The Boyar Dmytro Dyadko in Historical Sources and Modern Historiography

The article examines the figure of boyar Dmytro Dyadko in historiography and historical sources. The reconstruction of individual boyar portraits in the 14th century is quite controversial, since the lack of sources does not allow even a complete reconstruction of the course of political changes. The potential of combining chronicle information and material of charters made it possible to reinterpret certain elements of the history of boyar families in a new way, which led to the generalisation of existing studies and the formation of a new vision of the roots of the boyar family of this outstanding nobleman. It is known from princely charters of the 14th century that Dmytro Dyadko was mentioned alongside Vasko Kudynovych. Information about the boyar Kudyn is also contained in the synodical book of the Horodyshche Monastery, which is not preserved today. Based on the study of chronicle monuments, it was established that the scribe’s report about the «Дѧдьковъ градъ» was destroyed by order of the Romanovids in the lands of the Bolokhivtsi. «Дѧдьковъ градъ» was mentioned near the town of Kudyn. The family of Dmytro Dyadko (along with the Kudynovych family) originated from the Bolokhiv region. Author showed that this proposed version of the origin of boyar Dmytro also does not deny that the Dyadkovychs could have been tutors of the Romanovids and owned some lands in the west of the Galicia-Volhynia State (near Przemysl Castle). Based on the analysis of the Galicia-Volyn part of the Ipatiev Chronicle and the actual material of the 14th century, the influential boyar came from the Bolokhiv nobility, and his family had long served the Romanovids. It is emphasised that this helps to explain his significant status at the court of Prince Yuriy-Boleslav Troydenovych. After the latter’s murder, boyar Dmytro Dyadko, together with Danylo Ostrozkyi, turned to the Mongol khan for help. The paper demonstrated, that given the long-standing contacts of the Bolokhiv residents with the Mongols, it was much easier to carry out such a diplomatic operation from the eastern Romanovid’s possessions. Therefore, that the «Horde factor» can also indirectly prove that Dmytro Dyadko belonged to the Bolokhivs.