The sister of the two Tzars, the
Tzarevna Sophia, was a great patroness of the dramatic art: and was
herself the author of several tragedies and comedies, which were acted
before her by her ladies.
This latter portion of the first period, poor as it is, has
nevertheless several books of travels to exhibit. A merchant of
Tver, Athanasius Nikitin, travelled in the year 1470 to India, visited
the Dekkan and Golconda, and gave on his return a description of those
countries. Two other merchants of Moscow, Korobeinikof and Grekof,
described a century later their travels through Syria, Palestine and
Egypt. Fedor Baikof, Russian envoy to China, published likewise a book
of travels in that remarkable country.
In the department of history, this portion of the first period was
surprisingly productive. Not only were the Annals of the venerable
Nestor, the basis of all Slavic history, continued by the monks with
fidelity and zeal; but a whole series of other annals, biographies of
single princes, and chronographies, were produced; and even some
foreign nations received their share of attention.[13] The reader
however must not expect to find a vestige of philosophical genius, nor
a philosophical representation of the events.
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