Francysk Skaryna is a well-known Belarusian first printer and educator. Over a 40-year career, he tried his hand at medicine, philosophy, and horticulture. He also traveled a lot, came to Russia, communicated with the Prussian Duke.
The life of Francysk Skaryna, whose photo is placed in our article, was very eventful. At a young age, he went to study science in Italy, where he became the first Eastern European graduate to receive the title of Doctor of Medicine. He was brought up in the Catholic faith, but he was engaged in the study of Orthodoxy. Skaryna became the first person who took up the translation of the Bible into the East Slavic language, understandable for his people. Until that time, all church books were written in Church Slavonic.
Bible translations into Slavic languages
The first translations of biblical books were made by Cyril and Methodius in the second half of the 9th century. They translated from the Byzantine Greek lists into the Church Slavonic (Stra Slavic language), which they also developed, using their native Bulgarian-Macedonian dialect as the basis. A century later, other Slavic translations were brought from Bulgaria to Russia. In fact, starting from the 11th century, the main South Slavic translations of biblical books became available to the Eastern Slavs.
Bible translations made in the 14th-15th century in the Czech Republic also influenced the translation activities of the Eastern Slavs. The Czech Bible was translated from Latin and was widely circulated throughout the 14th and 15th centuries.
And at the beginning of the 16th century, Francis Skorina translated the Bible into Church Slavonic in the Belarusian version. It was the first translation of the Bible that was close to the vernacular.
Origin
Francysk (Franciszek) Skaryna was born in Polotsk.
A comparison of university records (he entered the University of Krakow in 1504, and in the act of the University of Padua dated 1512, he is presented as a “young man”) suggests that he was born around 1490 (possibly in the second half of the 1480s ). The biography of Francysk Skaryna is far from being fully known to researchers.
They believe that the origin of the surname Skaryna is connected with the ancient word "soon" (skin) or "skaryna" (peel).
The first reliable information about this family has been known since the end of the 15th century.
Francis' father, Lukyan Skorina, is mentioned in the list of Russian embassy claims of 1492 against Polotsk merchants. Francysk Skaryna had an older brother, Ivan. The royal decree calls him both a Vilnius tradesman and a Polochan. The name of the godfather of the Belarusian first printer is also unknown. In her publications, Skaryna uses the name "Franciscus" more than 100 times, occasionally - "Franciszek".
Below is a portrait of Francysk Skaryna, printed by him in the Bible.
life path
Own elementary education Skaryna received it at his parents' house, where he learned to read and write in Cyrillic using the Psalter. The language of the then science (Latin) he mastered, most likely, at the church of Polotsk or Vilna.
In 1504, an inquisitive and enterprising Polotsk resident entered the university in Krakow, which at that time was famous in Europe for its faculty of liberal arts, where they studied grammar, rhetoric, dialectics (the Trivium cycle) and arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music (the Quadrivium cycle). ").
Studying at the university allowed Francysk Skaryna to understand what a broad outlook and practical knowledge the “seven liberal arts” bring to a person.
He saw all this in the Bible. He directed all his future translation and publishing activities to make the Bible accessible to "the people of the Commonwealth."
In 1506, Skaryna received his first bachelor's degree in philosophy.
Around 1508, Skaryna served as secretary to the Danish king.
In order to continue her studies at the most prestigious faculties of European universities (medical and theological), Skaryna also had to become a master of arts.
It is not known exactly which of the universities this happened: in Krakow or some other, but in 1512 he arrived in Italy at the famous University of Padua, already having a master's degree in liberal sciences. Skaryna chose this educational institution to receive a doctorate in medicine.
A poor but capable young man was allowed to take the exams. For two days he took part in debates with eminent scientists, defending his own ideas.
In November 1512 in the episcopal palace, in the presence of well-known scientists from the University of Padua and the highest officials of the Catholic Church, Skaryna was declared a doctor in the field of medical sciences.
It was a significant event: the son of a merchant from Polotsk was able to prove that abilities and vocation matter more than aristocratic origin. His portrait, created already in the middle of the 20th century, is in the memorial hall among 40 portraits of famous European scientists who graduated from the University of Padua.
Skaryna also had a doctorate in liberal sciences. Western European universities called the "seven free sciences".
A family
AT short biography Francysk Skaryna there is a mention that after 1525 the first printer married Margarita, the widow of a Vilna merchant, a member of the Vilna Council Yuri Advernik. At this time, he served as a doctor and secretary to the bishop in Vilna.
The year 1529 was very difficult for Skaryna. In the summer, his brother Ivan died in Poznań. Francis went there to deal with matters related to the inheritance. In the same year, Margarita died suddenly. Skaryna's young son Simeon remained in her arms.
In February 1532, Francis was arrested on an unfounded and unsubstantiated accusation by his late brother's creditors and ended up in a prison in Poznań. Only at the request of the son of the late Ivan (Roman's nephew) was he rehabilitated.
Francysk Skaryna: interesting facts from life
It is assumed that in the late 1520s - early 1530s, the first printer visited Moscow, where he took his books published in Russian type. Researchers of Skaryna's life and creative path believe that in 1525 he traveled to the German city of Wittenberg (the center of the Reformation), where he met with the ideologist of German Protestants Martin Luther.
In 1530, Duke Albrecht invited him to Königsberg for book printing.
In the mid-1530s Skaryna moved to Prague. He was invited to the post of gardener in the open botanical garden in the royal castle Hradcany by the Czech king.
