The medieval origins of the idea of “Holy Russia”. The commemoration of the Battle of Kulikovo (1380) in the Narration of the Battle with Mamai

Authors

  • Marcello Garzaniti Università degli Studi di Firenze

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6092/1593-2214/490

Keywords:

History of Russia, Tatars, Battle of Kulikovo, Slavic Bible, Byzantine-Slavic Liturgy

Abstract

The Narration of the Battle with Mamai (Skazanie o Mamaevom poboišče), dedicated to the famous Russian military victory over the Tatars on the Kulikovo Field (1380), is generally considered the central work of the Kulikovo cycle. The anonymous author develops a consistent reinterpretation of the historical event in a liturgical and commemorative key by constantly adopting forms of prayer and of hagiographic narrative. The analysis of the numerous biblical quotations that weave the plot introduces the deeper meaning of Narration: the final incorporation of the Hellenistic-Christian chronotope in the Slavic "Orthodox Christianity" in which Moscow and "Russian land" have become central.

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Published

2016-04-07

How to Cite

Garzaniti, Marcello. 2016. “The Medieval Origins of the Idea of ‘Holy Russia’. The Commemoration of the Battle of Kulikovo (1380) in the Narration of the Battle With Mamai”. Reti Medievali Journal 17 (1):35-70. https://doi.org/10.6092/1593-2214/490.

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Essays