Continuing the story of Magnus of Holstein: documents from the “Livonian Chronicles” in the archive of St. Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Abstract

The article is devoted to expanding the source base for studying the attempt to create a “Livonian kingdom” by the Russian government during the Livonian War, led by the Danish Prince Magnus of Holstein, who in 1570 took an oath of allegiance to Ivan the Terrible, took part in the military and political events of the tsar, but in 1579 fled Russia. The article presents an essay on published and archival sources concerning the life of Magnus of Holstein. The main emphasis is placed on the content of the "Livonian Chronicles" from the archive of the St. Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, originating from the Sapieha family archive, which includes a complex of correspondence between Magnus and those close to him from 1573–1577. These documents provide additional nuances of Magnus's position in the “Russian question”, and also allow us to clarify information from his "Apology" of 1579.