Bishop of Kolomna and Grand Duke Dmitri from BL YT 51, ff. 19v-20

Miniature of the Bishop of Kolomna meeting the Grand Duke Dmitri at the gates of the city, with life-bearing crosses; miniature of the Grand Duke Dmitri ordering his captains to ride out into the fields of Kolomna with drums, horns, and trumpets. Image taken from ff. 19v-20 of Skazanie o Mamaevom Poboishche (the Tale of the Rout of Mamai). Written in Russian Church Slavonic.

Henry Yates Thompson (1838-1928) was a British collector and philanthropist who assembled this remarkable collection over his lifetime. The collection is now housed at the British Library in London.

Henry Yates Thompson was born into a wealthy family in 1838. Thompson began collecting manuscripts and other items in the 1870s. His collection quickly gained recognition for its exceptional quality and breadth. He had a keen eye for illuminated manuscripts, which are manuscripts decorated with intricate illustrations and calligraphy. The collection has a particular emphasis on medieval manuscripts.