For several centuries, enthusiasts and adventurers have been unsuccessfully searching for the library of Ivan the Terrible - the mysterious "libre". Serious scientists are convincing that searches are meaningless. But hope still remains.
The birth of a legend
There are two ways to leave a mark on history: by doing something brilliant or by doing something crazy. But if a person did not happen to be born a genius, and Herostratus' laurels do not seduce, there is a third way: to become part of a historical myth. How does this happen? First a legend appears. Then it is overgrown with details and "testimonies" of those who wish to receive their "15 minutes of fame." Over time, descendants begin to refer to the stories of these "witnesses" - and here's a ready-made historical myth in which real people take pride of place. Let's see how the myth of the "liberey" was created and who, thanks to him, "inherited" in history.
So, the legend: Princess Sophia Paleologue brought the unique library, which was collected by the Byzantine emperors for centuries, to Moscow as a dowry to her husband, Grand Duke Ivan III. To protect the priceless scrolls from fires, the Italian architect Aristotle Fioravanti designed a special cache for the library. The last owner of the library was Ivan the Terrible, after his death the "libre" disappeared.
Witnesses
Now let's move on to the "witnesses". The Livonian Chronicle of the late 16th century tells the story of Pastor Johann Wettermann, who was captured by the Russians during the Livonian War. Hearing about the scholarship and righteous life of the pastor, Ivan the Terrible invited him to Moscow and ordered the clerks to show the prisoner their library. Seeing many priceless books, the pastor exclaimed that "I would give all my property, even all my children, so that only these books … would bring much benefit to Christianity." The clerks must have been amused by the fervor of the holy father, for the prisoner had neither children nor property. He was offered to translate part of the manuscripts into Russian. Glancing around the vault, the pastor realized that there was a lot of work ahead, perhaps for the rest of his life. In an instant he forgot about the "benefits of Christianity" and hastened to tactfully refuse.
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The story is entertaining, but completely implausible. Indeed, Ivan the Terrible had more important things to do than brag to the "smerd" of his library. Of course, the pastor fantasized, but the fantasy immortalized his name on the pages of the "Livonian Chronicle", making it part of the myth of the "Liberation". We'll hear more about Wetterman.
In the 19th century, the historian Ivan Zabelin, while studying the archives of the times of Peter I, discovered the reports of the sexton Konon Osipov. He was retelling a story he had heard from a friend, clerk Vasily Makariev. Fulfilling a certain order of Princess Sophia, the clerk explored the Kremlin dungeons and stumbled upon a secret room, filled with chests. For some reason, Makariev decided that it was in them that the precious manuscripts of the library of Ivan the Terrible were kept. Having got out into the light of day, he reported everything to Sophia, but the princess ordered to forget about what he saw. For many years the clerk kept the secret, he told it only to Osipov. The cunning sexton decided to try his luck and find the coveted room. But the move indicated by Makariev turned out to be covered with earth, it is unthinkable to get to the cache alone. I had to contact the authorities. In 1724 Peter I ordered to clear the underground passage and find the library. We dug for a long timebut unsuccessfully. However, the sexton did not lose heart. For ten years he continued to bombard the high authorities with petitions for new excavations in the Kremlin and finally got his way: the excavators made another attempt to reach the secret room. In vain.
Pointer…
Time passed. In 1822, Professor of the University of Dorpat Christopher von Dabelov wrote an article "On the Faculty of Law in Dorpat". Among other things, he cites a document which he named "Index of an Unknown Person." It was no less than a list of manuscripts kept in the library of Ivan the Terrible. This document, according to the professor, was sent to him from the archives of the city of Pernov. The article interested Dabelov's colleague - Professor Walter Klossius. Perhaps our old acquaintance, Pastor Wetterman, made the list (by that time, the "Livonian prisoner" had already become a part of the myth of the "Liberation")? Klossius met with Dabelov, but he said that he had only a copy of the document, and he sent the original back to Pernov. How could an experienced archivist part with such a treasure? Cursing his colleague's oversight, Clossius hurried to Pernov's archives. But the list has sunk into the water,it was not listed in any inventory.
Nevertheless, in 1834, after the death of Dabelov, Klossius published an article "Library of Grand Duke Vasily Ioannovich and Tsar John Vasilievich", in which he spoke in detail about the professor's find and announced a list of manuscripts from the "Index" - the works of Titus Livy, Tacitus, Polybius, Suetonius, Cicero, Virgil, Aristophanes, Pindar, etc. The myth was overgrown with new "details".
From the beginning of the 20th century until the last days of his life (1949), the archaeologist Ignatius Stelletsky was looking for the "libereya". He claimed that in 1914 in Pernov he had found the coveted "Pointer". But he only managed to rewrite it, because soon the document … disappeared. Scientists scoffed at Stelletsky. Nevertheless, he methodically and persistently searched for the Tsar's library in Vologda, Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda and, of course, in the Moscow Kremlin. In 1933 Stelletsky submitted a memorandum to Stalin himself and sought permission to excavate. We dug for a long time, the result is predictable - zero.
Excavations were carried out in our days, in the "dashing 90s". Considerable funds were “mastered” for four years. The result is … well, you get the idea.
Was there a library?
Now let's return to reality and think: was there a library? It is difficult to imagine that in 1453 the defenders of Constantinople fleeing from the Turks managed to load and take out hundreds of books. But suppose a miracle happened, the library was rescued and brought to Moscow. She could have died in the fire of fires, she could have been pulled apart by the Polish invaders during the Time of Troubles. But you never know what. And were the Liberès' books so valuable? Academician Dmitry Likhachev said: “Even if the library of Ivan the Terrible is found, the find will not be of great scientific value. A significant part of this collection consisted of church books that Sophia Palaeologus brought to Russia from Byzantium to pray in her native language."
There is another curious version: Ivan the Terrible's "libre" … has already been found! Not all, of course, only a small part. Here is what the Trud newspaper wrote on November 22, 1944: “In the cabinets of the V. I. Lenin, many thousands of ancient manuscripts and handwritten books are kept. Among others … five large-format books in old leather bindings from the personal collection of Ivan the Terrible. " Maybe the journalists were wrong? But almost half a century later, the head of the department of manuscripts at the Russian State Library (formerly "Leninka") Viktor Deryagin confirmed: “We have 600,000 manuscripts, of which 60,000 are ancient, more than three hundred Greek (mostly Byzantine). Some date back to the 6th century A. D. It is quite possible that among them there are books by Sophia Palaeologus."
So isn't it time to recall the well-known Russian proverb and stop looking for “mittens in the belt”? No, the charm of the historical myth does not let go of enthusiasts. Yes, and in the history of "inherit" so much. Pastor Vetterman, sexton Osipov, professor Dabelov, archaeologist Stelletsky … Who is the last behind the "Liberation"? In line, gentlemen, in line!