On a November day in 1472, revival reigned in Moscow - the royal bride Sophia Paleolog arrived in the capital. A few days later, in the Assumption Cathedral, she was married to Ivan III, who had been widowed five years earlier. Sophia did not come to Moscow empty-handed. Among her dowry, her large convoy included books that belonged to the last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI. It is generally accepted that it was these manuscripts that made up a significant part of the library of Ivan the Terrible, the secret of which still remains unsolved.
Treasures of the Basileus
Researchers suggest that Thomas Palaiologos, despot of the Byzantine province of Morea, managed to save the imperial library during the siege of Constantinople by the Turks. Having fled to Italy, he brought a collection of folios to the Vatican, where he was favorably received by the pontiff. It can be said that from this moment the history of the creation of the library of Ivan the Terrible begins, because the daughter of the deposed despot was the very Sophia whoa few years later she married Ivan III.
The Latin word liber, which means "book", formed the basis of the name given to this collection of manuscripts - liberia. Emperors of Byzantium for many centuries collected the works of ancient and medieval authors, so their library, according to experts, consisted of a considerable number of rare books, the value of which was great even in the 15th century, not to mention our time.
Stone Dungeon
So, the history of the library of Ivan the Terrible began more than five centuries ago in the Vatican, from where the Byzantine princess Sophia went to distant Russia. According to legend, by birthright she got one of the best book collections in the world at that time. With certainty, no one can say exactly which folios were brought by Sophia Palaiologos. However, legends claim that among them were the works of alchemists, ancient authors, books that once belonged to the kings of the Holy Roman Empire, etc.
To preserve the library in the wooden city, where fires often broke out, the Grand Duchess commissioned an Italian architect to build a stone dungeon under the Kremlin. After the death of Sophia, Liberia was inherited by her son Vasily III, and then to her grandson, Ivan IV. Only the Grand Dukes and the most trusted servants knew how to get into the treasured cache.
Regal Book Lover
Ivan IV was known for his erudition, therefore, having taken the throne, he ordered to review all the books he inherited in order to repair the damaged ones. ExceptIn addition, a catalog was compiled, which included new arrivals. Knowing about the king's love for reading, ambassadors and merchants brought him folios from abroad as a gift, and after the conquest of the Astrakhan and Kazan khanates, many books in Arabic were delivered to Moscow. Thus, the library of Ivan the Terrible was constantly replenished.
There were rumors that the tsar's grandmother was a sorceress, she allegedly poisoned her son Ivan III from her first marriage so that her first-born Vasily would get the throne of the grand duke. Researchers call the Byzantine library, Liberia, the source of Sophia's witchcraft knowledge.
In the first years of his reign, Ivan the Terrible spent a long time studying books inherited from his grandmother, delved into the meaning of sacred knowledge. He was occupied with the search for the philosopher's stone and ways to unravel the intentions of his subjects.
The secret of the royal book depository
The Terrible valued his Liberia very much, in the first years of his reign he spent a lot of time reading, but then a certain obscuration came upon the king, which was not explained either by his contemporaries or by scientists of our days. Streams of blood poured across the country: the campaign against Novgorod, the Livonian War, the oprichnina, the tsar's flight to Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda, the transfer of the capital to Vologda, the executions of yesterday's associates, orgies turning into massacres.
According to legend, shortly before his death, Ivan IV ordered to hide Liberia so that no one else could use it. The library was placed in deep secret recesses.
It is believed that, being a well-read and educated person, the kingnot only realized the value of ancient tomes, but also the danger of the knowledge imprinted on their pages: heretical texts, magic spells, Christian apocrypha, etc. a spell on the library: whoever approaches it will lose their sight.
According to another version, the spell was cast only on books that contained the most secret and dangerous knowledge. How true this is, no one knows, since there is no evidence that anyone saw a cache of books after they were buried.
The Tsar died suddenly while playing chess, and from that moment a cloud of mystery shrouded the library of Ivan the Terrible. Rumors soon spread that Liberia disappeared after his death.
