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Exhibitions > Ruriks > Expositon Peredol’sky pogost N. Platonova There is a small settlement to the north-west of Novgorodskaya oblast’, on the territory of the present Batetsky district, upper the curve of the river Luga. The locals still remember the ancient name of this place - ‘Gorodok”. But everybody could hardly know that particular place was famous for a real town located right there. It’s name was not retained in the centuries memory - neither chronicles, nor other sources can cast light on this mystery. Ancient books written in Novgorod of 15-16th centuries called the town “Peredolsky pogost (churchyard)”. This name traced its roots back into the extreme antiquity.  Peredolsky
pogost was among the most significant administrative, trade and
handicraft centers. The territory adjacent to it was “volost’ Luga”. It
was rich for Old Russian archeological monuments - burial mounds,
hills, settlements of the 10-14th centuries. The Peredolskoe settlement
itself covers the fortress (“the town”) located on the hill with steep
slopes and fenced with the banks and ditches in the ancient times. The
fortress is not large in size - it totals no more than 200 sq.m. However
the open settlement adjacent to the town could be taken for a large one
very long ago. Its total area is about 12 ha. These are the standards
for a small Ancient Russian town of the 10-11th centuries.  Where
and when does Peredolsky pogost come from? This question is rather
interesting. There are high mounds with steep banks created in the
northern Rus’ in pre-Christian epoch. One of them is “Shum-gora” or “Big
hill” which represents entirely unique construction. This is the
biggest burial mound of the medieval Europe, including well-known burial
mounds Uppsaly (“Mid Sweden”) where gods Odin, Top and Freir were said
to be buried. When might this mound have been build and whose honor was it built in? That is why scientists are still anxious to learn when actually Peredolsky pogost appeared. 1985 - 1986 and 1994 - 1996 saw a number of archeological digs conducted by the Institute for the History of Material Culture of Russian Academy of Sciences. The expedition headed by N.I.Platonova disclosed great cultural layer (1 - 1,2 m). The excavations resulted in clarifying the exact date of the settlement - the first half of the 10th century. The layer is rich in Arabic silver coins - dirhams as well as articles from the imported Syrian and West-European glass, bronze and silver decorations, ivory combs decorated with carved ornament, various domestic things. Archaeologists revealed a lot of remains of the local handicraft blacksmith’s work and jeweler’s art. There are half-finished articles together with crucibles for casting non-ferrous metals, slags, iron blooms. Peredolsky blacksmiths left, for example, blades made according to the method of so-called “multi-layer pack”. It was proved to have a track to Scandinavia. So, the settlement itself was originally founded as a big trade and handicraft center. The fire of the mid 10th century entirely ruined it. What events of the Ancient Russian history can be compared with the data obtained by the archeological team? The epoch of Rurick who died in 879 is sure out of the question. But, on the other hand, do we know much about the nearest relations and offspring of Rurick, Oleg and Igor, living at the end of the 9th - the 1st half of the 10th century? Still we are not aware of the whole princely family tree: Rurick - Igor - Svyatoslav. Geneology does not mention any other princes of Rus’. Indeed, it is not so easy! For example, prince Igor had a sister or a brother, two nephews and illegitimate children, beside Svyatoslav. His wife Olga was sure to have many relatives. Where did such great family disappear later? The most noble might have died in intestine wars while struggling for power in the Western Europe. Who knows, if somebody from them might have set up Peredolsky pogost? Developing new lands to lay them under his tribute some Rurickovich might have settled down at Peredolsky pogost and founded a town in order to build an independent princedom. It was possible for the turn of the 9th - 10th centuries. Princes Oleg and Igor did not live in Novgorod that time. There were their deputies who controlled over the territories. Arrogant princes could possibly prompt them to look for independence from the center. Efforts of one of the dynasty representatives to strengthen himself and obtain independence are likely to disclose the secret of the unique nature of such monument as Shum-gora. That is why soon after its beginnings Peredolskoye settlement was enveloped in flame. The initial annals of 6455 (947) contained the records that princess Olga “had come to Novgorod and … set up pogosts and fixed tributes” in the lands close to the rivers Msta and Luga. This trip to the north was interpreted as the origin of new regulations related to collect taxes (tributes), as well as strengthening of the central authority. Svyatoslav, Olga’s son of tender age, was a prince of Novgorod. Devoted to his mother people controlled his actions. Olga’s campaign to the north could be a clue to the fire at Peredolskoye settlement. Unruly relatives might have been quickly punished but the settlement they had founded was under Novgorod’s control. Later Peredolsky pogost kept its significance as a center of volost’ Luga right up to the Novgorod’s independence (15th century). It hosted the residence of some important person from the Novgorod authorities. Such unusual discoveries as princely and episcopal stamps dated from the 11th-12th centuries and 14th century prove the fact. The Old Russian layer of the 12th century presented a bronze ornament cover plate - decorations intended for the binding of the manuscript book. This is another confirmation