Византийские свинцовые подвесные печати как исторический источник давно уже стали предметом пристального внимания византинистов и специалистов по истории и археологии средневекового Крыма. Сфрагистический материал, обнаруженный при археологических раскопках в Херсоне и Судаке, открыл перед исследователями возможность получить представление о многих сторонах политической, административной, экономической жизни этих важных регионов, тесно связанных с Византией.
The seals under consideration were discovered during archaeologicai expedition in Chersonesos and Sudak (they are kept in the funds of State Hermitage, St. Petersburg). Three molivdovuls belong to strateguses of Cherson (Epiphanius, John, and Constantine?). Two seals belong to the representatives of Byzantine families - George Protevon and Michael Kataphlor. One more molivdovul informs about a representative unknown before of the Tsulas - protospatharios and strategus of Cherson Leo Tsula. All these seals enlarge our knowledge about strateguses of Cherson in the 9th - 10th centuries. The find of the seal of John, chartularios and genimatos of Chrisopolis, confirms real economic relations between Cherson and Viphinia. The seals of archons of Cherson found in Sogdaia corroborate close relations between the cities in the 9th - 10th centuries. A really rare find in Sudak was a Byzantine seal, dating back to the end of the 8th century, bearing the name of Theophanes, a chalcopratos, which enables us to get some idea of trade-handicraft life of Sogdaia.
