Sovereign, Church and People

Those who fear God! Honor the king! Those who honor the Tsar, fear God! Filaret, Metropolitan of Moscow The upcoming state, church and popular celebration of the sacred coronation of the Russian Monarch and His Wife with its importance overshadows all other events and involuntarily attracts the attention of the thinking part of humanity in all countries of the civilized world. To satisfy this interest, educated nations are sending dozens of correspondents to Moscow, and soon the multilingual periodical press will fill their columns with descriptions of this, strictly speaking, Russian celebration. What is the interest of this event? There can be no talk of simple, idle curiosity here. Artistic scientists, even political ones, again cannot have any international interests in mind here: what is meant to happen is not some business act of international interest, but simply a Russian national triumph. In our opinion, the main force of interest is the Russian character of this celebration. Neither Western Europe nor America knows it, or, if they know something similar, it is only by legend, as a fact of the past that once upon a time took place in the life of Western peoples. In any case, the Russian coronation celebration, as it is celebrated at the present time, is an expression of a purely Russian idea of ​​​​state order, and is an expression that bears a style and character that is original and uniquely developed by the centuries-old life of the Russian people, i.e., the Russian coronation celebration, both in its internal content and in its external ritual, is originally Russian. What is the essence and peculiarity of the idea of ​​this state order? I) Usually, this question is answered in one word - in autocracy. In general, of course, the answer is correct. But it is precisely this commonality, in this case, as always, that is very easily combined with a lack of clarity, distinctness of presentation, and sometimes directly accompanied by a confusion of rather different concepts. In fact, the concept of autocracy was not alien to either the Roman, Byzantine, or medieval (Western) state structure; was not alien to the monarchies of the ancient east, and who does not know how often the enemies of Russia or even our own thinkers at home, who have obscured their deep political meaning with servility to everything foreign, abused and abuse this community, calling the Russian state system backward and exposing the latest forms of the Western “cultural legal order” as the flower of political progress? And yet, the fact that now the entire old and new world, extolling these forms of the “cultural state,” is going to participate with deep interest in the triumph of Russian autocracy, speaks more eloquently than any words about backwardness, but, on the contrary, about the strength and powerful vitality of this Russian idea of ​​state structure. The retarded, like the decrepit, is incapable of growth, because it does not have the strength within itself to detect influence on the external environment around it; it lacks these forces even for self-preservation and its life, under the pressure of external pressure, gradually goes out, like a burning out candle. We actually observe this process in the history of the fall of monarchies: the Roman, as based solely on the power of conquest, the Byzantine, which represented a mixture of elements of Roman monarchism and Eastern despotism, and the medieval European, which combined elements of pagan Roman Caesarism and Latin Catholicism. These monarchies arose quickly, thanks mainly to the personal military prowess of their founders (commanders) and, having initially discovered brilliance and strength, then experienced a more or less slow process of decline and extinction. That’s not what we see in the history of the development of the Russian autocracy; here we see exactly the opposite process. At the beginning of the history of the Russian state, the idea of ​​autocracy was realized very weakly and only gradually, through a long and persistent struggle against internal and external obstacles, did it grow more and more in strength. This gradual growth is very clearly expressed outwardly, even in the different forms of titles with which our Sovereigns adorned themselves in different eras. “Initially, Russian sovereigns bore the title of Grand Dukes. With the unification of Russia under the rule of Moscow, the title of Tsar began to come into use. Ivan the Terrible finally adopted this name for himself in 1547; the title of Tsar remained with the Russian sovereigns until 1721. But on August 30, 1721, the Peace of Nystad ended the great northern war, waged with such success by Peter the Great. To commemorate this event, the Senate and Synod decided to ask Peter I to accept the title of Emperor, Great and Father of the Fatherland. On November 11 of the same year, the Highest Decree on the new title followed. This act, which placed the Russian sovereign on an equal footing with the then only emperor of the “Holy Roman Empire of the German people,” aroused protest from many European powers. The first powers to recognize the new title were: Prussia, the Netherlands and Sweden. They were followed by Türkiye, England and the German Empire, France and Spain - the latter not without reservations, eliminated by the declaration of Catherine II. Poland was the last to recognize the new title of Russian sovereigns.” 