Afanasy Nikitin is a traveler, an experienced merchant and the first European to visit India. Nikitin is also known for his notes "Journey Beyond the Three Seas". Afanasy Nikitin is known to his contemporaries as a navigator and merchant. This merchant became the first of the inhabitants European countries who has been to India. The traveler discovered the eastern country 25 years before Vasco da Gama and other Portuguese travelers.

From the biography of Afanasy Nikitin:

History has preserved little information about Athanasius, the date and place of his birth, parents and childhood. The first historical records refer to his journey to the three seas of the Black, Caspian and Arabian, which is described in his notes. + Little is known about the childhood years of the Russian traveler, since the biography of Afanasy Nikitin began to be recorded during the expeditions of the merchant. It is only known that the navigator was born in the middle of the 15th century in the city of Tver. The traveler's father is a peasant, his name was Nikita. At that time there were no surnames, so "Nikitin" is a patronymic, not a surname.

Biographers do not know anything more about the family, as well as about the youth of the traveler. Athanasius became a merchant at a young age and managed to see many countries, such as Byzantium and Lithuania, where the traveler promoted trade. The product of Athanasius was in demand, so it cannot be said that the young man lived in poverty.

Scientists do not know about the personal life of Afanasy Nikitin, because the biography of the Russian navigator was compiled thanks to the notes of the merchant. Whether Nikitin had children, whether his faithful wife was waiting for him, also remains a mystery. But, judging by the merchant's manuscripts, Afanasy Nikitin was a purposeful and cheerful person who was not afraid of difficulties in unfamiliar countries. During three years of travel, Afanasy Nikitin mastered foreign languages; Arabic, Persian and Turkic words were found in his diaries.

There are no photographic portraits of Nikitin; only primitive drawings have survived to his contemporaries. It is known that the merchant had a simple Slavic appearance and wore a square beard.

Wandering through sunny countries, Afanasy Nikitin lived with a dream of returning to his homeland. The navigator got ready to go back and went to the trading port of Hormuz, from where the journey to India began. From Hormuz, the merchant traveled north through Iran and ended up in Trabzon, a Turkish city. Local Turkish residents mistook the Russian navigator for a spy, so they took Nikitin prisoner, taking away everything that was on the ship. The only thing that the navigator had left with him was the manuscripts.

And when Athanasius was released from arrest, the merchant went to Feodosia: there he was supposed to meet with Russian merchants in order to borrow money and pay off debts. Closer to the autumn of 1474, the merchant arrived in the Feodosia city of Kafu, where he spent the winter.

And having stopped in Cafe (Crimea), in November 1474 he decided to wait for the spring trade caravan, because his poor health made it impossible to travel in winter. During a long stay in the Cafe, Nikitin managed to get to know and establish close relations with wealthy Moscow merchants, among whom were Grigory Zhukov and Stepan Vasiliev. In the spring, Nikitin intended to travel along the Dnieper to Tver.

When it became warm in the Crimea, their united large caravan set off. The undermined health of Athanasius made itself felt more and more. Because of what he died and was buried near Smolensk. The reason for the death of Athanasius Nikitin remains a mystery, but scientists are sure that a long journey through different countries with different climatic conditions sharply worsened the health of the navigator.

The desire to share his impressions, observations and experiences resulted in his travel notes. Here one can clearly see well-readness and competent command of not only Russian business speech, but also a good perception of foreign languages.

Nikitin's notes were delivered to Moscow by merchants who accompanied the wanderer. Nikitin's diary was handed over to the adviser of Prince Ivan III, and in 1480 the manuscripts were included in the chronicle.

In the travel notes "Journey Beyond the Three Seas", the Russian traveler described in detail the life and political structure of the eastern countries. The manuscripts of Athanasius were the first in Rus' that described a sea voyage not from the point of view of a pilgrimage, but with the aim of telling a story about trade. The traveler himself believed that his notes were a sin. Later, in the 19th century, the stories of Athanasius were published by the famous historian and writer Nikolai Karamzin and entered the History of the Russian State.

2. "Journeys" were included by Prince Vasily Mamyrev in the annals.

* Dates from the biography of Afanasy Nikitin:

* 1468 the beginning of a journey across 3 seas.

*1471 arrival in India.

*1474 returned to the Crimea.

*1475 died.

About expeditions and travels of Afanasy Nikitin:

Scientists failed to restore the exact date of sending on a trip.

Afanasy Nikitin, like a real merchant, sought to expand trade in today's Astrakhan. The navigator received permission from the Prince of Tver Mikhail Borisovich III, so Nikitin was considered as a secret diplomat, but historical data do not confirm these conjectures. Having received the support of the first government officials, Afanasy Nikitin set off on a long journey from Tver.

Russian traders who traveled in the same direction as Athanasius set out on their journey from Tver in several ships. Athanasius by that time was an experienced merchant and traveler, because he had to visit such countries as Byzantium, Lithuania, Moldova and Crimea more than once. A safe return home was accompanied by the importation of overseas goods.

The navigator sailed across the Volga River. Initially, the traveler stopped in the city of Klyazin and went to the monastery. There he received a blessing from the abbot, and also prayed to the Holy Trinity so that the trip would turn out well. Then Afanasy Nikitin went to Uglich, from there to Kostroma, and then to Ples. According to the traveler, the route passed without obstacles, however, in Nizhny Novgorod, the navigator's expedition dragged on for two weeks, since there the merchant was supposed to meet with the ambassador of the Shirvan state, Hasan-bek. Initially, Nikitin wanted to join the Russian embassy of Vasily Papin, but he had already sailed south.

The trouble happened when the team of Athanasius sailed past Astrakhan: Tatar robbers overtook the sailors and plundered the ship, and one ship sank altogether.

Returning to Russia promised to fall into a debt hole. Therefore, the comrades of Athanasius were divided: those who had at least something at home returned to Rus', and the rest dispersed in different directions, someone remained in Shamakhi, some went to work in Baku.

Further, the merchants who lost their goods went on two ships to the fortress city of Derbent. Afanasy Nikitin hoped to improve his financial situation, so he decided to set sail towards the south: from Derbent, the resilient navigator went to Persia, and from Persia he reached the busy port of Hormuz, which was a crossing trade routes: Asia Minor, India, China and Egypt. In manuscripts, Afanasy Nikitin called this port "the haven of Gurmyz", known in Rus' for the supply of pearls.

A shrewd trader in Ormuz learned that rare stallions were supplied from there, which were not bred in the Indian country, and there they were highly valued. The merchant bought a horse, and with the hope of selling the goods at a sky-high price, went to the Eurasian mainland to India, whose territory, although it was then on the maps, remained unexplored by Europeans. Nikitin spent 3 years in India. He visited many cities in India, saw a lot, but failed to make money. The Russian traveler described in detail the life and structure of the sunny country in his manuscripts.

Athanasius was surprised at how Indian residents walk along the street: women and children walked naked, and the prince's hips and head were covered with a veil. But on the other hand, almost every person had gold jewelry in the form of bracelets, which surprised the Russian merchant. Nikitin did not understand why the Indians could not sell precious jewelry and buy clothes to cover their nudity. He was also impressed that the population of India was large, and almost every second inhabitant of the country was expecting a child.

Athanasius Nikitin sailed to the city of Chaul in 1471. In Chaul, Athanasius did not sell the stallion at a bargain price, so in early spring the navigator went to the very outback of India. The merchant reached the northwestern fortress of Junnar, where he met with Asad Khan, its owner. The governor liked the goods of Athanasius, but he desired to have a horse for free and took it away by force. During the conversation, Assad learned that the Russian traveler professed a different religion and promised to return the animal with gold in addition if the merchant converted to Islam. The governor gave Nikitin 4 days to think, in case of a negative answer, Asad Khan threatened the Russian merchant with death.

According to the book “Journeys beyond three seas”, Athanasius Nikitin was saved by a chance: the familiar old man Mohammed met the governor of the fortress, before whom the ruler showed mercy and released the stranger, returning the horse. However, historians are still arguing whether Athanasius Nikitin accepted the Mohammedan faith or remained faithful to Orthodoxy. The merchant left such doubts because of the original notes, which were saturated with foreign words.

It was a long journey back to the Crimea. Athanasius traveled through Africa, he also visited the Ethiopian lands, reached Trebizond and Arabia. Then, having overcome Iran, and then Turkey, he returned to the Black Sea.

Interesting facts from the life of Afanasy Nikitin:

* Afanasy Nikitin was the first Russian traveler to visit Persia and India. Returning from these countries, the traveler visited Turkey, Somalia and Muscat.

*Nikitin discovered the eastern countries 25 years before the travels of Vasco da Gama and many other travelers.

* Nikitin was surprised by the customs of India and exotic animals, in a foreign country he saw snakes and monkeys for the first time.

* The journey to unseen lands was colorful and bright, but Athanasius was dissatisfied, because the merchant did not see the trade benefits.

* According to the navigator, the sunny country traded in paints and cheap pepper - there was nothing to take home to make a profit.

* Nikitin's Indian stay was interesting, but poor: the sale of a single horse cost the merchant a loss and a fine.

* The well-known travel notes of Afanasiev “Journey beyond the three seas”, this is a wayward reference book, which describes in detail the way of life, as well as the political structure of countries in the East.

* In Rus', these manuscripts were the first to describe the sea for the purpose of narrating about trade.

* For scientists, the personal life of Nikitin is still a mystery. It is unknown if he had a wife and children.

* Nikitin is not a traveler's surname at all. There were no surnames back then. This is his patronymic, that is, Athanasius, son of Nikita.

* He described Calcutta, Ceylon and Indochina, which were not previously known.

* Afanasia Nikitin came from a poor family. And the main reason why he went on trips was to improve the financial situation of the family through trade with foreign merchants.

*The biggest surprise that Nikitin experienced in India was that the locals went naked, but in gold jewelry. *Streets and lanes in Russia, as well as the embankment in the city of Tver, were named after the Russian navigator.

* In 1958, "Mosfilm" filmed the movie "Journey Beyond the Three Seas".

* In 1955, a monument to Nikitin was erected in Tver at the place where his journey began.

*There are also monuments to the Russian merchant in the Cafe and in the state of Maharashtra.

* A curious fact is that a Tver merchant had the right to bear a patronymic, while in the Vladimir and then in the Moscow principalities only boyars and nobles had such a right.

*Mentioned in the notes of exotic animals, as well as the mysterious feathered "gukuk".

*"Walking" has been translated into many languages.

*2003 a monument was erected in the Western part of India, the inscriptions on which are engraved in Hindi, Marathi, Russian and English.

*The Old Russian original text of his Journey Beyond the Three Seas is written in four languages.

*Nikitin ends his travel diary with a prayer to Allah.

* In his notes, Athanasius often uses local expressions of the countries he managed to visit, and after them he gives his interpretation in Russian.

* His notes indicate not only the differences in nature and outlandish animals, but also the differences in customs, way of life and political system.

* Athanasius also visited the sacred city of Parvata, where Buddha is worshiped. Studied local religion and government. His notes testify to the broad outlook and friendliness of the author to foreign countries and peoples.

*Despite the wonderful and interesting descriptions of India, Persia and other countries, his notes do not hide his disappointment at the lack of the promised variety of goods.

* Missing the Russian land, Athanasius could not feel comfortable in foreign lands. *Despite the injustice of the Russian nobles, Nikitin glorified the Russian land.

* Until the last, the traveler kept the Christian religion, and all assessments of mores and customs were based on Orthodox morality.

Riddles in the history of life and travel of Afanasy Nikitin:

Russian traveler Afanasy Nikitin is a mysterious figure.

The absence of biographical information about Afanasy Nikitin in the chronicles and other ancient Russian documents for some researchers is the basis for believing that the Journey was falsified at the end of the 18th century.

Indeed, in a mysterious way, the Russian traveler ended up in India a few years before Vasco da Gama, which should have testified to the priority of Russia in the discovery of India. This version is also supported by certain inaccuracies in the description of the countries through which the merchant Athanasius passed.

Athanasius is silent about many things, for example, about what actually prompted him to embark on an expedition to distant lands. This version is also supported by the fact that Athanasius managed to keep his travel diary during his many years of travel, although during the trip he had to endure shipwrecks, be attacked by robbers and undergo other troubles that did not contribute to the safety of the birch bark scroll. Moreover, a foreigner writing something in incomprehensible signs was to be mistaken for a spy, the list was destroyed, and the scribe himself was executed.

However, historians agree that the text of the life is genuine, since it is known not in a single copy, such as, for example, "The Tale of Igor's Campaign", but in several, and excerpts from the original "Journey" are contained in several chronicles dating from the 15th century, in particular, in the Lviv Chronicle, the authenticity of which is not questioned, which means that the text of the Journey itself is reliable.

Another thing is that not the manuscript of the Tver merchant has survived to our time, but its copies made by subsequent scribes who could distort the text: involuntary misspellings, replacement of incomprehensible words with similar ones - all this made the text less authentic.

Another hypothesis suggests that Afanasy Nikitin visited only Hormuz, a large Arab port on the border of the Persian Gulf, and all the evidence about India was drawn by him from the stories of sailors who actually visited there.

Indeed, some descriptions of India seem fantastic, and events (battles, changes of rulers) and dates do not synchronize well with each other. Speaks in favor of this version and the fact that the "Journey" included an episode of sailing to the shores of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. These shores were well known to the sailors of Hormuz, but they lie far from the route from India to the Persian Gulf. But along with such fantastic sketches, many descriptions of India are so accurate that they could only be made by an eyewitness.

Nothing is reliably known about the occupation of Afanasy Nikitin. Historians and encyclopedic reference books unanimously call him a "merchant", and some researchers, striving for historical accuracy, say otherwise: "presumably a merchant." What is behind this?

On the territory of Rus' and in distant southern countries, Athanasius was treated not as a simple merchant, but as an ambassador. It is possible that Athanasius had secret diplomatic missions to the rulers of the Lower Volga and the Caspian Sea basin. The death of Athanasius is also mysterious. Returning to Rus', he, a subject of the Grand Prince of Tver, mysteriously dies near Smolensk, which was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the diary falls into the hands of the subjects of the Prince of Moscow, who transport it to Muscovy. Moreover, the deacons-managers of the Moscow prince immediately understand that they have a document of exceptional importance in front of them. Based on this, it can be argued that the agents of the Moscow prince tracked down Athanasius on the territory of another state and took away from him an important document, which for some reason they needed.

The time at which Afanasy Nikitin went to India was difficult and tragic in the history of Rus'. It was especially difficult for the native Athanasius of Tver. In 1462, Ivan III Vasilyevich ascended the throne of Tver's eastern neighbor - the Grand Duchy of Moscow. He, like his descendant and full namesake Ivan IV Vasilyevich, also bore the nickname Terrible. The Moscow princes sought to subjugate all the neighboring Russian states. At that time in Rus' there were three independent principalities: Moscow, Tver and Ryazan - and three independent republics: Novgorod, Pskov and Vyatka. It was Ivan III Vasilyevich who, during his reign, subjugated these principalities and cities to his power, passing through independent principalities and republics with fire and sword, drowning the freedom of Novgorodians and Tverites, Vyatichi and Pskovians in blood. However, this will be a little later, and now, in 1466, Prince Mikhail Borisovich of Tver, trying to preserve the independence of his state, sends an inconspicuous merchant Athanasius to distant lands in the hope that he will be able to put together some kind of coalition.

Historians differ in the dating of the beginning of Nikitin's journey. Some call 1458, others - 1466. Perhaps there is some kind of mystery here. Perhaps Athanasius made two trips - one in 1458 to Kazan and Astrakhan, and the second, which began in 1466, led him to India. However, we do not have reliable information about this first journey, so we will assume that the “walking” began in 1466.

So, in 1466, Afanasy Nikitin set off from his native Tver to the Shirvan land (modern Dagestan and Azerbaijan). He, (we emphasize - in appearance a simple merchant), travel letters from the Grand Duke of Tver Mikhail Borisovich and from the Archbishop of Tver Gennady. Athanasius is not going alone, other merchants are going with him - in total they have two ships. It is interesting that Afanasy nowhere mentions the names of Russian comrades, and this is rather strange. Either Athanasius did not want to give out the names of those who went along with him on an important mission, or, on the contrary, the clerk-scribe of the Grand Duke of Moscow decided not to include the merchants of Tverich in the list. They move along the Volga, past the Klyazma Monastery, pass Uglich and reach Kostroma, which was in the possession of Moscow Prince Ivan III. In principle, relations between Moscow and Tver are tense, but the war has not been officially declared, and the Moscow governor lets Athanasius go further with a safe-conduct.

On the way, Afanasy Nikitin wanted to join Vasily Papin, the ambassador of the Grand Duke of Moscow in Shirvan, but he had already passed down the river. Why the Moscow merchant did not wait for Tver, remains a mystery. And what kind of goods was Athanasius carrying to Shirvan? He doesn't mention it anywhere. Historians suggest that it could be furs. In Nizhny Novgorod, Athanasius had to stay for two weeks in order to wait for the ambassador of the Shirvanshah named Hasan-bek, who was carrying 90 gyrfalcons, birds of prey - a gift from the Moscow prince with him to Shirvan. However, such a number of hunting birds is either greatly exaggerated, or was a figure of speech understandable only to the initiates. Some historians suggest that the word “gyrfalcons” in the “Journey” was replaced by the word warriors, that is, the ambassador walked with a detachment of Moscow mercenaries, who, according to the agreement between the Moscow principality and the Horde, Muscovy was supposed to put up to help the Horde states. The Shirvan ambassador boards the larger of the two ships and they go down the river.

The further path of the heroes is very mysterious. In the travel diary, Athanasius notes that they successfully passed Kazan, Horde, Uslan, Sarai. The description of this part is cursory and gives the impression that sailing along the Volga was a common thing for Russian merchants. Despite the fact that they are in the retinue of Ambassador Shirvan, they choose a roundabout way - along Akhtuba, trying to bypass Astrakhan. Somewhere at the very confluence of the Volga into the Caspian Sea, during one of the stops, the Tatars attack the ships. A situation that, to put it mildly, does not fit into any framework.

After all, we are talking about an attack on the ambassador of another state. However, this attack, if only it took place, testifies against the presence of 90 vigilantes (“gyrfalcons”) in the ambassador’s retinue. What kind of mysterious Tatars attacked the embassy, ​​Athanasius or the later scribe is silent about this, but later, on the way to Shirvan, the Russians and Athanasius's companions had to face trouble again. Near the city of Tarkhi (near the present Makhachkala), the ships were caught in a storm, and when the smaller of the ships was either washed ashore, or it landed on its own, all the merchants were captured. Athanasius at that time was on the embassy ship.

In Derbent, Athanasius asks Vasily Panin and Hasan-bek to help those captured near Tarkha. The prisoners were indeed released, but the goods were not returned to them, because according to the law, all the property of a ship that crashed into the sea thrown ashore belongs to the owner of the coast. Such relations of Athanasius with the ambassadors of the Prince of Moscow and the Shirvanshah further convince that Nikitin was far from being a simple merchant.

