No 9

Location: On the north side of the north column in the central part of the so-called 'Lodge of the Empress'.

Material: Green Thessalian marble, 6th century.

Dimensions: Two-line inscription with first line 12 cm long, second line 10.5 cm long. The letters on the first line ranged in height from 0.7 cm (А) to 2.6 cm (Ꙁ). The height of the letters on the second line varies between 0.8 cm (H) and 1.7 cm (У, С, Т).

Condition: Lightly incised but clearly legible letters.

Technique: Incised.

Language: Old Slavonic.

Scripture: Cyrillic.

Text♦:

Restored text:        

Translation: Lord, help your servant Ivan (John) at Hagia Sophia

Attribution: Prayer inscription.

Announced: Y. A. Artamonov, A. A. Gippius, Old Russian Inscriptions of St. Sophia of Constantinople, Slavic Almanac, Moscow 2011, 45; A. Y. A. Artamonov, A. A. Gippius, I. V. Zaitsev, Old Russian Inscriptions-Graffiti of St. Sophia of Constantinople, 1150 Years of Russian Statehood and Culture, Moscow 2012, 288.

Publication: Tomov, Nepoznatiyat hram „Sv. Sofia”, 45-47.

Commentary: Tomov, Nepoznatiyat hram „Sv. Sofia”, 46.

Palaeography: Tomov, Nepoznatiyat hram „Sv. Sofia”, 46.

Orthography: Tomov, Nepoznatiyat hram „Sv. Sofia”, 46-47.

Date: Middle - second half of the 12th century AD.