Researchers of the biography of Francysk Skaryna believe that at the Czech royal court, he most likely performed the duties of a qualified gardener. The title of doctor "in medicinal sciences", received by him in Padua, required a certain knowledge of botany.
From 1534 or 1535, Francis in Prague worked as a royal botanist.
Perhaps, due to insufficient knowledge, others remained unknown. Interesting Facts about Francysk Skaryna.
Book publishing and educational activities
Between 1512 and 1517 the scientist appeared in Prague - the center of Czech printing.
In order to translate and publish the Bible, he needed not only to become familiar with Czech biblical studies, but also to have a thorough knowledge of the Czech language. In Prague, Francis orders printing equipment, after which he begins to translate the Bible and write commentaries on it.
Skaryna's publishing activity combined the experience of European printing and the traditions of Belarusian art.
The first book of Francysk Skaryna is the Prague edition of one of the biblical books, the Psalter (1517).
F. Skorina made a translation of the Bible into a language close to Belarusian, and understandable to the common people (Church Slavonic in the Belarusian edition).
With the support of patrons (they were the Vilna burgomaster Yakub Babich, advisers Bogdan Onkav and Yuri Advernik), he published 23 illustrated books of the Old Testament in Old Russian in 1517-1519 in Prague. In the sequence: Psalter (6.08.1517), Book of Job (6.10.1517), Proverbs of Solomon (6.10.2517), Jesus Sirahab (5.12.1517), Ecclesiastes (2.01.1518), Song of Songs (9.01.1517), book Wisdom of God (01/19/1518), First Book of Kings (08/10/1518), Second Book of Kings (08/10/1518), Third Book of Kings (08/10/1518), Fourth Book of Kings (08/10/1518), Joshua (12/20/1518) ), Judith (02/9/1519), Judges (12/15/1519), Genesis (1519), Exit (1519), Leviticus (1519), Ruth (1519), Numbers (1519), Deuteronomy (1519), Esther (1519) , Lamentations of Jeremiah (1519), Prophet Daniel (1519).
Each of the Bible books was published as a separate issue, with a title page, and had its own preface and afterword. At the same time, the publisher adhered to the same principles for presenting the text (the same format, typing strip, font, artistic design). Thus, he provided for the possibility of bringing all publications under one cover.
The books contain 51 printed prints of an engraving on paper from a plate (board) on which the drawing is applied.
Three times in the books of Francysk Skaryna his own portrait was printed. In Eastern Europe, no other Bible publisher ever did this.
According to the researchers, on title page The Bible bears the seal (coat of arms) of Skaryna, Doctor of Medicine.
A translation made by a first printer, canonically accurate in conveying the letter and spirit of the biblical text, not allowing liberties and additions by the interpreter. The text preserves the state of the language corresponding to the Hebrew and Ancient Greek originals.
The books of Francysk Skaryna laid the foundation for the standardization of the Belarusian literary language and became the first translation of the Bible into the East Slavic language.
The Belarusian educator knew well the works of clergymen famous in those days, for example, St. Basil the Great - Bishop of Caesarea. He knew the works of John Chrysostom and Gregory the Theologian, to whom he refers. Its publications are Orthodox in content and are designed to meet the spiritual needs of the Orthodox population of Belarus.
Skaryna sought to give his comments on the Bible a simple and understandable form. They contain information about historical, everyday, theological, linguistic circumstances and realities. In the theological context, the main place in the prefaces and afterwords written by him was occupied by exagesis - an explanation of the content of the books of the Old Testament as a foreshadowing and prophecy of New Testament events, the victory of Christianity in the world and the hope of eternal spiritual salvation.
In the photo below - a coin of Francysk Skaryna. It was released in 1990 on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the glorious Belarusian pioneer printer.
The first Belarusian book
Around 1520, Francis founded a printing house in Vilnius. Perhaps, he was forced to move the printing house to Vilna by the desire to be closer to his people, for the enlightenment of which he worked (in those years, the Belarusian lands were part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania). Skaryna was assigned the premises for the printing house in his own house by the head of the Vilnius magistrate, “senior burgomaster” Jakub Babich.
The first Vilnius edition - "Small travel book". Skaryna gave this name to a collection of church books published by him in Vilnius in 1522.
In total, the “Small Road Book” includes: the Psalter, the Book of Hours, the Akathist to the Holy Sepulcher, the Canon of the Life-giving Sepulcher, the Akathist to the Archangel Michael, the Canon to the Archangel Michael, the Akathist to John the Baptist, the Canon to John the Baptist, the Akathist to the Mother of God, the Canon to the Mother of God, the Akathist to Saints Peter and Paul, Canon to Saints Peter and Paul, Akathist to Saint Nicholas, Canon to Saint Nicholas, Akathist to the Cross of the Lord, Canon to the Cross of the Lord, Akathist to Jesus, Canon to Jesus, Shastidnovets, Canon of the Penitent, Canon on Saturday at Matins, “Councilors”, as well as the general afterword “Written speeches in this Small travel book.
It was a new type of collection in East Slavic book writing, addressed to both clergy and secular people - merchants, officials, artisans, soldiers, who, due to their activities, spent a lot of time on the road. These people needed spiritual support, useful information and, if necessary, the words of prayers.
The Psalter (1522) and The Apostle (1525) published by Skaryna constitute a separate group of books not translated, but adapted from other Church Slavonic sources, approaching folk speech.
