HIS 241
Primary Chronicle Paragraph Assignment
Baptism of Prince Vladimir (1890) by Viktor Vasnetsov (1848-1926). Sketch for a fresco that is in the Cathedral of St. Vladimir in Kiev. (Vasnetsov did most of the interior painting/frescoes in this late nineteenth-century cathedral.)
Read the
Russian Primary Chronicle
excerpts. Be sure to review the remarks by
Professor Evans on Kievan Rus' and to
check the document notes. Read also what Melissa Lauderdale has written about Perun, and what Lara Brandes has written about St. Andrew. Both Lara and Melissa were students in my history courses. Answer the following question in a paragraph:
Citing specific evidence from the Primary Chronicle excerpts (not from the textbook), what were some of the main features of the political system (or lack thereof) of Kievan Rus'?
Your paragraph should be about one-half page in length, double-spaced with one-inch margins, font size 10 or 12; it should contain a concise topic sentence that directly responds to the assigned question (no need to define terms or cite a dictionary) and use direct, quoted material to support your points. You may consider submitting a draft of your assignment to your instructor for feedback before submitting the assignment for a grade. Please send some specific questions that you would like answered about your draft. The questions can be general or specific.This assignment calls for analysis of this important historical document. Do not just write a paragraph in which you repeat what is stated in the Chronicle; you should write your paragraph explaining how the information in the Chronicle can be interpreted to support your thesis (your answer to the assignment question). You my also wish to look at the Sample Historical Document Analysis, if you have not yet done so.