p Like Novgorod, Pskov was a feudal city-state. Its veche led by the boyars determined local politics, supported the class interests of feudal nobility and supported old traditions and customs. In their struggle to retain privileges, the boyars looked to the princes of Lithuania. The lower classes of Pskov—craftsmen, small tradesmen, etc.—struggled against the repression by the local nobility and were, it goes without saying, great supporters of Muscovy.

p When Novgorod was appended to Muscovy, Pskov was also threatened with the loss of political independence. In 1510 Pskov was finally united with Muscovy by Great Prince Vasily III.

p Since the thirteenth century, and right up to the sixteenth century, Pskov kept its own local chronicle. The chronicle was laconic, factual and reflected colloquial speech with features of the Pskov dialect.

p Towards the fourteenth century, we find an extended tale about Prince Dovmont-Timofey, a Lithuanian prince chosen as prince of Pskov in 6774 (1266) 206 developing. Dovmont is depicted as an ideal prince and warrior, possessing all the Christian virtues. Many elements of hagiography can be found in the narrative, together with those of the military tale; the Life of Alexander Nevsky is used as a model. Dovmont’s military prowess is placed in the forefront’ he triumphs over such enemies of Pskov as Lithuanian Prince Gerdenya (Lithuanian—Gediminas—Ed.), “the amster of the land of Riga”, and the Teutonic knights. The tale is expressive and conveys the local dialect; proverbs and rhymed phrases show its connections with folklore. In his address to the people of Pskov Dovmont says: “Brothers, men of Pskov, you older men are my fathers, and you younger men are my brothers! " S. M. Solovyev describes the style of the Pskov Chronicle as a naive narrative whose authors are fond of using set expressions to describe well-known events.

p In the fifteenth century Pskov Chronicles begin to treat material beyond their own boundaries. At this time literary activities increased and intensified in Pskov; the Galician-Volhynian Chronicle, Tolkovaya Paleya (annotated excerpts from Old Testament books and apocrypha—TV.) and World Chronicle were copied. Scholars also believe that the miscellany containing The Lay of Igor’s Host was copied in Pskov and based their contentions on a note made on a Pskov collection of the works of the apostles from 1307 and a tale from, the First Pskov Chronicle about a battle between the Muscovites and Lithuanians near Orsha.

p In the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuriesm, hagiographical works were composed reflecting local Church life.

p One of the finest works of Pskov literature is the Taking of Pskov by Great Prince Vasily Ivanovich in 1510 (Pskovskoe vzyatie, kako vzyat ego knyaz veliky Vasily Ivanovich}. This tale gives a detailed, consistent account of Pskov’s final loss of its “old traditions and customs”. The author not only tells about the fact of Pskov’s annexation by Moscow, but attempts to explain the reasons for this. A passionate patriot of the “most glorious”, “great”, “beautiful” city of Pskov, he proudly recalls the city’s former grandeur: “from the 207 beginning of the Russian land ... it was never ruled by any prince, but its people lived at liberty.”

p The atrocities of Muscovite regents who assault, rob and give false trial to the people of Pskov make them bitter and rebellious. The people are particularly distressed by the behaviour of Muscovite prince’s regent Ivan Mikhailovich Repnya. Their patience snaps and the people send a petition to Great Novgorod at the time. But the petitioners of Pskov are not dealt with fairly by the Muscovite prince. Vasily Ivanovich hypocritically promises to defend the people of Pskov, but orders that the petitioners be seized, and sends his scribe Tretyak Dolmatov to Pskov with orders to destroy the veche, cut down its bell and force the people to obey the Muscovite regents.

p The tale condemns the great prince’s hypocrisy and the cruel and arbitrary Muscovite power. At the same time he sees no other recourse for Pskov. The annexation of the free city—state to Moscow is inevitable; otherwise Pskov would be threatened by Lithuania and Livonia and without the defense of Muscovy would have no chance of fortifying its borders against its neighbours to the West. Still as a patriot of a free city, the author cannot but lament the loss of independence. A sense of patriotic sorrow gripping the people of Pskov, who have lost their ancient rule by veche, is conveyed vividly by the author in a lyrical lament: “Oh glorious city of Pskov, why do you lament and weep? The beautiful city of Pskov answered, ’How shall I not lament, how shall I not weep and grieve at my desolation? For the many-winged eagle has swooped down upon me with lion’s claws and has taken from me three cedars of Lebanon, and my beauty and wealth; and has stolen my children, unleashed by God because of our sins; and has made the land desolate and destroyed our city and captured my people and dug up my marketplace, and smeared the other marketplaces with horse manure, and separated father from son, and in places where our fathers and grandfathers and great-grandfathers never ventured, there have our fathers and brothers and friends been taken’captive; our mothers and sisters have been given over for defilement.’ "

p This lament of the city of Pskov shows the author’s extraordinary poetic talent and his familiarity with Old Russian literature. He uses rhetorical devices, the sermons of Serapion of Vladimir, Bublical phraseology and the Deeds of Digenis.

p The author tries to convey the psychological state of the people of Pskov: messengers from Novgorod bring the bad news, and their “hearts sink" to their heels. The people learn that their petitioners have been detained by the Great Prince, and that they will have to face up to “fear, and anxiety and despair, and their throats grew dry with grief and sorrow, and their lips became parched”. After Tretyak Dolmatov announced the will of the Muscovite prince, the people of Pskov wept bitterly: “How did not the pupils of their eyes burn, filled with tears? How was it that their hearts were not torn out at the root? "

p At the same time the tale contains elements of chancellory style found in petitions and epistles.

p It ends with religious conclusions, addressed to the people of Pskov: “because of your licentiousness and lack of humility, all these evils have, come upon you”. The author then speaks of the abuses of Moscow governors, officials and scribes, introducing the folk images of Truth and Injustice (Pravda and Krivda): “Truth ... flew up to Heaven and Injustice walked among them....”

p Pskov and its citizens are the central heroes of the tale; their collective image is contrasted with that of Great Prince Vasily Ivanovich and his deputies.

The tale combines a factual approach with documentary accuracy, consistency and an emotional, lyrical, polemic, didactic evaluation of events.