«The day of Borodino» and Menaia

This article defines the initial source of the well known lyric story «Natasha» by P. A. Katenin. It turns out to be not «Lenora», a ballad by G. Burger, but «The tale of Adrian and Natalia», that in St. Dimitry of Rostov’s Menaia is put under the Septenber 26 (the day of the Borodino battle). Defining of the initial source of the teaxt helps to clarify its numerous aspects.