The colophons of the manuscripts and the problems of studying the history of Russia in early Modern times

Abstract

The article is devoted to the perspectives of applying one of the kind of the mass data for studying the Russian early modern history These sources were published in corpore only in 2018 by the author of this article. So the article concerns 734 dated colophons from the Russian manuscripts copied in 1500-1600, which are kept in 44 archives in Russia, Ukraine, Poland and Great Britain. Earlier these sources were applied selectively for solving only bibliographical problems connected with establishing the origin of manuscripts. It was established that their informational potential isn’t exhausted by these aspects. The systematic research of colophons which inform about more than 150 settlements (cities, large, medium-sized and small monasteries, villages), many hundreds of manuscripts’ scribes and customers representing various social groups expand the opportunities of researchers. The colophons contain the earliest data about the existence of some settlements and personal structure of governors and local officials. Colophons inform about tens known, little known, unknown noble persons (not rich landlords and the members of the Sovereign's court) and their participation in some significant events of political history. Colophons give the additional data for historical demography informing about the periods of scribes’ activity and inner migrations in Russia in the 16^th century. These sources expand the circle of data for studying the economic situation in the country in different periods, existing the important historical and political ideas of this epoch, the peculiarities of mass consciousness, the international contacts in political and cultural spheres.

Keywords:

the 16th century, colophons, massive sources, political history, historical geography, genealogy, historical demography, history of ideas