Hermeneutics of Old Russian Literature

1607-6192 2713-2226

IWL RAS

https://doi.org/10.22455/HORL.1607-6192-2026-25-502-520

Research Article

Articles

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

Ponomareva

Irina G.

old-rus@imli.ru

2026

25 502 520

2026

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.

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