1 What was the reason for the progressive success of the idea of ​​autocracy in our fatherland? Personal moral qualities and merits of our sovereigns? Of course it is; however, this reason is not the only one. After all, among the monarchs of other countries there were often very worthy bearers and representatives of this idea, but they were unable to keep their monarchies from falling. It is necessary, therefore, to assume other conditions that were absent there and that we had. One of these conditions must be recognized that the idea of ​​autocracy, as the main principle of the state structure, is rooted in the depths of the Russian folk spirit. It, this idea, was not imposed on the Russian people from the outside, as something alien to them: on the contrary, the Russian princes, who most successfully implemented it, won the sincere sympathy of the people, as the most consistent with their ideal. Of course, the most accurate witness and exponent of the people’s spirit is the people’s language. What does this language tell us about the king? Our people, most inclined towards peaceful agricultural work, poetically called, as we know, their newly formed state body “land”: “from here they began to call it the Russian Land.” But what is most necessary and beautiful for the earth? What gives it plant power, fertility, beauty? Of course - the sun. And so, the poetic creativity of the people transfers these properties of the sun to their ideal of the sovereign, and this ideal is clothed in the specific poetic image of “the affectionate Prince Vladimir - the Red Sun.” 2 Both ethnographically and geographically, and perhaps physiologically predisposed to peaceful agricultural labor, as having settled on a plain, rather monotonous, but abundant with forests and waters, what else could the Russian people wish for from a prince, if not the defense of their territory from their restless nomadic semi-wild neighbors and internal structure and order? This is how it really happened. The ideal of the prince was molded into a very specific image of a guardian, a “defender” of the Russian land, a “provider” of a peaceful, undisturbed and productive working life 3, into the image of a people’s shepherd and collector of the Russian land. “I pray to you,” the chronicler addresses his readers, “the flock of Christ, with love, incline your ears wisely: how the ancient princes and their men were, and how the Russian land and other countries were selected under this... and the Russian land was multiplied” 4 A characteristic feature of the Russian people is the belief in the sanctity of parental authority. The power of the father and mother is beyond doubt: hence the strength of the ancestral life, which for a long time permeated the social structure of ancient Rus'. And so, here we come across the following phenomenon of the people's worldview: before the state principle in the form of strict monarchism in the social structure of Rus' was sufficiently strengthened, we encounter it in the family clan way of life. Here the dear father is the sovereign, and the dear mother is the empress - and so not only for the weak, quiet and meek children, but also for the most powerful heroes, as well as for such unbridled, wild natures as the typical Novgorod mischief-maker and bully - Vaska Buslaev. Undoubtedly, there is no authority yet more unconditional than parental authority. And so, when the state principle became sufficiently strong later, when the “Tsar and his Tsarina” became the head of the Russian people, the people’s genius established parental authority for them – “Tsar-Father”, “Tsarina-Mother”. These are the shades that the idea of ​​autocracy took on in our country, as the basis of state order under the influence of ethnographic national and historical conditions for the growth of the Russian state - shades that are strictly defined and characteristic. For the social national organism, the king and queen are as necessary as the sun is for the earth, as the shepherd is for the flock, as parents are for children and families. Their power is natural and unconditional in itself, that is, regardless of either their personal qualities or the personal qualities of their children: the king can be affectionate, but he can also be formidable, like his dear father. This necessity of tsarist power is moral and natural, and not some kind of artificial and conditional, it is the bulwark and support of the well-being and prosperity of the Russian land and therefore not only bows the will, but also attracts the Russian heart: the