A ring with an Armenian inscription from Kyiv

The photograph shows a ring of the 12th–13th centuries which, according to Ukrainian scholars, belonged to a member of the Armenian diaspora. It was found in 1936 in Kyiv, on the grounds of the Church of the Tithes, during excavations by the Kyiv archaeological expedition led by Todosiy Movchanovsky. Two hoards were discovered there, one of which consisted only of silver jewellery: rings, bracelets, kolts and earrings.

On the ring’s square bezel, within a wavy frame, an Armenian inscription is engraved, read as “Ars(z)en,” probably the owner’s name. The ring was evidently in use for a long time: its ornament is almost worn away. According to the source, the Armenian community had long lived in Kyiv, and in 1062 Prince Iziaslav of Kyiv summoned 20 thousand Armenians into his service to fight the Cumans.