Edition of the Apostle
In 1525, Skaryna published in Vilnius one of the most common books in Cyrillic - "The Apostle". This was his first exactly dated and last edition, the release of which was a logical and natural continuation of the business of publishing biblical books, which had begun in Prague. Like the Small Road Book, the Apostle of 1525 was intended for a wide range of readers. In many prefaces to the book, and in total, the educator wrote 22 prefaces and 17 afterwords to the "Apostle", the content of sections, individual messages is described, "dark" expressions are explained. The whole text is preceded by a general preface by Skaryna “By deed of the world, the apostle of the books is premoved.” It praises the Christian faith, draws attention to the moral and ethical norms of social human life.
outlook
The views of the enlightener say that he was not only an enlightener, but also a patriot.
He contributed to the spread of writing and knowledge, which can be seen in the following lines:
"Every person needs to read, because reading is a mirror of our life, medicine for the soul."
Francysk Skaryna is considered the founder of a new understanding of patriotism, which is seen as love and respect for one's Motherland. From patriotic statements, the following words of his attract attention:
“Before from birth, the beasts that walk in the desert know their pits, the birds Flying through the air know their nests; the fish swimming in the sea and in the rivers can smell their own vira; bees and the like to harrow their hives, the same is true of people, and where the essence according to Bose was born and nurtured, to that place Imayut Great mercy.
And it is to us, today's inhabitants, that his words are addressed, so that people
"... they did not rage for any kind of labor and government work for the Commonwealth and for the Fatherland."
His words contain the wisdom of the life of many generations:
“The law born in that we observe more often: repair to others everything that you yourself like to eat from everyone else, and don’t repair that to others, which you yourself don’t want from others ... This law is born to the One series of every person.”
Activity value
Francysk Skaryna was the first to publish a book of psalms in the Belarusian language, that is, the first to use the Cyrillic alphabet. This happened in 1517. Within two years, he had translated most of the Bible. AT different countries there are monuments, streets and universities bearing his name. Skaryna is one of the outstanding people of the era.
He greatly contributed to the formation and development of the Belarusian language and writing. He was a highly spiritual person for whom God and man are inseparable.
His achievements are of great importance for culture and history. Reformers such as John Wycliffe translated the Bible in the Middle Ages and were persecuted. Skaryna was one of the first Renaissance humanists to take on this task again. Indeed, his Bible preceded Luther's translation by several years.
According to public acknowledgment, this was not yet an ideal result. The Belarusian language was just developing, therefore, elements of the Church Slavonic language, as well as borrowings from Czech, were preserved in the text. In fact, the enlightener created the foundations of the modern Belarusian language. Recall that he was only the second scientist to print in Cyrillic. His graceful prefaces are among the first examples of Belarusian poetry.
For the first printer, the Bible had to be written in an accessible language so that it could be understood not only by learned people, but also by the common man. The books he published were intended for the laity. Many of his ideas were similar to those of Martin Luther. Like the Protestant reformers, the Belarusian educator understood the importance of new technologies in spreading his ideas. He headed the first printing house in Vilna, and his projects were of great importance outside of Belarus.
Skaryna was also an excellent engraver: bright woodcuts depicting biblical figures in traditional Belarusian costume helped illiterate people understand religious ideas.
During his lifetime, Francysk Skaryna was not widely known throughout the world, since there has never been an Orthodox reformation in world history. After his death, the situation changed little. He did not destroy his familiar world as decisively as Luther did. In fact, Skaryna himself would probably not have been able to understand the idea of reformation. Despite his innovative use of language and art, he had no desire to completely destroy the structure of the Church.
However, he remained popular among compatriots. He was noticed by the nationalists of the 19th century, who wanted to emphasize the importance of the "first Belarusian intellectual". Skaryna's work in Vilna gave grounds to demand that the city gain independence from Poland.
In the photo below - a monument to Francysk Skaryna in Minsk. Monuments to the Belarusian printing pioneer are also located in Polotsk, Lida, Kaliningrad, and Prague.
Last years
The last years of his life, Francysk Skaryna was engaged in medical practice. In the 1520s, he was a doctor and secretary to Bishop Jan of Vilna, and already in 1529, during an epidemic, he was invited to Koenigsberg by the Prussian Duke Albrecht of Hohenzollern.
In the mid-1530s, at the Czech court, he took part in the diplomatic mission of Sigismund I.
The first printer died no later than January 29, 1552. This is evidenced by the charter of King Ferdinand II, given to the son of Francysk Skaryna Simeon, which allowed the latter to use all the preserved heritage of his father: property, books, debt obligations. However, the exact date of death and the place of burial have not yet been established.
Below in the photo is the Order of Francysk Skaryna. It is awarded to citizens for educational, research, humanitarian, charitable activities for the benefit of the Belarusian people. Award approved 13.04. 1995.
Great Enlightener and Modernity
Currently, the highest awards of Belarus are named after Skaryna: an order and a medal. Educational institutions and streets, libraries and public associations are also named after him.
Today, the book heritage of Francysk Skaryna includes 520 books, many of which are in Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany. About 50 countries have editions of the Belarusian first printer. There are 28 copies in Belarus.
In 2017, which was dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the Belarusian book printing, a unique monument, the Small Travel Book, was returned to the country.