Time of Troubles
Fyodor Ioannovich, who inherited the throne, was in poor he alth. After reigning only 14 years, he died. If we start from the version that the Liberia of Grozny nevertheless disappeared, then this could happen during the reign of Fyodor Ioannovich. Could the son have a hand in the loss of his father's library? This question remains unanswered. It is possible that this did happen, for example, Tsar Fedor decided to hide Liberia more securely, completely classifying its location, or completely get rid of books on magic, burn it like heretical literature. In any case, Boris Godunov, who was crowned king after him, did not get the library.
Like Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible, Godunov was a book reader and a highly educated person. Naturally, he could not but know and notinterested in Liberia. If the library had existed during his short reign, Godunov would certainly have saved it. However, when the researchers checked the documents relating to the time of his reign, they did not find any mention of the existence of Grozny's tomes.
Nevertheless, during the turbulent period of the Time of Troubles, the Poles who captured Moscow were interested in Liberia. There is evidence that together with Marina Mnishek and False Dmitry the First, a man came to the city from Poland, who was actively looking for the royal library of Ivan the Terrible.
It is also known that several convoys were soon sent from Moscow. Perhaps, among the jewelry and other goodness, there were books from Liberia. It is not known, however, whether the carts reached Poland or not. It is believed that the offensive of the Russian militia caught them not far from Moscow. Therefore, there is a version that, perhaps, Tushino is the place where you should look for the legendary library of Ivan the Terrible.
Myths and reality
Liberia has been intermittently searched for for several centuries. However, not all scientists are inclined to believe in its existence. At different times, various versions were put forward about its possible whereabouts. The debate is still heated. Some are absolutely sure that she is about to be found in one of the Kremlin's hiding places, while others believe that there is nothing to look for, since Liberia has long been disbanded.
The reality is this: to date, it has been precisely established that in various libraries in Russia there are 78 books belonging toonce Ivan IV. There are direct indications that they were donated by the king to monasteries or private individuals. Skeptics believe that these tomes were previously part of Liberia, therefore, there is no mystery. Their main argument is this: if the library existed, it would not have been carefully hidden, one way or another, traces of it would have been discovered long ago.
However, supporters of the existence of Liberia are sure of the opposite. As evidence, they cite an inventory of his property compiled after the death of Tsar Ivan IV. It also mentions books, among other things. Therefore, supporters of the existence of the library are inclined to believe that at the end of his life, allegedly tormented for the crimes committed, the king ordered the magic manuscripts to be hidden and walled up. They have been trying to find them for a long time now.
Many researchers believe that the myth itself was formed in the 16th century. It is associated with the name of Maxim the Greek, a monk and scientist who translated books from the grand ducal collection. In some texts of that time, it is written that the sovereign Ivan Vasilyevich had a huge library of Byzantine manuscripts, which his grandmother brought. Despite this statement, many historians believe that such a number of books simply could not exist, and the description compiled at the beginning of the 19th century by Christopher von Dabelov is falsified.
Thus, no one can say with certainty whether the library of Ivan the Terrible actually existed, whether this huge book depository actually existed.
Two hundred years of searching
No matter what, Liberia is one of the most popularsearch items, it has been searched for for five centuries. After the death of Ivan the Terrible, all the people initiated into the secret of the library died during the Time of Troubles, but rumors about it continued to circulate not only in Russia, but also in Europe. Both Peter the Great and Napoleon searched for mysterious Liberia during their stay in Moscow.
Of course, the search was carried out with long breaks and mainly in the Kremlin. For example, in 1724 Osipov Konon, sexton of the Moscow church, sent a note to the bishop. In it, he claimed that there was a hiding place under the Kremlin with two chambers filled with chests. The chambers themselves are allegedly located behind iron doors sealed with lead seals.
