Gardarika

76-85

Authors: Alexei M. Avlasovich

This article is dedicated to the first Christian burials, discovered in the archaeological researches of urban complexes at the territory of Mogilev near the rivers Dnieper and Sozh. In this region, the four early ground cemeteries were discovered and they date back approximately to the XII century. The authors note that the change in funeral rites in burial necropolises on the territory of Mogilev Dnieper and Sozh indicates the penetration of Christianity in this region at the end of X–beginning of XI century. At the same time, in the cities, the centers of the spread of a new religion, the ground of the cemetery is dated from not earlier the XII century. A likely explanation for this can be observed in the XI century tradition of burying the dead under the earthen embankment in nearby barrow cemeteries.

94-107

Authors: Sergey I. Degtyarev

This work completes the publication of descriptions of human settlements of Baturyn county (uezd) in the Ukraine (Malorossia), which were presented to the last Ukrainian hetman Kirill Razumovsky by Empress Elizabeth (Elizaveta Petrovna) in 1760. The total number of donated villages, towns and villages in the county there were 21: Baturin, Velikii i Malyi Sambor, Altynovka, Koributov, Yur'evka, Koshara, Deptovka, Golyunka, Rubanka, Gorodishche, Bakhmach, Kuren', Podlipnoe, Popovka, Guty, Staroe, Obmachev, Novye Mliny, Velikoe Ustya, Korilsk. Now all these settlements are part of the Sumy and Chernihiv regions of Ukraine. Previously, they were owned by Menshikov. The disclosures of all these settlements were concentrated in the same document, dated as 1760, which is stored in Konotop museum. The author gives a description of the hamlets (selo) Kuren', Popovka, Guty and Staroe.

122-126

Authors: Wolodymyr M. Pylypenko

The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had difficult relations with the Ottoman Empire. The country often proclaimed its readiness to either begin the Great War against the Turks or join it. However, it tried to escape the war by all means. In a big amount of political literature dedicated to Turkey, which can be de divided into two groups according to the origin, one can find many descriptions of Istanbul, its topography and lifestyle. Some books written by witnesses (merchants, travelers, diplomats) are more objective, the characteristics – more precise, and full of details. Others belong to people who never visited Istanbul and retold somebody’s stories. They are not profound and full of stereotypes and toposes. Istanbul was depicted as a big city. Authors described mosques, but emphasized they used to be Christian churches trying to show the Christian past of the city. Many Christians (both slaves and free people) in Istanbul were mentioned. The Polish hoped for their support in case of war. Giving old and new names of Constantinople districts the writers knew the history very well. The authors were convinced in military weakness of Istanbul. According to their information, the city walls have never been fixed so it was easy to grab it. Istanbul and the Ottoman Empire used to be compared to dragon in its negative meaning. Polish publiсism shows the level of knowledge about the Ottoman Empire and we can distinguish between real facts and the author’s imagination.