Synodik of the defenders of the Trinity-Sergius monastery from manuscript No. 25 of the Lavra collection

The heroic defense of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery against the Tushino invaders in 1608- 1610 was a pivotal event during the Time of Troubles in Russia in the early 17th century. The study of this historic episode started 35 years ago. When a new Synodik list of those perished in the siege was introduced into scientific circulation, the study of this key episode of the tumultuous period got a chance to be continued. Clarification of the beginning of the list of the perished in the siege made it possible to identify the names and social status of 1,415 of those individuals. Comparing the names listed in the Synodik with the data in Jakub Sapega’s diary, extant charters and letters of the defenders of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, the Tale of Cellarer Abraham Palitsyn and monastery documents, provided the opportunity to start prosopographical analysis of the besieged defenders. As a result it was found out that the list is far from complete and that the defense of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery was a people’s cause. Its participants included nobles, musketeers, Cossacks, townsfolk, peasants, monks, monastery servants, and laborers - men, women, and children from a lot of cities and districts of Russia.