Volat of Belarus and the whole European Renaissance is pleased with the same merchants and the old-time Polatsk. Adult in 1504, he graduated from the Krakow University, Philosophical Faculty, and graduated from the bachelor's degree. Skaryn’s diseases became doctors of “free sciences” (philosophies), and in 1512 he was founded at the University of Padua – the most authoritative in Europe. The exams were wiped out there brilliantly, and the first generation of the departed Slavs at the same time entered the educational level of the doctorate of medicine (which, hopefully, was previously learned in Capenhagen). Today, we can learn from Padua in the University Memorial Hall of the People's Party of the Saratov of outstanding skills and crafts that came out of the stage of his alma mater.
F. Skaryna. Fragment of Lazar Rana's carcina
Instead of a peaceful life on the path of the doctor, the father of the former prince and magnate Skaryn, as the son of the Renaissance era, took a different path. It is your duty to give your people the “spiritual medicine” – a hand-written Bible in clear language. The first of the three books - the Psalter - was published on the 6th of June 1517 by the Czech Prase. The great humanist writes: “ I, Francishak Skaryn, son of Polack, a doctor in medicinal skills, sing the Psalter of the Holy Spirit... first of all, to the praise of God, the Trinity Adzinam and the Holy Matzer Mary... and then to the paspalitaga, good friend, the most beautiful things in the world, like my kind God from this language into the light" Thus, the Belarusians, the first people of the former Slavs and all the former European peoples, have written a hand-written book in their native language. Slavuta Palachanin Pakіnu with nashas 23 Corakladseniy Ishadzena Pa-Starablaruska biblіyyyu Knіgi il ogi ivilika of the princes of Belarusa-Litsevino at the hay’y of the pennies of the Eprapeysk people. The ancient Belarusian Bible of Francis Skaryny is the fourth edition of the book, published in the living language of the people (in German, Italian and Czech translations).
Prague. Engraving by G. Brown and F. Gotenberg. 1598 The Scary Book of Books was previously married to Luther. Yana was the first to draw the Bible from the original and Western Slavic peoples and amalgamately to the Polish. Skaryna published her translation earlier, in which the French and angelic ones appeared. Yagony “Psalter” was published for 47 years and “Apostal”, because of which the Russian book collection began to decline. The Bible itself was issued to the Parasitic Empire in 1876.
Founded in Radzima, Skaryn around 1520 from the possible Vilensk months of Yakub Babich, Bagdan Ankovich (Onkava) and Yuri Advernik, who, apparently, had fallen asleep earlier. your friend from our capital city - Vilni.
In 1522 and 1525 The “Small Book of Parade” and “Apostal” were published there. The Vilensk drukarny Fransiska Skaryny was the first in Uskhodnyaya Europe.
He is respected not only as Belarusian and original non-Slavic leaders, but also as a philosopher, whose light view includes Christian, ancient and humanist ideas. As a prose writer, I understand that I serve not just one person, but the whole people. As editors and publishers of several old and new languages, as editors and publishers, who create the greatest harmony of words and other words. (In the opinion of specialists, their jumping and dascanalization, the Scary books extend both to the earliest Tsar's and Slavic books issued, and to most of the famous Venetians at that time.)
Pyaru Skaryny is brilliantly simple and the very ancestors of our history are patri- atic hymns of praise to love and Fatherland: “ Panezhe hell of the beasts that walk in the desert, they know the pits, the birds that fly in the air, they know the nests of the pile, the fish that swim in the sea and rivers, they smell the piles, the bees and other similar baronies vullya yours, - the same people, Whenever you are happy and nourished by God, you receive a gentle caress».
Vuchonya dagetul cannot say for the purpose that she would have faith. The humanistic views of the world placed themselves above the confessions, which called out the dissatisfaction of those who were caught up in both the right and the right, and catalism.
The son of the people who live in the geographic centers of Europe, Skaryna was born in the creative tradition of the Byzantine Departure and the Latvian Departure. You will also need your books of fine art and high-quality engravings, from which you can learn everyday life - everyday life, adzenna, Budouli technology, military law. Brave the advent of the hell of the royal canons, their destruction in the Bible has clearly revealed - the first and historical aspects of the author's work.
The life of the Pershadrukar has a tense, spirited and adventurous era in the transition from the beginning of the century to the New Age.
