of those named was Michael’s brother, and Vasyl (not Vasylko!) of Kozelsk, if he existed at all, was not born yet. Therefore, the expression of the annals "returned to my brothers" should be understood as "returned to himself, to his homeland" – and only that. The entire list is based on assumptions and only misleads.
The next subsection is called "Michael captures Kyiv".
for our Armed Forces: on March 28, the Armed Forces shot down 17 aerial targets.
I keep remembering: I can go on (March 29, 2022 at 8:14 am) because our defenders keep dying!
M. D. again returned to the hypothetical treaty of Michael with the Hungarian king, which I already touched on above, and here he detailed its conditions. At a guess M. D., they included permission for the Hungarians to rule in Halych, help for the king in restraining Danylo from capturing Halych, Michael himself refusing to take Halych, but did not touch on the situation in Kyiv [p. 326]. All this is pure guesswork without relying on sources.
Yesterday (March 29, 2022) there was disinformation about the "withdrawal of Russian troops from Kyiv", today already our General Staff. Well, I heard this "withdrawal" just from my room – all day and half of the night in the northwest (Irpin direction) our artillery rumbled powerfully.
As long as our Armed Forces do not drive the Russian troops to hell, there will be no success.
So, I continue (March 30, 2022 at 8:40 am).
The next subsection is called "Michael seeks sanctuary in Kamenets".
M. D. in vain trusted the Pskov chronicle with its date of the fall of Pereyaslavl [p. 347].
But then it got even worse. M. D. envisioned the case in such a way that Michael, shortly after the fall of Pereyaslavl, fled with his family to the heavily fortified Kamenets… and so on [p. 348]. More details this fantasy I consider in a special excursion.
This entire subsection is completely wrong, which is not characteristic of M. D.
I heard with my own ears the promised "withdrawal" of troops from Kyiv by Moscow – yesterday (this is March 30, 2022), cannonade thundered all day in the northwest, in the direction of Irpin. The only reliable direction of retreating the invaders is into the ground.
And while there is an opportunity, I will continue (March 31, 2022 at 8:10 am).
The next subsection is called "Rostislav fights for control of Galicia".
Here again repeated failed fantasy from the 1981 book about Chernihiv boyars who received estates in Galicia [p. 361], the "salt trade" also moved from there [p. 362].
Yesterday (March 31, 2022), our troops knocked out the Russian invaders from several villages in the Kyiv and Kherson regions. There is still a long way to complete liberation of Ukraine, but the first steps are already being taken!
So, I can continue (April 1, 2022 at 9:00 AM).
The next subsection is called "Michael’s family". Initial thesis – false and does not portend anything right:
The Tatar invasion sounded the death knell for the political fortunes of the Ol’govichi, but it did not eradicate the dynasty [p. 374].
Of course, all further "analysis" of news about these mythical "sons" is completely wrong [p. 376 – 380].
With the general conclusion of M. D. it is possible totally agree: during 12 – 1 half 13th century Chernihiv princes were one of the most important dynasties [p. 392]
I spared no space and attention for excerpts, because I was interested in every statement of Martin Dimnik. The plan of his work is very similar to the plan of my work – and this is due to the available sources on the topic.
In general, M. D.’s book deserves a high rating, because it gives the English-speaking reader a certain idea about a part of the history of ancient Rus’, which is little known to such a reader. If we talk about the general contours of events, they are presented correctly in M. D.’s book, and some of his statements can be useful for our historians as well.
One of the important advantages of the book is simple and clear English, which is read without any complications.
At the same time, some of the subsections give a completely false coverage of individual plots of the topic, and the subsections, which present a generally correct picture, contain many controversial or downright erroneous points. These points are not visible to the average reader, but they are visible to me, since I myself analyzed the primary sources.
In total, 36 (25%) of the 145 ratings I placed are positive, 109 (75%) – negative. I will repeat again – this does not mean that the book is bad, because I do not stop on each correct position separately, but it means that there are also many controversial ones.
A translation of this book into Ukrainian could have been useful if it had been done immediately after the publication of the English version. Now, after writing my work, such a translation is not needed – M. D.’s book is completely outdated.