Some of the merchants, according to Nikitin, tried to return to Rus', others remained in Shirvan. In the text of the Journey, Athanasius tries to explain his further wanderings by the fact that he borrowed goods in Rus' and now that the goods were gone, he could be made a serf for debts. However, this is not the whole truth or not true at all. In the future, Nikitin will try twice to return to Rus', but for some unknown reason he will not be allowed to go further than Astrakhan twice. Therefore, in the end, Athanasius returns to Rus' not along the Volga, but along the Dnieper. But if he took goods on credit, then the debt would remain such a few years later, when he decided to return a few years later. For some time, Athanasius remained in Shirvan, first in Derbent, and then in Baku, "where the fire burns unquenchable." What he was doing all this time is unknown. One gets the impression that he was either expecting some important news from Tver, or, on the contrary, was hiding from enemies. A reason unknown to us drove Athanasius further, across the sea - to Chenokur. He lives here for half a year, but he is forced to leave here too, he lives in Sari for a month, another month in Amal - and again the road, a short rest and again on the road. Here is how he himself tells about this part of his journey: “And I lived in Chanakur for six months, and I lived in Sari for a month, in the Mazandaran land. And from there he went to Amol and lived there for a month. And from there he went to Damavend, and from Damavend to Ray. Here they killed Shah Hussein, from the children of Ali, the grandchildren of Muhammad, and the curse of Muhammad fell on the murderers - seventy cities were destroyed. From Ray I went to Kashan and lived there for a month, and from Kashan to Nain, and from Nain to Yazd and lived there for a month. And from Yazd he went to Sirjan, and from Sirjan to Tar om, livestock here are fed with dates, batman sells dates for four altyns. And from Tarom I went to Lara, and from Lara - to Bender, then the Hormuz pier. And then the Indian Sea, in Persian Daria Gundustanskaya; to Ormuz-city from here it is four miles to go.

It seems that he travels around Iran, moving from one city to another, as if hiding from someone. And he does not list all the cities in his notes, there are “many more big cities,” he writes, which he visited, but he does not even give their names. It is interesting that in "Journey" he talks about the ancient city of Ray, in which Hussein, the grandson of Muhammad, was once killed. Shortly thereafter, the city was captured and destroyed by the conquerors, and by the time of Athanasius, only ruins remained of it. It is difficult to say whether Nikitin was hiding in the ruins of Ray from unknown opponents or was looking for something to sell there, but this city is mentioned in his notes specifically. The legend of the destroyed city is in tune with his sad thoughts about his homeland - a war is brewing there between the two great principalities, at the same time the troops of the Grand Duke of Moscow are smashing Vyatka and Novgorod. And the history of the city of Rhea is intertwined with modernity.

But here he is, in his wanderings, reaches the Strait of Hormuz, which separates the Persian Gulf from the "Indian Sea". Here, for the first time among the Ruthenians (as he calls himself), he sees the ebb and flow. Interestingly, it is here that he meets Christians and celebrates Easter with them. This is a very important fact for historians, because from long descriptions of wanderings one can make an unambiguous conclusion that he wandered around Iran for more than a year, but since he did not have the opportunity to perform Easter rites and did not even have the opportunity to calculate the onset of Easter, he did not celebrated this holiday.

It is possible that it was at this time that Athanasius Nikitin began to think about the legitimacy of other faiths. It was in Hormuz, in his own words, that Athanasius began to keep his diary. But the descriptions of his previous travels are quite detailed, so the idea arises that in Hormuz (or somewhat earlier) he lost his previous records and now here, on the coast of the Persian Gulf, before sailing to India, he restored his memories.

Soon Athanasius sails to India on an Indian ship (tava). It is difficult to say whether India was the immediate goal of his journey, or whether he got there by chance, in search of wealth. In his own words, he learned that horses are not bred in India, so they are very expensive there, and he decided to go to India with a stallion, which he hoped to sell there. On the tava, Nikitin reached the North Indian port of Cambay, “where paint and varnish are born” (the main export products, except for spices and fabrics), and then went to Chaul, located on the Hindustan peninsula. India struck the traveler. This land was so unlike his native places, lush greenery and fertile soils yielded crops unprecedented in his homeland. People in India - dark-skinned, naked, barefoot - were also different. They lived a different life, served other gods.

And he is also surprised at various Indian curiosities, for example, war elephants: “The battle is being fought more and more on elephants, themselves in armor and horses. Elephants have large forged swords tied to their heads and tusks.<…>Yes, they dress elephants in damask armor, yes, turrets are made on elephants, and in those turrets there are twelve people in armor, and all with cannons, but with arrows. And Athanasius probably thought: “Oh, yes, such elephants to my Grand Duke, he would be invincible!” But to bring even one elephant to Rus' is impossible. And far, and the path is dangerous. About 700 years before Nikitin, the Arab ruler Harun ar-Rashid presented an elephant to the King of the Franks, Charlemagne, and with great difficulty, he was brought from Palestine to Aachen. But that was a gift from one great ruler to another.

Much surprises the traveler: “They began their winter on Trinity Day (May-June.) Every day and night - for four whole months - everywhere there is water and mud. These days they plow with them and sow wheat, and rice, and peas, and everything edible. Their wine is made from large nuts, the Gundustan goats are called, and the mash is made from tatna. Horses are fed here with peas, and khichri is boiled with sugar and butter, they are fed to horses, and in the morning they give sheshni. Horses are not found in the Indian land, bulls and buffaloes are born in their land - they ride and carry goods and other things, they do everything.<.>Dzhunnar-grad stands on a stone rock, not fortified by anything, protected by God. And the paths to that mountain go by one person at a time: the road is narrow, two cannot pass.<…>Their spring began with the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God (October)<…>At night, the city of Bidar is guarded by a thousand guards under the command of a kuttawala, on horseback and in armor, and each has a torch in their hands.<.>In Bidar, snakes crawl along the streets, two fathoms long.

Some of Afanasy's sketches are amusing and rather reminiscent of Arabian tales, however, this is not surprising, much of what Nikitin could not see with his own eyes, he took from the stories of Arab merchants: “And there is also a gukuk bird in that Aland, flies at night, shouts: "cook-cook"; and on whose house she sits, a person will die there, and whoever wants to kill her, she fires fire from her mouth at that one. Mamons go at night and grab chickens, and they live on the hills or among the rocks. And those monkeys live in the forest. They have a monkey prince, he walks with his army. If someone offends the monkeys, they complain to their prince, and he sends his army to the offender, and when they come to the city, they destroy houses and kill people. And the monkey army, they say, is very large, and they have their own language<.>They cut the navels of domestic deer - musk will be born in them, and wild deer drop their navels across the field and through the forest, but they lose their smell, and even that musk is not fresh.

Each time, faced with a different way of life, a different faith and system of values, Athanasius was convinced that one can live in different ways and that each faith is correct in its own way. He is interested in questions of the faith of other peoples, which, in general, for the Orthodox is almost a sin, because the truth, from the point of view of Orthodoxy, is contained only in the Gospels and the teachings of the Church Fathers, and all other religions are from Satan. But Athanasius, together with the Hindus, visits the main Buddhist center of that time - the city of Parvat, which he calls like this: "That is their Jerusalem, the same as Mecca for the besermen." However, the Buddhist monks failed to interest Nikitin in their faith, and such a variety of faiths surprises and frightens Athanasius: “And people of different faiths do not drink, do not eat, do not marry with each other.” But the sight of Parvat struck the imagination of Athanasius: “In Parvat<…>all the naked people come together, only a bandage on their hips, and the women are all naked, only a veil on their hips, while others are all in veils, and there are a lot of pearls on their necks, yes yachts, and gold bracelets and rings on their hands. And inside, to the butkhana, they ride on bulls, the horns of each bull are bound with copper, and on the neck there are three hundred bells and hooves are shod with copper. And they call the bulls acce.”

“I asked them about faith,” writes Afanasy Nikitin, which in itself is surprising for a Christian who, according to dogmatics, should not learn “demonic beliefs,” but should preach the word of Jesus himself.

Athanasius' trading and historical observations are very accurate and reliable, he not only records what he saw with his own eyes, but also what merchants told about other ports from Egypt to Far East, he indicates where “silk will be born”, where “diamonds will be born”, indicates to future travelers what dangers can await them in these parts, describes the wars in the countries through which he passed. Did he believe that soon Russian merchants would be able to travel with trade caravans to India? It is difficult to say, but the information provided by Nikitin could really help the merchants who could come to India after him. Athanasius is interested in Indian goods and comes to the conclusion that they would not be in demand in Rus'. “They told [me] that there are many [in India] goods for us, but [it turned out] there is nothing for our land: everything is white for the Besermen land, pepper and paint,” Nikitin mourned in his Journey. In Bidar, he writes in his diary: “Horses, damask (fabric), silk and any other goods, as well as black slaves, are sold at the market, but there is no other goods here. The goods are all from Gundustan, and only vegetables are edible, and there is no goods for the Russian land.

Isn't it a mysterious fragment? The merchant carefully writes down what is sold in different cities, makes many useful notes for subsequent merchants, and suddenly cuts off the shoulder: “Yes, there are no goods here useful for Rus'!” Maybe in this way he is trying to scare off competitors? It is quite possible that the “Journey” was intended specifically for Tver merchants, and the rest of the Tver people had to say: look, Afanasy Nikitin himself, the pioneer of that land, wrote that in India there is no good product for Rus'. Speaking of goods. It was from India that pearls and ivory, gold and silver went to Rus'. So the merchant Athanasius is disingenuous. However, another explanation is also possible: this sly passage is the product of processing the text by the clerks of the Grand Duke of Moscow, saying that you, merchants, go to India, it’s better to stay in Rus'. The centralization of state power, which began under Ivan III Vasilyevich and continued under his grandson Ivan IV, was accompanied by the closeness of external borders, so that no one would run away from the will of the tsar.

A thoughtful reading of the text of "Journey" suggests that Afanasy Nikitin during the years of his stay in Muslim countries nevertheless converted to Islam, either this time or later in Bidar, when the local nobleman Malik Hasan Bahri, who bore the title of Nizam al-Mulk, revealed Nikitin's faith and suggested that he change it to Islam. The modern Russian historian Zurab Gadzhiev published an article on the pages of the Internet magazine "Islamic Civilization" in which he convincingly proves that even after numerous corrections by Orthodox scribes in the text of the Journey, there is still a lot of evidence of Nikitin's conversion to Islam.

Indeed, Athanasius on the pages of the Journey is shown as a deeply religious person, the text begins with the glorification of Jesus and the blessings for the journey received by him from his spiritual mentors. In the future, his wary attitude towards Islam gradually disappears, as we have already mentioned, he even cites in his travel diary a Sunni legend about the punishment of the city of Rey for the murder of Imam Hussein.

In Bidar, India, Nikitin reflects on the fate of the Russian land. After listing the advantages of the lands he visited - Crimea, Georgia, Turkey, Moldova and Podolia - he prays for the Russian land, but at the same time adds: “There is no country like it in this world, although the emirs of the Russian land are unfair. Let the Russian land be settled and let there be justice in it! Here is a curious moment: Athanasius calls the rulers of Rus' emirs. It seems that during the journey he really gradually turned into an Arab merchant.

The text of the Journey ends with lengthy Islamic prayers. If we assume that the last lines of the travel diary were written by Athanasius before his death, then it turns out that in the last hours of his life he prays to Allah as a true Muslim. + After spending several years in India, he decides to return to Rus'. The real reasons for this are not entirely clear. In The Journey, he claims that this happened after a conversation with an Islamic official who suggested that Athanasius change his faith and justified this by the fact that Athanasius did not observe Christian rites away from his homeland. But how much this corresponded to reality is unknown. The fact is that the return of Athanasius to Rus' is also surrounded by mysteries, and the text of the Journey itself, no doubt, was subjected to numerous revisions.

Unlike the trip to India, the return trip was short and fast. In the port of Dabhol, he boards a ship going through Ethiopia, Muscat and Hormuz, and gets to Persia. In Persia, he stops in the cities of Lar, Shiraz, Yazd, Isfahan, Qom, Tabriz. Then he comes to Erzincan in Turkey, from there to Trabzon. So, having passed two seas, the Caspian and the "Indian", he gets to the third - the Black. In Trabzon, a Turkish official takes Nikitin for a spy and takes away his goods.

It is on arrival in Kaffa in 1472 that the text of the Journey breaks off. Athanasius Nikitin's son, Tveritin, disappears from history. It is only known that in the winter of 1474/1475 he dies or dies under mysterious circumstances near Smolensk, literally a hundred kilometers from his native city. It is believed that all this time he traveled to his native Tver. Two plus years. Even walking is very slow. Therefore, there is reason to believe that the two years of the traveler's life that "dropped out of history" passed as intensely as the previous ones.

Despite the disagreement among scientists regarding Nikitin's religion, the most surprising fact that emerged in the course of their disputes was Nikitin's unusual approach to religion for his time. Brought up in an orthodox environment, but a religiously tolerant merchant, having arrived in another country, he was able not only to come to terms with foreign religions, but also to accept them and extract the most important ideas contained in both Orthodoxy and Islam - the monotheistic ideals of goodness and love.

Monument of ancient Russian literature, travel notes (genre of walking) of the Tver merchant Afanasy Nikitin about his journey to India in 1468-1474.

Characteristics of the work

"Journey Beyond Three Seas" has come down to us in three editions, or editions. One of them is contained in the composition of the Sophia Second and Lvov Chronicles, dating back to the code of 1518, which, in turn, reflected the earlier chronicle code of the 80s of the XV century; the second is included in a collection of the late 15th-early 16th century from the Museum Collection of the Russian State Library (formerly owned by the Trinity Monastery and therefore usually referred to as Troitsky); the third edition, which is part of the late chronicle-chronographic compilation, dates back to the 17th century. Excerpts from the "Journey" are also read in the collection of the end of the 15th century - RSL, f. 178. No. 3271 (sheet 35v.).

We do not know anything about Afanasy Nikitin, except for the information contained in the Journey and the note that preceded it in the chronicle edition. It is known that the author of The Journey died around 1475, not far from Smolensk, and his diary was handed over to the clerk of the Grand Duke of Moscow, Vasily Mamyrev.

"Journey Beyond the Three Seas" is the first work of Russian literature that depicts a journey that had not religious, but trading purposes. Afanasy Nikitin descended the Volga from Tver to Astrakhan, crossed the Caspian Sea, traveled through Persia and through the Indian Ocean reached India, where he lived for three years. The way back lay again through the Indian Ocean, Persia, and then along the Black Sea and the Crimea. There is no reason to consider Afanasy Nikitin a particularly enterprising merchant who consciously aspired to India; he was not a diplomat either. The goods with which he set off on his journey were obviously intended for sale in the Caucasus. He went to India "from many troubles" after he was robbed in the lower reaches of the Volga. The only commodity he brought to India was a horse bought along the way and sold with great difficulty. Nikitin's travel notes were, in essence, a diary, only without breakdown into dates.

"Journey Beyond the Three Seas" provides a wealth of ethnographic and historical material, which, together with other sources, helps to reconstruct the history of the Muslim state of the Bahmanids, as well as relations with its southern neighbor, the Hindu empire of Vijayanagar. Afanasy Nikitin vividly and authentically describes the nature of India, its political system, trade, and agriculture. He boldly introduces autobiographical episodes and lyrical digressions into his narrative. The notes testify to the patriotism of their author, the breadth of his views and erudition. The language of the notes is close to colloquial and businesslike Moscow speech; Persian, Arabic, Turkic words and expressions are widely used.

In the 19th century, I.I. Sreznevsky proposed to date the journey of Afanasy Nikitin in 1466-1472, which is rooted in literature. The chronology was revised in the mid-1980s by L.S. Semenov, who convincingly proved that the guest from Tver went to India in 1468 and stayed there from 1471 to 1474, and returned to Rus' in 1475.

Reflection in art

In 1958, the first Soviet-Indian film "Journey Beyond the Three Seas" was shot at the Mosfilm studio in the USSR. Directed by: Vasily Pronin, Khoja Ahmad Abbas.

AFANASIY NIKITIN ABOUT HOW HE DID NOT CONVERT TO ISLAM BUT STUDY THEIR CULTURE... HOW THE GOODS WERE ROBBERED AND RETURNED TO HIM... ABOUT HOTEL SERVANTS-CONCUBRATES, ETC.

I read something fluently - in the ancient language (Old Slavonic) it is more interesting to read the aroma of mystery, but it is not clear enough, and the translation is clearer and a lot of things caught my eye - why is it so short - like these are memories? Why is it so timid to change the religion of Christianity to Islam? for some reason, in the old days it seemed a tragedy - but in fact it is not significant - if they asked to convert to their faith, then why not give in? about the presence of Turkic words and phrases - for example, the ending of his manuscript shows two dozen words in Turkic (in the manuscript in Old Church Slavonic), which says that while he lived there, he involuntarily took a great interest in culture and absorbed it into himself, and it’s a pity that it was completely omitted during the translation and the reader will then be and the passion of Afanasy Nikitin to learn Eastern culture is not known - which has no justification except for the false-patriotic efforts of the translator ... and nevertheless, in the text of Afanasy Nikitin, in one phrase, both "Amen" Christian and "Akbar" Turkic (I quote: " By the grace of God, the three seas passed. Diger Khudo dono, Ollo the first-digger is given. Amen! Smilna rahmam ragim. Ollo akbir, akshi Khudo, ilello aksh Khodo. Isa ruhoalo, aaliksolom. Ollo akber. And ilyagaila ilello. " ) - in my opinion, it speaks of the curiosity of the Russian soul (and the acceptability of the wide according to Dostoevsky to the whole world) and in order to consolidate his new knowledge after traveling, he brings this into his texts ... his observations in India are curious as in the maid's hotel and in the rooms they cleaned and shared a bed with visitors at his request for an additional fee, as I understand it ... it’s interesting to read how they robbed on the roads and then, upon a complaint, strict requirements were sent to the sultan and everything returned to the traveler, apparently so that the traveler could present gifts to the sultan, etc. .d. etc.

Tver - India - Tver

another point of view is interesting - that " Russian and Turkic cultures in the recent past were unusually close":

The Tver merchant Afanasy Nikitin, who lived in the middle of the 15th century, heard about the sending of a Russian embassy to Persia and went with him. Starting his journey from the Volga and reaching the Persian Gulf, Athanasius decided to continue his study of the East and went further. Curiosity and enterprise led him to India, where he, begging and exposed to mortal dangers, lived for three years. From India, he traveled by sea to Ethiopia, from there to Turkey, from which he sailed to Rus'. On the way to his native Tver, he died.

During the many years of travel, Athanasius wrote down everything he saw and experienced. The result was an interesting diary, subsequently entitled "Writing of Othonas Tferitin a merchant who was in India for four years." In our time, the story of Athanasius Nikitin is known as "The Journey Beyond the Three Seas."

Fragment of the manuscript.

Nikitin's notes are very curious. In addition to the fact that the author introduces us to the culture and history of the peoples among whom he happened to be, he left us an interesting monument of Russian speech. The surprising thing about it is that Athanasius, when telling about his wanderings, sometimes switches from Russian to some kind of gibberish, which is impossible to understand. But it can be translated, knowing the Turkic languages. Here is a typical example from the Journey text:

The Indians call the ox father, and the cow matter. And they bake bread with their feces and boil their own food, and with that ashes they smear a banner on the face, and on the forehead, and all over the body. In the week and on Monday they eat one day. In Yndeya, as a chektur, but I study: you cut or irsen iki inhabitants; akichany ila atarsyn alty zhetel take; bulara dostur. And kul koravash uchyuz char funa hub, bem funa hube sia; kapkara amchuk kichi he likes.

