Andrew archon of all Russia (eleventh century)
Obverse
Bust of St. Andrew holding a long cross. On either side, vertical inscription: Ο|Α|ΓΙ|Ο|ΣΑ|Ν|ΔΡΕ|Α|Σ: Ὁ ἅγιος Ἀνδρέας. No visible border.
Reverse
Inscription of seven lines. No visible border.
ΚΕ̅
ΟΗΘΕΙ
ΤΣΔΛ
ΑΝΔΡΕΑΑΡ
ΧΟΝΤΙΠΑ
ΣΗΣΡΣΙ
ΑΣ
Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Ἀνδρέᾳ ἄρχοντι πάσης Ῥωσίας
Obverse
Bust of St. Andrew holding a long cross. On either side, vertical inscription: Ο|Α|ΓΙ|Ο|ΣΑ|Ν|ΔΡΕ|Α|Σ: Ὁ ἅγιος Ἀνδρέας. No visible border.
Reverse
Inscription of seven lines. No visible border.
ΚΕ̅
ΟΗΘΕΙ
ΤΣΔΛ
ΑΝΔΡΕΑΑΡ
ΧΟΝΤΙΠΑ
ΣΗΣΡΣΙ
ΑΣ
Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Ἀνδρέᾳ ἄρχοντι πάσης Ῥωσίας
| Accession number | BZS.1955.1.2198 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 36.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 1, no. 85.1. |
Translation
Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Ἀνδρέᾳ ἄρχοντι πάσης Ῥωσίας.
Lord, help your servant Andrew archon of all Russia.
Bibliography
- Catalogue of the Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 1: Italy, North of the Balkans, North of the Black Sea (Open in Zotero)
- Un sceau gréco-russe au Xle siècle (Open in Zotero)
- Aktovye pečati Drevnej Rusi X — XV vv., Vol. 1, Pečati X - načala XIII v. (Open in Zotero)
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
Soloviev quite properly attributed this seal to the third son of Yaroslav the Wise, Vsevolod-Vsevlad, who ruled in Perejaslavl (1054-76), Černigov (1076-78), and then alone at Kiev over "all" Russia (1078-93). Other seals belonging to this individual (perhaps dating before his sole rulership) are customarily decorated wit ha busy of St. Andrew on the obverse and incised with an isncription (containing no title) that reads Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Ἀνδρέᾳ το Σβλάδο (see, e.g., the large group of Andrew's seals illustrated in Janin, Aktovye, 168-70, nos. 15-22).
The location of the see varied. Its early history remains a matter of dispute, but we know that it was established at Kiev in the 1030s, was movied to Vladimir in 1298, and finally to Moscow in 1328. Cf. Laurent, Corpus V/1, 599-600.