Museum named after F. Skaryna in London, where 50 thousand books are stored, rare Belarusian old hands are at your disposal According to some historians, he spent several hours serving as the sacrament of the Danish king Hans. Skaryna quarrels with the reformers Luthers and the medicine and alchemists Paracelsus. Braў node at the folded agulnadzarzhaўnaga collection of laws - the first step of the Statute of the Vyalikag of the Principality of Lithuania in 1529. He was the sacristan and court physicians of the Bishop of Vilensk Jan. Skaryna is asked to serve by the Master of the Teutonic Order, Albrecht of Brandenburg, as he gives birth to gentry.
As for the brothers, the creditors abandoned Skaryna and the Vyaznitsa, which was called by the Vyalik Prince Zhygimont Stary himself. As a sign of recognition of the saber merits of the reign of Aichynaya, the manarch gave the executioner Admyslov's Akhons of success.
Knowing that Maskoushchyna is not his friend, Franciszak Skaryna brought a batch of his books from the capital and started setting up the issuing license. Ale and secular, and spiritual powers have been preserved and this war has taken place. The Muscovite Prince Vasil III riddled the scriptures from the Scary Books of Vognishch. Their public hall became a clear example of the great difference in the cultural levels of the Vyalikag Principality of Lithuania and Maskovia.
The path of extradition of the humanist ended in Prague, where European glory soon passed. In the old part of the Czech capital, in Hradcany, the memory of our friend is remembered.
The scarcely issued documents have not only become rusty. They were in charge of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Nyamech. This book is important in the libraries of Russia and Ukraine, and in the book collections of Krakow, Warsaw, London, Cambridge, Capenhagen, Ljubljana, and Prague. Previously unknown personalities of Skarynavay Bibliya were discovered in Nyamechchyna.
© “U. Arlow “Kraina Belarus. Vyalikaya Principality of Lithuania”, 2012
There are many mysteries and secrets in the study of the life and legacy of the pioneer printer - Francis Skaryna. Yes, we do not yet know where he died and where the ashes are, where this educator, a tireless worker, a supporter of rapprochement and mutual understanding of all peoples and faiths, especially Christians, rests.
Research begins
And it is very good that the priests of this church, led by the priest-rector, candidate of historical sciences Vladislav Zavalnyuk, took up the noble task of finding the ashes of Francis Skaryna in the Czech Republic and transferring them to their homeland, to the Church of Saints Simeon and Helen. Therefore, in order to facilitate their search, the efforts of other Skoryna scholars, I will share the results of my work over the past few years - both with oral and printed sources, as well as with virtual sources.
First of all, my attention was drawn to the city of Cesky Krumlov, where at the castle he worked as a so-called gardener, but essentially as an educator, botanist-doctor, the eldest son of our pioneer printer, Simeon.
However, here for a while we need to return to the Vilna period of the life and publishing activity of Francysk Skaryna, since the reader may have questions: where did Skaryna have two sons in the Czech Republic, one of whom was there for certain, and the second, perhaps, did the same thing as and father - botanical, horticultural and medical activities, which can become a reliable guide in your search. And why was our famous compatriot forced to leave Vilnius, which is related and close to Polotsk, in order to return to the more distant and foreign Prague? To do this, it is necessary to at least briefly dwell on the events of the previous, 1520s, years of Skaryna’s life and work. Having published at least 22 books of translations from the Bible in Prague, in order to communicate with his real, predominantly Orthodox reader, he went to continue his sacred work in Vilnius, the capital of the common and almost independent Grand Duchy of Lithuania for the ancestors of the Belarusians. Spent more than ten years there. In 1522 he published the popular, almost general Christian “Small Travel Book”. And in 1525 - “Apostle”. That's all!
However, we know that Skaryna was very hardworking and could not sit with his hands folded. We also know that in the second half of the 1520s he helped the Vilna Bishop John, the son of the then king of the first Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. I believe that it was on the instructions of the bishop that our pioneer printer performed the responsible and honorable work of drawing up the first Statute of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. According to tradition, it is believed that this essentially the first constitution in Europe was created mainly by Albrecht Gastold, since 1522 both the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Vilnius governor, the owner of Geranen, Ostrovets and a dozen other estates. But a comprehensive study of this magnate figure of my fellow countryman convinced me that he could only organize the writing. The only figure in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania who could combine “divine right” and “human right” in the Charter was precisely Bishop Jan’s secretary, Francis Skorina! He was the only citizen of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania who successfully graduated from the Jagiellonian University in Krakow two years earlier and brilliantly became a doctor at the University of Padua in Italy.
