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Primary Chronicle

c. 1113 · 12th century · Also known as Tale of Bygone Years, Russian Primary Chronicle

The Primary Chronicle, or Tale of Bygone Years, is a history of Kievan Rus from the earliest times to the early 12th century, compiled in Kiev around 1113 and traditionally attributed to the monk Nestor. It tells of the Slavic tribes, the calling of the Varangian Rurik, Oleg's seizure of Kiev and the conversion under Vladimir. Its oldest surviving copy is the Laurentian Codex, written in 1377 for the prince of Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal.

Primary Chronicle
Image: from the Middle Ages, unknown · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 6 profiles

Avar KhaganateImpactVolga BulgariaMilitary, ImpactKievan Rus'Foundation, ImpactNovgorod RepublicFoundationVladimir-SuzdalImpactKievan Rus'Foundation, Impact

Mentioned in 10 state histories

White CroatsRadimichsDrevliansKrivichsVyatichiIlmen SlavsKievan Rus'Principality of MuromPrincipality of BeloozeroGrand Principality of Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Primary Chronicle. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/primary-chronicle
MLA
“Primary Chronicle.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/primary-chronicle. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Primary Chronicle.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/primary-chronicle.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Primary Chronicle’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/primary-chronicle (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