Genetic Characterization of a 12th-Century Princely Burial in St. Sophia Cathedral of Veliky Novgorod.
5 affiliations
- 1Federal Research Center "Fundamentals of Biotechnology", Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071 Russia.
- 2Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (RNRMU), Moscow, 117997 Russia.
- 3Institute of Archaeology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117292 Russia.
- 4National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", Moscow, 123182 Russia.
- 5Autonomous Non-Profit Organization for the Creation, Support and Development of the Historical and Cultural Electronic Encyclopedia and Library "RUNIVERS", Moscow, 119071 Russia.
Abstract
The necropolis of St. Sophia Cathedral in Veliky Novgorod, Russia, as noted in chronicle sources and cathedral inventories, contains the burials of five princes from the Rurikid dynasty and two princesses from their families. To clarify the genetic ancestry of two of the buried individuals, whose remains preserved the skeletal elements required for genetic analysis, DNA extracted from the remains was sequenced. Genetic analysis has revealed that the male individual from the sarcophagus near the southern wall of the Nativity side-chapel carries the Y-chromosomal haplogroup N1a and can be identified with high probability as Mstislav Rostislavich the Brave. Analysis of DNA extracted from female skeletal remains from the reliquary shrine in the Martyrius Porch revealed no close kinship with any of the known genomes of Rurikid dynasty members. A sculptural facial reconstruction based on the skull of Prince Mstislav Rostislavich and a digital facial approximation based on the cranium of the female individual were performed.
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BibTeX
@article{leonova2026genetic,
title = {{Genetic Characterization of a 12th-Century Princely Burial in St. Sophia Cathedral of Veliky Novgorod.}},
author = {M V Leonova and I K Reshetova and K V Zhur and D A Vashunina and F S Sharko and N G Maksimov and M V Dobrovolskaya and N A Makarov and E B Prokhortchouk},
journal = {Acta naturae},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.32607/actanaturae.27986},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42960372},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Genetic Characterization of a 12th-Century Princely Burial in St. Sophia Cathedral of Veliky Novgorod.
AU - M V Leonova
AU - I K Reshetova
AU - K V Zhur
AU - D A Vashunina
AU - F S Sharko
AU - N G Maksimov
AU - M V Dobrovolskaya
AU - N A Makarov
AU - E B Prokhortchouk
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - Acta naturae
DO - 10.32607/actanaturae.27986
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42960372
AB - The necropolis of St. Sophia Cathedral in Veliky Novgorod, Russia, as noted in chronicle sources and cathedral inventories, contains the burials of five princes from the Rurikid dynasty and two princesses from their families. To clarify the genetic ancestry of two of the buried individuals, whose remains preserved the skeletal elements required for genetic analysis, DNA extracted from the remains was sequenced. Genetic analysis has revealed that the male individual from the sarcophagus near the southern wall of the Nativity side-chapel carries the Y-chromosomal haplogroup N1a and can be identified with high probability as Mstislav Rostislavich the Brave. Analysis of DNA extracted from female skeletal remains from the reliquary shrine in the Martyrius Porch revealed no close kinship with any of the known genomes of Rurikid dynasty members. A sculptural facial reconstruction based on the skull of Prince Mstislav Rostislavich and a digital facial approximation based on the cranium of the female individual were performed.
SN - 2075-8251
ER -