«Drevnee žitie» Vladimira Svjatoslaviča i svedenija o vzjatii Korsunja: lingvističeskie zametki

This paper investigates the so-called ‘Ancient Life’ of Prince Vladimir of Kiev (c. 956-1015), a Medieval hagiographical compilation that survives in several East Slavic manuscripts from the XV-XVII centuries. The purpose of the article is to provide insights into the linguistic features of the narrative parts of the text that deal with the prince’s capture of Cherson and the date of his baptism. The grammatical analysis brings fresh evidence in favour of an early origin of these sections (XI-XII cent.). Linguistic arguments can now be adduced to support the assumption that this tradition goes back to a stage in the development of the ‘Chersonian’ motif that is independent from that of the Primary Chronicle, which notoriously offers an alternative account of Vladimir’s conversion and invasion of the Byzantine Crimea.