Russian people not only unconditionally obey and honor the tsar, but also love him. Hence the epithet that has become established for Russia - “Tsar-loving”. It is worthy of attention that this, so to speak, organic connection between the nation and the tsar did not weaken in the least even during the most difficult political trials to which the political body of Rus' was subjected. In troubled eras, our born seditious and socialists, such as various impostors, Stenka Razin, Emelyan Pugachev, with great success organized hordes of rebels from the dispossessed peasantry and Cossacks and easily incited, in the “nadity” that was reaching out to them, the passions of vengeance and greed against the boyars and the authorities; however, even in their violent heads the idea of ​​the king remained inviolable and sacred. II. The essential and, perhaps, not the main task of the “cultural state” is the guarantee and dominance of law and law. And in carrying out this task, our “state legal order”, developed and established by long historical experience, retains some characteristic features. “The Russian Empire is governed on the solid basis of positive laws, institutions and statutes emanating from autocratic power” (Article 47. Fundamental Law) - this is how the task of the state under consideration is formulated in our current legislation, and it must be said that the desire of our sovereigns to establish this idea of ​​legality is marked in the history of our state law by phenomena that are both characteristic and highly instructive. “Russia has long been one of the countries that recognized the need for written law as a norm of governance and court. Monuments of the veche legislation of Novgorod and Pskov do honor to the era in which they appeared. In North-Eastern Rus', long before the appearance of general legislative acts, the princes tried to define the relationship of government officials to the people with charters. The motive for publishing judicial codes, especially the royal ones, is the desire to protect the people from the arbitrariness and extortion of judges. The same motive is expressed in the Code of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich... The entire system of Peter the Great's institutions had one main goal in mind - to ensure legality in governance... Catherine II raised this desire to truly philosophical heights. “The Christian religion,” says Catherine’s order, “teaches us to do good to each other as much as possible. This rule encourages every honest person, 1st: to wish his fatherland the highest degree of prosperity, glory, bliss and tranquility, 2ndly: it arouses in him the desire to see every fellow citizen under the protection of laws that, without restricting his well-being, would protect him against any action contrary to this rule... What is the goal of Autocracy? It is not to deprive men of their natural liberty, but to direct their actions to the greatest of all good. Laws should, as far as possible, protect the safety of each citizen in particular... On this basis, political freedom in a citizen is peace of mind, arising from the opinion that everyone has about his own safety, and in order for citizens to have this freedom, it is necessary that one citizen should not be afraid of another, but all would be afraid of the same laws.” (Full collection of laws. L 12949). 5 Yes, these and further evidence of the history of the development of our state law are instructive! Autocratic Power strives to establish civil freedom among its subjects. And, not to mention Russia itself, he saw the whole world on the throne of Russian autocratic monarchs in the person of Sovereigns Alexander I, Nicholas I, Alexander II and Alexander III, courageous and selfless champions of the legal rights of not only civil, but also people’s rights, and recognized for them the unprecedented titles of “tsar-liberators” and “tsars-peacemakers.” But the idea of ​​legality, sacred to every state that claims to be “cultural,” according to our state law, is connected with the beginning of the “unlimited will of the monarch.” One Sovereign has the highest power to grant favors in special cases that do not fall within the scope of general laws, when this does not violate anyone’s legally protected interests and civil rights, as well as the right to pardon or mitigate the fate of persons convicted or serving a sentence 6 . The application of this right is an act “not of justice, that is, the application of the law to a given case, but of mercy, which cancels the application of the law; therefore, this right belongs only to the supreme power, placed in certain respects above the law” 7. According to the strength of this principle, Autocracy, as an organ of justice and law, is, at the same time, an organ of mercy, is a combination of truth and mercy. But this combination is the ideal of justice. For who does not know that the absolute reign of human law - summum jus - is the greatest injustice - summa injuria? It cannot be otherwise: no legislation in the world is able to provide for all possible relationships, all cases of life. It prescribes only a greater or lesser number of typical forms and formulas for human activity and life relations; Meanwhile, life constantly creates new relationships, forms new combinations, and this creativity is inexhaustible. Therefore, a judge or administrator, obligated to act only in accordance with the law (for this is a guarantee against personal arbitrariness), quite often comes across vital relations that do not quite fit the schematic combinations that, in a limited number, the code presents to him, and he is forced to identify this real relation on the basis of the law with a relation of a different quality. This is where an organ of power, a higher law, is needed, in order to abolish with its will the untruth that has arisen from incompleteness, from the weakness of the law. In the person of the Autocratic, Unlimited Monarch, “Whose will is not constrained by known legal norms,” the Russian State, steadily pursuing the idea of ​​legality in its governance, always has the necessary replenishment for the implementation of the highest idea of ​​justice, a replenishment that is lacking in the Western “culturally legal state.” Thus, the idea of ​​autocracy, which grew and strengthened on a purely national basis, carried out by the political wisdom of the sovereigns, has elevated the Russian state at the present historical moment to the level of a powerful cultural power. Directing attention back, the historian of Russian civilization must say that in all stages of its progressive development, the Russian people walked cheerfully and tirelessly forward, illuminated and warmed by their leader, the Autocratic Sovereign, like the earth by the sun. Our indication of the characteristic features of the Russian idea of ​​​​state order would not be complete if we ignored the great moral force that participated in the creation and structure of the Russian state - the great moral force that the Russian people and their sovereign drew from their strong devotion to Orthodoxy, in the enlightening and sanctifying activity of the Holy Orthodox Church. Therefore, it is necessary to note what it brought into the organic articulation of our state. III. The chronicler clearly depicts the effect of Christian preaching on Grand Duke Vladimir in the following two narratives. “This philosopher (Kirill), having taught Vladimir a lot, then told him about the second coming of Christ and the Last Judgment, and, having finished speaking, gave Vladimir a gold-woven cuff (the second coming of Christ and the Last Judgment were worn on it), and seeing Volodimer, he asked Kirill: what is this? Cyril told him that the Lord would come to judge the righteous and sinners, and he would send his righteous to the kingdom of heaven for eternal joy, but sinners... he would send to Gehenna, into unquenchable fire and endless torment... Volodymer sighed and said: this is good, which is on the right hand of God, but this is good, which is on His left... In this summer - the story ends - the Lord began to emit the rays of His blessing on the Russian land, although to bring it out of darkness into light” 8. Vladimir became a Christian. “But - the chronicler characterizes him - he is very merciful to the wretched and does not hasten to destroy a person, even for a great guilt: for this reason, the thieves, the robbers and other evil people have multiplied, and the Metropolitan said to Volodymor: why, prince, don’t you execute the evil ones? He said: I’m afraid of sin. The Metropolitan said and the elders decided: you have been appointed by God to punish the evil and show mercy to the good; you are worthy to execute the evil with trial; if you do not execute the evil, you will see that because of your negligence the evil will multiply to harm the good; but destroy the evil, so that the good may live in peace.” If strict historical criticism finds grounds to object to the historical authenticity of the first of these chronicle narratives, then it still retains the inalienable and indisputable dignity of its life truth, as a typical expression of that internal gracious action of Christ's faith on the human heart - an action thanks to which the Orthodox Church defeated Russian paganism and, continuously influencing the people's conscience, poured its life-giving spirit into the entire national-political organism Russia. What is the essence and life-giving power of this spirit? Let us delve into the chronicler's story with full attention, and we will easily resolve this issue. The preacher of the Orthodox faith found access to the heart of the pagan by indicating the Judgment of God with its impartial retribution for good and evil and, awakening a lulled conscience, caused an involuntary, sincere sigh from the chest of the sinner, in the light of divine truth for the first time seeing the abyss of the evil he had committed; then he introduced into him the idea of ​​the