And today the international exhibition project “On the Roads of Skaryna with Belgazprombank” was presented in Minsk at the National Library of Belarus
According to Viktor Babariko, Chairman of the Board of Belgazprombank, the idea of the project is to present the heritage of Skaryna in the countries with which the life of the first printer was connected, BelTA informs. The international project will start in May in Lithuania, and then go to Poland, the Czech Republic, and Italy. The "tour of Europe" will end in Belarus, where the exhibition project will be presented during the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Belarusian book printing in Polotsk.
The central exhibitor of the exhibition project will be the "Small travel book" from the corporate collection of Belgazprombank. This is a collection of church books of a small format intended for travelers: Psalter, Book of Hours, Shestidnevich, Sobornik, akathists, canons. There are 18 books in one binding, decorated with unique engravings, headpieces and initials, 9 of which have an afterword by Skaryna himself. It is this book that experts consider to be the first book published in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Today it is the only copy of the book in Belarus.
According to Viktor Babariko, to talk about the cost of a rarity when we are talking about such a publication as the "Small Road Book" is not entirely ethical, since such things remain outside the brackets of information provided to the public. At the same time, Viktor Babariko joked that Skaryna is now in price, and roughly named the amount, suggesting multiplying the cost of an ordinary book by 18.
Speaking about the negotiations with the owner of a collection of small format church books intended for travelers, Viktor Babariko noted that the bank joined the negotiation process two years ago. A big role in the positive resolution of the issue was played by the fact that the former owner of the rarity, a Belarusian, is very kind to his homeland. In addition, the memorable date - the 500th anniversary of the Belarusian book printing - prompted the collector to search for a compromise as soon as possible, and this was a great gift on his part, Viktor Babariko noted. The story, as the book was found, is the subject of a separate investigation by detective writers, joked the chairman of the board of Belgazprombank. In Minsk, they learned about her whereabouts in the center of Russia, it is assumed that she was originally in Siberia.
According to director National Library Belarus of Roman Motulsky, the acquisition of the “Small travel book” by Belgazprombank in the collection puts Belarus in third position in terms of the amount of Skaryna’s original heritage. The largest number of books today is in Russia, and in total it is known that there are 520 originals of Francysk Skaryna in the world.
The director of the NLB emphasized that the presence of the publication in the corporate collection does not constitute any difficulties for its exposure, the audience has the opportunity to get acquainted with it. The fact that this is the property of Belarus is important, he said.
The exposition of the international exhibition project will be supplemented by the "Book of Job" by Francysk Skaryna (1517, Prague) from the collections of the National Library of Belarus. It will be possible to see valuable masterpieces in Minsk at the exhibition "Francissk Skorina and his era" in the NLB.
And Van Fedorov is revered in Russia as the first printer. But Francis Skorina "from the glorious city of Polotsk" published his "Russian Bible" fifty years before Ivan Fedorov. And in it he clearly indicated that this book was "written for all Russian people." Francysk Skaryna is a Belarusian and East Slavonic first printer, translator, publisher and artist. The son of a people living on the European border, he brilliantly combined in his work the traditions of the Byzantine East and the Latin West. Thanks to Skaryna, Belarusians received a printed Bible in their native language before Russians and Ukrainians, Poles and Lithuanians, Serbs and Bulgarians, French and British...
In general, the first books in Church Slavonic were published by Schweipolt Fiol in Krakow in 1491. These were: “Oktoih” (“Osmoglasnik”) and “Hourist”, as well as “Lenten Triode” and “Color Triode”. It is assumed that the triodie (without a designated year of publication) was issued by Fiol before 1491.
In 1494, in the town of Obod on Lake Skadar in the Principality of Zeta (now Montenegro), the monk Macarius in a printing house under the auspices of Georgy Chernoevich printed the first book in the Slavic language among the southern Slavs, “Oktoih the First Voice”. This book can be seen in the sacristy of the monastery in Cetinje. In 1512, Macarius printed the Gospel in the Ugro-Wallachia (the territory of modern Romania and Moldavia).
In 1517-1519, in Prague, Francysk Skorina printed in Cyrillic in the Belarusian version of the Church Slavonic language "Psalter" and 23 more books of the Bible translated by him. In 1522, in Vilna (now Vilnius), Skaryna published the Small Travel Book. This book is considered the first book printed on the territory that was part of the USSR. In the same place in Vilna in 1525, Francysk Skaryna printed "The Apostle". Fedorov's assistant and colleague, Pyotr Mstislavets, studied with Skaryna.
Francysk Skaryna - Belarusian humanist of the first half of the 16th century, medical scientist, writer, translator, artist, educator, first printer of the Eastern Slavs.
Far from all the details of Skaryna's biography have survived to this day, there are still many "white spots" in the life of the work of the great enlightener. Even the exact dates of his birth and death are unknown. It is believed that he was born between 1485 and 1490 in Polotsk, in the family of a wealthy Polotsk merchant Luka Skorina, who traded with the Czech Republic, with Moscow Russia, with Polish and German lands. From his parents, the son adopted love for his native Polotsk, whose name he later always used with the epithet “glorious”. Francis received his primary education at his parents' house - he learned to read the Psalms and write in Cyrillic. It is assumed that he learned Latin (Francis knew it brilliantly) at school at one of the Catholic churches in Polotsk or Vilna.