Only the first three sentences can be understood in this passage. Others need an interpreter. Here's what they look like after being translated into modern Russian:

... In India, there are a lot of walking women, and therefore they are cheap: if you have a close connection with her, give two inhabitants; If you want to waste your money, give me six residents. That's the way it is in these places. And slave concubines are cheap: 4 pounds - good, 5 pounds - good and black; the black-precherny amchuk is small, good (hereinafter, translated by L.S. Smirnov).

Note that Afanasy Nikitin, a resident of northern Tver, writes this himself, without the help of interpreters who know Tatar or Turkish. And what is the purpose of attracting them? He writes down his thoughts and observations, and does so naturally, in a way that suits him. It is obvious that he is well acquainted with a foreign language, and moreover, he knows how to write in it, which is not as easy as it seems. The Turks used Arabic writing, and Athanasius, accordingly, writes in Arabic.

And I'm going to Rus', ketmyshtyr name, ruch tutty.

Translation of the whole sentence:

And I’m going to Rus' (with a thought: my faith has perished, I fasted with a Besermen fast).

Yes, and Podolsk land is offensive to everyone. And Rus er tangryd saklasyn; Ollo sakla, bad sakla! Bu daniada munu kibit er ektur.

Translation:

Yes, and Podolsk land is plentiful for everyone. And Rus' (God save it! God save it! Lord save it! There is no country like it in this world.)

Unusual in the notes of the Russian traveler is the frequent appeal to Allah, whom he calls Ollo. Moreover, he repeatedly uses the traditional Muslim "Allah Akbar", which clearly shows which god he is referring to. Here is a prayerful tirade typical of the entire text, in which, as in other places, Russian speech alternates with non-Russian:

Ollo is bad, Ollo ak, Ollo you, Ollo akber, Ollo ragym, Ollo kerim, Ollo ragym ello, Ollo karim ello, tangresen, thin-sensen. God is one, Thy king of glory, creator of heaven and earth.

See translation:

(Lord God, true God, you are God, great God. Merciful God. Merciful God, most merciful and most merciful you are. Lord God). God is one, the king of glory, the creator of heaven and earth.

The translator obviously did not cope with Nikitin's "Ollo", and Allah turned into a politically correct God, and the original text thus lost one of its meanings. Reading the "Journey" in such a translation, it is no longer possible to see the originality and unusualness of the old Russian culture, and how wrong our ideas about ancient Orthodoxy are.

Almost at the very end of the story, Athanasius uses his traditional exclamations, including both the Muslim "Allah Akbar" and the Christian "Amen", that is, according to our ideas, he mixes the incompatible:

By the grace of God, the three seas passed. Diger Khudo dono, Ollo the first-digger is given. Amen! Smilna rahmam ragim. Ollo akbir, akshi Khudo, ilello aksh Khodo. Isa ruhoalo, aaliksolom. Ollo akber. And ilyagaila ilello.

The last phrase in this passage is the classic "There is no god but Allah", but in translation we see something completely different: "There is no god but the Lord." In fact, they are one and the same, but the Islamic nature of the author's faith becomes invisible. This cannot be reproached to the translator, since, according to traditional ideas, Orthodoxy of that time had nothing in common with Islam. And to us the fact that the Christian Athanasius prays to Allah, and even adds that there is no other god besides Allah, seems incredible. But all this comes from the fact that history, including the history of religions, is wrong.

The religious formula "There is no god but Allah" in modern Islam necessarily ends with the phrase "And Mohammed is his prophet", but we do not see it in Nikitin. Moreover, in the last cited passage, you can find the name Isa - Jesus. Perhaps this is precisely what distinguishes the Orthodoxy of Athanasius from the orthodoxy of his contemporaries Muslims: under the same god Allah, some had Jesus, while others had Muhammad. From the words of the author, by the way, it is clear that becoming a Muslim was simple: it was enough to “exclaim Makhmet”.

The unusual text of Afanasy Nikitin can only testify to one thing: Russian and Turkic cultures were unusually close in the recent past. Back in the 19th century, in the south of Russia, Turkic speech could be heard among the local Russian population. So, for example, the Terek Cossacks knew the Tatar language very well and sometimes switched to it in communication. Turkish songs were also sung along with Russian songs.

It is possible that the two cultures began to separate only in the time of Athanasius, and this began due to the split of the common right faith into followers of Christ and Muhammad. Today it seems to us that the peoples of these cultures have differed radically since ancient times, but it turns out that not so long ago there was a common linguistic and religious space that stretched from the Russian north to Africa.

Old Russian literature

"Journey Beyond Three Seas"

Afanasia Nikitina

(Old Russian text with minor abbreviations) (translation - below Y.K.)

