Medieval Rus’

Pagan Elements in the Decorative Art of Medieval Rus’: Rusalia, Simargl, and Pereplut

Today, I’d like to present an article I recently finished reading by B.A. Rybakov, about the symbolism on silver cuff…

Trade Relations Between Volga Bulgaria and Northern and Eastern Europe in the Pre-Mongol Period (9th-early 13th cent.)

Today’s post is a translation of an article about the important trade route which passed through Volga Bulgaria between Europe…

The Khanate of Volga Bulgaria

I recently became aware of a state that existed to the east of the Rus’ kingdoms, known as Volga Bulgaria,…

Styles of Medieval Russian Jewelry from the 9th-13th Centuries

It has been a while since I’ve posted. My summer was full of non-SCA projects, including my gardens, renovating my…

Kievan Jewelers On The Eve of the Mongol Conquest

After reading a few sources about Novgorod’s jewelry production industry, I was interested in seeing how it sized up against…

Torcs: One Form of Medieval Russian Neck Bling

After reading about medieval Rus’ torcs in Седова, М.В. «Шейные гривны.» Ювелирные изделия древнего Новгорода (Х-XV вв.). Москва: Издательство «Наука», 1981,…

Jewelry Production Technology in 10th-15th Century Novgorod

I recently finished reading and translating this article discussing the technology used by craftsmen in medieval Novgorod to produce rings,…