inevitability of this impartial judgment of God and, thus, instilled in the heart of the mighty hero the fear of God and the fear of sin. But, along with the fear of sin, the faith of Christ instills courage and firmness in the heart of a Christian precisely when it is required by a positive duty to which a Christian is called by God himself: “you have been appointed by God as a ruler to punish the evil and have mercy on the good,” the teacher of the same faith, which earlier instilled fear of sin in the heart of the pagan prince, instructed the Christian prince, instructing, pointing out the great evil generated by it negligence in fulfilling his Divine calling. This is how it was at the beginning of the enlightenment of Rus' “by the rays of the Lord’s grace,” and this is how it always was later, throughout a thousand years of historical life. The preacher and teacher of faith accompanied the tsar everywhere in his concerns about the zemstvo and state system, instilling the fear of God in the hearts of his subjects and his servants, elevating the civil duty of obedience and service to the tsar to the level of the moral holy duty of obedience to the Will of God. “Fear God, honor the king!” - one of the famous Russian hierarchs taught already in our century: “these two commandments are so united for us, as if two eyes on one face of truth and righteousness; do not separate them, do not disfigure the face of truth; do not harm one of her eyes." At different times, various civic teachers and politicians came to us from different countries, various kinds of trends swept through, causing instability in the views of not only ordinary citizens, but even those standing at the helm of government and threatening to rupture our citizenship from its moral foundation, implanted by the Orthodox faith. But these trends turned out to be powerless before the powerful weapons of the preachers of Divine truth. The same hierarch denounces such wisdom in the following way: “We fear God, say some fanatics, and refuse to pray for the king, or give him tribute, or enter into his service. Isn’t it obvious that these are not followers of piety, but enemies of it, as well as of the fatherland? Christ taught: “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s”; The apostles taught: “Honor the king.” Whoever teaches something other than what Christ and His Apostles taught is not a follower, but an enemy of Christ. There are no political schismatics anywhere: they want to seduce peoples to have a king who is not sanctified by the King of kings, human law without God’s law, earthly power without heavenly power, an oath without the name of God. Do you know what these restless wise men are doing? They want to gouge out the right eye of the truth. Is it possible to base law and power only on the shifting sand of human opinions? How can the earth stand without heaven? What does an oath mean without the All-Seeing and Almighty, Who alone will give this word spirit and strength that unshakably supports the faithful and inevitably punishes the traitor? Brethren! May we stand firmly in complete truth and righteousness! Honor the King who fears. Those who honor the King! Fear God! . 10 If obedience to the Tsar is a matter pleasing to God, it is a holy duty, but its violation is not only a civil crime, but also direct enmity against God; then the very powers and rights of royal power, from the point of view of the Holy Church, are a great burden and feat, the most holy duty of a Christian king. We find a highly artistic expression of this church view in the speech of Moscow Metropolitan Plato, delivered at the sacred coronation of Emperor Alexander I: “This is Your crown,” he said, turning to the God-crowned Tsar, “on Your head is our glory, but Your feat. This scepter is our peace, but Your vigil. This power is our security, but Your care. This purple is our fence, but your militia. All these royal utensils are a consolation for us, but a burden for You. – Truly a burden and a feat! The most expansive empire in the world will appear before Your face, such as the universe has hardly ever seen, and from Your wisdom will expect perfect harmony and well-being in all its members and in its entire body. See the scales of justice descending from heaven with a voice from the Judge of heaven and earth: judge righteous judgment, and let His scales not tilt either on the side or on the right hand. Having seen in the face of the Good God mercy descending to You, demanding that You be merciful to the peoples entrusted to You. For widows, and orphans, and the poor, oppressed by the evil use of power, and deprived of their rights by partiality and bribery, will reach Your throne, and they will not stop crying, may you protect them, may you take away their tears, may you arrange for them to preach Your providential power everywhere. Humanity itself will appear in its original and naked simplicity, without any difference in generation or origin: behold, cry out, common Father! on