After that, in the place indicated by the sacristan, excavations were carried out in search of the Liberia of Ivan IV the Terrible, but to no avail. Therefore, for some time, interest in it subsided, until it flared up again in the 19th century. This time, Prince N. S. Shcherbatov, director of the Armory, took up the cause, with the active support of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, who at that time was the governor of Moscow.
Searchs were conducted in the area of four Kremlin towers: Vodovzvodnaya, Nikolskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya. They lasted six months, but were suspended due to the death of Tsar Alexander III. Later, Nicholas II also issued permission to search for the library both in the Kremlin and in Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda. As a result, several medieval books were found, it seemed that Liberia was about to be discovered. However, subsequent events in the country and in the world (World War Iwar, the February Revolution, the October Revolution of the Bolsheviks) postponed further searches for several decades.
Soviet period
The new government remembered the library when it was in dire need of funds and for this purpose it sold the values of the overthrown monarchy abroad. It is believed that not only books, but also material treasures are an integral part of Liberia. With the permission of Stalin, in the 20s and 30s, searches were conducted in the Kremlin, which were led by Ignatius Stelletsky. He is considered the first Russian explorer of caves and underground objects.
Stelletsky even before the revolution received permission to excavate, having convinced the Moscow mayor of the existence of underground labyrinths under the Tainitskaya tower of the Kremlin. He assumed that it was in this place that the material values and books of Liberia could be hidden. However, the caver failed to get there, because in 1914 the war broke out, and the authorities withdrew the permission issued to him earlier.
In Soviet times, despite the opposition of the Kremlin commandant's office, Stelletsky still managed to explore a part of the underground gallery, which was mentioned by library seekers of the 18th century. He decided to dig in the area of the middle Arsenal tower in the Alexander Garden, where there is a grotto with a colonnade.
In the 15-16th centuries, the Neglinnaya River flowed near the tower. The tower itself was called at that time Granena, it was renamed only after the construction of the Kremlin Arsenal building. During the excavations, underground floors with wells, passages and stairs were found here. HoweverLess than Liberia was never found. Soon Stelletsky became seriously ill, for this reason the excavations were stopped.
A new surge of interest in the search for the library of Ivan the Terrible occurred in 1962 after several chapters from the manuscript of Ignatius Stelletsky were published in the Nedelya magazine. The publication caused a flood of reader letters, as a result of which a special Public Commission was created to search for the mysterious Liberia, chaired by Academician Mikhail Tikhomirov, a well-known Soviet historian.
It was supposed to study archival documents, explore the topography of the Kremlin, start archaeological excavations. However, nothing was done for two reasons: first Academician Tikhomirov died in 1965, and then Khrushchev was removed. The new party leadership refused the Public Commission to continue the research of the Kremlin.
Recent attempts
In the fall of 1997, Apalos Ivanov made an appointment with the Moscow mayor. In the 1930s, he was a security guard for the Kremlin. In particular, he was engaged in checking underground communications. Ivanov said that once he found himself in an old labyrinth, which, according to his assumption, was dug in the 16th century. He went through underground passages from Volkhonka to the Kremlin and came across decayed skeletons chained to the wall, as well as iron doors separating the compartments of the dungeon.
Ivanov remembered how, as a child, he heard stories about the priceless library of Ivan the Terrible, securely hidden in the Kremlin's recesses. Seeing the iron doors, he decided that the vault was behind them. However, at that moment hethere was no means to open them. When, after some time, Apalos returned to the underground labyrinth, he found that the entrance was blocked with fresh brickwork.
Yuri Luzhkov ordered the creation of a special group to search for the royal library. The chance of finding an ancient treasure seemed too tempting. However, Liberia "slipped away" once again, and there was no sensation.
Skeptics see this as yet another proof that Grozny's library is nothing but a myth. Supporters of its existence refer to a legend that describes how the dying king called on a trusted monk and asked him to hide Liberia after his death, imposing a ban: no one should find the library for exactly eight centuries. To date, only half of that deadline has passed.
What did Liberia include?
