Ivakin V. The burial monuments of Old Russ Kiev.

Thesis is devoted to the description of the sights of burial places in Kyiv of the Xth-XIIIth centuries. The history of archaeological researches of the Kievan burial places of those days is given in the thesis. All this period can be relatively divided into three large stages which are characterized by the development of historiography and accumulation of archaeological sources from this theme. A main spring base of the research is archaeological material from sights of burial places, and also writing and graphic sources on this issue. Ethnographic evidences which touch the topic of ceremony of burial place of east slavs are attracted. Materials are attracted from more than 60 stationary excavations, field work and observation data, which were conducted by different researchers. The groups of burial mounds of the Хth century and burial grounds of the XIth-XIIIth centuries are localized on the modern map of the city of Kyiv. The historical topography of ancient Kyiv is specified in the aspect of site of sights of burial places of the X-XIIIth centuries. A place of burial grounds near the churches is located on the topographical chart of Kyiv in the general town system of the Old Russian days. The complete catalogue of burial places of the Old Russian days is created in Kyiv. 1166 complexes of burial places of the X-XIIIth centuries are included to this catalogue. The sights are divided into two main stages. The first belongs to the heathen days (mainly the Хth century), the second - to the christian days (the XI-XIIIth centuries). 167 complexes of burial places chronologically belong to the Хth century and 967 burial places are dated back to the XI-XIIIth centuries. Because of the shortage of sufficient information about the ceremony of burial place it is impossible to attribute 32 complexes positively. Typology of construction of burial places of the population of Kyiv has been developed on the base of the catalogue, the basic categories of accompanying implement have been determined. For the Хth century they were chamber burials and ordinary burials in a coffin (or without the last). The XI-XIIIth-century burial places are divided into those which were near the churches (belonged to the monasteries and parishes), cemeteries in the interior of temple and behind them, monastic burial places in the caves, mass burial places (skudel'nitsi, brotherly graves) and burial places in estates (farmsteads). Among the burial constructions of the XI-XIIIth centuries there are the marble, wooden sarcophaguses, those of slates and plinfovi tombs (burial places of gentlefolks), and also ordinary burial places in wooden coffins and in pits without them. Correlations of percents are certain between the types of burial places. The historical topography of Kyiv is specified in relation to burial grounds. All known sights of burial places of the Old Russian days are marked on the archaeological map of Kyiv. More detailed dividing into the groups of necropolises of burial mounds I, II (the Xth century) is offered. All known at the present christian burial places of the XI-XIIIth centuries are localized for the first time (Upper town, Schekavitsya, Podil, out-of-town monasteries and settlements). Quantitative correlations of percents are certain between different burial grounds of this time. Most closeness of burial places is marked in Upper town of Kyiv. The features of burial ceremony of Kyiv show the cultural and socio-economic processes which took place in medieval town during the X-XIIIth centuries. The comparative analysis of burial places of the Хth century and the XI-XIIIth centuries testifies to the changes in the rite of burial, which were related to the establishment and strengthening of Christianity in the country. At the same time there is kontinuitet in burial traditions of the Kievites during all Old Russian days. Keywords: Kyiv, ceremony of burial place, Old Russ, topography, chamber of burial place, sarcophagus, Christianity, ingumation.