Description of Νecropolis in “The Commoners’ Council”: Issue of Sources

Research reveals that Panteleimon Kulish's novel 'The Commoners’ Council' (1846) relied heavily on Mykhailo Maksymovych’s 1840 paper, 'On Tombstones in Pechersk Monastery,' rather than Afanasii Kalnofoyskyi’s 'Teraturgema' (1638), for epitaph translations from the Assumption Cathedral of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The study also found that other quotations attributed to 'Teraturgema' were borrowed from metropolitan bishop Yevhenii’s 1826 work, 'Description of Kyiv Perchersk Lavra.' Kulish's Kyivan episodes were primarily based on Maksymovych’s works in the 'Kiievlianin' almanac (1840), yet he omitted these sources in his novel’s footnotes. This challenges traditional scholarly perceptions and underscores Kulish’s unique approach to historical fiction, where he prioritized direct testimonies and observations over intermediary historians.

Nazarenko, M. (2019). Description of Νecropolis in “The Commoners’ Council”: Issue of Sources. Слово І Час, (8), 46–55. https://doi.org/10.33608/0236-1477.2019.08.46-55