Balthasar Russow

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Balthasar Russow (1536 – 1600) was one of the most important Livonian and Estonian chroniclers.

He was born in Reval (Present-day Tallinn, Estonia). Some historians claim he had ethnic Estonian ancestry. The assumption is based on the fact that his father's name was Simon and there is no data about any Reval citizen named Simon Russow from that period. Therefore it is suggested his father was an ethnic Estonian cab driver Simon Rissa.

Balthasar Russow was educated in Szczecin (Szczecin) academy. He was the Lutheran pastor of the Estonian congregation at the Holy Spirit Church in Reval from 1566 until his death.

He is most famous for his Low German language chronicle Chronica der Provinz Lyfflandt describing the history of Livonia, especially the decline of the Livonian Order and the period of Livonian War 1558—1583. The chronicle was first printed in Rostock in 1578 and quickly sold out. The revised edition was printed in 1584.

In his work he is highly critical of the squander and immorality of the Livonian upper classes. He also complains about the ignorance and pagan traditions of the Estonian peasants and the venality of mercenary armies during the wars. He praises the rule of the new regional power, Sweden.

Balthasar Russow is the main character in Between Three Plagues, a four-part historical novel by modern Estonian writer Jaan Kross, first published in 1970.