The Donskoy Code: what secrets of the Prince will the study of the relics reveal
The study of the relics of Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy can not only clarify the identity of the remains, but also provide new information about the health and injuries of the prince, as well as verify the news of the ancient Russian chronicles. However, final conclusions should be drawn after the publication of the results and the methods used by scientists. German Artamonov, Professor of the Department of Russian History at Moscow State University, Candidate of Historical Sciences, told Izvestia about this on August 19.
Why have the remains been discovered only now
The relics were discovered during restoration and emergency work in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The need for repairs arose due to sagging floor slabs and the threat of destruction of tombstones. After dismantling the brick structures, the specialists discovered three white-stone sarcophagi associated with the graves of Dmitry Donskoy, his father Ivan II the Red and Prince Dmitry Zhilka of Uglich.
The Russian Orthodox Church reported that the complex of historical information, the archaeological appearance of the burial site and the results of an anthropological study confirmed that the remains belonged to Dmitry Donskoy. The relics have been preserved almost completely: the left calcaneus is missing, while soft tissues have survived in some areas.
Artamonov noted that the prince's burial place had not been lost. According to him, the issue was not to find a grave, but to be able to access the remains and reliably confirm their identity.
"The burial place of Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy in the Archangel Cathedral was known, we always knew that he was buried there, there is his sarcophagus," he said.
As follows from the materials of the Moscow Kremlin Museums, access to the grave turned out to be difficult after the work of 1863-1864. When installing the heating system, Ivan Krasny's sarcophagus was removed from his grave near the southern wall and installed over the neighboring burial of Dmitry Donskoy.
In 2007, experts examined this section of the cathedral again. They fixed the location of the graves and studied the external parameters of the available structures, but decided to stop the work and restore the tombstones without opening the sarcophagi.
"The fact is that Dmitry Donskoy's sarcophagus itself turned out to be separated by such brickwork, and the sarcophagus of his father Ivan the Red, Ivan the Second, was placed on top of this brickwork as a result of alterations," Artamonov explained.
The Izvestia interlocutor stressed that it was too early to draw final conclusions: the statement had already been made, but the scientific publication had not yet been published, so it was impossible to assess the representativeness of the applied methodology. At the same time, Artamonov believes that the probability of the remains belonging to Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy is high.
What can scientists determine
One of the further areas of work may be the study of ancient DNA. It is able to supplement archaeological, anthropological and written data, as well as verify the relationship of the buried with other representatives of the Rurik dynasty. Of particular importance for studying the paternal line is the Y chromosome, which is passed from father to son.
"Population genetics does a lot in this regard, and not only that. There are other alternative directions, but they work, for example, with the male Y-sex chromosome, which is transmitted from father to son," the historian explained.
At the same time, the possibility of obtaining a reliable result depends on the safety of the genetic material and the absence of contamination of the samples. It is not always possible to obtain genetic material suitable for such an analysis, Artamonov stressed.
Similar studies of the remains of the Rurikovich have already been conducted. In 2023, the journal Acta Naturae published a paper on a genome-wide analysis of the remains of Grand Duke Dmitry Alexandrovich, Alexander Nevsky's son. Scientists have established that his Y-chromosome belongs to haplogroup N1a and is similar to the Y-chromosome variants of modern representatives of the genus Rurikovich belonging to the same lineage. The authors of the study also showed that genetic data can provide probabilistic information about certain features of a person's appearance, including eye and hair color.
Comparing the DNA of Dmitry Donskoy's alleged remains with such materials could be an additional argument for identification. However, a genetic match with a dynastic line alone will not identify a specific person: it must be evaluated together with the place of burial, dating, anthropological characteristics and historical sources.
"If such a decision is made and supported at the state level, then scientists, of course, will receive invaluable material for a new look at very complex processes, both political and dynastic. Of course, this will expand our understanding of the processes that took place during this period of our history," Artamonov said.
Examination of the remains can also provide information about the prince's height and physique, the condition of his bones and teeth, past illnesses and physical injuries. However, the amount of conclusions will depend on the preservation of specific parts of the skeleton, and the genetic data will reveal only those health features that left the corresponding markers.
Can the relics confirm the chronicle information
Earlier, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky said that traces of severe head trauma had been found on the remains. According to him, there was no skull fracture, but the impact could have led to concussion, loss of consciousness and extensive hematoma. These data were compared with the chronicle account that the prince was found unconscious after the Battle of Kulikovo.
Artamonov believes that scientific confirmation of the nature and time of injury could be an argument in favor of the authenticity of written evidence. At the same time, he reiterated that the conclusions should be evaluated after the publication of a scientific publication.
According to him, the coincidence of anthropological data with the reports of sources will make it possible to verify not only a separate episode of Dmitry Donskoy's biography, but also approaches to the use of ancient Russian chronicles in general.
"If the presence of this injury is confirmed, which will be qualified as possibly received in battle, then this is a fundamentally important point, it will confirm, in particular, the authenticity of the chronicle news, which we somehow do not trust in science today," Artamonov said.
He recalled that chronicles remain the most important group of narrative sources on the history of medieval Russia, despite the need to take into account the time of their creation, the interests of the compilers and the peculiarities of text transmission.
Scientific and symbolic significance
Dmitry Donskoy died on May 19, 1389, at the age of 39. His reign was associated with the strengthening of the Moscow Principality and the victory of the united Russian army in the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380. In 1988, the prince was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.
According to Artamonov, the discovery has not only research, but also symbolic significance. The historian linked the image of Dmitry Donskoy with overcoming princely contradictions and the formation of a political center for the unification of Russian lands.
"If the country had not been able to unite in the end and under the rule of Moscow, then we as a civilization would hardly have survived. The names of Alexander Nevsky, Daniil Galitsky and Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy are, of course, the figures through whom we can judge the main vectors of our country's development and the fateful decisions made in extreme historical conditions," he believes.
After the emergency work is completed, the sarcophagus with the remains is planned to be closed, and the crypt is to be restored to its original condition. Several fragments of the relics freely located in the sarcophagus will be placed in the arks with the blessing of Patriarch Kirill. It is expected that they will be available to believers in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and a number of other churches.
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