The Research of the Annalistic Mychesk

Abstract

The city of Mychesk (Mychsk) is mentioned by the Hypatian Chronicle in the episode of the chase of Halich Prince Volodymyr Volodarovych for Prince Iziaslav Mstyslavych during his raid in 1151 to Kyiv occupied at that time by Prince Yurii Dolhorukyi.
 In the middle of the 19th century E. Rulikovskyi and L. Pokhilevych, having based on local legends, localized Mychesk on the territory of Mykgorod — a suburb of Radomyshl (today the part of city). The remains of the fortifications (ramparts and ditches), located on the peninsula at the influx of the Myka river into the Teteriv, were considered as the rests of Mychesk. For the first time, they were examined and described by V. Antonovych in the late 19th cent. Most of the researchers such as M. Hrushevskyi, A. Kuza, V. Misiats agreed with this version of Mychesk localization.
 In 1973 and 1985 M. Kuchera has made the survey on the territory of that peninsula and dug the prospect holes on the territory of Mykgorod fortifications. As a result, no artifacts and cultural layers dated to Old Rus period were found on the site or adjoining territory. The researcher considered this site to be the remains of a fortified churchyard in the Late Middle Ages.
 In 2009 and 2011 the additional researches of Mykgorod were made by the authors of the paper. The artifacts of Old Rus period have not been discovered. Instead of that fact, in 2011, numerous fragments of pottery dated to the middle — the second half of the 11th century and at the 12th—13th century were found in the central historical part of the modern city. Artifacts were located on the high terrace of the left bank of Myka river, in the garden of school # 3 and on the neighboring backyards. Huge cultural layer was obsereved in the prospect hole, the lower horizons of this layer are well preserved and provide the findings of ceramics dated to the middle — the second half of the 11th century.
 In the autumn of 2019, the authors carried out the rescue exploration on the school territory caused by construction of the school water and sewer system. In the communication trench the cultural layers, its capacity and current state of preservation were traced. The remains of three objects destroyed by modern machines were also recognized, they are dated to the Old Rus period. The ceramics dated to the 10th—18th centuries was collected.
 It should be noticed that in 2011 and in 2019 the fragments of plinth (a Greek brick) were found on the surface and during exploration. For the first view it can be dated to the late 11th — the first third of the 12th cent. These findings ought to show the existence of the stone church in Mychesk at the Middle Ages.
 Thus, the question of localization of the annalistic Mychesk consider to be fundamentally resolved. To form the complete scientific understanding of this Old Rus city we need further special historical and archeological research.