THE KOSOGS IN THE PSEL RIVER BASIN

Abstract

In the last monograph of Dr. Oleg Sukhobokov devoted to the population of the Middle Psel River basin in the 10^th—13^th centuries the attention was focused on the fact that not only the Slavs but also other ethnic groups lived along the southern borders of the Dnieper Left Bank area. Among them could be the Adyghophone Kosogs. The hydronym Kosogivka and the toponyms Kosogovshchyna or Kosagovshchyna (figs. 1—2), which survived here until the 19^th century, can testify this supposition.

According to the Old Rus chronicles the Kosogs appeared on the territory of Left-Bank Rus at the beginning of the 11^th century. It was the result of the activities of Prince Mstislav of Chernihiv who included Tmutarakan and the Sula River basin in the south part of his principality. However, during Mstislav’s lifetime, the southern borders of the Chernihiv Principality and accordingly the whole Left-Bank Rus did not reach the Psel River. It happened some time later.

We can see the Adyghe word «unein» in «The Instruction for Children» by Vladimir Monomakh. He could borrow it from the Kasogs before his reign in Kiev. According to many researcher’s opinion, in the work of Volodymyr Monomakh the term «unein» is found in the part written in 1099. Volodymyr was Prince of Chernihiv since 1078 till 1094. There he could include the Kosogs to his guard. It helped to establish the language contacts. Since 1094 till 1113 Volodymyr Monomakh was Prince of Pereyaslavl. At this time the expansion of the borders of the Pereyaslav principality began. As a result of anti-Cuman campaigns of Volodymyr Monomakh in 1111 and his son Yaropolk in 1116 the southern border of the Pereyaslav Principality had to move to the Middle Psel River and even reached the banks of Vorskla River (fig. 1). The new border needed a new border population. Maybe, Volodymyr Monomakh, following tradition, had settled these new lands with aliens among whom the Kosogs were.

The archaeological attribution of the Kosogs is a special problem here. In the North-West Caucasus, burials of the Kosogs of the 10^th—11^th centuries and a later period are supposed to be both cremations and ground burials in stone drawers, as well as similar burials, but under the barrows. Such archaeological objects have not been discovered yet in the Mid-Psel River basin and in Chernihiv city.