‘When Going to Saint James’: An Old Russian Graffito from the 12th Century in Aquitania

A significant epigraphic discovery from the 12th century provides direct evidence of Russian pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela. An Old Russian graffito, inscribed by Ivan Zavidovich on the wall of St. Vivien church in Pons (France), reads: 'Ivan Zavidovich wrote this when going to Saint James.' The inscription, dated to the 1160s–1180s, is the second such finding in France and offers valuable insights into medieval pilgrimage routes and cultural exchanges between Eastern Europe and Western Christendom. The study combines palaeographic analysis with historical context, linking the name Zavidovich to Novgorod boyars and highlighting the shrine's prominence in Old Russia.

Gordin, A. M., & Rozhdestvenskaya, T. V. (2016). ‘When Going to Saint James’: An Old Russian Graffito from the 12th Century in Aquitania. Slovene, 5(1), 126–147. https://doi.org/10.31168/2305-6754.2016.5.1.4