1/2
A birch bark letter cataloged as Novgorod 292 is the oldest existing complete text in a Finnic language. The text is written in Cyrillic, with ca. 50 characters spanning across three lines. The text is conventionally interpreted as a Karelian charm against lightning. It is impossible to determine the exact dialect, but some characteristics points towards the Olonetsian–Ludian–Vepsian area.
Title
Novgorod 292
Region
Published
13th century
Literature
Laakso, J. (1999). Vielä kerran itämerensuomen vanhimmista muistomerkeistä. In Virittäjä, no. 4. Retrieved 20 September 2026 from kotikielenseura.fi
Novgorod 292 [Birch bark letter no. 292] [Cyrillic inscription on birch bark]. (13th century). Novgorod.