There are a variety of hypotheses about the composition of the library. For example, from the mentioned inventory of Dabelov, made two hundred years ago, it follows that it contained dozens, if not hundreds, of volumes by Roman and other ancient authors: Julius Caesar, Tacitus, Aristophanes, Virgil, Ethan, Cicero, Bafmas, etc. In addition, Liberia included the famous treatises of Constantine Porphyrogenitus, biographies of Byzantine emperors, but the most significant book is the work “On the City of God”, written by the Christian philosopher Augustine the Blessed.
The legendary book collection of Ivan the Terrible, even during the life of the tsar, few people saw, and those who managed to do it were amazed at its luxury. Manuscripts in gold bindings, unknown works of the Greeks and Romans, sacred papyriAncient Egypt, etc. According to experts, today the value of such manuscripts could exceed $1 billion.
In the information about Ivan the Terrible's library, myths and reality are so intertwined that sometimes researchers find it difficult to determine where historical facts end and speculation begins.
For example, in the 50s of the last century, tomes unknown to specialists began to be found in the capital's scientific libraries and archives. Books and manuscripts date back to the 15th and 16th centuries, that is, the reign of Ivan the Third and his grandson, Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Interestingly, no one knew where these artifacts came from. All this gave rise to rumors that the mysterious library had finally been found. This was explained as follows: during the construction of the metropolitan subway, tunnellers stumbled upon a secret crypt with folios, laying another tunnel. But they were allegedly strictly forbidden to talk about the find.
However, back in the 30s, the Leningrad scientist Zarubin wrote a monograph about a real collection of royal tomes. It contains a list of books that are in the library of Ivan the Terrible, or rather, were. The list was compiled on the basis of the surviving inventories of the royal treasury and includes several dozen books, among them not only theological works, but also herbalists (healers).
One of them was found not so long ago in the library of Kharkov University, where he ended up in 1914. The medical book is an original translation of the German encyclopedia. It was commissioned by my father. Ivan IV, Grand Duke Vasily III, astrologer and court physician Nikolai Nemchin and decorated with copies of German engravings.
But what about the ancient Egyptian papyri and ancient manuscripts, which eyewitnesses of past centuries testified to? They will probably continue to look for them, at least until all the numerous dungeons of the Moscow Kremlin have been explored.
The most famous versions to date
There are many assumptions about the whereabouts of Ivan the Terrible's Liberia. According to the main hypothesis, the collection of books is hidden in the Kremlin dungeons. According to another - in the Alexander Sloboda, where Grozny spent a lot of time, or in Vologda, where the tsar moved the capital of the state for a short time. The library was also searched in the village of Kolomenskoye.
According to one of the main versions, Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda is the place where the library of Ivan the Terrible is located. The tsar moved here in the middle of the 16th century, hiding from boyar intrigues. In the early 70s of the last century, large-scale excavations were carried out in Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda under the guidance of the famous Soviet historian Academician Rybakov. The foundations of medieval buildings were found and studied, but no traces of the library were found.
In search of Liberia, experts explored almost the entire territory of the settlement. More recently, even the paths along which the sovereign was supposedly walking were scanned. However, this did not give any results.
Only the capital's fortress remains thoroughly unexplored -Kremlin. Before the arrival of Sophia Palaiologos, it was wooden, stone buildings were erected already under her. At the same time, many underground passages and secret crypts appeared under the fortress.
The Last Riddle of Grozny
Why has no one managed to lift the veil of secrecy that shrouded the history of the royal library? According to medieval chronicles, in his declining years, Ivan IV called the Magi to Moscow. Liberian search enthusiasts explain this fact as follows: the sovereign did this not in order to find out his future, but in order to safely hide the royal treasures, including the legendary library. Since then, all the seemingly true signs of Liberia, by which they have been trying to find it for several centuries, always turn out to be just phantoms.
Whether Ivan the Terrible's library will ever be found, time will tell. In the meantime, controversy over its existence, composition and possible location continues.