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My first higher education Skaryna, the son of a Polotsk merchant, received in Krakow. There he took a course in "liberal sciences" and was awarded a bachelor's degree. Skaryna also received a master's degree in arts, which then gave the right to enter the most prestigious faculties (medical and theological) of European universities. Scientists suggest that after the University of Krakow, during the years 1506-1512, Skaryna served as a secretary to the Danish king. But in 1512, he left this position and went to the Italian city of Padua, at the university of which “a young man from very distant countries” (as the documents of that time say about him) received the degree of “Doctor of Medicine”, which was a significant event not only in the life of young Francis, but also in the history of the culture of Belarus. Until now, in one of the halls of this educational institution, where there are portraits of famous men of European science that came out of its walls, there is a portrait of an outstanding Belarusian by an Italian master.
About the period 1512-1516 centuries. F. Skaryna's life is unknown to us yet. Modern scientists have suggested that at that time Skaryna traveled around Europe, got acquainted with printing and the first printed books, and also met with his brilliant contemporaries - Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael. The reason for this is the following fact - one of Raphael's frescoes depicts a man who is very similar to Skaryna's self-portrait in the Bible he later published. Interestingly, Raphael wrote it next to his own image.
From 1517 Skaryna lived in Prague. Here he began his publishing business and began printing Bible books.
The first printed book was the Slavic "Psalter", in the preface to which it is reported: "I, Francysk Skorina, the son of the glorious Polotsk, a doctor in medical sciences, ordered the Psalter to be embossed in Russian words, and in Slovenian." At that time, the Belarusian language was called “Russian language”, in contrast to Church Slavonic, called “Slovenian”. The Psalter was published on August 6, 1517.
Then, almost every month, more and more new volumes of the Bible were published: the Book of Job, the Parables of Solomon, Ecclesiastes ... In two years in Prague, Francysk Skaryna published 23 illustrated Bible books, translated by him into a language understandable to the general reader. The publisher supplied each of the books with a preface and an afterword, and included almost fifty illustrations in the Bible.
Around 1520 or a little later, the first printer returned to his homeland and founded the first East Slavic printing house in Vilna. Here the “Small Road Book” was published, which is considered the first book published in the Belarusian lands (there is no exact release date for the book). Here, in 1525, "The Apostle" was printed, which turned out to be the last book of the first printer - during the fire in Vilna, the printing house of Francis died. It was with this book that 40 years later Ivan Fedorov and Pyotr Mstislavets, both natives of Belarus, began Russian book printing in Moscow.
The last fifteen years of Francysk Skaryna's life are full of adversity and deprivation: for some time he serves with the Prussian Duke Albrecht the Elder in Koenigsberg, then returns to Vilna, where his family lives. For the debts of her deceased brother, Skaryna is imprisoned in Poznań. The Polish king Sigismund I releases him from trial with a special letter. Around 1535, Francysk Skaryna moved to Prague, where he became the personal doctor and horticulturist of King Ferdinand I of Habsburg, who would later become Holy Roman Emperor. 1540 is considered the year of the death of the great enlightener.
Before the appearance of the well-known Ostroh Bible, Skaryna's editions were the only printed translations of the Holy Scriptures made in the territories of the Eastern and Southern Slavs. These translations became the subject of inheritance and alterations - all East Slavic publishing activity in the field of biblical texts was somehow oriented towards Skaryna. This is not surprising - in many respects his Bible was ahead of similar publications in other countries: before the German Martin Luther, not to mention Polish and Russian publishers. It is noteworthy that the Bible was published in the Old Belarusian language, which largely determined the development of the Belarusian press. The famous "Statutes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania" were printed in the language of Belarus.
A noticeable increase in attention to the heritage of antiquity is also associated with the name of Skaryna. He was perhaps the first in our area to attempt to synthesize antiquity and Christianity, and also proposed educational program, developed in ancient Greece - the system of "Seven Free Sciences". Later, it was adopted by the fraternal schools of Ukraine and Belarus, developed and improved by the professors of the Kiev-Mohyla Academy and contributed a lot to the convergence of national culture with the culture of the West.
Only four hundred copies of Skaryna's books have survived to this day. All editions are very rare, especially the ones from Vilna. Rarities are stored in libraries and book depositories in Minsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kyiv, Vilnius, Lvov, London, Prague, Copenhagen, Krakow.
Francysk Skaryna has long been revered in Belarus. The life and work of F. Skorina is studied by a complex scientific discipline - scoring studies. His biography is studied in schools. Streets in Minsk, Polotsk, Vitebsk, Nesvizh, Orsha, Slutsk and many other cities of Belarus are named after him. The name of F. Skaryna is Gomel State University. Monuments to the outstanding scientist were erected in Polotsk, Minsk, Lida, Vilnius. The last of the monuments was recently installed in the capital of Belarus, next to the entrance to the new National Library.
All schools in Polotsk introduced a special subject - Polotsk studies, in which F. Skorina occupies a worthy place. Events dedicated to the memory of the pioneer printer are held in the city according to a separately drawn up plan.
Special awards have been introduced in Belarus - the Skaryna medal (1989) and the Order of Skaryna (1995).
Biography
Francysk Skaryna was born in the second half of the 1480s in Polotsk (Grand Duchy of Lithuania) in the family of a merchant Luka. Researcher Gennady Lebedev, relying on the works of Polish and Czech scientists, believed that Skorina was born around 1482.
