Page 361 - Kosovo Metohija Heritage

The Russian Illustrated Chronicle, mid-16th century.
The book, some sort of an old chronicle that narrates the development of the world from its creation to the time of the rule of ivan the Terrible, was preserved in about 9,000 sheets with approximately 16,000 miniatures. The story of the Battle of Kosovo goes from 276 to 280 p. episodes reel off: the accusation of Lazar’s faithful knight Miloš Obilić of treason, the onset of the Battle, Murad’s assassination and Miloš’s death, the assault of the Serbian soldiers, the proclamation of Bayazid as Turkish Czar and Prince Lazar’s capture and decapitation. The Chronicle was dated back to mid-16th century, the time when the Russian Czar ivan the Terrible tried to assert himself as successor of all previous Russian rulers and emphasize his Russian and foreign ancestors alike. Prince Lazar had a most prominent place among them. Thus the cult of Prince Lazar spread through Russia of that time, magnifying the significance of the Russian dynasty, which ivan the Terrible, son of Prince Vasily iii, wanted to consolidate.
es, we find a view that the Turks were defeated. Some of the sources are very explicit in this assertion, and this can be concluded from some others, indirectly. This difference sharpens the gap between the tradition and critical history, and raises some basic questions as to methods of forming opinions and discussions in history. in order to understand and explain differences of narrative in our sources, we have
to ask ourselves what was the basis for earlier centuries’ criteria of success of the battlefield—fewer number of ca- sualties, power over land, exploitation of the aftermath of a battle, the number of captured enemies, booty or some other factors, which are not important today? We also have to ask whether it is easy to establish the important facts: that the ruler or commander’s death was more significant,
The Kosovo Field, june 15, 1389
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