Alexey B. Mazurov^a,# and Sergey Yu. Shokarev^b,##

^a State Social and Humanitarian University, Kolomna, Russia; St. Philaret Institute, Moscow, Russia
^b Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Moscow, Russia

^#E-mail: mazurov.ab.1970@mail.ru
^##Е-mail: shokarevs@yandex.ru

Keywords: Kremlin of Russia of the 16th century, Zaraysk Kremlin, graffiti, inscriptions about the construction of the Kremlin.

The article introduces an unofficial inscription about the completion of the Zaraysk Kremlin construction. The four-line annalistic inscription made in a semi-uncial Cyrillic on one of the blocks located inside the barbican tower of the Nikolsky Gates is a valuable historical source. Its paleography is typical for the first half of the 16th century. The paper also presents a linguistic commentary. The graffiti is analyzed against the background of the peculiarities of chronicle reports about the beginning and completion of the fortress construction. The inscription significance consists in the expansion of a very limited range of such records. Regardless of the chronicles, it confirms the completion of the Zaraysk Kremlin construction in 1531. Another valuable thing is the recorded name of the 16th century town – “the town of St. Nicholas of Zarazsk”.

DOI: 10.31857/S0869606322040122