He received his primary education in Polotsk. Presumably, in 1504 he becomes a student at the University of Krakow - the exact date is unknown, since the record, which is traditionally referred to - “During the [period] of the rectorship of the venerable father Mr. Jan Amitsin from Krakow, doctor of arts and canon law, by the grace of God and the apostolic throne of the Bishop of Laodicene and the suffragan of Krakow, as well as the pleban [church] of St. Nicholas outside the walls of Krakow, in the winter semester in the summer of the Lord 1504, the following [persons] are inscribed [...] Francis son of Luke from P[o]lotsk, 2 grosz, ”can also refer to any Francis from the Polish city of Plock, especially since the amount of 2 grosz contributed by the "applicant" Francis, at that time was small even for a merchant's son.
In 1506, Skaryna graduated from the faculty of "seven free arts" (grammar, rhetoric, dialectics, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music) with a bachelor's degree, later received the title of licentiate of medicine and the degree of doctor of "free arts", as evidenced by a clear act record: "Francis of Polotsk, Litvin".
After that, for another five years, Skaryna studied in Krakow at the Faculty of Medicine, and defended the degree of Doctor of Medicine on November 9, 1512, having successfully passed the exams at the University of Padua in Italy, where there were enough specialists to confirm this defense. Contrary to popular belief, Skaryna did not study at the University of Padua, but arrived there precisely to take the exam for a scientific degree, as evidenced by the university record dated November 5, 1512: “... a certain very learned poor young man arrived, a doctor of arts, originally from very remote countries, perhaps four thousand miles or more from this glorious city, in order to increase the glory and splendor of Padua, and also the flourishing assembly of philosophers of the gymnasium and our holy College. He turned to the College with a request to allow him, as a gift and a special favor, to undergo the grace of God for trials in the field of medicine at this holy College. If, Your Excellencies, if you permit, I will introduce him himself. The young man and the aforementioned doctor bears the name of Mr. Francis, the son of the late Luka Skaryna from Polotsk, Rusyns ... ”On November 6, 1512, Skaryna passed trial tests, and on November 9 he brilliantly passed a special exam and received medical dignity.
In 1517, he founded a printing house in Prague and published the Psalter, the first printed Belarusian book, in Cyrillic. In total, during the years 1517-1519, he translated and published 23 books of the Bible. Skaryna's patrons were Bogdan Onkov, Yakub Babich, as well as the prince, voivode of Trok and the Grand Hetman of Lithuania Konstantin Ostrozhsky.
In 1520 he moved to Vilnius and founded the first printing house on the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL). In it, Skaryna publishes the Small Travel Book (1522) and The Apostle (1525).
In 1525, one of the sponsors of the Vilna printing house, Yuri Odvernik, died, and Skaryna's publishing activity stopped. He marries Odvernik's widow Margarita (she died in 1529, leaving a small child). A few years later, other patrons of Skaryna died one by one - the Vilna steward Yakub Babich (in whose house there was a printing house), then Bogdan Onkov, and in 1530 the Trok governor Konstantin Ostrozhsky.
In 1525, the last master of the Teutonic Order, Albrecht of Brandenburg, secularized the Order and proclaimed instead a secular Prussian duchy, vassal to the king of Poland. The master was fascinated by reformist changes, which primarily concerned the church and school. For book publishing Albrecht in 1529 or 1530 invited Francysk Skaryna to Königsberg. The duke himself writes: “Not so long ago we received the glorious husband Francysk Skaryna from Polotsk, doctor of medicine, the most respected of your citizens, who arrived in our possession and the Principality of Prussia, as our subject, nobleman and beloved faithful servant. Further, since the affairs, property, wife, children whom he left with you are his name from here, then, leaving there, he humbly asked us to entrust your guardianship by our letter ... ".
In 1529, the elder brother of Francysk Skaryna, Ivan, dies, whose creditors put forward property claims to Francis himself (apparently, hence the hasty departure from letter of recommendation Duke Albrecht). So, Skorina did not stay in Königsberg and after a few months returned to Vilnius, taking with him a printer and a Jewish doctor. The purpose of the act is unknown, but Duke Albrecht was offended by the “stealing” of specialists and already on May 26, 1530, in a letter to the Vilna governor Albert Gostold, he demanded that these people be returned to the duchy.
On February 5, 1532, the creditors of the late Ivan Skaryna, having filed a complaint with the Grand Duke and King Sigismund I, seek the arrest of Francis for his brother's debts under the pretext that Skaryna supposedly hides the property inherited from the deceased and constantly moves from place to place (although in fact in fact, Ivan's son Roman was the heir, but the creditors, most likely, did not lie about the frequent relocations). Francysk Skaryna spent several months in a Poznan prison until his nephew Roman got a meeting with the king, to whom he explained the matter. May 24, 1532 Sigismund I issues a decree on the release of Francysk Skaryna from prison. On June 17, the Poznan court finally decided the case in favor of Skaryna. And on November 21 and 25, King Sigismund, having sorted out the matter with the help of Bishop Jan, issues two privileged charters (privileges), according to which Francysk Skaryna is not only found not guilty and receives freedom, but also all kinds of benefits - protection from any prosecution (except for royal decree), protection from arrests and complete inviolability of property, exemption from duties and city services, as well as "from the jurisdiction and power of each and every one - governor, castellan, elders and other dignitaries, judges and all sorts of judges."
In 1534, Francysk Skorina made a trip to the Principality of Moscow, from where he was expelled as a Catholic, and his books were burned (see the letter of 1552 from the King of the Commonwealth, Zhygimont II August, to Albert Krichka, his ambassador in Rome under Pope Julius III).
