ON ETHNIC IDENTIFICATION OF THE 15th CENTURY LORDS OF THEODORO

The paper considers how ethnic identification of the members of the Theodoro principality reigning dynasty of the 15th century was studied in historiography. The analyzed problem is one of the most important aspects of the studies of Southwest Taurica's medieval history. The dynasty that had appeared on the territory of the Crimean Gothia at the end of the late Middle Ages has repeatedly drawn the attention of scholars. Some of them tried to bind its representatives to a particular ethnic group. The first part of the paper is devoted to the key members of the dynasty and the dynasty's role in the late medieval Black Sea region. In the second part, due to a comprehensive analysis of the issue's historiography, the author reveals the basic hypotheses of its solution. Traditionally, the lords of Theodoro were considered as the natives of Byzantium. However, that version meets some substantial objections, and the Circassian hypothesis of the origin of the Theodoro ruling house has become more common in recent years. The author analyzes the possibility of identifying the lords of Theodoro as Goths and notes both strengths and weaknesses of main hypotheses on the issue in historiography.