On the question of adultery of the Russian princess Euphemia Vladimirovna

The marriage union of the Russian Princess Euphemia Vladimirovna and the Hungarian King Kalman the Scribe ended sadly when the husband accused Euphemia of treason and sent her back to Russia. While historical sources, including Russian chronicles and Hungarian chronicles, offer limited information on these events, they do not contradict each other: the totality of data gives an idea of the reality of adultery. However, the study of the biography of the son of Euphemia Vladimirovna Boris gave researchers grounds to put forward a diametrically opposite version. This theory posits that the alleged betrayal of the Russian princess was a later political fabrication, emerging during the intensification of the power struggle among Hungarian political elites in the 1130s. Given the sparse historical records, proponents of both versions rely on arguments related to human psychology and on the so-called “argumentum ex silentio”. The article attempts to consider the issue from a fresh perspective, based on Marc Bloch's concept of the inexhaustibility of historical sources and emphasizing the fundamental importance of the angle from which it should be viewed. Through an analysis of chronicle data, the author asserts that the adultery of the Russian princess was real, the proof of which is her burial in the church of St. The Savior in the village of Berestovo. Additionally, a system of arguments, including evidence “a contrario”, is given in support of the conclusion.