The Song of Igor's Campaign

had an influence on Russian literature long before it was rediscovered in 1795. The manuscript known as the Zadonshchina, which commemorates the victory in 1380 of a Russian army over the Mongols, is based on the earlier epic in structure and poetic detail. The Zadonshchina was written about 1385.

In the modern era, The Song of Igor's Campaign has had an influence on Russian literature that is felt to the present day. It has been called a national classic, the greatest achievement of the Kievean period in Russian literature (1030-1240). The anonymous author has been called the equal of Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837), Russia's greatest poet. Pushkin himself had plans to translate the epic into modern Russian, although he never fulfilled his desire. Poets of the Romantic era were inspired by the Song's lyrical beauty and depth of feeling. In the nineteenth century, Nikolay...