Aleksey B. Mazurov

State University of Humanities and Social Studies, Kolomna, Russia
St Philaret Christian Orthodox Institute, Moscow, Russia

E-mail: mazurov.ab.1970@mail.ru

Keywords: epigraphy of Moscow state of the 16th century, Kolomna district (uyezd), inscribed carved white tombstone of a village priest.

The article introduces into scientific discourse a rare inscribed ornamented white tombstone of 1522 placed over the burial site of priest Yegoriy of the Church of Nativity of the Theotokos in Chaplygino village of Pochryan Stan in the former Kolomna District (uyezd). It is considered to be one of the oldest tombstones of priests in Rus. The year number is carved as the combination of Cyrillic letters designating numbers and a numeral, which proves its uniqueness and is similar to the way of conveying dates in land acts and the book writing culture of Moscow state. Analyzed in a historical context, the tombstone also contains the earliest mention of the feast day for the holy virgins Irene, Agape and Chionia in the old Russian epigraphy.

DOI: 10.31857/S086960630011743-6