In the summer, the authors of the Charter, apparently under the interested patronage of Bishop John and his father, the royal favor of Sigismund the Old himself, the husband of the reformer queen Bona Sforza, and perhaps even of her, the “Renaissance,” headed east for “royal gifts” and refreshed themselves along the way in a tavern specially opened with their permission in Cassino the Great and drove further to Ostrovets, the nearest estate of the Goshtolds. Apparently, Skaryna should have published the first printed Charter in Vilnius, otherwise why did he kidnap a Jewish printer in Korolevtsy and then suffer persecution from the Prussian Duke for this?! But I still don’t know what happened next. In any case, after the first Charter, the second and third were published in updated editions during the same century!
Simultaneously with state and public affairs, Skaryna also carried out family responsibilities, raising two sons from his first and only wife Margarita, the widow of his Vilna financial benefactor Gregory Advernik, who died exactly in 1525, when the second of the Vilna books appeared. A year later, having endured mourning, Margarita (her age is still unknown) married Francis, but soon she died.
Are the sons relatives?
Finally, in 1534, having survived the persecution of the Prussian Duke Albrecht, the claim to the inheritance (castle) of his wife in Vilnius and, most likely, the wrongful imprisonment in the Poznan prison for the debts of his elder brother Ivan, Francis Skaryna took both sons with him to Prague, and soon They were already there helping their father with “gardening,” together and separately. But I still have a question: were these his sons? Margarita couldn’t have given birth to them in just three years, when he was mostly away? Most likely, it was thought, showing Christian mercy, Francis adopted them, quite old, and taught him a familiar subject (remember his exams in Padua) that was necessary for humanity and nature - medicine, then mainly natural history.
Now let’s move on to the most important part: where did Skaryna die and was buried? Some argue that, of course, in Prague, others - that the King of the Czech Republic Ferdinand took him as an experienced specialist and faithful servant to Austria, others... I am most convinced by the compared facts given in the article of the experienced Skorinovo scholar Vyacheslav Chemeritsky and placed in the multi-volume encyclopedic reference book "Belarusian Writers".
Let us quote from there the most important paragraph for us, a slightly abbreviated one. In 1535, Skaryna returned (probably with two sons, Simeon and Francis) "to Prague, where he got a job as a scientific gardener in the royal botanical garden, which was then being founded. In the garden of the Czech king Ferdinand I. F. Skorina worked until the summer of 1539. Where is he lived and what he did after that, we do not know. In the Czech Republic (possibly in the South), the Belarusian humanist found his eternal rest. Unfortunately, we do not know either the exact time or place of burial. Most likely, he died in 1551, so how at the beginning of the next year the Czech king issued a special letter to Skaryna’s son Simeon (dated January 29) giving him the right to search throughout the country and inherit the property of his father, who was already deceased.In 1552, the case regarding some part of the property was also considered in Vilnius, about as evidenced by two recently discovered court decrees (dated August 17 and December 15) of King Sigismund Augustus.Simeon Skaryna lived in Southern Bohemia in the 1570s and was also engaged in healing and gardening (of course, at the castle. - Author). The second son of the pioneer printer, Frantisek, died in 1541 in Prague during a fire. The descendants of Simeon Skaryna lived in the Czech Republic and Slovakia."
Heading to Cesky Krumlov
On my own behalf, I will add that one of the distant but aware of the kinship heir, Jerzy Skaryna, lived in the capital of Mexico, was also engaged in book printing there, and actively corresponded with me. In one of the letters I asked him: Before his death, Francis Skaryna really lived in South Bohemia, with his eldest son? He told me that it was Cesky Krumlov, the center of a supposedly independent duchy. It was ruled first by the Czechs, and then, as neighbors of Moravia, by the Austrians or Saxons...
And now, when such information was very useful for searching for the ashes of our pioneer printer, I “traveled” around Cesky Krumlov for two days, thanks to Internet sources. And it turned out that real searches in this South Moravian city, as well as searches in the archives of neighboring dean’s offices, can be very promising.
Judge for yourself. There are only two churches in Cesky Krumlov. One, surrounded by the walls of the monastery, disappears as a “departmental” one, closed. The second - in the name of St. Vitus, parish, Gothic in style, stands on the bank-peninsula of the Vltava and right next to the castle, consecrated long before the arrival of both Skorins: it became a parish in 1329, the center of the Dovdlebsky deanery in 1374, and after perestroika it was consecrated again in 1439. The Skorinovs, as important persons, could only be buried there, with proper tombstones, and the fact of burial could be reported to the dean’s office, whose name changed.
