Siberian Chronicles


The Siberian Chronicles are the Russian chronicles of the late 16th - 18th centuries on the history of Siberia. They include the Yesipov Chronicle, Kungur Chronicle, Remezov Chronicle, Stroganov Chronicle, and others. These chronicles represent a valuable source on the early history of the Russian Siberia. Some of the chronicles were compiled later, such as Записки к Сибирской истории служащие and Новая Сибирская летопись by I.Cherepanov, Летопись г. Иркутска с 1652 г. до наших дней by P.Pezhemsky, Краткая летопись Енисейского и Туруханского края Енисейской губернии by A.I.Kytmanov. Altogether, there are more than forty known Siberian Chronicles.
drowning in the Irtysh River, a miniature from the Remezov Chronicle
The questions of origins and authenticity of the Siberian Chronicles were dealt with in different ways by the Russian historiographers. The traditional scheme of development of the Siberian chronicle-writing was proposed by Sergei Bakhrushin. He thought that Yermak's companions compiled the so-called Написание, како приидоша в Сибирь... in 1621, which didn't survive to this day. Based on these notes, they compiled the so-called Синодик Тобольского собора in 1622, or Synodikon of the Tobolsk Cathedral. A chronicler Savva Yesipov compiled his own chronicle in 1636 based on the Notes... and Synodikon. In mid-17th century, they compiled the Stroganov Chronicle based on the Notes... and archives of the Stroganovs, which has no immediate connection with the Yesipov Chronicle. In the late 16th - second half of the 17th century, they compiled the Kungur Chronicle based on verbal narrations of Yermak's companions and folklore of the late 16th century. The Remezov Chronicle was compiled in the late 17th century. Around that time, the so-called Описание Новые Земли Сибирского государства was written by Nikifor Venyukov.