Hermeneutics of Old Russian Literature Hermeneutics of Old Russian Literature 1607-6192 2713-2226 IWL RAS https://doi.org/10.22455/HORL.1607-6192-2026-25-286-294 Research Article Articles On the Issue of Dating the Charter of the Cathedral Clergy of City of Vilnа to Metropolitan Joseph II (Soltan) Petrushko Vladislav I. old-rus@imli.ru 2026 25 286 294 Copyright © 2026, IWL RAS 2026 The article focuses on a charter published in 1869, traditionally dated to 1511 and attributed to an appeal from the cathedral clergy of Vilnа to Kiev metropolitan Joseph II (Soltan). The document’s language and content provide compelling grounds for re-dating the document. It has been suggested that this charter is more accurately understood to have been compiled in the early 17th century within the Uniate community, likely after the Holy Trinity Monastery and the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin in Vilnа fell into uniates’ hands in 1609. Therefore, it can be carefully assumed that the charter dates back to the time when, in 1614, metropolitan Joseph Veliamin-Rutsky became head of the Uniate Church in the Polish-Lithuanian state. He may have been confused with the Orthodox metropolitan Joseph (Soltan) when the document was published. 1. Kochetov, B., and A.V Kuz’min, and G.P. Shlevis. “Vilenskii vo imia Sviatoi Troitsy muzhskoi monastyr” [“Vilnа Holy Trinity Monastery”]. Pravoslavnaia entsiklopediia [Orthodox Encyclopedia], vol. 8. Moscow, Church and Scientific Center “Orthodox Encyclopedia” Publ., 2004, рр. 476–479 (In Russian) 2. Floria, N., and A.A. Turilov. “Iosif II (Soltan)” [“Joseph II (Soltan)”]. Pravoslavnaia entsiklopediia [Orthodox Encyclopedia], vol. 26. Moscow, Church and Scientific Center “Orthodox Encyclopedia” Publ., 2011, рр. 14–18. (In Russian) 3. Floria, N., and E.V. Shevchenko. “Makarii I” [“Macarius I”]. Pravoslavnaia entsiklopediia [Orthodox Encyclopedia], vol. 42. Moscow, Church and Scientific Center “Orthodox Encyclopedia” Publ., 2016, рр. 551–554. (In Russian)