“The Miracle at Belyov” in the Literary Context of Its Time

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Category: Hermeneutics of Old Russian Literature: Issue 25
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Abstract:

In the Sophia Second Chronicle and the Lvov Chronicle, under the heading “From the Life of Sergius, the Miracle at Belyov,” one finds an account of one of St. Sergius of Radonezh’s miracles: his saving of a warrior from death after the latter sought his help during the Battle of Belyov in 1437. The work is notable for the originality of its plot and the complexity of determining its genre. Its title assigns it to the religious and symbolic genre of “miracles,” while the author himself designates it a “tale.” The work exhibits a pronounced secular character and features characteristic of the literature of the early modern period. It is clear that the story is based on a real event, arose within a military milieu, and originally circulated in oral form. It is distinguished by an original plot, engaging narrative and attention to the inner world of the individual. This “vividness” of the story appealed to Pachomius Logothetes, who, after giving it a written form, included it among other first posthumous miracles in the Life of Sergius of Radonezh. The Miracle at Belyov enriches our understanding of the development of the saint’s cult. Although Sergius was canonized in 1448–1449, “The Miracle at Belyov” demonstrates that, already in the late 1430s, he was revered by men of service. This tale is an original work belonging to the little- studied group of monuments of Russian literature, which broadens our view of the its diversity of its genres.
Keywords: “The miracle at Belyov,” miracles in the lives of saints, posthumous miracles, Sergius of Radonezh, Pachomius the Serb / Pachomius Logothetes, The Battle of Belyov, genres of Old Russian literature
Author: Irina G. Ponomareva
Information about the author:

Irina G. Ponomareva, PhD in History, Associate Professor of Department of Historical Sciences and Archival Science, Institute of Humanities and Applied Sciences, Moscow State Linguistic University, Ostozhenka St. 38, 119034 Moscow, Russia.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9256-4131

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For citation:

Ponomareva, I.G. “‘The Miracle at Belyov’ in the Literary Context of Its Time.” Germenevtika drevnerusskoi literatury [Hermeneutics of Old Russian Literature]. Issue 25. Ed.-in-chief O.A. Tufanova, sci. ed. M.V. Kaplun. Moscow, IWL RAS Publ., 2026, pp. 502–520. https://doi.org/10.22455/HORL.1607-6192-2026-25-502-520 (In Russian)
EDN:

https://elibrary.ru/PXFTIB
UDC: 821.161.1.0
Publication Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22455/HORL.1607-6192-2026-25-502-520

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