In the Bryansk region found a medieval rook

In Bryansk modestly celebrated the last day of the founding of the Russian fleet. Meanwhile, a gift for historians of the fleet and lovers of water and sea history, as well as for all residents of Russia, Bryansk region presented a truly tsarist or grand ducal. This will depend on the final dating of the unique find.

The fact is that recently in the Desna River found a medieval choln - a ship built not from planks, but hollowed out of a huge tree. . The main river of the Bryansk region, although previously not part of the main route "from the Varangians to the Greeks", but still used as a route for trade and military operations in the Middle Ages.

The artifact was very lucky. In the sense that there was a professional historian next to him at the right time and place.

- I live near where I found it. That day I got a call from friends-fishermen and asked to come and pick them up with a catch, - says the historian, archaeologist, and in the past an employee of the regional museum of local lore Vladislav Piskunov. While the guys were loading, I walked along the shore. I must say that this year the rains in the Bryansk region did not fall very much and the river became shallow. Not far from the beach near the village of Khotylevo, where we constantly swim, I saw a black log sticking out of the water. He came closer and became shallow - the nose of the damned ship stuck out of the river.

- It's an extraordinary success for science - still enthusiastically recalls the circumstances of the find Vladislav - in Bryansk there were two of them, and in the whole country there are about twenty similar finds.

A quarter of a century ago, not far from here at the foot of the medieval Vszyzh, which was the capital of the principality, a boat was found. Now it is exhibited in the regional museum.

After the discovery, my friends and I dragged the find in shallow water. They didn't pull it out. Firstly, it was very heavy from the water absorbed into it, and secondly, they were afraid that it would not fall apart. The next day a truck arrived. On the rinks carefully rolled the boat to the shore. It turned out to be almost 5 meters. Although it was not whole, but only a fragment with a nose. Can you imagine how huge it would be in its entire form? – the finder spreads his hands.

Initially, the boat weighed about 300 kg. First, she was taken to the site, where the find washed from dirt and silt. She stood like that for a day. During this time, the water from the wood partially disappeared, and the boat became lighter than a kilogram per hundred.

All this time there were negotiations - where to transfer the boat? We agreed that the valuable artifact will take the Historical and Local History Museum of the Bryansk region, on the territory of which the find was made.

- The boat found recently is another confirmation that the Desna was actively used in ancient times as a means of communication, - says Yulia Zagnetnaya, director of the Bryansk district museum, - we are very glad that our museum has found such an exhibit. Clearing the boat has now been completed. Now there is conservation - fixing wood with special solutions. Without this, the rook can crumble over time.

- Experts will still determine the date of manufacture of the vessel, says Vladislav Piskunov, - now we can assume that the boat was made not in the early Middle Ages, when the method of burning was used. The traces of machining are clearly visible - it is likely that the rook was hollowed out with axes. According to the annual rings, you can already judge the age of the tree from which the ship was made – this spruce, which is at least 250 years old.

Currently, the boat was raised to the second floor of the museum and it is like a mummy wrapped in cellophane to avoid rapid drying.

The boat has already been inspected by the editor-in-chief of the Moscow Komsomolets in Bryansk, Grigory Kozhurin.

- One of my interests is the history of shipbuilding and navigation in the Bryansk region, - says Grigory Vladimirovich, - it coincided that earlier I worked as a senior researcher in this museum, exhibited here my exhibition "Maltsov and Bryansk steamers". I am very glad that our museum has found such a wonderful medieval boat. Thank you to Vladislav Piskunov and his comrades for handing over their find here.

- The water has already stopped flowing, and before it dripped well. We had to substitute basins," smiles the director of the museum, "after it is fully prepared, we will place it in the antiquities hall. She'll be right here. We are sure that such an interesting exhibit will attract numerous visitors. We're already waiting for our guests.