However, the further history of the court and parish church named after St. Vitus developed, as sources testify, tortuously. In 1583 it became the burial place of representatives of the Rozhmberg house, in 1591 it was administratively transferred to the Jesuit order, which, of course, did not really value the Eastern Slavs. Moreover, the presbytery became crowded due to the tombstones located even in the center of the church hall. Therefore, the new owner of the castle, Maria Ernestina von Egenberg, ordered them to be taken out in 1717 (but where, to which cemeteries?). A list of tombstones was compiled, which, according to sources, is the only one that has survived. Therefore, it can serve as coordinates in the search for the ashes of our first printer. However, it turns out that the countess’s plan was not carried out then: she died in 1719. Even in 1750, red marble tombstones still hung on the walls at the entrance to the “chapel” of John of Nepomuk. Maybe they are still hanging there?
No, you obviously can’t do without an exploratory visit to the Church of St. Vitus and the archives of the surrounding dean’s offices.
Well, let’s get to work: spiritual, intellectual, searching! There should be a lot of documents about Skaryna, our first book publisher and thus our main hero of the day this year, in the Czech Republic and in different repositories.
Professor Adam MALDIS
The biography of the East Slavic educator and scientist Francis Skaryna is connected with creativity, medicine, philosophy and linguistics. One of the greatest representatives of Belarus of the late 15th – early 16th centuries left behind a literary monument in the form of the Bible translated from Church Slavonic. Currently, the personality of the humanist of the past era is revered by many Slavic peoples. Universities and streets are named after him, as well as an order and medal awarded for merits in the field of science, art and social activities.
Childhood and youth
Francis Lukic Skaryna was born around 1470 in the city of Polotsk, which in ancient times was within the borders of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
WikipediaMention of the parents, named Lucian and Margarita, was preserved in the book of complaints of the Polish king Casimir IV Jagiellonczyk in connection with the theft of 42 rubles from a Velikiye Luki resident. And although the professions and social status of the father and mother remained unknown, scientists suggested that they had enough money to educate their son at the Bernardine monastery school.
In the early 1500s, a young man who mastered literacy and Latin entered a higher education institution in Krakow. After studying 7 liberal arts, including philosophy, law, medicine and theology, Francis received a bachelor's degree and then applied for a doctorate at the Italian University of Padua.
Knowledge of dialectics and rhetoric helped Skaryna convince learned aristocrats to listen to a poor young man from a distant principality. On November 9, 1512, in front of a high-ranking scientific audience, he passed 2 exams with honor and became a Doctor of Medical Sciences.
Monument to Francis Skaryna in Minsk / Joergsam, Wikipedia And although Francis never studied at the main educational center of the Venetian Republic, in the mid-20th century his portrait by a local artist appeared on the walls of the gallery of famous graduates.
Subsequently, Skaryna used his medical knowledge in the service of the illegitimate son of the Polish king Sigismund I, who studied in Italy in the 1520s, and a little later in the secretariat of the Lithuanian bishop in Vilna.
Books
What happened in Skaryna’s fate in 1512-1517 still remains a mystery, but by the time the following information appeared, he left medicine and became interested in typography.
Having settled in Prague, Francis organized a printing house and began translating books from the church language into East Slavic. Having tried technologies on the “Psalter”, considered the first Belarusian printed publication, the native of Polotsk gave his descendants 23 books of translations of the “Bible” and made a huge contribution to world culture.
Printing press of Francysk Skaryna / Gruszecki, Wikipedia Researchers argued for a long time about the language of Skaryna’s religious publications, because they preserved Church Slavonic phrases mixed with Old Belarusian words and expressions. As a result, they came to the conclusion that the printer’s books were a classic edition, simplified, deciphered and adapted to reality.
The works that came out of Skaryna’s presses were a unique achievement of that time. Supplemented with the author's prefaces and commentaries, they acquired a secular character and made Holy Scripture accessible to readers of any level. In addition, the printer emphasized the educational meaning that had previously appeared in the works of European humanist philosophers of yesteryear.
To design books, Skaryna independently made engravings, monograms and other decorative elements. As a result, the original publications became not only literary monuments, but also works of fine art.