In the summer of 6983 (...) of the same year, he acquired the writing of Othonas, a tveritin merchant who had been in Yndey for 4 years, and he went, he says, with Vasily Papin. As for the experiments, if Vasily went with the Krechats as an ambassador from the Grand Duke, and they said that a year before the Kazan campaign he came from the Horde, if Prince Yuria was near Kazan, then he was shot near Kazan. This is not written, in which summer he went or in which summer he came from Yndei, died, but. they say that, dei, Smolensk did not reach, he died. And he wrote the scripture with his own hand, even with his hands those notebooks were brought by guests to Mamyrev Vasily, to the diyak to the Grand Duke in Moscow.
For the prayer of our holy fathers. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the servant of your sinful son Afonasios Mikitin.
Behold, I wrote my sinful journey beyond the three seas: the 1st sea of ​​Derbenskoe, doria Khvalitskaa; 2nd Indian Sea, dorea Gundustanskaa; 3rd Black Sea, doria Stebolskaya.
Departed from the Savior of the Holy Golden-domed and by his grace, from his sovereign from the Grand Duke Mikhail Borisovich Tverskoy, and from Bishop Gennady Tverskoy, and Boris Zakharyich.
And poidoh down the Volga. And I came to the Kolyazin monastery Holy Trinity life-giving and to the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb. And he blessed the hegumen with Macarius and the holy brothers. And from Kolyazin I went to Uglech, and from Uglech they let me go voluntarily. And from there he went, from Uglech, and you came to Kostroma to Prince Alexander with another letter of the Grand Duke. And he let me go willingly. And Esmi came to Pleso voluntarily.
And I came to Novogorod in Nizhnyaya to Mikhail x Kiselev, to the governor, and to the duty officer to Yvan to Saraev, and they let me go voluntarily. And Vasily Papin drove past the city for two weeks, and Iz waited in Novegrad in Nizhny for two weeks for the ambassador of the Tatar Shirvanshin Asanbeg, and he rode from the gerf from Grand Duke Ivan, and he has ninety gherkins.
And you came with them to the bottom of the Volga. And we passed Kazan voluntarily, we didn’t see anyone, and we passed the Horde, and Uslan, and Sarai, and Berekezany passed. And we drove into Buzan. Then three filthy Tatars ran into us and told us false news: “Kaisym Saltan guards the guests in Buzan, and with him three thousand Tatars.” And the ambassador of the Shirvanshin Asanbeg gave them a single coat and a linen to take them past Khaztarakhan. And they, the filthy Tatars, took one by one, and gave the news to the king in Khaztarakhan. And the yaz left his ship and climbed on the ship for a word and with his comrades.
We drove past Khaztarakhan, and the moon was shining, and the king saw us, and the Tatars called to us: “Kachma, don’t run!”. And we didn’t hear anything, but we ran like a sail. Because of our sin, the king sent his entire horde after us. Ini overtook us on Bohun and taught us to shoot. And we shot a man, and they shot two Tatars. And our smaller ship was on the move, and they took us and plundered us at that hour, and mine was all small junk in the smaller ship.
And in a big ship we reached the sea, but it became aground at the mouth of the Volga, and they immediately took us, but the ship was told to pull the ship back up to the ride. And then our larger ship was robbed and the Russians took four heads, and they let us go across the sea with our bare heads, and they didn’t let us go upstairs.
And I went to Derbent, weeping, two courts: in one ship, Ambassador Asanbeg, and theses, and ten heads of Russians; and in the other vessel there are 6 Muscovites, and six Tveriches, and cows, and our food. And the furtovina stood up on the sea, and the smaller ship smashed against the shore. And there is the town of Tarkhi, and people went ashore, and kaitaks came and people caught everyone.
And I came to Derbent, and that Vasily came in good health, and we plundered, And I beat Vasily Papin and the ambassador of the Shirvanshin Asanbeg, that I came with him, so that I would grieve about the people that they were caught under Tarkhi kaytaki. And Asanbeg was sad and went up the mountain to Bulatubeg. And Bulatbeg sent a runner to the Shirvanshibeg, saying: “Lord, the Russian ship broke near Tarkhi, and the kaitaks, having come, caught the people, and plundered their goods.”
And the Shirvanshabeg of the same hour sent an ambassador to his brother-in-law Alilbeg, the prince of Kaitachev, that: “My ship broke under Tarkhi, and your people, having come, caught people, and robbed their goods; and you, dividing me, send people to me and collect their goods, before those people were sent in my name. And what will you need with me, and you came to me, and I do not harrow you, your brother. And those people went to my name, and you would let them go to me voluntarily, dividing me. And Alilbeg of that hour people sent everyone to Derbent voluntarily, and from Derbent they sent them to the Shirvanshi in his yard - koitul.
And we went to the shirvanshe in and koitul and beat me with his forehead, so that he would grant us, than to reach Rus'. And he did not give us anything, but there are many of us. And we, crying, went off in some places: whoever has something in Rus', and he went to Rus'; and who should, and he went where his eyes carried. And others remained in Shamakhi, while others went to work for Baka.
And the yaz went to Derbent, and from Derbent to Baka, where the fire burns unquenchable; and from Baki you went across the sea to Chebokar.
Yes, here Esmi lived in Chebokar for 6 months, but lived in Sarah for a month, in the Mazdran land. And from there to Amily, and here you lived for a month. And from there to Dimovant, and from Dimovant to Ray. And that one was killed by Shausen, Alei's children and the grandchildren of the Makhmetevs, and he cursed them, otherwise 70 cities fell apart.
And from Drey to Kashen, and here I was a month, and from Kashen to Nain, and from Nain to Ezdei, and here I lived for a month. And from Dies to Syrchan, and from Syrchan to Tarom, and funiki to feed the animal, batman for 4 altyns. And from Torom to Lara, and from Lara to Bender, and here there is a shelter Gurmyz. And here is the Indian Sea, and in the parse language, and Gondustanskadoria; and from there go by sea to Gurmyz 4 miles.
And Gurmyz is on the island, and every day you can catch the sea twice a day. And then Esmi took the first Velik day, and Esmi came to Gurmyz four weeks before Velik days. And then Esmi did not write all the cities, many great cities. And in Gurmyz there is a hot sun, it will burn a person. And in Gurmyz there was a month, and from Gurmyz you went across the Indian Sea along Velitsa days to Radunitsa, to the tava with conmi.
And I went by sea to Moshkat 10 days; and from Moshkat to Degu 4 days; and from Degas to Kuzryat; and from Kuzryat Konbaatu. And then paint and lek will be born. And from Konbat to Chuvil, and from Chuvil we went on the 7th week along Velitsa days, and we went in Tava for 6 weeks by sea to Chivil.
And here is the Indian country, and people walk around all naked, but their heads are not covered, and their breasts are bare, and their hair is braided in one braid, and everyone walks around with their belly, and children are born every year, and they have many children. And the men and women are all naked, and all are black. Wherever I go, there are many people behind me, but they marvel white man. And their prince is a photo on his head, and another on the goose; and the boyars have a photo on the splash, and a friend on the goose, the princesses go around the photo on the splash is rounded, and the friend is on the goose. And the servants of the princes and boyars - the photo on the goose is rounded, and the shield, and the sword in their hands, and some with sulits, and others with knives, and others with sabers, and others with bows and arrows; and everyone is naked, but barefoot, and balkata, but they don’t shave their hair. And zhonki go head is not covered, and the nipples are bare; and couples and girls go naked up to seven years, not covered with rubbish.
And I went dry from Chuvil to Pali 8 days, to the Indian mountains. And from Pali to Die 10 days, and that is an Indian city. And from Die to Chuner 7 days.
Tu is Asatkhan Chyunerskaya Indian, and the serf is meliktucharov. And he keeps, they say, this from the meliktochar. And meliktuchar sits on 20 tmah; and he has been fighting with Kafara for 20 years, then they beat him, then he beats them many times. Khan As rides on people. And he has a lot of elephants, and he has a lot of good horses, and he has a lot of Khorosans people. And they are brought from the Khorosan lands, and others from the Orap land, and others from the Turkmen lands, and others from the Chebotai lands, and they bring everything by sea in tavs - Indian ships.
And the sinner's tongue brought the stallion to the Yndei land, and the Lord of affairs came to Chyuner, and he became healthy for everyone, and he became me for a hundred rubles. Winter has become with them since Trinity Day. And we wintered in Chyuner, we lived for two months. Every day and night for 4 months everywhere there is water and mud. On the same days, they yell and sow wheat, and tuturgan, and nogot, and everything edible. Their wine is repaired in great nuts - Gundustan goats; and braga is repaired in tatna. The horses are fed with nofut, and they cook kichiris with sugar, and they feed the horses, but with butter, but they give them wounds. In the Yndei land, horses will not give birth to them, oxen and buffaloes will be born in their land, goods are also driven on the same ones, they carry something else, they do everything.
Chyunerey, on the other hand, there is a city on a stone island, not made by anything, created by God. And they go up the mountain day by one person: the road is narrow, and it’s impossible for two to go.
In Yndeyskaya land, guests are placed in the farmstead, and they cook food for the guests of the sovereign, and make a bed for the guests of the sovereign, and sleep with the guests. Sikish orresen strangler of Beresin, Sikish ormes ek inhabitant of Bersen, dostur avrat chektur, and sikish mufut; they love white people.
In winter, they have people walking on the tail, and the other on the shoulder, and the third on the head; and the princes and boyars of the crowd put on their trousers, and a shirt, and a caftan, and a photo on the shoulder, and gird the other, and turn the third head. And behold Olo, Olo abr, Olo ak, Ollo kerem, Ollo ragim!
And in that one in Chuner, the khan took a stallion from me, and he learned that I was not a Besermenian - a Rusyn. And he says: “I will give a stallion and a thousand golden ladies, and stand in our faith - in Makhmetdeni; but you will not stand in our faith, in Makhmatdeni, and I will take a stallion and I will take a thousand pieces of gold on your head. And he committed the term for four days, in Osporino shitty on Spasov's day. And the Lord God had mercy on his honest holiday, did not leave his mercy from me, a sinner, and did not order me to die in Chuner with the wicked. And on the eve of Spasov, the host Makhmet of Horosan arrived, and beat him with his forehead, so that he would grieve about me. And he went to the Khan in the city and asked me to not put me in the faith, and he took my stallion from him. Such is the Ospodar's miracle on Spasov's day. Ino, Russian Christian brothers, who wants to go to the Yndei land, and you leave your faith in Rus', but exclaiming Makhmet and go to the Gundustan land.
The Besermen dogs lied to me, but they only said a lot of our goods, but there is nothing on our land: all the white goods on the Besermen land, pepper and paint, are cheap. Ino carry achei by sea, ini do not give duties. And other people will not let us carry out duties. And there are many duties, and there are many robbers on the sea. And all the Kafars break, neither the peasants, nor the besermen; but they pray with a stone blockhead, but they don’t know Christ, they don’t know Mahmet.
And I went out to Chunerya on Osporzhin day to Beder, to their big city. And I went for a month to Hiper; and from Beder to Kulonker 5 days; and from Kulonger to Kolberg 5 days. Between those great cities are many cities; for every day three cities, and another four cities; kolko kovov, only hailstones. There are 20 kovos from Chuvil to Chyuner, and 40 kovovo from Chyuner to Beder, and 9 kovovo from Beder to Kulonger, and 9 kovovo from Beder to Kolubergu.
In Bedera, there is bargaining for horses, for goods, and for damask, and for silk, for all other goods, so that black people can buy in it; and there are no other purchases in it. Yes, all their goods are from Gundustan, and all edibles are vegetables, but there are no goods for the Russian land. And all the black people, and all the villains, and the zhonki are all whores, but lead, yes, tati, yes, lies, yes, potion, having given away the potion.
In the Yndei land, all the Khorosans reign, and all the boyars are Khorosans. And the Gundustans are all pedestrians, but the Horosans walk in front of them on horseback, and others are all on foot, they walk greyhounds, and all are naked and barefoot, with a shield in their hands, and in the other a sword, and others with great bows with straight arrows. And fight them all elephants. Yes, they let the footmen go ahead, and the Khorosans on horses and in armor, and the horses themselves. And to the elephant they knit to the snout and to the tooth great swords forged according to the centar, and they will wrap them in damask armor, but towns are made on them, and in the towns there are 12 people in armor, but all with cannons and arrows.
They have one place, Shihb Aludin Pir Yatyr Bazaar Alyadinand. For a year there is one bazaar, the whole country of Indian trade gathers, and they trade for 10 days; from Beder 12 kov. Horses are brought in, up to 20 thousand horses are sold, all goods are brought. In the Gundustan land, this bargain is the best, every product is sold and bought in memory of Shikha Aladin, and in Russian on the Protection of the Holy Mother of God. There is a gukuk bird in that Alanda, it flies at night, and calls: “kuk-kuk”, and on which the horomine sits, then a person will die; and whoever wants to kill her, otherwise fire will come out of her mouth. And mamons walk at night, and have chickens, but live in a mountain or in a stone. And the monkeys, they live in the forest. And they have a monkey prince, let him walk with his army. Yes, whoever cares, and they favor their prince, and he sends his army to him, and they, having come to the city, ruin the courtyards and beat people. And their rati, they say, are many, and they have their own language. And many children will be born; Yes, which will be born neither in the father nor in the mother, and they rush along the roads. Some Hindustanis have those, and teach them all kinds of needlework, while others are sold at night so that they don’t know how to run back, and others are taught mikanet bases.
Spring began with them from the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God. And they celebrate Shiga Aladin, spring is two weeks along the Intercession, and they celebrate 8 days. And spring lasts 3 months, and summer 3 months, and winter 3 months, autumn 3 months.
In Bederi, their table is for Gundustan of Besermen. And the city is great, and there are many people. And the saltan is small - 20 years old, but the boyars keep it, and the Khorosans reign, and all the Khorosans fight.
There is a Khorosan meliktuchar boyar, otherwise he has two hundred thousand armies, and Melikkhan has 100 thousand, and Faratkhan has 20 thousand, and many of those khans have 10 thousand armies each. And with the Saltan, three hundred thousand of their armies come out.
And the land is crowded with velmi, and the rural people are naked with velmi, and the boyars are strong, good and magnificent with velmi. And all of them are carried on their beds on silver ones, and horses are led in front of them in gold tackles up to 20; and 300 people on horseback behind them, and five hundred people on foot, and 10 pipe workers, and 10 people on nagarnikov, and 10 pipers.
Saltan, on the other hand, goes out for fun with his mother and his wife, sometimes with him there are 10 thousand people on horseback, and fifty thousand on foot, and two hundred elephants are led out, dressed in gilded armor, and before him there are a hundred trumpeters, and a hundred people dancing, and simple horses 300 in gold tackle, and a hundred monkeys behind him, and a hundred whores, and all are gaurok.
In Saltanov's courtyard there are seven gates, and in the gate sits one hundred watchmen and one hundred Kafar scribes. Who will go, ini write down, and who will leave, ini write down. And garipov are not allowed into the city. And his court is wonderfully velmy, everything is cut and in gold, and the last stone is carved and gold is described velmi wonderfully. Yes, in his yard there are different courts.
The city of Hips is guarded at night by a thousand kutovalovs, and they ride horses in armor, and everyone has a light.
And he sold his stallion in Bederi. Yes, I gave him sixty and eight futuns, and fed him for a year. In Bederi, snakes walk the streets, and its length is two fathoms. And he came to Beder about the conspiracy about Filipov and Kulonger, and sold his stallion about Christmas.
And here I would have gone to the Great Confinement in Bederi and got to know many Indians. And I told them my faith, that I am not a Besermenian and poisoning, and I am a Christian, but my name is Ofonasei, but the Besermenian name of the host Isuf Horosani. And they did not learn from me to reveal anything, neither about food, nor about trade, nor about manaz, nor about other things, nor did they teach their zhon to hide.
Yes, everything is about faith about their trials, and they say: we believe in Adam, and the butes, it seems, that is, Adam and his whole family. And faith in Indians of all 80 and 4 faiths, and everyone believes in buta. And faith with faith neither drink, nor eat, nor marry. And another is boranine, yes chickens, yes fish, yes eggs, but no faith can eat oxen.
In Bederi, it was 4 months and they lit up from the Indians to go to Pervot, then their Jerusalem, and along the Besermen Myagkat, where their butkhana is. In the same place, they died from the Indians and let them be Khans for a month. And I've been trading at the butkhana for 5 days. But Velmi’s butkhana is great, with half of Tver, a stone, but the acts of the butovy are cut on it. Around her, all 12 crowns were cut, how but miracles worked, how they showed many images to them: first, he appeared in a human way; the other, man, and the nose of elephants; third, a man, and a vision of a monkey; fourthly, a man, but in the image of a fierce beast, but appeared to them all with a tail. And it is carved on stones, and the tail through it is fathoms.
The whole country of India comes to the butkhan for the miracle of butovo. Yes, old and young, women and girls shave at the butkhan. And they shave all their hair, - and beards, and heads, and tails. Let them go to the butkhan. Yes, from every head they pay two sheshkeni duties per buta, and from horses four feet. And all the people come to the butkhanu bysty azar lek vah bashet sat azar lek.
In the butkhan, the boot is carved from black stone, the velmi is great, and his tail is through it, but he raised his right hand high and stretched it out, like Usteneyan the Tsar of Tsaregrad, and in his left hand he has a spear. But there is nothing on him, but his chin is due to his fly, and his vision is monkeyish. And some butovy naked, there is nothing, the cat is achyuk, and the butovy naga zhonki are carved with rubbish and with children. And in front of the buta, there is a great ox, and it is carved from stone and black, and all is gilded. And they kiss him on the hoof, and pour flowers on him. And flowers are poured on the buta.
The Indians do not eat any kind of meat, neither yalovichina, nor boranine, nor chicken meat, nor fish, nor pork, but they have a lot of pigs. They eat twice a day, but they don’t eat at night, and they don’t drink wine, nor are they full. And besermen neither drink nor eat. And their food is bad. And one with one neither drinks, nor eats, nor with his wife. And they eat brynets, and kichiri with butter, and eat rose herbs, and boil with butter and milk, and they eat everything with their right hand, but they won’t take it for anything with their left. But the knife does not shake, and the liars do not know. And on the road, who cooks porridge for himself, and everyone has a mountain top. And they hide from besermen, so that they don’t look either into the mountaineer or into the food. And just look, otherwise they don’t eat. And they eat, they cover themselves with a fee so that no one sees it.
And their prayer to the east, in Russian. Both hands are raised high, and placed on the crown of the head, and lie prostrate on the ground, and the whole body is stretched on the ground, then their bows. And the eaters sit down, and they wash their hands and feet, and rinse their mouths. But their booths are without doors, but are placed to the east, and the booths are to the east. And whoever dies among them, they burn them and throw ashes on the water. And the wife gives birth to a child, sometimes the husband babits, and the father gives the name to the son, and the daughter's mother. But they don’t have dobrovt, but they don’t know litter. He went or came, the Yin Xia bowed in Chernechsky, both hands reached the ground, but did not say anything.
They go to Pervoti about a great conspiracy, to their butu. Theirs is Jerusalem, and the Besermen Myakka, and in Russian Jerusalem, and in Indian Porvat. And all the naked people come together, only on a bunch of boards; and the zhonki are all naked, only on the tail of a photo, and others are in photos, and there are a lot of pearls on their necks, and yachts, and hoops and gold rings on their hands. Ollo wow! And inside to the butkhan they go to the will, and the ox's horns are bound with media, and on his neck there are three hundred bells, and the hooves are shod with media. And those oxen are called achchei.
The Indians call the ox father, and the cow matter. And they bake bread with their feces and boil their own food, and with that ashes they smear a banner on the face, and on the forehead, and all over the body. In the week and on Monday they eat one day. In Yndeya, as a chektur, but I study: you cut or irsen iki inhabitants; akichany ila atarsyn alty zhetel take; bulara dostur. And kul koravash uchyuz char funa hub, bem funa hube sia; kapkara amchuk kichi he likes.
From Pervati, you came to Beder, fifteen days before the Besermen ulubagr. But I don’t know the Great Day and the Resurrection of Christ, but I’m guessing from the signs. Great is the day of the Christian first Besermen’s Bagram in nine days or ten days. And with me there is nothing, no book; but I took the books with me from Rus', otherwise if they robbed me, they took them, and I forgot all the Christian faiths. Peasant holidays, I don’t know Great Days, I don’t know the Nativity of Christ, I don’t know Wednesday or Friday; and in between is the vertangrydan stirrup Ol saklasyn: “Ollo bad, Ollo ak, Ollo you, Ollo akber, Ollo ragym, Ollo kerim, Ollo ragym ello, Ollo karim hello, tangresen, thin-sensen. There is only one God, Thy king of glory, creator of heaven and earth.”
And I'm going to Rus', ketmyshtyr name, ruch tutty. The month of March has passed, and the yaz spoke for besermens a week, yes, I spoke for a month, I didn’t eat meat and nothing quick, no besermenian food, but I ate bread and water twice a day, avratyla yatmadym. Yes, I prayed to Christ the almighty, who created heaven and earth, and I did not call anyone else by name, God Ollo, God Kerim. God is ragim, God is bad. God akber, God the king of glory, Ollo varenno, Ollo ragim elno sensen Ollo you.<...>
Maya month 1 day Great day took Esmi in Bedera in Besermen in Gundustan, and Besermen Bagram was taken in the middle of the month; and Esmi spoke of the month of April 1 day. About the good faith of Rustia Christians! Whoever swims a lot in many lands, they fall into many troubles, and let them deprive them of their Christian faith. But I am the servant of God Athonasius, took pity on the Christian faith. I have already passed 4 Great Goveina and 4 Great Days, but as a sinner I don’t know what a Great Day or Goveina is, I don’t know the Nativity of Christ, I don’t know any other holidays, I don’t know Wednesday or Friday - but I don’t have books. If they robbed me, they took my books. But from many misfortunes I went to Indei, there was nothing left for me to go to Rus' with, I had nothing left for goods. The first Great day took you in Cain, and the other Great day in Chebokaru in the Mazdran land, the third Great day in Gurmyz, the fourth Great day took you in Yndey from besermen in Beder; the same many weeping for the Christian faith.
Besermenin Melik, he forced me a lot into the faith of the Besermenian article. And I told him: “Lord! You are prayer kalarsen, men and prayer are kilarmen; you besh namaz kylarsiz, men yes 3 kalarmen; less garip, and canopy inchai. He speaks in the world: “True, you don’t seem to be a besermen, but you don’t know Christianism.” But I fell into many thoughts, and rekoh in myself: “Woe to me, the accursed one, as if I have lost my way from the true path and I don’t know the path, I’ll go somewhere already. Lord God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth! Do not turn your face away from your slave, as if I am in sorrow. God! Look upon me and have mercy on me, for I am your creation; do not turn me away, Lord, from the true path, guide me. Lord, on the right path, as if I did not do you any virtue in need. Lord, my God, for all the days of their good days are in evil. My God, Ollo is the first god, Ollo you, Karim Ollo, Ragim Ollo, Karim Ollo, Ragim Hello; ahamdulimo. Already four great days have passed in the Besermensky land, but I have not left Christianity. Beyond that, God knows what will happen. Lord my God, in your hopes, save me, Lord my God.
In Yndeya, in Besermenskaya, in the Great Beder, you looked at the Great Night on the Great Day, Volosyns and Kola entered the dawn, and the Elk was heading to the east.
The sultan rode on the bagry on the Besermenskaya for teferich, sometimes with him 20 great vozyrs, and three hundred elephants dressed in damask armor and from the towns, and the towns were chained. Yes, in the towns there are 6 people in armor, and with cannons and squeakers, and on a great elephant 12 people each. Yes, for each there are two great parters, and great swords are tied to the tooth according to the centar, and great iron weights are tied to the snout. Yes, a man sits in armor between his ears, but he has a great iron hook, and so they rule him. Yes, there are a thousand simple horses in golden tacks, and a hundred camels with soot, and 30.0 trumpeters, and 300 dancers, and 300 carpets. three sabers on it are bound with gold, and the saddle is gold, and the tackle is gold, and all is gold. Yes, before him gallops Kafar pesh and plays Teremets, but behind him there are many footmen. Yes, a good elephant follows him, and all dressed up in a damask, and upholsters people, but he has a large iron chain in his mouth, and upholsters horses and people, no matter who steps on the saltan close.
And the brother of the sultans, and he sits on a bed on a golden one, and above him there is an oksamiten tower, and a poppy of gold from a yacht, and 20 people carry it.
And the makhtum sits on a bed on a golden one, and above him there is a tower of Shidians with a golden poppy, and they carry him on 4 horses in golden tackle. Yes, there are a lot of people around him, and there are singers in front of him, and there are many dancers; yes, all with bare swords, yes with sabers, yes with shields, yes with sulits, yes with copies, yes with bows with straight lines with great ones. Yes, the horses are all in armor, but the sadaks are on them. And other nagas are all, one cloak on the goose, hung with rubbish.
In Beder, the month is full for three days. There is no sweet vegetable in Bedera. There is no strong vara in Gundustani. Silen var in Gurmyz and in Kyatobagryim, where pearls will give birth, and in Zhide, and in Bak, and in Misyur, and in Orobstani, and in Lara. But in the Khorosan land it is different, but not like that. And in Chegotani it’s very varno. In Shiryazi, but in Ride, but in Kashini it’s varno, but there is a wind. And in Gilyai it is stuffy, and the parlor is dashing, but in Shamakhi, steam is dashing; yes, in Babylon it is varno, yes in Khumit, yes in Sham it is varno, but in Lyap it is not so varno.
And in Sevastia Bay and in the Gurzyn land, good is offensive to everyone. Yes, the Turkish land is offensive to Velmy. Yes, everything edible is insulting and cheap in the Voloska land. Yes, and Podolsk land is offensive to everyone. And Rus er tangryd saklasyn; Ollo sakla, bad sakla! Bu daniada munu kibit er ektur; Nechik Urus eri begliari some tugil; Urus er abodan bolsyn; rast kam gives. Ollo, Khudo, God, Danira.
Oh my God! On thee hopes, save me, Lord! I don’t know the way, I’ll go from Gundustan to Gurmyz: go to Gurmyz, but there’s no way from Gurmyz to Horosan, there’s no way to Chegotai, there’s no way to Bodat, there’s no way to Katabogryim, there’s no way to Ride, there’s no way to Rabostan No. That everywhere Bulgak became; knocked out princes everywhere. Yaisha myrza was killed by Uzoasanbeg, and Sultan Musyait was fed, and Uzuosanbek sat on Shiryaz, and the earth did not hold together, and Ediger Makhmet, who does not go to him, is observed. And there is no other way. And go to Myakka, otherwise become in the Besermenian faith. In the past, the Christians do not go to Myakka of faith, dividing what to put in faith. And to live in Gundustani, otherwise the whole sobina is sick, everything is expensive for them: one person, sometimes half a third of Altyn goes for food for a day, but you didn’t drink wine, nor are you full.<...>
On the fifth Great day, I thought about Rus'. Idoh from Beder hail, a month before the ulubagryam of Besermen, Mamet Denis promised. And the Great day of the Christians I do not know the Resurrection of Christ, but the govey of their goveh z besermen, and broke the fast with them, and the Great day took in Kelbury from Bederi 10 kov.
The Sultan came and meliktuchar with his army on the 15th day along the ulebagryma, and in Kelberg. But the war was not successful for them, one city was taken by the Indian, and many of their people were bent, and the treasury wasted a lot.
But the Indian Saltan Kadam Velmi is strong, and he has a lot of rati. And he sits in a mountain in Bichineger, and his city is great. There are three ditches around it, and a river flows through it. And from one country his zhengel is evil, and from another country the dol came, and the place is wonderful and pleasing to everyone. There is nowhere to go to one country, the road is through the city, but there is nowhere to take the city, the mountain has come great and the deber of evil tick. Under the city, the army flocked for a month, and people died without water, and many heads of Velma were bent from hunger and lack of water. And he looks at the water, but there is nowhere to take it.
And the hail took the Indian melikchan host, and took him by force, day and night fought with the city for 20 days, the army neither drank nor ate, stood under the city with cannons. And his rati bent five thousand good people. And he took the city, and they carved 20 thousand male and female livestock, and took 20 thousand full of great and small.
And they sold a full head for 10 teneks, and another for 5 teneks, and robyata for two teneks. And there was nothing in the treasury. But he did not take the big city.
And from Kelbergu went to Kuluri. And in Kuluri, an akhik is born, and they make it, they deliver it to the whole world from there. And in the Kuriles, there are three hundred diamond miners mikunet. And the same for five months, and from there Kaliki died. The same bozar velmi is great. And from there I went to Konaberg, and from Kanaberg I went to Sheikh Aladin. And from Shih Aladin he went to Amendriye, and from Kamendria to Nyaryas, and from Kinaryas to Suri, and from Suri he went to Dabyli - the haven of the Indian Sea.
Dabil is the city of Velmy is great, and besides, Dabyli and the whole coast of India and Ethiopia comes together. The same accursed servant of Afonasios, the God of the Most High, the creator of heaven and earth, pondered according to the Christian faith, and after the baptism of Christ, and according to the holy fathers, according to the commandments of the apostles, and rushed with the mind to go to Rus'. And he went into the tava, and talked about the ship, and from his head there were two golden cities to Gurmyz. I entered the ship from Dabyl grad to Velik days for three months of besermensky gowain.
And Idoh in Tava by sea for a month, and saw nothing. The next month, I saw the mountains of Ethiopia, the same people shouted all over: “Ollo pervodiger, Ollo konkar, Bazim Bashi is wise to nasin a big mouse”, and in Russian they say: “God grant, God, God above, the king of heaven, here he judged us thou perish!”
In the same land of Ethiopia there were five days. By the grace of God, evil did not do it. They distributed a lot of cheese, and pepper, and Ethiopian bread, but they did not rob the ship.
And from there they went 12 days to Moshkat. In Moshkat, the sixth Great day took. And I went to Gurmyz for 9 days, and in Gurmyz for 20 days. And from Gurmyz I went to Lari, and there were three days in Lari. From Lari I went to Shiryazi for 12 days, and in Shiryaz for 7 days. And from Shiryaz I went to Verga for 15 days, and to Velergu for 10 days. And from Vergu I went to Ride for 9 days, and to Ride by 8 days. And Izdi went to Spagani for 5 days, and to Spagani for 6 days. And is Paganipoidoh Kashini, and in Kashini there were 5 days. And Is Kashina went to Kuma, and Is Kuma went to Sava. And from Sava I went to Sultan, and from Sultania I went to Terviz, and from Terviz I went to the Asanbeg horde. And the horde was 10 days old, but there is no way to go anywhere. And he sent rati of his court 40 thousand to Tursk. Ini Sevast was taken, and Tokhat was taken and burned, Amasia was taken, and many villages were plundered, but they went to fight against the Karaman.
And the yaz from the horde went to Artsytsyan, and from Ortsshchan I went to Trepison.
In Trepison, the Holy Mother of God and the Ever-Virgin Mary came to the Intercession, and they were in Trabizon for 5 days. And he came to the ship and talked about nalon - to give gold from his head to Kafa; and I took the golden Esmi for grub, and gave in the Cafe.
And in Trabizon, the same shubash and pasha did a lot of evil. They took all my rubbish to their place in the city on the mountain and searched everything - what a good trifle, and they robbed everything. And they search for letters that you have come from the horde of Asanbeg.
By the grace of God, I came to the third Black Sea, and in the Parsi language, Doria Stimbolskaa. And Idoh on the sea by the wind for 10 days, reached Vonada, and there we were met by a great midnight wind, bring us back to Trabizon, and we stood in Platan for 15 days, the wind is great and evil. ex. Yes, I went to the sea twice, and the evil wind meets us, it will not let us walk on the sea. Ollo ak, Ollo Bad pervodiger! I don't know the development of that other God.
And the sea is a rogue, but bring us to Balikae, and from there to Tokorzov, and that I stood for 5 days. By the grace of God, I came to Kafu 9 days before the Filipov conspiracy. Ollo pioneer!
By the grace of God, the three seas passed. Diger Khudo dono, Ollo the first-digger is given. Amen! Smilna rahmam ragim. Ollo akbir, akshi Khudo, ilello aksh Khodo. Isa ruhoalo, aaliksolom. Ollo akber. And ilyagaila ilello. Ollo is a pioneer. Ahamdu lillo, shukur Khudo afatad. Bismilnagi rahmam rragim. Khuvo can climb, la lasaille guya alimul gyaibi wa shagaditi. Fuck rahman ragim, khubo can climb. Lyailaga il lyakhuya. Almelik, alacudos, asaloma, almumin, almugamina, alazizu, alchebar, almutakanbiru, alkhaliku, albariuu, almusaviru, alkafaru, alkaljaru, alvazahu, alryazak, alphatag, alalimu, alcabizu, albasuvisu, alkhafizu, alliru, almizilyu, almuzilu, almuzilu alakama, aladulu, alatufu.

