This edition publishes the Novgorod first chronicle of the older and younger editions - the oldest chronicle of the Novgorod feudal republic, which is one of the main sources of our knowledge about the culture, life, socio-political life of Veliky Novgorod during its independence. At the same time, the so-called Initial Kyiv vault of the late 11th century, which preceded the Tale of Bygone Years, was reflected in the younger edition of the Novgorod First Chronicle. In the Synodal list of the senior edition of the annals, the first 16 notebooks are lost, but in modern studies it is recognized that the same Initial code was presented in this part of the list.