Printing house of Francysk Skaryna in Vilna / Alma Pater, Wikipedia At the beginning of the 1520s, the situation in Prague was no longer favorable, and Francis left the printing house and returned to his native lands. Resuming production in Belarus, he published a collection of religious and secular stories for educational reading, known as The Little Travel Book. In this publication, the printer acted as a writer and educator, introducing the audience to the most important concepts of the natural and civil world, talking about the calendar, astronomy, folk holidays and other interesting things.
In the spring of 1525, on machines located in the Vilna workshop, Skaryna produced his last creation, “The Apostle,” and then went to travel around Europe.
Bible printed by Francis Skaryna in 1517 / Adam Jones, National Library of Belarus Researchers are still not sure of the route of the trip taken and cannot document some interesting facts and significant events. In particular, there is no unanimous opinion regarding the visit to Germany and the meeting with the founder of Protestantism, and the goals of the educational mission in Moscow remain equally controversial.
What is known is that the East Slavic printer was expelled from these countries for heretical views, and his works, published at the expense of Catholics, were publicly burned.
After this, Skaryna almost did not engage in book printing and worked in Prague at the court of King Ferdinand I as a gardener or doctor.
Philosophy and religion
In prefaces and comments to religious publications, Skaryna showed himself as a philosopher who adhered to the educational position of Western European humanist scientists. He advocated for the education of the people and called for the development of literacy and writing skills.
Numismatics Being a patriot of the Principality of Lithuania, Francis sincerely loved his homeland and believed that every decent person must share his views. Biblical texts contributed to the dissemination of the point of view of the printer, who cared about the education of the individual, the organization of society and the establishment of a prosperous peaceful life on earth.
In Skaryna’s biography there are no direct indications of the religion and religion of a native of Polotsk. The archives preserved papers according to which Francis could belong to any of the existing faiths, and was repeatedly called a Czech apostate and heretic.
Having become famous for his works written according to Catholic canons, Skaryna could be a follower of the Western European Christian Church, which considered itself the only bearer of truth on earth.
Wikipedia This is supported by the translations of “The Parable of King Solomon” and “Song of Songs,” which were criticized and burned by Orthodox Moscow priests in the mid-1530s.
In addition, the printer’s relative, John Chrysansom, according to historical documents, was a zealous Catholic and close associate of the Polotsk archbishop. This gives us the right to assume that all the children of the Skaryna family were raised in the same faith and were baptized according to rites long established by the Roman pontiffs.
However, there is an opinion that Francis could well profess Orthodoxy. This is evidenced by the publications of 1522-1525, in which the characteristic features of the mentioned wing of Christian teaching were revealed: the East Slavic saints Boris, Larion, Gleb and others, as well as the canonical 151st psalm of the Slavic-Russian scripture.
Wikipedia In addition, scientists have established that after the exam in Padua, Skaryna received his diploma in the university building, and not in the temple, like other Catholic graduates.
The third and most likely religion attributed to Skaryna is Protestantism. This is supported by relationships with the reformers and the founder of Lutheranism, as well as service with the Duke of Königsberg, Albrecht of Brandenburg of Ansbach.
Personal life
The archives contain almost no papers relating to the personal life and family of Francysk Skaryna. From the short note it is clear that in the mid-1520s, a merchant widow named Margarita became the wife of the enlightener.
Monument to Francis Skaryna in Lida / Szeder Laszlo, Wikipedia In addition, information concerning Ivan Skaryna’s elder brother fell into the hands of biographers, who after his death left the printer with large debts and claims from creditors.
This happened in 1529, when Francis lost his wife and raised his young son Simeon alone. The consequences were catastrophic, since the unfortunate husband and father, by order of the Lithuanian ruler, was imprisoned and only through the efforts of his nephew Roman Skaryna managed to achieve pardon, freedom and complete immunity from property and litigation.
Death
Like most facts from the life of Francysk Skaryna, the exact date and cause of death are not known.
Monument to Francis Skaryna in Polotsk / Szeder Laszlo, Wikipedia Scholars suggest that this happened in Prague around 1551, since it was at this time that a direct descendant of the printer arrived in this city to take over his father's property.
In memory of the achievements of the doctor, printer, philosopher and educator, a monument was erected in the capital of Belarus, Minsk, a dozen central streets were renamed, a feature film was shot and a 1 ruble coin was issued.