Around 1535, Skaryna moved to Prague, where, most likely, she worked as a doctor or, unlikely, as a gardener at the royal court. The widespread version that Skaryna held the position of royal gardener at the invitation of King Ferdinand I and founded the famous garden on Gradchany has no serious grounds. Czech researchers, and after them foreign historians of architecture, adhere to the canonical theory that the "garden on the Castle" (see Prague Castle) was founded in 1534 by invited Italians Giovanni Spazio and Francesco Bonaforde. The proximity of the names Francesco - Francis gave rise to a version of Skorina's gardening activities, especially since the correspondence between Ferdinand I and the Bohemian Chamber clearly states: "master Francis", "Italian gardener", who received a payment and left Prague around 1539. However, in the letter of 1552 of Ferdinand I to the son of the then deceased Francysk Skaryna Simeon, there is the phrase "our gardener."
What Francysk Skaryna actually did in Prague in the last years of his life is not exactly known. Most likely, he practiced as a doctor.
The exact date of his death has not been established, most scholars suggest that Skaryna died around 1551, since in 1552 his son Simeon came to Prague for an inheritance.
Fonts and engraved headpieces from the Vilna printing house Skaryna were used by book publishers for another hundred years.
The language in which Francysk Skaryna printed his books was based on the Church Slavonic language, but with a large number of Belarusian words, and therefore was most understandable to the inhabitants of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. For a long time, there was a heated scientific dispute among Belarusian linguists about which language, of two options, Skaryn translated the books into: the Belarusian edition (excerpt) of the Church Slavonic language or, under another version, into the church style of the Old Belarusian language. Currently, Belarusian linguists agree that the language of translations of the Bible by Francysk Skaryna is the Belarusian edition (excerpt) of the Church Slavonic language. At the same time, the influence of the Czech and Polish languages was noticed in the works of Skaryna.
Skaryna's Bible violated the rules that existed when rewriting church books: it contained texts from the publisher and even engravings with his image. This is the only such case in the history of Bible publishing in Eastern Europe. Due to the ban on independent translation of the Bible, the Catholic and Orthodox Church did not recognize the books of Skaryna.
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The book was published in Prague in 1517-1519, became the first printed edition in the West Russian version of the Church Slavonic language and in the East Slavic world.
In Russia, Ivan Fedorov (and he, by the way, had Belarusian roots) is still revered as a pioneer printer. But Francis Skorina "from the glorious city of Polotsk" published his "Russian Bible" fifty years before Ivan Fedorov. And in it he clearly indicated that this book was "written for all Russian people." Francysk Skaryna is a Belarusian and East Slavonic first printer, translator, publisher and artist. The son of a people living on the European border, he brilliantly combined in his work the traditions of the Byzantine East and the Latin West. Thanks to Skaryna, Belarusians received a printed Bible in their native language before Russians and Ukrainians, Poles and Lithuanians, Serbs and Bulgarians, French and British...
In 1517-1519, in Prague, Francysk Skorina printed in Cyrillic in the Belarusian version of the Church Slavonic language "Psalter" and 23 more books of the Bible translated by him. In 1522, in Vilna (now Vilnius), Skaryna published the Small Travel Book. This book is considered the first book printed on the territory that was part of the USSR. In the same place in Vilna in 1525, Francysk Skaryna printed "The Apostle". Fedorov's assistant and colleague, Pyotr Mstislavets, studied with Skaryna.
Francysk Skaryna - Belarusian humanist of the first half of the 16th century, medical scientist, writer, translator, artist, educator, first printer of the Eastern Slavs.
Far from all the details of Skaryna's biography have survived to this day, there are still many "white spots" in the life of the work of the great enlightener. Even the exact dates of his birth and death are unknown. It is believed that he was born between 1485 and 1490 in Polotsk, in the family of a wealthy Polotsk merchant Luka Skorina, who traded with the Czech Republic, with Moscow Russia, with Polish and German lands. From his parents, the son adopted love for his native Polotsk, whose name he later always used with the epithet “glorious”. Francis received his primary education at his parents' house - he learned to read the Psalms and write in Cyrillic. It is assumed that he learned Latin (Francis knew it brilliantly) at school at one of the Catholic churches in Polotsk or Vilna.
Skaryna, the son of a Polotsk merchant, received his first higher education in Krakow. There he took a course in "liberal sciences" and was awarded a bachelor's degree. Skaryna also received a master's degree in arts, which then gave the right to enter the most prestigious faculties (medical and theological) of European universities. Scientists suggest that after the University of Krakow, during the years 1506-1512, Skaryna served as a secretary to the Danish king. But in 1512, he left this position and went to the Italian city of Padua, at the university of which “a young man from very distant countries” (as the documents of that time say about him) received the degree of “Doctor of Medicine”, which was a significant event not only in the life of young Francis, but also in the history of the culture of Belarus. Until now, in one of the halls of this educational institution, where there are portraits of famous men of European science who came out of its walls, there is a portrait of an outstanding Belarusian by an Italian master.
About the period 1512-1516 centuries. F. Skaryna's life is unknown to us yet. Modern scientists have suggested that at that time Skorina traveled around Europe, got acquainted with printing and the first printed books, and also met with his brilliant contemporaries - Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael. The reason for this is the following fact - one of Raphael's frescoes depicts a man who is very similar to Skaryna's self-portrait in the Bible he later published. Interestingly, Raphael wrote it next to his own image.
From 1517 Skaryna lived in Prague. Here he began his publishing business and began printing Bible books.