the rights of humanity: we are all equally Your children. No one can be a monster before You, except someone who oppresses humanity and raises himself above its limits. Finally, the Church, this mother who regenerated us in spirit, will appear before Your piety, clothed in clothing stained with the Blood of the Only Begotten Son of God. This most august daughter of heaven, although she finds sufficient protection for herself in Her One Head, our Lord Jesus Christ, as if protected by the power of His Cross, but also to You, Most Pious Sovereign, as to her firstborn son, she will stretch out her hands and, with them declaring Your most dear neck, will not cease to beg: may you keep the pledge of faith safe and sound, yes save not only for Yourself, but moreover, set an example of piety, and thereby stop the wicked lips of freethinking and tame the evil spirit of superstition and unbelief.” “But the spirits of evil will not hesitate to appear with the Angels of God. They will dare to grovel around Your throne and caresses, and slander, and sneakiness with all their evil offspring and will dare to think that somehow, under the guise of servility, they can prevail over Your insight. He will open his ugly chapter of bribery and partiality, seeking to turn the scales of justice. Shamelessness and luxury will appear with all kinds of impurity, leading to the violation of the holiness of marriages and to the sacrifice of all flesh and blood in idleness and vanity.” “Surrounded by such evil hordes, truth and justice, and wisdom, and piety will embrace You, and, guarding Your power, together with You they will wish and pray: may God rise in You and Thy enemies be scattered!” “Behold Your feat, Most Powerful Sovereign! Behold the battle that demands, let Thy sword be girded upon Thy thigh, O Hero! And come, and prosper, and reign, and the right hand of the Most High will guide you wonderfully!” “Wonderful, we say: for to protect yourself from all this, to overcome all this, to manage everything in peace and order requires strength more than human. Why, judging You, although exalted above all man, but as a man, we should keep our joys and solemn delights within our limits.” “To hold back,” but what does this action that took place on You mean? Does it consist of one appearance? Does only one simple ritual constitute? Oh no! About David, when he was chosen by God to be king of Israel and anointed with holy oil, the Word of God says: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day and after. This carrying of the Spirit of the Lord on this day has overshadowed and sanctified Your head. The desires of all Russia are not in vain; the prayers of the entire Church are not in vain. The Lord looks upon the prayer of the humble and will not destroy their prayers.” “So, most magnanimous Sovereign, hereby strengthen yourself and be encouraged. With such heavenly help, with such the Lord’s Spirit given to You, Your feat will be convenient, Your vigil will be sweet, Your care will be successful, Your burden will be light, and Your army will be victorious and solemn” 11. So, what does the Holy Orthodox Church bring with its influence into our national-state articulation? Answering this question briefly, I must say that she brings into it the spirit of the fear of God. In the fear of God, the Russian loyal subject does not fear any embarrassment from enemies internal or external, faithfully serves the Tsar and fearlessly lays down his life for his faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland. In the fear of God, the king courageously takes upon himself the feat of serving the people and, believing in the holiness of his calling, bestows mercy on the good and menacingly punishes those who deserve it, not being embarrassed by any human wisdom, by any trends, even if very cultural, but contrary to his Christian conscience. Under the influence of this religious principle, Russia among European states has a priority right over all of them to be called a Christian state; under the influence of this principle, currently maintaining the properties of a “cultural, legal state, it remains, as it always has been, “Holy Russia”. And we think that the distinguished guests, representatives of Western cultural states, who came to honor the Russian celebration of the sacred coronation, will pay deep attention to this characteristic feature of our state structure and, perhaps, will envy us in their souls... IV. The external ritual in which the celebration of the sacred coronation is clothed is fully consistent with the idea of ​​Russian autocracy revealed above. And again, this ritual bears bright national features. This is a state, national and church holiday, or, better to say, it is an external expression of the mysterious unity of the Sovereign with his nation, sanctified and affirmed by the grace-filled power of faith. The initiative of the celebration belongs to the Emperor. He calls on his subjects to his holiday and the Unlimited, Autocratic