Memory
- Gymnasium named after Francysk Skaryna in Radoshkovichi
- Central Avenue named after Francysk Skaryna in Polotsk
- Tract named after Francysk Skaryna in Minsk
- Minor planet No. 3283 “Francisk Skaryna”
- Feature film “I, Francisk Skaryna...”
- Monuments to Francis Skaryna in Polotsk, Minsk, Lida, Kaliningrad, Prague
- USSR 1 ruble coin in honor of the 500th anniversary of Francis Skaryna
- Gomel State University named after Francis Skaryna
Francisk Lukich Skorina is an East Slavic pioneer printer, writer, humanist philosopher, medical scientist, public figure and entrepreneur. He is famous for translating the books of the Bible from Church Slavonic into Belarusian. The pioneer printer was born around 1490 in the city of Polotsk, which at that time was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In Belarus he is considered one of the most significant figures in the history of the state. Educational institutions, organizations, as well as honorary awards of the state: medal and order are named in his honor. His contribution to the culture of Belarus is immortalized by monuments, one of which is installed in the square near the National Library in Minsk.
Life and biography of Francysk Skaryna
Francis Skaryna (approx. in Belarusian) was born at the end of the 15th century in the family of a merchant named Luka and his wife Margarita. Researchers have not come to a general conclusion regarding the date of his birth, so different information can be found about this. In addition, some scholars argue that Francis had a middle name - George. They came to this conclusion by studying the surviving documents of Grand Duke Sigismund I in Latin. Other interesting facts from the life of the pioneer printer also raise controversial opinions.
The scientist received his primary education in his hometown. He learned Latin at the school of Bernardine monks. Historians suggest that in 1504 Francis entered the Krakow Academy, which is now the Jagiellonian University. He graduated from the Faculty of Liberal Arts with a bachelor's degree. Years later, the famous pioneer printer was awarded the title of licentiate of medicine and the doctorate of liberal arts. Over the next five years, the writer studied at the Faculty of Medicine, after which he passed exams at the University of Padua in Italy, despite the fact that he did not study here. This is also evidenced by relevant documents. In 1512, the scientist was awarded the degree of Doctor of Medicine, as he passed all the exams without difficulty.
In 1517 Skaryna founded a printing house in Prague. In it, he published the “Psalter” in Cyrillic script, which became the first printed book in the Belarusian language. In total, he translated and published 23 religious books over the next two years. In 1520, the scientist moved to Vilna, which at that time was the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Here he founded a printing house, which became the first in the country. In the next few years, the writer published “The Small Travel Book” and “The Apostle.”
Francis marries Margarita, who was the widow of the sponsor of his printing house, Yuri Odvernik. Four years later she died, leaving behind a small child. This year the figure’s elder brother also passed away. His creditors began to make property claims against the scientist. In 1532, he was arrested for the debts of his late brother, after the creditors appealed to Sigismund I, but in the same year the Poznan court decided in favor of the defendant.
In 1535, the scientist lived in Prague, where, according to historians, he worked as a doctor or gardener, as evidenced by documents from the royal court. It was not possible to establish the exact date of death, but Francysk Skaryna presumably died around 1551.
The book heritage of Francis Skaryna: the first Bible
The first printer published his books in a language that was created on the basis of Church Slavonic, but has many Belarusian words. It was clear to the writer’s compatriots. For many years, linguists have debated what language the books were translated into. Today they claim that the translation language is the Belarusian edition of the Church Slavonic language.
The key feature of the pioneer printer's books is that they followed the rules for writing church books, which were rarely fully observed. They retained the texts from the publisher of the books with the images. the presented case was the only one in the history of publishing Bibles in Eastern Europe. It is also worth noting that the fonts and engraved headbands that were introduced in the scientist’s printing house were used by book publishers over the next hundred years.
You can learn even more interesting things about the culture, history and life of Belarus as an independent state, and just have a good rest, by renting on our travel portal.
Francis Skaryna, a scientist, educator and humanist of the Renaissance, left an indelible mark on the history of Russian culture, in the history of social and philosophical thought of the East Slavic peoples. He was one of the most highly educated people of his time: he graduated from two universities (Krakow and Padua), spoke several languages (in addition to his native Belarusian, he knew Lithuanian, Polish, Italian, German, Latin, Greek). He traveled a lot, his business trips were long and distant: he visited many European countries and visited more than a dozen cities. Skaryna was distinguished by his extraordinary breadth of views and depth of knowledge. He is a physician, botanist, philosopher, astronomer, writer, translator. And besides, he was a skilled “bookmaker” - publisher, editor, typographer. And this side of his activity had a huge influence on the formation and development of Slavic book printing. In the history of the domestic book business, Skaryna’s activities acquire special significance. His firstborn, the Psalter, published in Prague in 1517, is also the first Belarusian printed book. And the printing house, founded by him in Vilnius around 1522, is also the first printing house on the current territory of our country.