“TRAVELING FOR THREE SEAS” AFANASIY NIKITIN
(Translated by L.S. Smirnov)

In the year 6983 (1475). (...) In the same year I received the notes of Athanasius, a merchant of Tver, he had been in India for four years1, and he writes that he set off on a journey with Vasily Papin2. I asked when Vasily Papin was sent with gyrfalcons as an ambassador from the Grand Duke, and they told me that a year before the Kazan campaign he returned from the Horde, and died near Kazan, shot with an arrow, when Prince Yuri went to Kazan3. I did not find in the records in what year Athanasius went or in what year he returned from India and died, but they say that he died before reaching Smolensk. And he wrote notes with his own hand, and those notebooks with his notes were brought by merchants to Moscow to Vasily Mamyrev, the clerk of the Grand Duke4.
For the prayer of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the servant of your sinful son Athanasius Nikitin.
I wrote down here about my sinful journey beyond three seas: the first sea is Derbent5, Daria Khvalisskaya6, the second sea is Indian, Daria Gundustanskaya, the third sea is Black, Daria Istanbulskaya.
I went from the Savior7 of the holy golden-domed with his grace, from my sovereign Grand Duke Mikhail Borisovich8 of Tverskoy, from Bishop Gennady of Tverskoy and from Boris Zakharyich9.
I swam down the Volga. And he came to the Kalyazinsky Monastery to the Holy Trinity of the Life-Giving and the Holy Martyrs Boris and Gleb. And he received a blessing from hegumen Macarius and the holy brethren. From Kalyazin I sailed to Uglich, and from Uglich they let me go without any obstacles. And, having sailed from Uglich, he arrived in Kostroma and came to Prince Alexander with another diploma from the Grand Duke. And they let me go without a hitch. And he arrived safely in Ples.
And I came to Nizhny Novgorod to Mikhail Kiselev, the governor, and to the messenger Ivan Saraev, and they let me go without obstacles. And Vasily Papin, however, had already passed the city, and I was waiting for two weeks in Nizhny Novgorod for Hasan-bek, the ambassador of the Shirvanshah10 of the Tatars. And he rode with gyrfalcons from the Grand Duke Ivan11, and he had ninety gyrfalcons.
I swam with them down the Volga. Kazan passed without obstacles, did not see anyone, and Orda and Uslan, and Saray, and Berekezan sailed and entered Buzan12. And then three infidel Tatars met us and gave us a false message: “Sultan Kasim is in wait for merchants in Buzan, and with him three thousand Tatars.” The ambassador of the Shirvanshah, Hasan-bek, gave them a single-row caftan and a piece of linen to take us past Astrakhan. And they, the unfaithful Tatars, took one by one, and sent the message to the tsar in Astrakhan. And I left my ship with my comrades, went to the embassy ship.
We sail past Astrakhan, and the moon is shining, and the tsar saw us, and the Tatars shouted to us: “Kachma - don’t run!” But we didn’t hear anything about it and we’re running under sail. For our sins, the king sent all his people after us. They overtook us on Bohun and started shooting at us. We shot a man, and we shot two of their Tatars. And our smaller ship got stuck near Eza13, and they immediately took it and plundered it, and all my luggage was on that ship.
We reached the sea on a large ship, but it became aground at the mouth of the Volga, and then they overtook us and ordered the ship to be pulled up the river to the eza. And our big ship was robbed here and four Russians were taken prisoner, and we were released with our bare heads across the sea, and they didn’t let us go back, up the river, so that they wouldn’t give us news.
And we went, weeping, on two ships to Derbent: in one ship, the ambassador Hasan-bek, yes tezik14, yes, we Russians, ten people; and in another ship - six Muscovites, and six Tverites, and cows, and our food. And a storm arose on the sea, and the smaller ship broke on the shore. And here stands the town of Tarki15, and people went ashore, but kaitaks16 came and took everyone prisoner.
And we came to Derbent, and Vasily arrived there safely, and we were robbed. And I beat Vasily Papin and the ambassador of the Shirvanshah Hasan-bek, with whom we came with, with my brow - so that I would take care of the people whom the kaitaks had captured near Tarki. And Hassan-bek went to the mountain to ask Bulat-bek. And Bulat-bek sent a messenger to the Shirvanshah to convey: “Sir! The Russian ship crashed near Tarki, and the kaitaks, having arrived, took people prisoner, and plundered their goods.
And the Shirvanshah immediately sent an ambassador to his brother-in-law, the prince of kaitaks Khalil-bek: “My ship crashed near Tarki, and your people, having come, captured people from it, and plundered their goods; and you, for my sake, people came to me and collect their goods, because those people were sent to me. And what will you need from me, and you send to me, and I will not contradict you, my brother, in anything. And those people came to me, and you, for my sake, let them go to me without obstacles. And Khalil-bek released all the people to Derbent immediately without obstacles, and from Derbent they were sent to the Shirvanshah, to his headquarters - koitul.
We went to the Shirvanshah, to his headquarters, and beat him with our foreheads so that he would grant us, than to reach Rus'. And he did not give us anything: they say, there are many of us. And we parted, crying, who went where: whoever had what was left in Rus', he went to Rus', and whoever had to, he went wherever his eyes looked. Others remained in Shamakhi, while others went to work in Baku.
And I went to Derbent, and from Derbent to Baku, where the fire burns unquenchable17, and from Baku I went across the sea to Chapakur.
And I lived in Chapakur18 for six months, and I lived in Sari for a month, in the Mazandaran land19. And from there he went to Amol20 and lived there for a month. And from there he went to Demavend21, and from Demavend to Ray22. Here they killed Shah Hussein, one of the children of Ali, the grandchildren of Muhammad23, and the curse of Muhammad fell on the murderers - seventy cities were destroyed.
From Ray I went to Kashan and lived there for a month, and from Kashan to Nain, and from Nain to Yazd and lived there for a month. And from Yazd he went to Sirjan, and from Sirjan to Tarom24, livestock are fed here with dates, batman25 sell dates for four altyns. And from Tarom I went to Lara, and from Lara - to Bender - then the Hormuz pier. And then the Indian Sea, in Persian Daria Gundustanskaya; to Ormuz-grad from here four miles to go.
And Ormuz is on an island, and the sea comes on him twice every day. Here I spent my first Pascha, and came to Ormuz four weeks before Pascha. And therefore I did not name all the cities, that there are many more large cities. Great is the heat of the sun in Hormuz, it will burn a man. I was in Hormuz for a month, and from Hormuz after Pascha on the day of Radunitsa26 I went in tave27 with horses across the Indian Sea.
And we traveled by sea to Muscat28 for ten days, and from Muscat to Degas29 four days, and from Degas to Gujarat30, and from Gujarat to Cambay31, Paint and varnish will be born here. From Cambay they sailed to Chaul32, and from Chaul they left in the seventh week after Easter, and six weeks went by sea in tava to Chaul.
And here is the Indian country, and ordinary people walk naked, but their heads are not covered, and their breasts are bare, and their hair is braided in one braid, everyone walks around with belly fat, and children are born every year, and they have many children. Of the common people, men and women are all naked and all black. Wherever I go, there are many people behind me - they marvel at the white man. The local prince has a veil on his head, and another on his hips, and the boyars there have a veil over his shoulder, and another on his hips, and the princesses go around - a veil is thrown over their shoulders, another veil is on their hips. And the servants of princes and boyars have one veil wrapped around their hips, and a shield, and a sword in their hands, some with darts, others with daggers, and others with sabers, and others with bows and arrows; Yes, they are all naked, yes barefoot, but strong, but they don’t shave their hair. And ordinary women walk around - their heads are not covered, and their breasts are bare, while boys and girls walk naked until they are seven years old, their shame is not covered.
From Chaul they went on land, they went to Pali for eight days, to the Indian mountains. And ten days went from Pali to Die, then an Indian city. And from Umri there are seven days' journey to Junnar.
An Indian khan rules here - Asad-khan of Dzhunnar, and he serves melik-at-tujar34. Troops were given to him from melik-at-tujar, they say; seventy thousand. And the melik-at-tujar has two hundred thousand troops under his command, and he has been fighting with the infidels35 for twenty years: and they defeated him more than once, and he defeated them many times. Asadkhan rides in public. And he has a lot of elephants, and he has a lot of good horses, and he has a lot of warriors, Khorasans36. And horses are brought from the Khorasan land, others from the Arab land, others from the Turkmen land, others from the Chagotai land, and they are all brought by sea in tavs - Indian ships.
And I, a sinner, brought the stallion to the Indian land, and went with him to Junnar, with God's help, healthy, and he became me a hundred rubles. Their winter began on Trinity Day37. I wintered in Junnar, lived here for two months. Every day and night - for four whole months - everywhere there is water and mud. These days they plow with them and sow wheat, and rice, and peas, and everything edible. Their wine is made from large nuts, the Gundustan goats38 are called, and the braga is made from tatna39. Here horses are fed with peas, and khichri40 is boiled with sugar and butter, and horses are fed with it, and in the morning they give sheshni41. Horses are not found in the Indian land, bulls and buffaloes are born in their land - they ride and carry goods and other things, they do everything.
Dzhunnar-grad stands on a stone rock, not fortified by anything, protected by God. And the paths to that mountain go by one person at a time: the road is narrow, two cannot pass.
In Indian land, merchants are settled in inns. The maids cook for the guests, and the maids make the bed, and sleep with the guests. (If you have a close relationship with her, give two inhabitants, if you do not have a close connection, give one inhabitant. There are many wives here according to the rule of temporary marriage, and then a close relationship is free); they love white people.
In winter, they have ordinary people walking around - a veil on their hips, another on their shoulders, and a third on their heads; and princes and boyars then put on ports, and a shirt, and a caftan, and a veil on their shoulders, they will gird themselves with another veil, and wrap their head with a third veil. (O God, great God. True Lord, generous God, merciful God!)
And in that Junnar, the khan took away my stallion when he found out that I was not a Besermenian, but a Rusyn. And he said: “And I will return the stallion, and a thousand golden ladies in addition, just go over to our faith - to Mukhammeddin42. But if you don’t convert to our faith, to Muhammadini, I’ll take a stallion, and I’ll take a thousand gold pieces from your head.” And he appointed a deadline - four days, on the Day of the Savior, on the Dormition fast43. Yes, the Lord God took pity on his honest holiday, did not leave me, a sinner, with his mercy, did not let me die in Junnar among the infidels. On the eve of Spasov Day, the treasurer Mohammed, a Khorasanian, arrived, and I beat him with my forehead so that he would fuss for me. And he went to the city to Asad Khan and asked for me so that they would not convert me to their faith, and he took my stallion back from the Khan. Such is the Lord's miracle on Spasov's day. And so, brothers Russian Christians, whoever wants to go to the Indian land - leave your faith in Rus', yes, having called on Muhammad, go to the Gundustan land.
The besermen dogs lied to me, they said that there is a lot of our goods, but there is nothing for our land: all the goods are white for the Besermen land, pepper and paint are cheap. Those who carry oxen across the sea do not pay those duties. And we will not be allowed to transport goods without duty. And there are many duties, and there are many robbers on the sea. Infidels rob, they are not Christians and they are not bezermen: they pray to stone blockheads and they don’t know either Christ or Muhammad.
And from Dzhunnar they went to Uspenye and went to Bidar, their main city. It took a month to Bidar, and five days from Bidar to Kulongiri, and five days from Kulongiri to Gulbarga. ...

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Afanasy Nikitin - the first Russian traveler, author of "Journey Beyond the Three Seas"

Afanasy Nikitin, merchant from Tver. He is rightfully considered not only the first Russian merchant who visited India (a quarter of a century before the Portuguese Vasco da Gama), but also the first Russian traveler in general. The name of Afanasy Nikitin opens the list of brilliant and most interesting sea and land Russian explorers and discoverers, whose names are inscribed in golden letters on the world history of geographical discoveries.

The name of Athanasius Nikitin became known to contemporaries and descendants due to the fact that he kept a diary, or rather travel notes, throughout his stay in the East and India. In these notes, he described with many details and details the cities and countries he visited, the way of life, customs and traditions of peoples and rulers ... The author himself called his manuscript "Journey beyond the three seas." The three seas are Derbent (Caspian), Arabian (Indian Ocean) and Black.

Quite a bit did not reach on the way back A. Nikitin to his native Tver. His comrades handed over the manuscript of "Journey beyond the Three Seas" into the hands of the clerk Vasily Mamyrev. From him she got into the annals of 1488. Obviously, contemporaries appreciated the importance of the manuscript, if they decided to include its text in the historical chronicles.

N. M. Karamzin, the author of the “History of the Russian State”, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, accidentally stumbled upon one of the chronicles of the “Journey ...”. Thanks to him, the journey of the Tver merchant A. Nikitin became public knowledge.

The texts of A. Nikitin's travel notes testify to the broad outlook of the author, his good command of business Russian speech. When reading them, you involuntarily catch yourself thinking that almost all the author's notes are completely understandable, although they were written more than five hundred years ago!

Brief information about the journey of Afanasy Nikitin

Nikitin Afanasy Nikitich

Tver merchant. Year of birth unknown. Place of birth too. He died in 1475 near Smolensk. Exact date the start of the journey is also unknown. According to a number of authoritative historians, this is most likely the year 1468.

Purpose of Travel:

an ordinary commercial expedition along the Volga as part of a caravan of river boats from Tver to Astrakhan, establishing economic ties with Asian merchants trading along the Great Silk Road passing through the famous Shemakha.

This assumption is indirectly confirmed by the fact that Russian merchants went down the Volga accompanied by Asan bey, ambassador of the sovereign Shamakhi, Shirvan Shah Forus-Esar. Shemakhan's ambassador Asan-bek was on a visit to Tver and Moscow with the Grand Duke Ivan III, and went home after the Russian ambassador Vasily Papin.

A. Nikitin and his comrades equipped 2 ships, loading them with various goods for trade. The commodity of Afanasy Nikitin, as can be seen from his notes, was junk, that is, furs. Obviously, ships and other merchants sailed in the caravan. It should be said that Afanasy Nikitin was an experienced, courageous and resolute merchant. Before that, he visited distant countries more than once - Byzantium, Moldova, Lithuania, Crimea - and safely returned home with overseas goods, which is indirectly confirmed in his diary.

Shemakha

one of the most important points throughout the Great Silk Road. Located on the territory of present-day Azerbaijan. Being at the crossroads of caravan routes, Shemakha was one of the major trade and craft centers in the Middle East, occupying an important place in the silk trade. Back in the 16th century, trade relations between Shemakha and Venetian merchants were mentioned. Azerbaijani, Iranian, Arab, Central Asian, Russian, Indian and Western European merchants traded in Shamakhi. Shemakha is mentioned by A. S. Pushkin in “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel” (“Give me a girl, the Shemakhan queen”).

A. Nikitin's caravan enlisted travel letter from Grand Duke Mikhail Borisovich to move around the territory of the Tver principality and grand ducal travel charter abroad, with which he sailed to Nizhny Novgorod. Here they planned to meet with the Moscow ambassador Papin, who was also on his way to Shemakha, but did not have time to capture him.

Departed from the Savior of the holy golden-domed and succumbed to his mercy, from his sovereign from Grand Duke Mikhail Borisovich Tversky ...

It is interesting that initially Afanasy Nikitin did not plan to visit Persia and India!

Historical setting during the journey of A. Nikitin

The Golden Horde, which controlled the Volga, was still quite strong in 1468. Recall that Rus' finally threw off the Horde yoke only in 1480, after the famous “standing on the Ugra”. In the meantime, the Russian principalities were in vassal dependence. And if they regularly paid tribute and "did not show off", then they were allowed some freedoms, including trade. But the danger of a robbery always existed, so the merchants gathered in caravans.

Why does a Russian merchant address Mikhail Borisovich, Grand Duke of Tverskoy, as a sovereign? The fact is that at that time Tver was still an independent principality that was not part of the Muscovite state and was constantly fighting with it for primacy in the Russian lands. Recall that finally the territory of the Tver principality became part of the Moscow kingdom under Ivan III (1485).

P consolation A. Nikitin can be divided into 4 parts:

1) travel from Tver to the southern shores of the Caspian Sea;

2) the first trip to Persia;

3) a trip to India and

4) the return journey through Persia to Rus'.

Its entire path is clearly visible on the map.

So, the first stage is a journey along the Volga. It went well, right up to Astrakhan. Near Astrakhan, the expedition was attacked by robber gangs of local Tatars, the ships were sunk and looted

And I passed Kazan voluntarily, we didn’t see anyone, and I passed the Horde, and Uslan, and Saray, and I passed the Berekezans. And we drove to Buzan. Then three filthy Tatars ran into us and told us false news: "Kaisym Saltan guards the guests in Buzan, and with him three thousand Tatars." And the ambassador of the Shirvanshin Asanbeg gave them a single coat and a linen to take them past Khaztarakhan. And they, filthy Tatars, took one by one, but they gave the news to Khaztarakhan (Astrakhan) king. And the yaz left his ship and climbed on the ship for a word and with his comrades.

We drove past Khaztarakhan, and the moon was shining, and the tsar saw us, and the Tatars called to us: "Kachma, don't run!" And we didn’t hear anything, but we ran like a sail. Because of our sin, the king sent his entire horde after us. Ini overtook us on Bohun and taught us to shoot. And we shot a man, and they shot two Tatars. And our smaller ship was on the move, and they took us and plundered us that hour , and mine was small junk all in a smaller vessel.

The bandits took away from the merchants all the goods, bought, obviously, on credit. Returning to Rus' without goods and without money threatened with a debt hole. Comrades Athanasius and himself, in his words, “ crying, yes, they dispersed in different directions: whoever has something in Rus', and he went to Rus'; and who should, and he went where his eyes carried.

Reluctant traveler

Thus, Afanasy Nikitin became an unwilling traveler. The way home is booked. Nothing to trade. There was only one thing left - to go to intelligence in foreign countries in the hope of fate and one's own enterprise. Having heard about the fabulous riches of India, he directs his steps precisely there. through Persia. Pretending to be a wandering dervish, Nikitin stops for a long time in each city, and shares his impressions and observations with paper, describing in his diary the life and customs of the population and rulers of those places where his fate brought him.

And the tongue went to Derbent, and from Derbent to Baka, where the fire burns unquenchable; and from Baki you went across the sea to Chebokar. Yes, here you lived in Chebokar for 6 months, but in Sarah lived for a month, in the Mazdran land. And from there to Amily, and here I lived for a month. And from there to Dimovant, and from Dimovant to Ray.

And from Drey to Kashen, and here I was a month, and from Kashen to Nain, and from Nain to Ezdei, and I lived here for a month. And from Dies to Syrchan, and from Syrchan to Tarom .... And from Torom to Lara, and from Lara to Bender, and here there is a refuge of Gurmyz. And here is the Indian Sea, and in the Parsian language and Gondustanskadoria; and from there go by sea to Gurmyz 4 miles.

The first journey of Athanasius Nikitin through the Persian lands, from the southern shores of the Caspian Sea (Chebukara) to the shores of the Persian Gulf (Bender-abasi and Hormuz), lasted more than a year, from the winter of 1467 to the spring of 1469.

Russian travelers and pioneers

Again Travelers of the Age of Discovery

In the summer of 6983 <...>. In the same year, he acquired the writing of Ofonas, a tveritin merchant who had been in Ynde for 4 years, and he went, he says, with Vasily Papin. As for the experiments, if Vasily went with the Krechat as an ambassador from the Grand Duke, and they said that a year before the Kazan campaign he came from the Horde, if Prince Yuria was near Kazan, then he was shot near Kazan. But it’s not written, I didn’t find it, in some summer I went or in some summer I came from Yndya, died, but they say that, dey, Smolensk did not reach, died. And he wrote that scripture with his own hand, and even his hands those notebooks were brought by guests to Mamyrev Vasily, to the diyak to the Grand Duke in Moscow.

In the year 6983 (1475)(...). In the same year he received the notes of Athanasius, a merchant of Tver, he had been in India for four years, and he writes that he set off on a journey with Vasily Papin. I asked when Vasily Papin was sent with the gyrfalcons as an ambassador from the Grand Duke, and they told me that a year before the Kazan campaign he returned from the Horde, and died near Kazan, shot with an arrow, when Prince Yuri went to Kazan. I did not find in the records in what year Athanasius went or in what year he returned from India and died, but they say that he died before reaching Smolensk. And he wrote notes with his own hand, and those notebooks with his notes were brought by merchants to Moscow to Vasily Mamyrev, the deacon of the Grand Duke.

