Smolensk in the Book Tradition of Russia of the XVI Century

The article examines a number of ancient Russian works dating back to the XVI century, in which Smolensk is at the center of the narrative. On the basis of indirect data, the author concludes about the possibility of the appearance of these plots on the Smolensk land, possibly in the form of folk legends, and then the emergence of a literary version based on them, recorded in the sources of the XVI century. The appearance of these plots in the XVI century was not accidental. In 1514, Prince Vasily III of Moscow annexed Smolensk to his possessions. The annexation of an ancient Russian city with a rich history and tradition required legitimization. Literature has become a way of including Smolensk in the ethnocultural space of the Moscow state.