Cathedral Inscription Names Murderers of Russian Prince

The Murder of Russian Prince Andrey I Yuryevich, more commonly known as Andrey Bogolyubsky (‘Andrew the God-Loving’), on the night of June 29, 1174 as he slept in his bed has long been considered one of the most mysterious and dramatic events to have occurred in the twelfth century. Now, more than 800 years later an inscription has been discovered on the wall of a Russian cathedral which may shed new light on the events of that night.

Found by restorers inside the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior, which is located 60 miles from Moscow, the inscription briefly describes the murder of the prince and goes on to not only list but also condemn the 20 conspirators accused of stabbing him in his bed chamber. Of the 20 names listed only three had been previously connected to the crime, the other 17 remain unknown. Experts believe the inscription served as a sort of formal announcement

Researchers have not been able to determine when the inscription was made. It’s possible the message was sent by the authorities of Vladimir to the main cities in this region of Russia at that time so that it could be inscribed at each location.

Andrey Bogolyubsky was one of the most powerful princes of his time. His grandfather was Vladimir Monomakh, the Grand Prince of Kiev between 1113 and 1125. While he was prince of Rostov-Suzdal as well as the grand prince of Vladimir, Bogolyubsky supported and promoted the lands of northeastern Russia and tried unsuccessfully to unite the region under his authority.

He made the city-state of Vladimir his political center; shifting the power out of Kiev. As a result, Vladimir was soon the center of religious and civil life as well. Watching their power quickly seeping away, the upper nobility in Kiev (the boyars) began plotting against the autocratic prince in Vladimir. Although it’s a commonly held belief that the assassination stemmed from conflicts within the circle of the political elite, specific details of the clash between the nobility and princely power remain unknown.

The Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior (erected between 1152 and 1157) was constructed with white limestone and is 34 meters tall, with walls that are 1.5 meters thick. It was initially intended for use by the town’s fortress guards and the Prince’s court. The cathedral served as the main church for the town of Pereslavl – two of the town’s Princes were buried there between 1294 and 1302; Ivan Dmitrievich and Dmitriy Alexandrovich. The temple’s fourteenth century icon, “transfiguration”, is today exhibited at the Tretyakov Gallery.

The inscription itself is comprised of two columns crowned with a cross. The right column reads: “On the month of June 29 Prince Andrey had been killed by his servants. Memory eternal to him and eternal torture to them [lost text].” The left column consists of the list of Bogolyubsky’s 20 medieval killers. The inscription concludes with “These are murderers of Great Prince Andrey. Let them be cursed [lost text],”

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