For the prayer of the holy fathersLord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the servant of your sinful Afonas Mikitin son.

For the prayer of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the servant of your sinful son Athanasius Nikitin.

Behold, I wrote my sinful journey beyond the three seas: the 1st sea of ​​Derbenskoe, Doria Praises bskaa; 2nd Indian Sea, Gundustanskaa doria, 3rd Black Sea, Stebolskaya doria.

I wrote down here about my sinful journey beyond three seas: the first sea is Derbent, Daria Khvalisskaya, the second sea is Indian, Daria Gundustanskaya, the third sea is Black, Daria Istanbulskaya.

Departed from the Savior of the Holy Golden-domed and by his grace, from his sovereign from the Grand Duke Mikhail Borisovich Tverskoy, and from Bishop Gennady Tverskoy, and Boris Zakharyich.

I went from the Savior of the Holy Golden-domed with his grace, from my sovereign, Grand Duke Mikhail Borisovich of Tverskoy, from Vladyka Gennady of Tverskoy, and from Boris Zakharyich.

And poidoh down the Volga. And he came to the Kolyazin Monastery to the Holy Trinity of Life and to the Holy Martyrs Boris and Gleb. And he blessed the hegumen with Macarius and the holy brethren. And from Kolyazin I went to Uglech, and from Uglech they let me go voluntarily. And from there I left, from Uglech, and I came to Kostroma to Prince Alexander with another letter of the Grand Duke. And he let me go willingly. And come to Pleso voluntarily.

I swam down the Volga. And he came to the Kalyazinsky Monastery to the Holy Trinity of the Life-Giving and the Holy Martyrs Boris and Gleb. And he received a blessing from hegumen Macarius and the holy brethren. From Kalyagin I sailed to Uglich, and from Uglich they let me go without any obstacles. And, having sailed from Uglich, he arrived in Kostroma and came to Prince Alexander with another diploma from the Grand Duke. And he let me go without a hitch. And he came to Ples without obstacles.

And I came to Novgorod in Nizhny Novgorod to Mikhailo x Kiselev, to the viceroy, and to the duty officer to Yvan to Saraev, and they let me go voluntarily. And Vasily Papin drove past the city for two weeks, and Iz waited in Novgorod in Nizhny for two weeks for the ambassador of the Tatar Shirvanshin Asanbeg, and he rode from the gyrfalcon from the Grand Duke Ivan, and he has ninety gyrfalcons.

And I came to Nizhny Novgorod to Mikhail Kiselev, the governor, and to the messenger Ivan Saraev, and they let me go without obstacles. And Vasily Papin, however, had already passed the city, and I was waiting for Hasan-bek, the ambassador of the Tatar Shirvanshah, in Nizhny Novgorod for two weeks. And he rode with gyrfalcons from Grand Duke Ivan, and he had ninety gyrfalcons.

And thou camet with them to the bottom of the Volga. And we passed Kazan voluntarily, did not see anyone, and we passed the Horde, and Uslan, and Saray, and Berekezany I have passed. And I drove into Buzan. Then three filthy Tatars ran into us and told us false news: "Kaisym Saltan guards the guests in Buzan, and with him three thousand Tatars." And the ambassador of the Shirvanshin Asanbeg gave them a single coat and a linen to take them past Haztarakhan. And they, the filthy Tatars, took one by one, and gave the news to the king in Khaztarakhan. And the yaz left his ship and climbed onto the ship on a mission and with his comrades.

I swam with them down the Volga. Kazan passed without obstacles, did not see anyone, and the Horde, and Uslan, and Sarai, and Berekezan sailed and entered Buzan. And then three infidel Tatars met us and gave us false news: “Sultan Kasim is in wait for merchants in Buzan, and with him three thousand Tatars.” The ambassador of the Shirvanshah, Hasan-bek, gave them a single-row caftan and a piece of linen to take us past Astrakhan. And they, the unfaithful Tatars, took one by one, and sent the message to the tsar in Astrakhan. And I left my ship with my comrades, went to the embassy ship.

We went past Khaztarakhan, and the moon was shining, and the tsar saw us, and the Tatars called to us: “Kachma, don’t run!” And we didn’t hear anything, but we ran like a sail. Because of our sin, the king sent his entire horde after us. Ini overtook us on Bogun and taught us to shoot. And we shot a man, and they shot two Tatars. And our ship lesser it got to the point, and they took us and plundered us at that hour, and mine was small junk all in a smaller ship.

We sail past Astrakhan, and the moon is shining, and the tsar saw us, and the Tatars shouted to us: "Kachma - don't run!" But we didn’t hear anything about it and we’re running under sail. For our sins, the king sent all his people after us. They overtook us on Bohun and started shooting at us. We shot a man, and we shot two of their Tatars. And our smaller ship got stuck near Eza, and they immediately took it and plundered it, and all my luggage was on that ship.

And in a big ship we reached the sea, sometimes it became aground at the mouth of the Volga, and they immediately took us, but they ordered the ship to pull back up beforeѣzu. And here is our ship more the Russians took four heads, but they let us go across the sea with our bare heads, but they didn’t let the news of the deed go up.

We reached the sea on a large ship, but it became aground at the mouth of the Volga, and then they overtook us and ordered the ship to be pulled up the river to the eza. And our big ship was robbed here and four Russians were taken prisoner, and we were released with our bare heads across the sea, and they didn’t let us go back, up the river, so that they wouldn’t give us news.

And I went to Derbent, weeping, two courts: in one ship, Ambassador Asanbeg, yes theses, and ten heads of Russians; and in another vessel 6 Muscovites, and six Tverich, and cows, and feed ours. And the furtovina stood up on the sea, but the smaller ship was smashed against the shore. And there is the town of Tarkhi, and people went ashore, and kaitaks came and people caught everyone.

And we went, weeping, on two ships to Derbent: in one ship, Ambassador Hasan-bek, and theses, and we, Russians, ten people; and in another ship - six Muscovites, and six Tverites, and cows, and our food. And a storm arose on the sea, and the smaller ship broke on the shore. And here stands the town of Tarki, and people came ashore, but kaitaks came and took everyone prisoner.

And I came to Derbent, and that Vasily came to say goodbye, and we plundered. AND bill esmi brow Vasily Papin and Ambassador Shirvanshin Asanbeg, what am I with nim came to grieve over the people that they were caught under Tarhi kaytaki. And Asanbeg was sad and went up the mountain to Bulatubeg. And Bulatbeg sent a runner to shirevan Shibeg that: “Lord, the Russian ship broke near Tarkhi, and the kaitaks, having come, caught the people, and plundered their goods.”

And we came to Derbent, and Vasily arrived there safely, and we were robbed. And I hit Vasily Papin and the ambassador of the Shirvanshah Hassan-bek, with whom we came with, with my brow, so that I would take care of the people whom the kaitaks had captured near Tarki. And Hassan-bek went to the mountain to ask Bulat-bek. And Bulat-bek sent a messenger to the Shirvanshah to convey: “Sir! The Russian ship crashed near Tarki, and the kaitaks, having arrived, took people prisoner, and plundered their goods.

And the Shirvanshabeg of the same hour sent an envoy to his brother-in-law Alil-beg, the prince of Kaitachev, that: my it broke under Tarhi, and your people, having come, caught people, and plundered their goods; and you, in order to divide me, send people to me and collect their goods, then those people are sent in my name. And what will you need with me, and you came to me, and I do not harrow you, your brother. And those people went to my name, and you would let them go to me voluntarily, sharing me. And Alilbeg of that hour people sent everyone to Derbent voluntarily, and from Derbent they sent them to the Shirvanshi in his yard, koitul.

And the Shirvanshah immediately sent an envoy to his brother-in-law, the prince of the Kaitaks Khalil-bek: “My ship crashed near Tarki, and your people, having come, captured people from it, and plundered their goods; and you, for my sake, people came to me and collect their goods, because those people were sent to me. And what will you need from me, and you send to me, and I will not contradict you, my brother, in anything. And those people came to me, and you, for my sake, let them go to me without obstacles. And Khalil-bek released all the people to Derbent immediately without obstacles, and from Derbent they sent them to the Shirvanshah to his headquarters - koitul.

And we went to the shirvanshe in and koitul and beat me with his forehead, so that he would welcome us, than to reach Rus'. And he did not give us anything, but there are many of us. And we, crying, went off in some places: whoever has something in Rus', and he went to Rus'; and who should, and he went where his eyes carried. And others remained in Shamakhi, while others went to work to Bak.

We went to the Shirvanshah at his headquarters and beat him with our foreheads so that he would grant us, than to reach Rus'. And he did not give us anything: they say, there are many of us. And we parted, crying, who went where: whoever had what was left in Rus', he went to Rus', and whoever had to, he went wherever his eyes looked. Others remained in Shamakhi, while others went to work in Baku.

And the yaz went to Derbent, and from Derbent to Baki, where the fire burns unquenchable, and from Baki you went across the sea to Chebokar.

And I went to Derbent, and from Derbent to Baku, where the fire burns unquenchable; and from Baku he went across the sea to Chapakur.

Yes, here I lived in Chebokar for 6 months, but in Sara I lived for a month, in the Mazdran land. And from there to Amily, and here I lived for a month. And from there to Dimovant, and from Dimovant to Ray. And that one was killed by Shausen, the Alei children and the grandchildren of the Makhmetevs, and he cursed them, otherwise 70 cities fell apart.

And I lived in Chapakur for six months, and lived in Sari for a month, in the Mazandaran land. And from there he went to Amol and lived there for a month. And from there he went to Demavend, and from Demavend to Ray. Here they killed Shah Hussein, from the children of Ali, the grandchildren of Muhammad, and the curse of Muhammad fell on the murderers - seventy cities were destroyed.

And from Drya to Kashen, and here I was a month, and from Kashen to Nain, and from Nain to Ezdi, and here I lived for a month. And from Dies to Syrchan, and from Syrchan to Tarom, and funiki to feed the animal, batman for 4 altyns. And from Torom to Lara, and from Lara to Bender, and here there is a refuge of Gurmyz. And here there is the Indian Sea, and in the parsian language and Hondustan doria; and from there go by sea to Gurmyz 4 miles.

From Ray I went to Kashan and lived there for a month, and from Katan to Nain, and from Nain to Yazd and lived there for a month. And from Yazd I went to Sirjan, and from Sirjan to Tarom, livestock here are fed with dates, batman sells dates for four altyns. And from Tarom I went to Lar, and from Lar to Bender - then the Hormuz pier. And then the Indian Sea, in Persian Daria Gundustanskaya; to Ormuz-grad from here four miles to go.

And there is Gurmyz on the island, and every day you catch the sea twice a day. And then Esmi took the first Great Day, and You came to Gurmyz four weeks before the Great Day. And then I didn’t write all the cities, many great cities. And in Gurmyz there is a hot sun, it will burn a person. And in Gurmyz there was a month, and from Gurmyz you went across the Indian Sea along Velitsa days to Radunitsa, to tava with conmi.

But Hormuz is on an island, and the sea comes on it twice every day. Here I spent my first Pascha, and came to Ormuz four weeks before Pascha. And therefore I did not name all the cities, that there are many more large cities. Great is the heat of the sun in Hormuz, it will burn a man. I was in Hormuz for a month, and from Hormuz after Easter on the day of the Rainbow I went in a tava with horses across the Indian Sea.

And I went by sea to Moshkat 10 days; and from Moshkat to Degu 4 days; and from Dega to Kuzryat; and from Kuzryat Konbaatu. And then paint and lek will give birth. And from Conbat to Cheuville, and from Cheuville I am went in the 7th week according to Velitsa days, and we went to Tava 6 weeks by sea to Chivil.

And we went by sea to Muscat for ten days, and from Muscat to Degas four days, and from Degas to Gujarat, and from Gujarat to Cambay. Here paint and varnish will be born. From Cambey they sailed to Chaul, and from Chaul they left in the seventh week after Easter, and six weeks went by sea in tava to Chaul.

And here is the Indian country, and people walk around all naked, but their heads are not covered, and their breasts are bare, and their hair is braided in one braid, and everyone walks around with their belly, and children are born every year, and they have many children. And the peasants and women are all naked, and all are black. Wherever I go, sometimes there are many people behind me, but they marvel at the white man. And their prince is a photo on his head, and another on his tail; and the boyars have a photo on the splash, and a friend on the goose, the princesses go around, the photo on the splash is rounded, and the friend is on the goose. And the servants of the princes and boyars - the photo on the tail is rounded, and the shield, and the sword in their hands, and some with sulits, and others with knives, and others with sabers, and others with bows and arrows; and all are naked, and barefoot, and balkata, but they do not shave their hair. And zhonki go head is not covered, and the nipples are bare; and couples and girls go naked up to seven years, not covered with rubbish.

And here is the Indian country, and people walk around naked, but their heads are not covered, and their breasts are bare, and their hair is braided in one braid, everyone walks around with belly fat, and children are born every year, and they have many children. Both men and women are all naked and all black. Wherever I go, there are many people behind me - they marvel at the white man. The local prince has a veil on his head, and the other on his hips, and the local boyars have a veil over his shoulder, and another on his hips, and the princesses go around with a veil thrown over their shoulders, another veil on their hips. And the servants of princes and boyars have one veil wrapped around their hips, and a shield, and a sword in their hands, some with darts, others with daggers, and others with sabers, and others with bows and arrows; Yes, they are all naked, yes barefoot, but strong, but they don’t shave their hair. And the women go around - their heads are not covered, and their breasts are bare, while boys and girls go naked until they are seven years old, their shame is not covered.

And I went dry from Chuvil to Pali for 8 days, to Indian mountains. And from Pali to Die 10 days, and that is an Indian city. And from Die to Chuner 7 days.

From Chaul they went on land, they went to Pali for eight days, to the Indian mountains. And ten days went from Pali to Die, then an Indian city. And from Die seven days' journey to Junnar.

There is Asatkhan Chyunerskaya Indian, and the serf is Meliktucharov. And keeps say, seven topics from meliktochar. And meliktuchar sits on 20 tmah; and he fights with the kafara for 20 years, then they beat him, then he beats them many times. Khan As, on the other hand, rides on people. And he has a lot of elephants, and he has a lot of good horses, and he has a lot of Khorosans people. And they bring them from the Khorosan lands, and others from the Orap land, and others from the Turkmen lands, and others from the Chebotai lands, and they bring everything by sea in tavs - Indian ships.

An Indian khan rules here - Asad Khan of the Junnar, and he serves melik-at-tujar. Troops were given to him from melik-at-tujar, they say, seventy thousand. And the melik-at-tujar has two hundred thousand troops under his command, and he has been fighting with the Kafars for twenty years: and they defeated him more than once, and he defeated them many times. Asad Khan rides in public. And he has a lot of elephants, and he has a lot of good horses, and he has a lot of warriors, Khorasans. And horses are brought from the Khorasan land, others from the Arab land, others from the Turkmen land, others from the Chagotai land, and they are all brought by sea in tavs - Indian ships.

And the sinful yaz brought the stallion to the Yndeyskaya land, and you came to Chuner: God gave everything to health, and became me a hundred rubles. Winter has become with them since Trinity Day. And we wintered in Chuner, we lived for two months. Every day and night for 4 months everywhere there is water and mud. On the same days, they yell and sow wheat, and tuturgan, and leg, and everything that is eaten. Their wine is repaired in great nuts - Gundustan goats; and braga is repaired in tatna. The horses are fed with nofut, and they cook kichiris with sugar, and they feed the horses, but with butter, but they give them wounds. In the Yndian land, they will not give birth to horses, oxen and buffaloes will be born in their land, goods are also driven on the same ones, other they carry, they do everything.

And I, a sinner, brought the stallion to the Indian land, and went with him to Junnar, with God's help, healthy, and he became me a hundred rubles. Their winter began on Trinity Day. I wintered in Junnar, lived here for two months. Every day and night - for four whole months - everywhere there is water and mud. These days they plow with them and sow wheat, and rice, and peas, and everything edible. Their wine is made from large nuts, the Gundustan goats are called, and the mash is made from tatna. Horses are fed here with peas, and khichri is boiled with sugar and butter, they are fed to horses, and in the morning they give sheshni. Horses are not found in the Indian land, bulls and buffaloes are born in their land - they ride and carry goods and other things, they do everything.

Chunerey, on the other hand, there is a city on a stone island, not dressed in anything, created by God. And they go up the mountain day by one person: the road is narrow, and two people cannot drink.

Dzhunnar-grad stands on a stone rock, not fortified by anything, protected by God. And the paths to that mountain go by one person at a time: the road is narrow, two cannot pass.

In the Yndeyskaya land, guests are placed in the farmstead, and the dishes are cooked for the guests of the sovereign, and the bed is made for the guests of the sovereign, and they sleep with the guests. Sikish orresen strangler of Beresin, Sikish or mes ekk resident of Bersen, dostur avrat chektur, and sikish mufut; but they love white people.

In Indian land, merchants are settled in farmsteads. The hostesses cook for the guests, and the hostesses make the bed, and sleep with the guests. If you have a close connection with her, give two residents, if you do not have a close connection, give one inhabitant. There are many wives here according to the rule of temporary marriage, and then a close connection for nothing; they love white people.

In winter, they walk People photo on the tail, and the other on the shoulder, and the third on the head; and the princes and boyars of the Tolds ride on themselves trousers, yes a shirt, yes a caftan, yes a photo on the shoulder, yes it will gird the other, and dodge the third head. And se olo, olo abr, olo ak, ollo kerem, ollo ragim!

In winter, ordinary people walk around with them - a veil on their hips, another on their shoulders, and a third on their heads; and princes and boyars then put on ports, and a shirt, and a caftan, and a veil on their shoulders, they will gird themselves with another veil, and wrap their head with a third veil. O God, great God, true Lord, magnanimous God, merciful God!

And in that one in Chuner, the khan took a stallion from me, and found out that I was not a Besermenian - a Rusyn. And he says: “I will give a stallion and a thousand golden ladies, and stand in our faith - in Makhmet Deni; but you will not stand in our faith, on Mahmat Day, and I will take a stallion and take a thousand pieces of gold on your head. And the deadline was for four days, in Osporzhino shit on Spasov's day. And the Lord God had mercy on his honest holiday, did not leave his mercy from me, a sinner, and did not order me to die in Chuner with the wicked. And on the eve of the Spasov days, the host Makhmet of a good man arrived, and beat him with his forehead so that he would grieve about me. And he went to the khan in the city and asked me to leave, so that they would not put me in the faith, and he took my stallion from him. Such is the ospodarevo miracle on Spasov's day. Ino, brethren of the Russian Christian, who wants to drink in the Yndean land, and you leave your faith in Rus', but exclaiming Makhmet and drink in the Gundustan land.

And in that Junnar, the khan took away my stallion when he found out that I was not a Besermenian, but a Rusyn. And he said: “And I will return the stallion, and a thousand golden ladies in addition, just go over to our faith - to Muhammadini. But if you don’t convert to our faith, to Muhammeddin, I’ll take a stallion, and I’ll take a thousand gold coins from your head.” And he appointed a deadline - four days, on the Day of the Savior, on the Assumption post. Yes, the Lord God took pity on his honest holiday, did not leave me, a sinner, with his mercy, did not let me die in Junnar among the infidels. On the eve of Spasov Day, the treasurer Mohammed, a Khorasanian, arrived, and I beat him with my forehead so that he would fuss for me. And he went to the city to Asad Khan and asked for me so that they would not convert me to their faith, and he took my stallion back from the Khan. Such is the Lord's miracle on Spasov's day. And so, brothers Russian Christians, whoever wants to go to the Indian land - leave your faith in Rus', yes, having called on Muhammad, go to the Gundustan land.

