WHAT IS THE DISPUT ABOUT? MODERN RESEARCHERS ON THE PROBLEM OF CHRONICLE VORONEZH

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problem of the "annalistic Voronezh" of the XII-XVI centuries. The word "Voronezh" is first mentioned in Russian chronicles under 1177 in connection with the princely feuds in Northeastern Russia. But it is not clear what it meant: the city or the territory adjacent to the river. The author, using the results of the survey conducted among historians, archaeologists and regional ethnographers, tries to determine the reasons for the continuing controversy about the ancient Voronezh, which started in the middle of the 19th century. The questionnaire includes 18 questions, reflecting different interpretations of the word "Voronezh" (city, river, region) and related events, the condition of historiography and sources, researchers' opinions on the ways to solve this issue. According to the majority of respondents, the currently available written and archaeological sources do not allow us to assert that the annalistic Voronezh is a city (or settlement) in the territory of the Ryazan princedom. However, this does not prevent them from believing in the possibility of its existence, until proven otherwise. The most original answers are reproduced in the text of the article. The author concludes with a logical conclusion that the study of the annalistic Voronezh cannot be reduced only to the search for an Old Russian castle. This is a broader scientific topic, because in the opinion of many researchers (including those interviewed by the questionnaire author) in fact "Voronezh" is a separate geographical area on the border of forest and steppe with its own special history. The development of the topic is associated with its further study. In particular, the need to clarify the chronological and geographical boundaries of the annalistic Voronezh, as an outskirt of the Ryazan Principality, is pointed out. The text of the questionnaire is given in the appendix.