Sovereign dissolves his imperious call with paternal love and respect for his people: “We call on all Our loyal subjects - says the Highest Manifesto - on the upcoming solemn day of the Coronation to share Our joy and together with Us offer a fervent prayer to the Giver of all blessings, may He pour out the gifts of His Holy Spirit on Us, may He strengthen our power and may He guide Us in the footsteps of Our Unforgettable Parent, Whose life and labors for the benefit of our dear Fatherland will forever remain a bright example for Us.” The center of the celebration is Moscow - the heart of Rus'. Here, just as in a living organism, the vital streams of the vast Russian state are now directed from the very outskirts, so that, having united here for a moment, they again flow through all its branches, everywhere carrying with them revival, strengthening, joyful hopes. Regions, cities, villages, state, church, public institutions, scientists, artistic, industrial corporations, through their elected representatives, will appear here, before the bright face of the adored Monarch and His Wife, in order from the entire Russian land to bring Them their “bread and salt”, to offer their prayers for Them before the King of the reigning, and then to share with Them their festive meal and festive celebrations. Yes, this is a holiday of the closest unity of the Orthodox Tsar with his people, a holiday of joy, peace and love - such a cheerful, all-encompassing love that will open hospitable doors to both foreign and non-religious guests. On these bright days, the loving Householder of the Russian land, according to the custom of Russian hospitality, will invite the famous, the noble, and the last poor man to his feast. At the same time, this is also a great triumph of the Orthodox Church. For her First-born Son, God-crowned and exalted Autocrat of the greatest of states, in the most ancient church of the first-throne capital, solemnly in the face of the council of the Russian church and the highest state officials, will solemnly pronounce the confession of the Orthodox faith and, illuminated and inspired by it, will offer his prayer for the people entrusted to him by God. Get ready, Holy Russia, for this great holiday in a manner worthy of you, appear before the Tsar and Queen not only dressed up outwardly, but also setting your heart with reverent awe and gratitude before the providential goodness of the King of the reigning, who for a millennium strengthened your royal leaders in a difficult, original procession to an unknown high world destination. Gradovsky. The beginnings of Russian state law. vol. I, pp. 155, 156; St. Petersburg 1875. And this is a language that is not only epic, but also chronicle. The chronicler speaks about Vladimir Monomakh as follows: “The blessed prince, the Christ-loving and Great Prince of all Rus', Volodymer Monomakh, passed away, who enlightened the Russian land, like confusing the rays of the sun, his rumor spread throughout all countries, especially not terrible to the filthy, brother-lover and poor-lover, and a good sufferer for Russian land." (Complete collection. Chronicle, vol. II, p. 10). The chronicler reports the following episode from the life of the appanage period, interesting in this regard: “God put Volodymer (Monomakh) in the heart and began to speak to his brother Svyatoslav, urging him to filth, to spring. Svyatopolk told his squad a speech to Volodymyr; They are rekosha: it is not time now to destroy the stink from the role. And Svyatopolk sent an ambassador to Volodymer, saying that they would take off and think about it with his squad. The message came to Volodimer and told the whole speech to Svyatopolk, and Volodimer came and sat down on Dolobsk and sat in a single tent, Svyatopolk with his squad, and Volodimer with his. And Volodymer was silent and said: brother! You are an old man: stop saying what happened to the Russian land? And Svyatopolk said: brother! Get some rest. - And Volodimer said: how much I want to say something, but your squad and mine want to say something against me, saying: he wants to destroy the stinkers and the role of the stinkers? But I am amazed, brother: even if you favor the smerd and their horses, you don’t even think about it, even in the spring that smerd will start yelling with that horse, and when Polovchin arrives, he will hit the smerd with an arrow and take that horse, and his wife, and his children, and set his threshing floor on fire; then why don’t you think about this? And the whole squad retorted: “right, in truth it is.” (Complete collected chronicles, vol. II, p. 1). Full collection rus. chronicle, vol. V, p. 87. Gradovsky, cit. book, pp. 4–7. Code of Laws T. 1, book. VI Art. 5. Gradovsky, cit. book, p. 149. Full Collection hands letop. T. II, p. 254. Words and Speeches of Philaret M. Moskovsky, vol. II, pp. 193–196. Speech to Emperor Alexander I at His coronation. S. Bunakov: Samples of patristic and Russian preaching. Kharkov 1887, pp. 671 – 673.