The Besermen dogs lied to me, but they only said a lot of our goods, but there is nothing on our land: all the goods are white on the Besermen land, pepper and paint, then it’s cheap. Ino carry achei by sea, ini do not give duties. And other people will not let us carry out duties. And there are many duties, and there are many robbers on the sea. And all the Kafars break, neither the peasants, nor the besermen; but they pray with a stone blockhead, but they don’t know Christ, they don’t know Mahmet.

The Besermen dogs lied to me, they said that there is a lot of our goods, but there is nothing for our land: all the goods are white for the Besermen land, pepper and paint, then cheap. Those who carry oxen across the sea do not pay those duties. And we will not be allowed to transport goods without duty. And there are many duties, and there are many robbers on the sea. Kafars are robbing, they are not Christians and they are not bezermen: they pray to stone blockheads and they don’t know either Christ or Muhammad.

And I went out to Chunerya on Osporzhin day to Beder, to their big city. And I went for a month to Hiper; and from Beder to Kulonker 5 days; and from Kulonger to Kolberg 5 days. Between those great cities are many cities; for every day three cities, and sometimes four cities; kolko kovov, only hailstones. From Chuvil to Chuner 20 kov, and from Chuner to Beder 40 kov, and from Beder to Kulonger 9 kov, and from Beder to Koluberg 9 kovs.

And from Dzhunnar they went to Uspenye and went to Bidar, their main city. It took a month to Bidar, five days from Bidar to Kulongiri, and five days from Kulongiri to Gulbarga. Between these large cities there are many other cities, every day three cities passed, and another day four cities: as many kovs - so many cities. From Chaul to Junnar there are twenty kovs, and from Junnar to Bidar forty kovs, from Bidar to Kulongiri nine kovs, and from Bidar to Gulbarga nine kovs.

In Bedera, however, bargaining for horses, for goods, and for damask, and for silk, for all other goods, and buy in it People black; while others do not buy in it. Yes, all their goods are from Gundustan, and all edible vegetables, but there are no goods for the Russian land. And all the black people, and all the villains, and the women are all whores, yes And, yes, tati, yes lies, yes potion, having won, they pour with potion.

In Bidar, they sell horses, damask, silk and all other goods, as well as black slaves, but there is no other goods here. The goods are all from Gundustan, and from the edible only vegetables, and there is no goods for the Russian land. And here people are all black., All villains, and the wives are all walking, yes sorcerers, yes tatis, yes deceit, yes poison, poison the gentlemen.

All Horosans reign in the Yndeysky land, and all the boyars are Horosans. And the Gundustans are all pedestrians, but the Khorosans walk in front of them on horseback, and others are all on foot, they walk greyhounds, and all are naked and barefoot, with a shield in their hands, and in another sword, and others with a great bow with straight arrows and arrows. And fight them all elephants. Yes, they let the footmen go ahead, and the Khorosans on horseback and in armor, and the horses themselves. And to the elephant they knit to the snout and to the tooth great swords forged according to the centar, and they will wrap them in damask armor, but towns are made on them, and in the towns there are 12 people in armor, and all with cannons and arrows.

In the Indian land, all the Khorasanians reign, and the boyars are all Khorasanians. And the Gundustans are all on foot and walk in front of the Khorasans who are on horseback; and the rest are all on foot, walk quickly, all naked and barefoot, in one hand a shield, in the other a sword, and others with large straight bows and arrows. The battle is being fought more and more on elephants. Foot soldiers go ahead, behind them are the Khorasans in armor on horses, in armor themselves and horses. Large forged swords are tied to the head and tusks of the elephants, weighing a centar, and the elephants are dressed in damask armor, and turrets are made on the elephants, and in those turrets there are twelve people in armor, and all with cannons, but with arrows.

They have one place, Shihb Aludin Pir Yatyr Bazar Alyadinand. For a year there is only one bazaar, the whole country of Indian trade gathers, and they trade for 10 days; from Beder 12 kov. Horses are brought in, up to 20 thousand horses are sold, all goods are brought. In the Gundustan land, your bargaining is the best, every product is sold and bought in memory of Shikha Aladin, and in Russian on the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God. There is a gukuk bird in that Alanda, it flies at night, and calls: “kuk-kuk”, and on which the horomine sits, then a person will die; and whoever wants to kill her, otherwise fire will come out of her mouth. And mamons walk around at night, and have chickens, but live in a mountain or in a stone. And the monkeys, then they live in the forest. And they have a monkey prince, let him walk with his army. Yes, who cares, and they favor their prince, and he sends his army to that, and they, having come to the city, ruin the yards and beat people. And their rati, they say, are many, and they have their own language. And many children will be born; Yes, which will be born neither in the father nor in the mother, and they rush along the roads. Some people from Gundustani have them and teach them all kinds of handicrafts, while others are sold at night so that they don’t know how to run back, and others are taught mikanet bases.

There is one place here - aland, where Sheikh Alaeddin, the saint, lies and the fair. Once a year, the whole Indian country comes to trade at that fair, they trade here for ten days; from Bidar twelve kovs. Horses are brought here - up to twenty thousand horses - to sell, but they bring all kinds of goods. This fair is the best in the Gundustan land, every product is sold and bought on the days of the memory of Sheikh Alaeddin, and in our opinion on the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God. And there is also a gukuk bird in that Aland, it flies at night, shouting: “kuk-kuk”; and on whose house she sits, a person will die there, and whoever wants to kill her, she fires fire from her mouth at that one. Mamons go at night and grab chickens, and they live on the hills or among the rocks. And the monkeys live in the forest. They have a monkey prince, he walks with his army. If someone offends the monkeys, they complain to their prince, and he sends his army to the offender, and when they come to the city, they destroy houses and kill people. And the monkey army, they say, is very large, and they have their own language. Many cubs will be born to them, and if one of them is born to either mother or father, they are abandoned on the roads. Other Gundustans pick them up and teach them all sorts of crafts; and if they sell, then at night, so that they cannot find their way back, and others are taught amuse people.

Spring has become with them cover holy Mother of God. And celebrate Shiga Aladina, spring is two weeks along the Intercession, and they celebrate 8 days. And spring lasts 3 months, and summer 3 months, and winter 3 months, and autumn 3 months.

Their spring began with the Protection of the Holy Mother of God. And they celebrate the memory of Sheikh Alaeddin and the beginning of spring two weeks after the Intercession; The holiday lasts eight days. And they have three months of spring, and three months of summer, and three months of winter, and three months of autumn.

In Bederi their table is for Gundustan of Besermen. And the city is great, and there are many people. And the saltan is small - 20 years old, but the boyars keep it, and the Khorosans rule, and all the Khorosans fight.

Bidar is the capital city of Gundustan of Besermen. The city is big and there are a lot of people in it. The Sultan is young, twenty years old - the boyars rule, and the Khorasans reign and all the Khorasans fight.

There is a Khorosan meliktuchar boyar, otherwise he has two hundred thousand of his own army, and Melikhan has 100 thousand, and Faratkhan has 20 thousand, and there are many khanoz of 10 thousand rati. And with the Saltan, three hundred thousand of their armies come out.

The boyar-Khorasan, melik-at-tujar, lives here, so he has two hundred thousand of his rati, and Melik Khan has a hundred thousand, and Farat Khan has twenty thousand, and many khans have ten thousand troops. And three hundred thousand of his troops go out with the Sultan.

And the earth is full of people, and the rural people are naked velmy, and the boyars are strong and magnificent velmy. And all of them are carried on their beds on silver ones, and horses are led in front of them in tackle gold up to 20; and there are 300 people on horseback behind them, and five hundred people on foot, and 10 trumpeters, yes nagarnikov 10 people, and 10 people.

The land is populous, and the rural people are very poor, while the boyars have great power and are very rich. The boyars are carried on silver stretchers, they lead the horses in gold harness in front, they lead up to twenty horses, and behind them are three hundred horsemen, and five hundred foot soldiers, and ten trumpeters, and ten people with drums, and ten dudars.

Saltan, on the other hand, leaves for fun with his mother and his wife, sometimes with him there are 10 thousand people on horseback, and fifty thousand on foot, and two hundred elephants are led out, dressed in gilded armor, and before him there are a hundred trumpeters, and a hundred people dancing, and simple horses 300 in tackle there are a hundred golden ones, and a hundred monkeys behind him, and a hundred whores, and all are gaurok.

And when the Sultan goes for a walk with his mother and his wife, then ten thousand horsemen and fifty thousand on foot follow him, and two hundred elephants are led out, and all in gilded armor, and in front of him are a hundred trumpeters, and a hundred dancers, yes they lead three hundred riding horses in a golden harness, and a hundred monkeys, and a hundred concubines, they are called gauryks.

In Saltanov's courtyard there are seven gates, and in the gate sits a hundred watchmen and a hundred kafar scribes. Whoever goes in is recorded, and whoever comes out is recorded. And garipov are not allowed into the city. And his court is wonderfully velmy, everything is cut and in gold, and the last stone is carved and described in gold velmi chutsno. Yes, in his yard there are different courts.

Seven gates lead to the Sultan's palace, and one hundred guards and one hundred Kafar scribes sit in the gate. Some write down who goes to the palace, others who goes out. Foreigners are not allowed into the palace. And the Sultan's palace is very beautiful, the walls are carved and gold, the last stone is very beautifully painted in carving and gold. Yes, in the palace of the Sultan, the vessels are different.

The city hips in the night they guard a thousand people of kutovalov, and they ride horses in armor, and everyone has a candle.

At night, the city of Bidar is guarded by a thousand guards under the command of a kuttawala, on horseback and in armor, and each has a torch in their hands.

And he sold his stallion in Bederi. Yes, I gave him sixty and eight futuns, and fed him for a year. In Bederi, snakes walk the streets, and its length is two fathoms. I came to Beder about the conspiracy about Filipov and Kulonger, and I sold my stallion about Christmas.

I sold my stallion in Bidar. I spent sixty-eight futuns on him, fed him for a year. In Bidar, snakes crawl along the streets, two fathoms long. I returned to Bidar from Kulongiri to Filippov Post, and sold my stallion for Christmas.

And here I would go to the Great Convent in Bederi and get to know many Indians. And I told them my faith that I am not a besermen and poisoning, and I am a Christian, but my name is Ofonasei, but the besermen name of the host Isuf Horosani. And they didn’t learn from me to hide anything, neither about food, nor about trade, nor about manaz, nor about other things, nor did they teach their zhon to hide.

And I lived here, in Bidar, until Lent and met many Hindus. He revealed his faith to them, said that I was not a besermenin, but faith of jesus Christian, and my name is Athanasius, and the Besermen name is Khoja Yusuf Khorasani. And the Hindus did not hide anything from me, neither about their food, nor about trade, nor about prayers, nor about other things, and they did not hide their wives in the house.

Yes, everything is about faith about their trials, and they say: we believe in Adam, but the butes, it seems, that is, Adam and his whole family. A ver in India, all 80 and 4 faiths, and everyone believes in buta. And faith with faith neither drink, eat, or marry. And some boranina, yes chickens, yes fish, yes eggs, but no faith can eat oxen.

I asked them about faith, and they told me: we believe in Adam, and the butes, they say, are Adam and all his family. And all the faiths in India are eighty and four faiths, and all believe in buta. And people of different faiths do not drink with each other, do not eat, do not marry. Some of them eat mutton, and chickens, and fish, and eggs, but no one eats beef.

In Bederi, there were 4 months and they lit up from the Indians to drink to Pervot, then their Jerusalem, and on the Besermensky Myagkat, G de their buthana. There he died from the Indians, let them be Khans for a month. And I've been trading at the butkhana for 5 days. But the butkhana of velmi is great, half of Tver, stone, but the deeds of the butovy are cut on it. Around her, all 12 crowns were cut, how they worked miracles, how they showed many images to them: first, he appeared in a human way; another, man, but the nose of elephants; third, a man, and a vision of an ape; fourthly, a man, but in the image of a fierce beast, but being him all s tail. And it is carved on stones, and the tail through it is fathoms.

I stayed in Bidar for four months and agreed with the Hindus to go to Parvat, where they have a butkhana - that is their Jerusalem, the same as Mecca for the besermen. I walked with the Indians to Butkhana for a month. And that butkhana has a fair that lasts five days. Great butkhana, half of Tver, made of stone, but the deeds of buta are carved in stone. Twelve crowns are carved around the butkhana - how the butt performed miracles, how it appeared in different images: the first - in the form of a man, the second - a man, but with an elephant trunk, the third - a man, and the face of a monkey, the fourth - half a man, half a fierce beast, was all with a tail. And it is carved on a stone, and the tail is about a fathom, thrown over it.

The whole country of India comes to the butkhan for the miracle of butovo. Yes, old and young, women and girls shave at the butkhan. And they shave all their hair, and beards, and heads, and tails. Let them go to the butkhan. Yes, from every head they take two sheshkeni duties on buta, and from horses four feet. And the quick azar lek vah bashet sat azar lek comes to the butkhan of all people.

The whole country of India comes to that buthana for the festival of buta. Yes, old and young, women and girls, shave at the buthana. And they shave off all their hair, and shave their beards and heads. And they go to the booth. From each head they take two sheshkenis for buta, and from horses - four feet. And all the people come to the booth twenty thousand lakhs, and sometimes a hundred thousand lakhs.

And twenty-six viziers came out with the sultan, and with each vizier ten thousand cavalry, and twenty thousand on foot, and with another vizier, fifteen thousand horsemen and thirty thousand foot. And there were four great Indian viziers, and with them forty thousand horsemen and one hundred thousand foot soldiers came out. And the sultan was angry with the Hindus that few people went out with them, and they added another twenty thousand on foot, and two thousand horseback, and twenty elephants. Such is the power of the Sultan of India, Besermensky. Muhammad's faith is good. And the growth of the day is badly donot - and God knows the right faith. And the right faith is to know the one God and call on his name in every clean place in purity.

On the fifth Great day, I thought about Rus'. Idoh from Beder grad a month before Ulu bagryam besermensky Mamet Denis Rozsulyal. And I don’t know the Resurrection of Christ on the Great Days of the peasants, but shit their shit for the besermens, and broke off with them, and the Great day took 10 kovs from Bederi in Kelbury.

On the fifth Easter I decided to go to Rus'. I left Bidar a month before the Besermen ulu bayram according to the faith of Muhammad, the messenger of God. And when Easter, the Resurrection of Christ, I don’t know, I fasted with the Bezermen during their fast, I broke the fast with them, and celebrated Easter in Gulbarga, from Bidar in ten koves.

Sultan came yes meliktuchar with his army 15 day along Bagryam Street, but in Kelberg. But the war was not successful for them, one city was taken by the Indian, and many of their people were bent, and the treasury wasted a lot.

The Sultan came to Gulbarga with a melik-at-tujar and with his army on the fifteenth day after ulu bayram. They did not succeed in the war - they took one Indian city, and many people died from them and the treasury spent a lot.

But the Indian Saltan Kadam Velmi is strong, and he has a lot of rati. And he sits in a mountain in Bichinger, and his city is great. There are three ditches around it, and a river flows through it. And from one country his zhengel is evil, and from another country the valley came, and the place is wonderful And pleasing on All. There is nowhere to go to that country, through the city of the road, and there is nowhere to take the city, the mountain has come great and the wild of evil tiken. Under the city, the army flocked for a month, and people died in the absence of water, and many heads were bent from starvation and lack of water. And he looks at the water, but there is nowhere to take it.

And the Indian Grand Duke is powerful, and he has many ratis. His fortress is on a mountain, and his capital city Vijayanagar is very large. Three ditches near the city, and the river flows through it. On one side of the city there is dense jungle, and on the other side the valley approaches - an amazing place, suitable for everything. That side is not passable - the path through the city goes; the city cannot be taken from any direction: the mountain there is huge and the thicket is evil, prickly. The army stood under the city for a month, and people died of thirst, and a lot of people died of hunger and thirst. They looked at the water, but do not approach it.

And the city took the Indian melikchan host, and took him by force, day and night fought against the city for 20 days, the army neither drank nor ate, stood under the city with cannons. And his rati bent five thousand good people. And he took the city, and hewed out 20 thousand male and female livestock, and took 20 thousand full of the great and small. And they sold the head full of 10 shadows, and another 5 shadows, and the robots have two tenks. And there was nothing in the treasury. But he did not take the big city.

Khoja Melik-at-Tujar took another Indian city, took it by force, fought with the city day and night, for twenty days the army neither drank nor ate, stood under the city with cannons. And his army killed five thousand of the best warriors. And he took the city - they massacred twenty thousand males and females, and twenty thousand - both adults and small ones - were taken prisoner. Prisoners were sold for ten teneks per head, and others for five, and children for two teneks. The treasury was not taken at all. And he did not take the capital city.

And from Kelberg I went to Kuluri. And in Kuluri, an akhik is born, and they make it, they deliver it to the whole world from there. And in the Kuriles, there are three hundred diamond miners sulah mikunT. And the same would be five months, and from there Kaliki died. The same bazar is great. And from there I went to Konaberg, and from Kanaberg I went to Sheikh Aladin. And from Shih Aladin he went to Amendriye, and from Kamendria to Nyaryas, and from Kinaryas to Suri, and from Suri he went to Dabyli - the haven of the Indian Sea.

From Gulbarga I went to Kallur. Carnelian is born in Kallur, and here it is processed, and from here it is transported all over the world. Three hundred diamond makers live in Kallur, weapons decorate. I stayed here for five months and went from there to Koilkondu. There is a very big market there. And from there he went to Gulbarga, and from Gulbarga to Aland. And from Aland he went to Amendriya, and from Amendriya to Naryas, and from Naryas to Suri, and from Suri he went to Dabhol, the pier of the Indian Sea.

Dabil is the city of great Velmi, and besides, Dabyli and the whole coast of India and Ethiopia is gathered. The same accursed servant of Afonasios, the God of the Highest, the creator of heaven and earth, pondered according to the faith of the peasant, and after the baptism of Christ, and according to the shit of the holy fathers arranged, according to the commandments of the apostles, and rushed with the mind to go to Rus'. And inhale or to tawa and talk about nalone a ship, and from its head two golden cities to Gurmyz date. I entered the ship from Dabyl grad to Velik for three months of besermen shit.

The big city of Dabhol - people come here from both the Indian and Ethiopian coasts. Here I, the accursed Athanasius, the servant of the Most High God, the creator of heaven and earth, thought about the Christian faith, and about Christ's baptism, about the fasts arranged by the holy fathers, about the commandments of the apostles and rushed to Rus' with my thought. He went up to the tava and agreed on the payment of the ship - from his head to Hormuz-city he gave two gold pieces. I sailed on a ship from Dabhol-grad to the Besermen post, three months before Easter.

And I went to Tava by sea for a month, and saw nothing. The next month, they saw the mountains of Ethiopia, the same people all shouted: “Ollo pervodiger, ollo konkar, bazim bashi is wise on the blue of the big mouse,” and in Russian they say: “God, God, God above, the king of heaven, judged us here thou perish!"