in favor of the cultural importance and specific status of Peredolsky pogost. Monument burial mounds - hills - which were built in the Northern Rus’ in the 9th - 10th centuries (in their majority - 10th century) became both pagan heathens and places of funerals. Funeral ceremonies united traditions of various nations who made a great effect of the Old Russian culture, they were as follows, eastern and western Slavs, Scandinavians, Frizs, Baltic Finns. Such hills were made of soil and stones. Stone crown was at the heart of each one. It was predicted to act as a peculiar magical circle. Besides, archeological excavations opened various stone structures - additional crowns - circles and semicircles, stone lines, stone heaps and areas paved with stone. Each of them was remarkable for exact magical sense in antiquity. A hill was to serve such “a mountain” where pagan occasional religious rites took place. That is why hills look very impressive in size. Mounds are 2 m height, 15 m in diameter at the least. But hills are much bigger! This northern tradition to build such great barrows characterizes the initial steps into Old Russian State. Scandinavian immigrants made an effect on the process. Two hills were excavated at Peredolsky pogost in 1985 and 1995, one of them remained intact after robbers (excavations headed by N.I.Platonova under the supervision of the Institute for the History and Material Culture). Upper part of the hill #4 (which survived intact) showed tens of burials of those committed to the flames. This find is unique. As a rule, tops of the hills are destroyed. Funeral fire was never made on the very hill. Remains of dead people were cremated away from there, but burnt bones taken from the fire (together with bones of sacrificial animals) and remains of funeral inventory ( usually fused and burned ones) were specially brought. Ceramic vases, elm bags and others were put on the very top of the hill, on a separate dais or a lid. Peredolskaya hill has shown a custom to pour bones into the stone box of plates. Under some circumstances people scattered bones and ashes right from the hill top. So-called “Shum-gora” or “Big hill” (the largest burial mound in medieval Europe) took a special place among Peredolsky hills. It is 14 m high, and over 100 m in diametre. The hill has a peculiar two-tiered structure due to a ledge placed in the middle. Neither the first capital of Old Rus’ - Ladoga, nor Novgorod, nor Kiev, nor Chernigov had ever had such impressive burial mounds. It exceeds the famous “big burial mounds” in Scandinavia and Denmark. Shum-gora gave rise to many legends. In old times that place was both sacred and dangerous filled with evil spirits. In the beginning of the 20th century peasants offered ribbons, coins in sacrifice into the pit on the hill top. Sand from this pit was considered healing to treat headaches. At the second day after Whitsun religious procession went to the hill top to pray to God for rains and harvest. Ancient pine-trees on the hill were reserved. It was strictly forbidden to put their wood to use. This tradition had a track into the worship of Shum-gora in the great antiquity. Shum-gora was likely to be built in the first half of the 20th century in honor of some prince related to the Rurickovichs who wanted to settle down there. Just that period was famous for a vast settlement at Peredolsky pogost, which was sure to be a strong center and a residence of this governor. Unfortunately, his name was not kept in the annals. Later on his attempts failed. During the campaign of the princess Olga in 947 the settlement was burnt to ashes, and in future turned into a princely pogost (a center of receiving tributes from the volost’ Luga). This illustrates the way the archeological materials contribute to our understanding that remote past of old Rus’ was much more complicated, highly colored and conflicting than one could imagine when referring to the chronicles. Original nature of Shum-gora demands to conduct a series of integrated investigations, namely with the use of the geophysical method. The above approach will allow to avoid destruction archeological monuments suffer from. At the present such investigations have already been started to present the first results. Sergey and Mikhail Aleksashins came to Peredolsky Pogost in 1992. They followed rather practical objective to build cottage houses. At once both brothers were under the greatest impression of local beauty: intricate curve of the Luga river, ancient park and ceremonial burial mounds bordering Pogost as warriors-warders. Local people told legends and tales devoted to the history of Pogost. But, to be absolutely honest, brothers regarded them all as arts and crafts and wonderful folklore only which from time to time interfered their boring cottage building so often. However, soon brothers had to change their attitude to the olden times and local stories. They took over their protection memorial park of landscape architecture - former estate of the Milukov’s family in the 20th century and Pushkin’s one in 15th century. Bronze and silver goods were found while planting trees. Soon their finds were rich in princely stamps, coins, decorations and others. They were sure to turn into a true rarity collection of local lore experts. It contains mysterious stones with signs the Aleksashins call monograms of Rurick Danish. They found these stones on the top of the highest burial mound Shum-gora located near Pogost. Brothers donated leaden stamps of princes of Great Novgorod (five stamps) to the State Hermitage Museum. Other finds are being investigated by the scientists of the Institute for the History and Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences of Saint-Petersburg. They are currently displayed at the exhibition.
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