Language means of displaying spatio-temporal relations in the chronicle "O оубьєньи Борисовъ

The article considers the linguistic means of displaying space-time relations in the annalistic chronicle About Murdering Prince Boris (GƆ оубьєньи БорисовЂ). The text of the Laurentian Chronicle served as the research material, studies by V. I. Borkovsky, S. A. Bugoslavsky, S. P. Obnorsky, D. S. Likhachev, A. N. Uzhankova, A. A. Shakhmatov and other scholars were used. It has been proved that the space in the story is organized along the vertical and horizontal axes. On the horizontal axis, the center and the periphery are contrasted: the sinner is moved to the periphery, beyond the limits of space, while the saints (their relics) occupy the position in the centre. For this purpose the chronicler distinguishes the main characters (Boris, Gleb, Yaroslav, Svyatopolk, Peredslava, druzhina, etc.) and the geography of the events (Kiev, Vyshegorod, Smolensk, the Volga and the L ’ta rivers, St. Basil s Church) in the plot and composition structure of the text. The spiritual space is indicated by the definitions of the Cain ’s thoughts and the Lord ’s image. The colour codes of holiness (light) and sin (darkness) serve for the boundary designation. In the story the terrestrial world is not given any colour characteristics, and the divine world is rendered symbolically - as light or radiant. The past forms of verbs reflect the change in the events of the terrestrial life, while the divine world as a timeless space is embodied by the present forms of verbs. The idea of the chronicle story was not only to inform the reader about the events of the struggle for the princely throne, to determine how the terrestrial world is connected with the divine one, but to reveal the divine side of the world and prompt the reader into a prayerful state.