I sailed in Tava across the sea for a whole month, not seeing anything. And the next month I saw the mountains of Ethiopia, and all the people cried out: Ollo Pervodiger, Ollo Konykar, Bizim Bashi Mudna Nasin Bolmyshti”, and in Russian it means: “God, Lord, God, God on high, king of heaven, here you judged us to die!”

In the same land of Ethiopia there were five days. By the grace of God, evil did not do it. Having distributed a lot of bryntsu, and pepper, and Ethiopian bread, and do not plunder the ship whether.

We were in that Ethiopian land for five days. By the grace of God, no evil happened. They distributed a lot of rice, and pepper, and bread to the Ethiopians. And they did not rob the ship.

And from there they went 12 days to Moshkat. In Moshkat, the sixth Great day took. And I went to Gurmyz for 9 days, and in Gurmyz for 20 days. From Gurmyz I went to Lari, and there were three days in Lari. From Lari I went to Shiryazi for 12 days, and in Shiryaz for 7 days. And from Shiryaz I went to Verga for 15 days, and to Velergu for 10 days. And from Vergu I went to Ride for 9 days, and to Ride by 8 days. A iz Ride poidoh to Spagani 5 days, and to Spagani 6 days. A is Pagani poidoh Kashini, and in Kashini there were 5 days. And Is Kashina went to Kuma, and Is Kuma went to Sava. And from Sava I went to the Sultan, and from Sultania I went to Terviz, a is Terviza went to the horde of Asanbeg. In the horde there were 10 days, but there is no way to go anywhere. And he sent rati of his court 40 thousand to Tursk. Ini Sevast was taken, and Tokhat was taken and burned, Amasia was taken, and many villages were plundered, but they went to fight against the Karaman.

And from there it was twelve days to Muscat. In Muscat I met the sixth Easter. He sailed nine days to Hormuz, and twenty days in Hormuz. And from Ormuz he went to Lar, and he was in Lar for three days. From Lar to Shiraz it was twelve days, and in Shiraz it was seven days. From Shiraz I went to Eberka, walked for fifteen days, and it was ten days to Eberka. From Eberku to Yazd it went nine days, and in Yazd it was eight days, and from Yazd it went to Isfahan, it went five days, and it was six days in Isfahan. And from Isfahan I went to Kashan, and I stayed in Kashan for five days. And from Kashan he went to Qom, and from Qom to Save. And from Save he went to Soltania, and from Soltania he went to Tabriz, and from Tabriz he went to the headquarters of Uzun Hasan-bek. He was at headquarters for ten days, because there was no way to go anywhere. Uzun Hasan-bek sent forty thousand ratis to the Turkish sultan. They took Sivas. And they took Tokat and burned it, and they took Amasia, but they plundered many villages and went to war against the Karaman ruler.

And the yaz from the horde went to Artsitsan, and from Ortsitsan I went to Trepison.

And from the headquarters of Uzun Hasan-bek I went to Erzinjan, and from Erzinjan I went to Trabzon.

In Trepison, the Holy Mother of God and the everlasting Mary came to the Intercession, and they were in Trabizon for 5 days. And he came to the ship and talked about nalon - to give gold from his head to Kafa; and I took the golden one for grub, and gave it to the Cafe.

In Trabzon, he came to the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary and stayed in Trabzon for five days. I came to the ship and agreed on a payment - to give gold from my head to Kafa, and I borrowed gold for grub - to give it to the Cafe.

And in Trabizon, the same shubash and pasha did a lot of evil. They took all my rubbish to themselves into the city on the mountain, and searched everything - what a good trifle, and looted everything. And they search for letters that you have come from the horde of Asanbeg.

And in that Trabzon, subashis and pashas did me a lot of harm. Everyone ordered my goods to be brought to their fortress, up the mountain, but they searched everything. And what was the little things good - they robbed everything. And they were looking for letters, because I was coming from the headquarters of Uzun Hasan-bek.

By God's mercy I came to the third sea Chernago, and in Parsi language Doria Stimbolskaa. I went by the sea in the wind for 10 days, reached Vonada, and that we were met by the great midnight wind, bring us back to Trabizon, and we stood in Platan for 15 days, the wind was great and evil. Is Plane trees went to the sea twice, And An evil wind meets us, will not let us walk on the sea. Ollo ak, ollo bad pervodiger! I don't know the development of that other God.

By the grace of God, I reached the third sea - the Black Sea, which in Persian is Daria Stambulskaya. With a fair wind, we traveled by sea for ten days and reached Bona, and then a strong north wind met us and drove the ship back to Trabzon. Because of the strong, contrary wind, we stood for fifteen days in Platana. From Platana we went out to sea twice, but the wind blew towards us, angry, did not allow us to go by sea. True God, Protector God! Besides him, I don't know any other God.

And the sea is gone, d and bring us sis to Balikaei, and from there to Tokorzov, and that I stood for 5 days. By the grace of God, I came to Kafu 9 days before the Filipov conspiracy. Ollo pioneer!

We crossed the sea, but brought us to Balaklava, and from there we went to Gurzuf, and we stood there for five days. By the grace of God I came to Kafa nine days before Philippov's fast. God is the creator!

By the grace of God, the three seas passed. Diger badly dono, ollo pervodiger given. Amen! Smilna rahmam ragim. Ollo akbir, akshi bad, ilello aksh hodo. Isa ruhoalo, aaliksolom. Ollo akber. And ilyagaila ilello. Ollo is a pioneer. Ahamdu lillo, shukur bado afatad. Bismilnagi razmam rragim. Khuvo can climb, la lasaille guya alimul gyaibi wa shagaditi. Fuck rahman ragim, khubo can climb. la ilyaga or lying. Almelik, alacudos, asalom, almumin, almugamina, alazizu, alchebaru, almutakanbiru, alkhaliku, albaryuu, almusaviru, alcafaru, alkaljara, alvazakh, alryazak, alphatag, alalimu, alkabizu, albasutu, alhafiz, allravia, almaviz, almuzil, alcemil, albasir, alakama, aladul, alyatufu.

By the grace of God I have crossed three seas. The rest God knows, God the patron knows. Amen! In the name of the Lord, the merciful, the merciful. The Lord is great, God is good, Lord is good. Jesus is the spirit of God, peace be with you. God is great. There is no God but the Lord. The Lord is a provider. Praise be to the Lord, thanks be to the all-conquering God. In the name of God, merciful, merciful. He is God, besides whom there is no God, who knows everything hidden and obvious. He is merciful, merciful. He has no one like him. There is no God but the Lord. He is the king, holiness, peace, guardian, estimating good and evil, omnipotent, healing, exalting, creator, creator, illustrator, he is the resolver of sins, the punisher, resolving all difficulties, nourishing, victorious, omniscient, punishing, correcting, preserving, elevating, forgiving, overthrowing, all-hearing, all-seeing, right, just, good.

In the same year, I acquired the writing of Ofonas Tveritin the merchant...- This entry, relating to 1474-1475, most likely belongs to the compiler of an independent annals of the 80s. 15th century

...in Yndje 4 years...- Afanasy Nikitin stayed in India, as we can assume, from the middle of 1471 to the beginning of 1474; see the news of the Indian chronicles cited below on the time of the capture of the cities mentioned by Nikitin, and indications of the relationship between the dates of the Russian calendar and the Muslim lunar calendar.

... if Prince Yuria was near Kazan, then he was shot near Kazan. - This is obviously about the campaign against Kazan of Russian troops led by the brother of Ivan III, Prince Yuri Vasilyevich Dmitrovsky, which ended in September 6978 (1469); outside the commented monument there is no information after Ivan III in Shirvan Vasily Papin.

... Smolensk did not reach, he died.- Smolensk until 1514 was part of the Lithuanian state.

Vasily Mamyrev (1430-1490)- the grand-ducal clerk, left by Ivan III together with I. Yu. Ryapolovsky in Moscow during the invasion of Khan Akhmat in 1480 and supervised the construction of fortifications in Vladimir in 1485.

For a prayer... Afonasia Mikitin's son. - The patronymic (“surname”) of the author of “Journey Beyond Three Seas” is mentioned only in the initial phrase of the monument, completed in the edition according to the Trinity List (it is not in the annalistic version).

... the sea of ​​​​Derbenskoe, doria Khvalitskaa ...- Caspian Sea; daria (Persian) - the sea.

... the Indian Sea, the Gundustan road ...- Indian Ocean.

... doria Stebolskaya. - The Black Sea is also called Stebolsky (Istanbul) by the Greek folk and Turkish name of Constantinople - Istimpoli, Istanbul.

... from the Savior of the holy golden-domed ...- The main cathedral of Tver (XII century), according to which the Tver land was often called "the house of the Holy Savior."

Mikhail Borisovich- Grand Duke of Tver in 1461-1485.

Bishop Gennady- Bishop of Tver in 1461-1477, former Moscow boyar Gennady Kozha.

Boris Zakharyich- Governor, who led the Tver troops, who helped Vasily the Dark in the fight against his opponent Dmitry Shemyaka, a representative of the Borozdin family, who later transferred to the Moscow service.

... Kolyazin Monastery to the Holy Trinity ... Boris and Gleb. — Trinity Monastery in Tver city Kalyazin on the Volga was founded by Abbot Macarius, mentioned by Nikitin; The church of Boris and Gleb was located in the Makaryevsky Trinity Monastery.

... to Uglech ...- Uglich is a city and a lot of the Grand Duchy of Moscow.

... came ... to Kostroma to Prince Alexander ...- Kostroma on the Volga was one of the immediate possessions of the Grand Duke of Moscow.

...VNovgorod toLower...- Nizhny Novgorod since 1392 was part of the possessions of the Grand Duke of Moscow; Viceroy Mikhail Kiselev - apparently the father of Φ. M. Kiselyov, who received a charter from Ivan III until 1485.

... two weeks ...- Obviously a scribal error; these words (they are not in the Trinity edition) are repeated further in the same phrase.

... shirvanshina ...- Shirvanshah Farrukh Yasar ruled in the Shirvan state in 1462-1500.

...Kaisym Saltan...- Khan Kasim, the second ruler of the Astrakhan Khanate.

...on my tongue...- Ez (zakol) - a wooden fence on the river for fishing.

...thesis...“That’s what merchants from Iran used to be called.

...kaitaks...— Kaytak is a mountainous region in Dagestan.

...to Bak, where the fire burns inextinguishable...— Probably, we are talking about ο flames in the places where oil comes out or ο the temple of fire worshipers.

They killed Shausen...- On the days of the memory of Imam Hussein (died in Mesopotamia in the 7th century), the participants in the procession exclaim: “Shahsey! Wahsey! (Shah Hussein! Wah Hussein!); these days are celebrated by Shiites at the beginning of the year according to the Muslim lunar calendar (in 1469 Oshur Bayram fell at the end of June-beginning of July). The desolation of the district of Rhea is associated with the wars of the 13th century.

... batman for 4 altyns ...- Batman (pers.) - a measure of weight, reaching several pounds; Altyn is a monetary unit containing six money.

...Aevery day to catch his sea twice a day.— Sea tides in the Persian Gulf are semi-diurnal.

And then Esmi took the first great day ...- From the further presentation it follows that in Hormuz Nikitin celebrated the third Easter outside of Rus'. Perhaps the traveler wanted to say that this was the first holiday he met when he came to the Indian Ocean.

...VRainbow. Radunitsa is the ninth day after Easter.

...to tavu with conmi. - Tava (Marat. Daba) - a sailing vessel without an upper deck. The mass importation of horses to India was carried out to replenish the cavalry and the needs of the local nobility for many centuries.

... paint and lek.- We are talking about blue indigo paint (cf. further “let the paint be repaired by the Nile”) and the preparation of varnish.

... a photo on the head, and the other on the tail ...- The traveler says ο turban (Pers. fota) and dhoti (Ind.), which, like women's clothing sari, were made from unsewn fabric.

... Asatkhan Chyunerska is Indian, andserf meliktucharov. - Asadkhan Dzhunnarsky, a native of Gilan, is mentioned in Indian chronicles as a person close to the great vizier, Mahmud Gavan, who bore the title of melik-attujar (lord of merchants).

...Kafar...- Kafir (Arabic) - unfaithful, as Nikitin first called the Hindus, using the term adopted among Muslims; later he called them "Hundustans" and "Indians".

Winter has become with them since Trinity Days. - This refers to the period of monsoon rains, lasting in India from June to September. Trinity - the fiftieth day after Easter; falls in May-June. - It is not clear which city A. Nikitin has in mind. Spring began with them from the Intercession ...- This refers to the beginning of the new season in October after a period of monsoon rains.

Α saltan is small - 20 yearsT...- The year Nikitin arrived in India, Sultan Mohammed III was seventeen years old, in the year of departure - twenty.

There is a Khorosan meliktuchar boyar...- So Nikitin calls the great vizier Mahmud Gavan, a native of Gilan.

... a thousand people kutovalov ...- Kutuval (pers.) - the commandant of the fortress.

...futuns...- It is possible that Nikitin so calls the gold coin to the fans.

... about the conspiracyο Filipov... - Philippov fast lasts from November 14 until Christmas, which falls on December 25.

...to the Great Curtain... — great post begins seven weeks before Easter, that is, in February-early March.

... like Ustenyan king of Tsaregrad ...- Statue in Constantinople of Justinian I (527-565).

... worth the vol velmy is great, andcarved out of stone...- Statue of the bull Nandi, the companion of Shiva.

... full.- Syta is a honey drink.

...resident...- The inhabitant is a copper coin.

...to the Besermen ul bagrya. - Ulu Bayram is a great holiday, the same as Kurban Bayram (Feast of Sacrifice) - one of the main holidays in Islam, is celebrated on the 10th-13th of the month of Zul-Hijjah according to the Muslim lunar calendar, the ratio of which with the solar calendar changes annually. Further, Nikitin indicates that the holiday took place in mid-May; this allows the year to be set to 1472.

...Afrom Moshkat...- Apparently, an insertion of a chronicler; these words contradict the specified travel time; they are absent from the Trinity list. ... manik, yes yahut, yes kirpuk ...- Mani (Skt.) - ruby; Yakut (Arabic) - yahont, more often sapphire (blue yakhont), less often ruby ​​(lal); kirpuk (distorted. carbuncle) - ruby.

...ammons will be born... Ammon is a precious stone, possibly a diamond.

They sell a kidney for five rubles ...- Kidney - a measure of weight for precious stones ("heavy" - one twentieth and "light" - one twenty-fifth of the spool, respectively: 0.21 g and 0.17 g).

...auditors(in the Trinity list: aukykov) - the text is unclear. Assume an indication of a) the type of ships (Arabic - gunuk); b) distance.

Maya month 1 day Great day took Esmi inHip...- Nikitin celebrated the Fourth Easter outside of Rus' at the wrong time; Easter never comes later than April 25 (Julian calendar).

...Abesermena bagram inson-in-lawmiddle of the montha month...- Eid al-Adha in 1472 fell on May 19th.

The first great day took you inCain, AAnother great day in Chebokara...- Concerning this place, suggestions have been made that Cain is either a distorted name of some point in Transcaucasia, or Nain in Iran; but Nikitin visited Nain after Chapakur, in which case it follows that Nikitin met the first Easter outside Rus' in Chapakur, and the second in Nain.

... yes togreat iron weights tied to the snout. - Nikitin mistook for weights the big bells that were hung around the elephant's neck.

Yes, a thousand simple horsestackleoh golden...- When nobles left, it was customary to bring out riding horses in full horse harness, demonstrating the wealth and nobility of the owner.

Saadaq- a set of weapons: a bow in a case and a quiver with arrows.

... plays with a teremtsom ...- This refers to the front umbrella chhatra (Ind.), a symbol of power.

...makhtum...- Makhdum (Arabic) - master. An honorary title that Grand Vizier Mahmud Gavan received in May 1472 after the capture of Goa.

... fugitives.- Run (Turk., h. from run, bey) - representatives of the feudal nobility (Arabic synonym - emir).

Uzoasanbeg killed Yaisha myrza...—Jehanshah Kara-Koyunlu, who ruled in Iran and a number of neighboring regions, was killed in November 1467 in a battle with the troops of his rival Uzun Hasan Ak-Koyunlu.

...ASultan Musyaity fed ...- Sultan Abu Said, who ruled in Central Asia, invaded the Transcaucasus. Surrounded by the troops of Uzun Hasan and his ally, Farrukh Yasar was captured and in February 1469 was executed.

...AYediger Mahmet...- Mohammed Yadigar - a rival of Abu Said, who temporarily seized power after his death.

... two cities took Indian ...- According to Indian chronicles during the war of 1469-1472. the two coastal cities of Sangameshwar and Goa were taken; the latter, as can be seen from the correspondence of Mahmud Gavan, was occupied on February 1, 1472.

... stood under the city for two years ...— We are talking about the siege of the fortress of Cologne during the same war.

... took three great cities.- According to Indian chronicles during a campaign in Telingana in 1471-1472. three important fortresses were occupied - Warangal, Kondapally, Rajahmandri. The troops were commanded by Malik Hassan, who bore the title of Nizam-al-Mulk.

...came...- Copyist's error: in the Chronicle edition - attached; the following phrase contains the correct spelling of "came."

...with the prince of Binedar...- Virupaksha II, Maharaja of Vijayanagara, reigned 1465-1485. Further, Nikitin calls him "Indian Avdon" and "Indian Sultan Kadam."

The Sultan left the city of Beder on the eighth month of Great Days. - Sultan Muhammad III, as established from the correspondence of Mahmud Gavan, set out on a campaign against Belgaon on March 15, 1473.

...Arightwowru God vѣgives.Α right faithGod is the only one to know, and call on his name in every place cleanly clean. — This statement by Athanasius Nikitin, which is directly adjacent to the phrase written in Persian: “But Mohammed's faith is good,” testifies to the originality of his worldview. It cannot be reduced to a simple idea of ​​religious tolerance: the words "God knows" in another place in Nikitin mean uncertainty - "farther on God knows what will happen." Nikitin considers only monotheism and moral purity to be an obligatory property of the "right faith". In this regard, his worldview is close to the views of Russian heretics of the late 15th century, who argued that a representative of any “language” can become “pleasing to God”, as long as he “does the truth.”

... a month before ulu bagryam ...- Β 1473 the beginning of this holiday fell on May 8th.

... and I broke with them, and the Great Day tookKelbury...- Consequently, Nikitin celebrated the sixth Easter in May, that is, not on time, just like the previous one.

... one city was taken by the Indian ...- The city of Belgaon, the siege and capture of which in 1473 is described in detail in Indian chronicles.

Under the city stood the army for a month ...“We are talking about the unsuccessful siege of the city of Vijaya-nagar.

... went to Amendria, and from Kamendria to Nyaryas, and from Kinaryas to Suri...— It is not clear which cities between Åland and Dabhol are referred to by the traveler.

... to Velik days for three months of besermen shit. - Nikitin points here to the ratio in this year two rolling dates of Muslim and Orthodox calendar. Β 1474, the beginning of Ramadan fasting fell on January 20, and Easter on April 10.

Α in Turkish...- The Turkish Sultan Mehmed II ruled in 1451-1481.

...in Karaman...- Power in Karaman changed hands several times during these years. The governor of the Sultan was Mustafa, the son of Mehmed II. The hereditary ruler of Karaman was Pir Ahmed (d. 1474), an ally of Uzun Hassan.

... shubash yes pasha ...- Su-bashi - head of the city security; pasha - governor of the sultan.