Archaeologists have found the helmets of the boyars Ivan the Terrible in the area Zvenigorod – RIA Novosti

1/2

© IA RAS

© Photo: IA RAS

MOSCOW, December 30 – RIA Novosti . Scientists from the Institute of Archaeology RAS found in the vicinity of Zvenigorod private arsenal of Ivan the Terrible, which preserved helmets, pieces of mail and many other samples of weapons since the late 16th century, the press service of the institution.

“Such discoveries in Moscow not even in the cities, not to mention the Selishchev. If it had not been carried out rescue excavations in the construction of Ring Road, all would be lost, “- said Asya Engovatova, deputy director of the Institute of Archaeology.

How to tell scientists in Ivan the Terrible and Boris Godunov at this place was a village Ignatievskaya, boyar family patrimony Dobrynskii. Representatives of this kind were in “Selected thousand” – luxury “officers’ corps landed troops of Ivan the Terrible, which was established in October 1550. “Selected thousand” became the highest rank of the nobility, making basic command staff of the Russian army.

During the excavation was found about 60 bases of buildings, in the basement of one of which was found an arsenal. There were kept in a leather case helmets, chain mail fragments, parts sheath swords, fighting belt, boom.

© Photo: IA RAS

Perhaps here in the special boxes located camp equipment, which included details of fasteners camping tents or chambers. This equipment, as well as the status of the owners of the arsenal, imagine the existence of dependent soldiers’ combat slaves “to ensure that weapons, food and other necessities is the responsibility of a nobleman. The most interesting finds – two peaked hat, hardly affected by corrosion.

“They are a typical martial utterly Russian cavalry is spheroconical” helmets “, decorated with gold and silver. Such helmets are in the Armoury collection , the Hermitage and the State Historical Museum “- said the head of the expedition Alexey Alekseev.

He said the discovery is unique in that, along with helmets preserved leather covers, fabric lining and inlaid Nausha.
” Now, we can better understand how the boyars preparing for military expeditions – everyone in the basement had its own arsenal. These excavations, the first time we could see the military life of a Russian nobleman, which was the basis of the Russian army epoch of formation and blossoming of the Moscow State “, – said the scientist.

Arsenal was not a treasure in the conventional sense of the word, these weapons nobody hides. Apparently, it was stored in the basement of the seigniorial home, which burned down in the 17th century. Therefore, the weapon has not been able to take part in the wars of the Time of Troubles, and came to us.