The Tale of Bygone Years. Treasures of Ancient Russian Literature

Works of ancient Russian literature are windows into a world that seems forever lost. They were created at a time when the silence under the arches of ancient white-stone churches was only broken by the soft rustling of brushes: sensing the barely perceptible smell of damp plaster, the masters dipped their brushes into bowls of ochre, cinnabar, and azure, and the silhouettes of angels emerged on the clean walls. In this wise and simple world, saints lived among people and performed miracles, while in the mornings wild swans cried by the steppe rivers. Tales of pious monks, noble princes, brave warriors, and faithful wives mark the dawn of Russian culture. The first rays of the rising sun stretch across the centuries: sincere and honest, they awaken thought and touch the heart even after many centuries. The collection includes key works of ancient Russian literature from the 12th to the 17th centuries in translations and with commentaries by renowned literary scholars: the collection includes key works of ancient Russian literature from the 12th to the 17th centuries: “The Tale of Bygone Years” - the first Russian chronicle, created by the monk Nestor of the Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery; monuments of ancient Russian epic - “The Tale of Igor's Campaign” and “The Zadonshchina”; “The Tale of Boris and Gleb” - the lives of the first Russian saints; “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia” - a poignant story of love and devotion; “Domostroy” - a manual of etiquette and a collection of advice for all occasions; rare autobiographies for Ancient Rus - “Journey Beyond Three Seas” by Afanasy Nikitin and “The Life” of Archpriest Avvakum, and others.