Hypatian Codex: Difference between revisions

The codex was discovered in what is today's [[Ukraine]] in 1617 by [[Zacharias Kopystensky]], and was then copied by monks in 1621.<ref>{{sfn|Velychenko, |1992|p. =144.</ref>}}

According to the ''Istoriia Biblioteki Akademii Nauk SSSR'', the ''Hypatian'' manuscript was first mentioned in S. S. Bashilov's October 1767 letter to [[August Ludwig von Schlözer]]{{sfn|Maiorov|2018|p=321}} (Catherine had previously appointed Schlözer as full professor of Academy of Sciences on 3 January 1765 with a 5-year contract{{sfn|Maiorov|2018|p=335}}). At some point after Schlözer left Saint Petersburg on 15 June 1765 (to organise education of Russian history students at the [[University of Göttingen]]), but before autumn 1767, the [[Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences]] must have acquired it.{{sfn|Maiorov|2018|pp=321, 335}} Schlözer returned to Saint Petersburg in autumn 1766 one last time before settling in Göttingen definitively.{{sfn|Maiorov|2018|p=335}} beforeBefore leaving, he gave instructions to Bashilov, who was dissatisfied with his humble position at the Academy, unable to do and get credit for his own work.{{sfn|Maiorov|2018|pp=335–336}}

In the letter of 12 October 1767, Bashilov wrote that the codex had been delivered from the Ipatievsky Monastery to the Committee of the Academy of Sciences, where Alexei Yakovlevich Polenov (1738–1816) was given the task of describing and copying the ''Hypatian Codex'' in order to prepare it for publication.{{sfn|Maiorov|2018|pp=322–323}} In response to Schlözer's request for more information on the codex, Bashilov provided more details, leading the excited Schlözer to write ''An Abstract from a Report from St. Petersburg dated 16 (27) December 1767'', which [[Johann Christoph Gatterer]] (1727–1799) included in his 1768 book published in Göttingen.{{sfn|Maiorov|2018|p=323}}

Because Schlözer was working in [[Göttingen]] and could not proceed to study the ''Hypatian'' text further until he had received a complete copy, Schlözer incessantly wrote letters urging Bashilov (who did not respond for over six months) to hurry up and send him a copy ("I am waiting for the requested copy of the ''Hypatian Codex'' every mail day" in an August 1768 letter), which finally arrived a few days later.{{sfn|Maiorov|2018|pp=327–329}} The reason was that after Schlözer left Saint Petersburg to continue his work in Göttingen, Bashilov and Polenov were assigned to continue work on the ''[[Nikon Chronicle]]''{{'}}s publication instead.{{sfn|Maiorov|2018|p=334}} The Academy tried to get Schlözer to return to Petersburg as late as February 1769, and eventually terminated his contract per 1 January 1770, which effectively terminated the work on Rus' chronicle publications, and leaving Bashilov without a job (and dying from tuberculosis on 11 July 1770).{{sfn|Maiorov|2018|pp=336–337}} Polenov resigned in April 1771.{{sfn|Maiorov|2018|p=337}} The ''Hypatian Codex'' was forgotten by almost everyone including empress Catherine in the decades thereafter.{{sfn|Maiorov|2018|p=338}} The Czech scholar [[Josef Dobrovský]] probably briefly examined it in autumn 1792.{{sfn|Maiorov|2018|p=339}}

The codex contains the second-oldest surviving manuscript of the ''Primary Chronicle'', after the [[Laurentian Codex]]. The Hypatian manuscript dates back to {{circa}} 1425,<ref name{{sfn|Velychenko|1992|p=vel/>142}} but it incorporates much precious information from the lost 12th-century ''Kievan'' and 13th-century ''Galician-Volhynia'' chronicles. The codex was possibly compiled at the end of the 13th century.<ref name=dim>{{cite book sfn|title=The Dynasty of Chernigov 1054–1146 |first=Martin |last=Dimnik |publisher=Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies |year= 1994 |isbn=0-88844-116-9 |pagep=xii |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qn2300wRcckC&pg=PR13}}</ref>

The title page, written in red letters, names it ''Лeтoпиceц{{Lang-cu|Лѣт̑писеч̑ pуccкий; нaчнeмРускии c. Бoгoм;съ Oтчe,Бм҃ъ блaгocлoви!''починаємь . ѡч҃е блгс̑в|lit=|label=none}} ("Rus' chronicle;. letLet us begin with God;. Father, givebless us your blessings!"), and continues in black lattersletters with ''Пoвecть{{Lang-cu|Повѣсть вpeмeнныxвременныхъ лeт''лѣт̑|lit=|label=none}} ("The Tale of Bygone Years").{{sfn|Maiorov|2018|p=326}} The [[Book design#Front cover, spine, and back cover of the dust-jacket|flyleaf]] contains, in relatively recent handwriting, the title ''{{Lang-ru|Лeтoпиceц Киeвcкий|label=none}}'' ("The Kievan Chronicle"), and includes the names of two previous owners of the codex: "i. The book of the servant of the Ipatiev Monastery Tikhon Mizhuev. ii. The book of the monk of the Ipatiev Monastery Tarasij."{{sfn|Maiorov|2018|p=326}}

== External links ==

[[Category:OldPrimary EastChronicle Slavictextual manuscriptswitnesses]]

[[Category:PrimaryChurch ChronicleSlavonic manuscriptsbiblical textual witnesses]]