More than one century has passed since then. Time has irrevocably erased from the memory of generations many facts from the biography of the Belarusian pioneer printer. A mystery arises at the very beginning of Skaryna’s biography: the exact date of his birth is unknown (usually indicated: “about 1490”, “before 1490”). But recently in the literature, the year of Skaryna’s birth is increasingly called 1486. This date was “calculated” as a result of an analysis of the publisher’s mark - a small elegant engraving often found in his books with the image of a solar disk and a crescent running towards it. Researchers decided that the first printer depicted the “death of the Sun” (solar eclipse), thus indicating his birthday (in Skaryna’s homeland, a solar eclipse was observed on March 6, 1486).
Polotsk, where Skaryna was born, was a large trade and craft city at that time on the Western Dvina, which was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The city had about fifteen thousand inhabitants, who were mainly engaged in blacksmithing, foundry, pottery, trade, fishing, and hunting. Skaryna's father was a merchant, selling leather and furs.
It is believed that Skaryna received his primary education in one of the Polotsk monastery schools. In the autumn of 1504 Skaryna went to Krakow. He successfully passes the entrance exams to the university and his name appears on the list of students - Francisk Lukich Skaryna from Polotsk. Skaryna studied at the faculty, where traditional disciplines were studied, combined into a strict system of seven “liberal arts”: grammar, rhetoric, dialectics (these are formal, or verbal arts), arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy (real arts). In addition to the listed disciplines, Skaryna studied theology, law, medicine, and ancient languages.
Krakow is the capital of the Kingdom of Poland, a city with centuries-old Slavic culture. The flourishing of art, science, and education contributed to the relatively early emergence of printing here. At the beginning of the 16th century. There were twelve printing houses in Krakow. Particularly famous were the publications of the Krakow printer Jan Haller, whose activities were closely connected with the University of Krakow - the printer supplied it with textbooks and literature. Perhaps Skaryna knew Haller and from him received the first information about book publishing and printing. Among those who awakened in young Skaryna a love for “black art” was a teacher at the Faculty of Liberal Arts, humanist scientist Jan from Glogow, who himself showed an interest in printing.
His student years flew by quickly, and in 1506 Skaryna, having graduated from the University of Krakow, received the title of Bachelor of Liberal Arts and left Krakow.
At the beginning of 1967, the Academy of Sciences of the Byelorussian SSR received a parcel from Italy (from the University of Padua) - photocopies of documents and materials related to one important event in Skaryna’s life. Documents show that in the fall of 1512, “a certain very learned, but poor young man, a doctor of arts, originally from very distant countries, arrived in Padua ... and turned to the College with a request to allow him, as a gift and special favor, to undergo tests in the field medicine." And further: “the young man and the above-mentioned doctor bears the name of Francis, the son of the late Luka Skaryna from Polotsk.” On November 5, the “College of the Most Glorious Paduan Doctors of Art and Medicine” admitted Skaryna to the tests, which took place on November 9 in the bishop’s palace in the presence of the most prominent scientists of the University of Padua. The examinee passed the tests brilliantly, answering questions “commendably and flawlessly” and giving reasoned objections to controversial remarks. The board unanimously awarded him the title of Doctor of Medicine.
While in Padua, Skaryna could not, of course, miss the opportunity to visit neighboring Venice - the generally recognized center of European book printing, a city with numerous printing houses and established book publishing traditions. At that time, the famous Aldus Manutius was still living and working in Venice, whose publications enjoyed pan-European fame. Undoubtedly, Skaryna held aldines in his hands, and perhaps, having become interested in the book business and making certain plans in this regard, he met with the great publisher himself.
Nothing is known about the next five years of Skaryna’s life. Where has he been all this time? What did you do during these years? Where did you go from Padua?
Scientists are trying to fill this gap with guesses and assumptions. Some believe that Skaryna traveled as part of a diplomatic mission to the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen, and then to Vienna. Others believe that Skaryna visited Wallachia and Moldova with the intention of organizing printing houses there. Still others claim that Skaryna came to Vilnius for a short time, where he tried to interest some wealthy townspeople in his book publishing plans. Or maybe he immediately headed from Padua to Prague with the firm intention of getting into book publishing?..
