Response

This response clarifies certain aspects of the article. The first aspect is the application of Jan Assmann’s Cultural Memory Theory in the analysis of the text of the “Tale of Ivan the Terrible’s Novgorod Expedition.” A Second is that Alexander Guagnini’s Sarmatiae Europeae descriptio has been used as a reference text, because of its distribution in print in various languages from 1578 on. Also, it is noted that the “Tale” was never part of the original Novgorod Third chronicle svod (compilation) as it was published under the name of “Novgorod chronicles,” but that it was glued onto an older manuscript only in the middle of the 18th century. The somewhat earlier, but not contemporary Novgorod chronicles used German pamphlets, especially Taube und Kruse, as a source. As the text appeared relatively late, as do other mentions of the Novgorod Raid in 17th century Russian chronicles, it seems likely that they were used at this time to comment on and criticize the reign of Aleksei Mikhailovich as tyranny rather than to describe historical events.