I love learning about obscure stuff in passing that ends up feeling sentimental for reasons I can’t explain. Today’s entry? A schoolboy’s drawings from the back of his homework from medieval Russia.
So, decades ago, people discovered a bunch of ancient papers in the city of Novgorod, Russia. They included shopping lists, business records, prayers, spells, school exercises from 700-800 years ago. And a collection of drawings by a boy named Onfim.
Most of his drawings were on the back of his schoolwork. Like one that starts with the alphabet and ends with a picture of him on horseback, impaling an enemy with a spear. He copies scripture… then draws people with pitchfork hands.
I think I’m loving this discovery because it reminds me that kids’ imaginations are somewhat universal. And it makes me think that our scrap paper today, may be somebody’s interesting artifact tomorrow.