The National Museum of the History of Ukraine received a rare sword from the Kyivan Rus' era, which was accidentally found near Radomyshl in the Zhytomyr region. Along with the sword, two axes were handed over to the museum: the sword itself dates back to the second half of the 10th - early 11th century. This was reported by UNN with reference to the museum's press service.
Details
The Slavic Drevlian tribe lived in the Left-Bank Polissia. It was an independent state with a developed economy, princely power, and fortified cities such as Iskorosten (modern Korosten), Vruchiy (now Ovruch), Malyn, Mychesk, and Mykhorod. Today, Mykhorod is called Radomyshl, and it was near this city that the discovery was made.
Swords similar to the one found in the Zhytomyr region were used by the Varangian retinues of Kyivan princes. In particular, the troops of Prince Ihor, the father of Sviatoslav the Brave, collected tribute from the Derevlians. Ihor himself was captured and executed by the Derevlians: he was torn apart by being tied to trees.
His wife Olha, Sviatoslav's mother, avenged her husband's death. In 946, she demanded three pigeons and sparrows from each Derevlian household. Olha's warriors tied burning splinters to the birds' feet and released them. As a result, the capital of the Derevlian state - the city of Iskorosten (then Korosten) - was burned. Some of the Derevlians were destroyed, and some became subordinate to the Kyivan state.
The sword has a preserved bronze chape with silver inlay, as well as a hilt and crossguard with ornamentation. Despite the damage, the sword and other found artifacts will become part of the museum.
Viktor Moshchenko and his daughter Natalia, who found the sword, received a thank you and a gift – an album with the museum's best exhibits. They were also given an individual tour of all the exhibitions.
Recall
The National Museum of the History of Ukraine showed what a noble parade saber from the late 17th - first half of the 18th centuries looks like. It features an image of Archangel Michael and a bust of the Polish king Stefan Batory.
UNN also reported that a bust of the Ukrainian hetman Ivan Mazepa was unveiled in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.