So, Prague. 151 7 By mid-summer, Skaryna had basically completed all the preliminary work related to organizing the printing house, and they were ready to type up the manuscript. On August 6, his first book, “The Psalter,” is published. The preface to the book says: “... I am Francis Skaryna, son from Polotsk, a doctor in medicinal sciences who commanded me to emboss the Psalter in Russian words and in the Slovenian language...”
The Prague period of Skaryna's book publishing activity (1517-1519) was generally very busy - he published another nineteen small books, which, together with the Psalter, constituted a major publication - the Russian Bible. Already in his first books he showed a subtle understanding of the nature of book art. Skaryna perceived the book as an integral literary and artistic organism, where all design techniques and typographic materials used must fully correspond to the content of the book. In terms of artistic and technical design and typographic execution, Skaryna's Prague editions are not inferior to the best examples of European book publishers of that time and are significantly superior to previous books of the Church Slavonic press. Three books contain an engraving portrait of the publisher himself, Skorina (one had to have a strong character to decide on such a daring act - to include an illustration of secular content in a liturgical book). The engraving is made very elegantly and, despite the many smallest details, the reader’s attention is focused primarily on the human figure. Skaryna is depicted in a doctor's robe, with an open book in front of him, rows of books to his right; in the study there are a lot of tools and devices: an hourglass, a lamp with a reflector, an armillary sphere - an astronomical goniometric instrument... But the most significant feature of Skaryna’s publications (not only Prague, but all subsequent ones) is the simplicity of presentation of the content: the text is always given in translation into colloquial vernacular language with the necessary comments and explanations.
Engraving from the Russian Bible. Prague. 1517-1519 Nothing is known about Skaryna’s Prague printing house. How was it equipped? Who else besides Skaryna himself worked there? Only its approximate location can be established. In some of her books, Skaryna indicates where the printing house was located: “in the Old Town of Prague.” In this area of present-day Prague, on the right bank of the Vltava, in the labyrinths of ancient winding streets, there are many perfectly preserved ancient buildings. Perhaps the house where Skaryna began printing books was lost among them.
Title page of "Akathists" on the "Small Travel Book". Vilnius, around 1522 Around 1520, Skaryna moved to Vilnius, where “in the house of a respectful husband, the most senior mayor of the glorious and great place of Vilna” Janub Babich, he founded a printing house and printed two books - “The Small Travel Book” and “The Apostle”. Until recently, it was believed that both publications were published in the same year - 1525. Moreover, the following order was observed: first “Apostle”, and then “Small Travel Book”. But at the end of the fifties of this century, a sensational discovery was made in the Royal Library in Copenhagen - a complete copy of the “Easter,” the last part of the “Small Travel Book,” was discovered. And on the fourteenth sheet of the copy, a calendar for 1523 was printed. Thus, it was established that the “Small Travel Book” was the first Russian printed book and it was published no later than 1522. This book is interesting in many respects. It was intended not only for liturgical purposes, but also for the needs of wandering townspeople, merchants, and artisans. Small in format (8th lobe of a sheet) and volume, it contains a lot of generally useful advice on household affairs, medicine, and practical astronomy. Compared to the Prague editions, the Vilna books are designed much richer. They make greater use of two-color printing, and the fonts are more elegant. The books are decorated with a large number of large and small headpieces, the purpose of which was determined by the publisher himself: “Behind each kathisma there is a large headpiece, and for each chapter there is a smaller headpiece to better separate the readers.” In other words, by decorating the book, Skaryna sought not only to make it a highly artistic work of art, but also to help the reader quickly navigate the contents.
In March 1525, Skaryna published “The Apostle” (the first Russian printed book with exact dates). At this point, his publishing and printing activities apparently ceased. So far no other books with his publisher's mark have been found. The next event in the life of the Belarusian pioneer printer is of a purely everyday nature: he gets married and participates in litigation (division of property). In 1530, Albrecht, Duke of Prussia, invited Skaryna to his service. Skaryna goes to Konigsberg, but does not stay here for long: family matters force him to return to Vilnius. Here he was again forced to participate in complex legal proceedings. For some time he held the position of secretary and personal physician of the Vilna bishop. In the mid-thirties, Skaryna went to Prague and served at the royal court as a doctor and gardener. Francis Skaryna died around 1540.