The first printed book was the Slavic "Psalter", in the preface to which it is reported: "I, Francysk Skorina, the son of the glorious Polotsk, a doctor in medical sciences, ordered the Psalter to be embossed in Russian words, and in Slovenian." At that time, the Belarusian language was called “Russian language”, in contrast to Church Slavonic, called “Slovenian”. The Psalter was published on August 6, 1517.
Then, almost every month, more and more new volumes of the Bible were published: the Book of Job, the Parables of Solomon, Ecclesiastes ... In two years in Prague, Francysk Skaryna published 23 illustrated Bible books, translated by him into a language understandable to the general reader. The publisher supplied each of the books with a preface and an afterword, and included almost fifty illustrations in the Bible.
Around 1520 or a little later, the first printer returned to his homeland and founded the first East Slavic printing house in Vilna. Here the “Small Road Book” was published, which is considered the first book published in the Belarusian lands (there is no exact release date for the book). Here, in 1525, "The Apostle" was printed, which turned out to be the last book of the first printer - during the fire in Vilna, the printing house of Francis died. It was with this book that 40 years later Ivan Fedorov and Pyotr Mstislavets, both natives of Belarus, began Russian book printing in Moscow.
The last fifteen years of Francysk Skaryna's life are full of adversity and deprivation: for some time he serves with the Prussian Duke Albrecht the Elder in Koenigsberg, then returns to Vilna, where his family lives. For the debts of her deceased brother, Skaryna is imprisoned in Poznań. The Polish king Sigismund I releases him from trial with a special letter.
In 1534, Francysk Skorina made a trip to the Principality of Moscow, from where he was expelled as a Catholic, and his books were burned (see the letter of 1552 from the King of the Commonwealth, Zhygimont II August, to Albert Krichka, his ambassador in Rome under Pope Julius III).
Around 1535, Francysk Skaryna moved to Prague, where he became the personal doctor and horticulturist of King Ferdinand I of Habsburg, who would later become Holy Roman Emperor. 1540 is considered the year of the death of the great enlightener.
Before the well-known Ostroh Bible appeared in Ukraine, Skaryna's editions were the only printed translations of the Holy Scriptures made in the territories of the Eastern and Southern Slavs. These translations became the subject of inheritance and alterations - all East Slavic publishing activity in the field of biblical texts was somehow oriented towards Skaryna. This is not surprising - in many respects his Bible was ahead of similar publications in other countries: before the German Martin Luther, not to mention Polish and Russian publishers. It is noteworthy that the Bible was published in the Old Belarusian language, which largely determined the development of the Belarusian press. The famous "Statutes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania" were printed in the language of Belarus.
A noticeable increase in attention to the heritage of antiquity is also associated with the name of Skaryna. He was perhaps the first in our area to attempt to synthesize antiquity and Christianity, and also proposed an educational program developed in ancient Greece - the system of the "Seven Free Sciences". Later, it was adopted by the fraternal schools of Ukraine and Belarus, developed and improved by the professors of the Kiev-Mohyla Academy and contributed a lot to the convergence of national culture with the culture of the West.
Fonts and engraved headpieces from the Vilna printing house Skaryna were used by book publishers for another hundred years.
What Francysk Skaryna actually did in Prague in the last years of his life is not exactly known. Most likely, he practiced as a doctor.
The exact date of his death has not been established, most scholars suggest that Skaryna died around 1551, since in 1552 his son Simeon came to Prague for an inheritance.
Only four hundred copies of Skaryna's books have survived to this day. All editions are very rare, especially the ones from Vilna. Rarities are stored in libraries and book depositories in Minsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kyiv, Vilnius, Lvov, London, Prague, Copenhagen, Krakow.
The language in which Francysk Skaryna printed his books was based on the Church Slavonic language, but with a large number of Belarusian words, and therefore was most understandable to the inhabitants of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. For a long time, there was a heated scientific dispute among Belarusian linguists about which language, of two options, Skaryn translated the books into: the Belarusian edition (excerpt) of the Church Slavonic language or, under another version, into the church style of the Old Belarusian language. Currently, Belarusian linguists agree that the language of translations of the Bible by Francysk Skaryna is the Belarusian edition (excerpt) of the Church Slavonic language. At the same time, the influence of the Czech and Polish languages was noticed in the works of Skaryna.
Skaryna's Bible violated the rules that existed when rewriting church books: it contained texts from the publisher and even engravings with his image. This is the only such case in the history of Bible publishing in Eastern Europe. Due to the ban on independent translation of the Bible, the Catholic and Orthodox Church did not recognize the books of Skaryna.
Francysk Skaryna has long been revered in Belarus. The life and work of F. Skorina is studied by a complex scientific discipline - scoring studies. His biography is studied in schools. Streets in Minsk, Polotsk, Vitebsk, Nesvizh, Orsha, Slutsk and many other cities of Belarus are named after him. The Gomel State University bears the name of F. Skaryna. Monuments to the outstanding scientist were erected in Polotsk, Minsk, Lida, Vilnius. The last of the monuments was recently installed in the capital of Belarus, next to the entrance to the new National Library.
All schools in Polotsk introduced a special subject - Polotsk studies, in which F. Skorina occupies a worthy place. Events dedicated to the memory of the pioneer printer are held in the city according to a separately drawn up plan.
Special awards have been introduced in Belarus - the Skaryna medal (1989) and the Order of Skaryna (1995).
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