Monument of ancient Russian literature of the 12th century. “Monuments of Old Russian Literature

Today it worries all those who are interested in the history and culture of our country. We will try to give a comprehensive answer to it.

Monuments of bookishness are usually called Old Russian literature Kievan Rus that appeared at the stage of state creation Eastern Slavs, called Kievan Rus. Old Russian period in the history of Russian literature, according to some literary scholars, ends in 1237 (during the ruinous Tatar invasion), according to other literary scholars, it continues for about 400 years and gradually ends during the era of the revival of the Moscow state after the Time of Troubles.

However, the first version is more preferable, which partly explains to us when and why Old Russian literature arose.

Anyway this fact suggests that our ancestors have reached such a stage social development when they stopped being satisfied folklore works and new genres were required - hagiographic literature, teachings, collections and “words”.

When did ancient Russian literature arise: history and main factors of its emergence

The exact date of writing the first ancient Russian work not in history, but the beginning of bookishness in Rus' is traditionally associated with two events. The first is the appearance in our country of Orthodox monks - Methodius and Cyril, who created the Glagolitic alphabet, and later put their efforts into creating the Cyrillic alphabet. This made it possible to translate liturgical and Christian texts of the Byzantine Empire into old Slavic language.

Second key event was the actual Christianization of Rus', which allowed our state to communicate closely with the Greeks - the bearers of the then wisdom and knowledge.

It should be noted that the question of what year ancient Russian literature arose is also impossible to answer because a huge number of monuments of ancient Russian literature were lost as a result of the devastating Horde yoke, most of them burned in numerous fires that were brought to our country by bloodthirsty nomads .

The most famous monuments of bookishness of Ancient Rus'

When answering the question about when ancient Russian literature arose, we must not forget that the works of this period represent a fairly high level literary excellence. One famous “Tale” about Prince Igor’s campaign against the Polovtsians is worth a lot.

Despite the devastating historical circumstances, the following monuments have survived to this day.

Let us briefly list the key ones:

Ostromir Gospel.
Numerous teaching collections.
Collections of lives (for example, collections of the lives of the first Russian saints from the Kiev Pechersk Lavra).
"The Sermon on Law and Grace" by Hilarion.
Life of Boris and Gleb.
Reading about princes Boris and Gleb.
"The Tale of Bygone Years".
"Teachings of Prince Vladimir, nicknamed Monomakh."
"The Tale of Igor's Campaign."
"The Tale of the Death of the Russian Land."

Chronology of Old Russian literature

An expert in the ancient Russian written tradition, Academician D.S. Likhachev and his colleagues assumed that the answer to the question of when Old Russian literature arose should be sought in the first monuments of Russian literature.

According to these chronicle sources, in our country in the 10th century, translated works first appeared with Greek language. At the same time, folklore texts of legends about the exploits of Svyatoslav Igorevich, as well as epics about Prince Vladimir, were created at the same time.

In the 11th century, thanks to the activities of Metropolitan Hilarion, the literary works. For example, this is the already mentioned “Sermon on Law and Grace,” a description of the adoption of Christianity by the Russian people, and others. In the same century, the texts of the first selections were created, as well as the first texts of the lives of those who died as a result of the princely strife and were later canonized.

In the 12th century, original works of authorship were written that told about the life of Theodosius, abbot of Pechersk, and the lives of other saints of the Russian land. At the same time, the text of the so-called Galician Gospel was created, and parables and “words” were written by a talented Russian orator. The creation of the text “The Lay of Igor’s Campaign” dates back to the same century. At the same time, a large number of translated works were published that came from Byzantium and carried the foundations of both Christian and Hellenic wisdom.

Consequently, it is possible to answer with all objectivity the question of in what century Old Russian literature arose in this way: it happened in the 10th century along with the advent of Slavic writing and the creation of Kievan Rus as a single state.

Introduction 3
1. Monuments ancient Russian literature 4
2. Monuments ancient Russian history 7
3. Heritage of ancient Russian philosophy 12
Conclusion 15
References 16

Introduction

At the end of the 10th century, the literature of Ancient Rus' arose, literature on the basis of which developed literature of three fraternal peoples– Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian. Old Russian literature arose along with the adoption of Christianity and was initially called upon to serve the needs of the church: to provide church ceremony, disseminate information on the history of Christianity, educate societies in the spirit of Christianity. These tasks determined and genre system literature, and features of its development.
The relevance of the work lies in the consideration that the adoption of Christianity had significant consequences for the development of books and literature in Ancient Rus'.
The purpose of the work is to study monuments of ancient Russian literature.
Achieving the goal involves solving a number of tasks:
1) consider monuments of ancient Russian literature;
2) characterize the monuments of ancient Russian history;
3) study the heritage of ancient Russian philosophy.
Old Russian literature was formed on the basis of the unified literature of the southern and eastern Slavs, which arose under the influence of Byzantine and Old Bulgarian culture. The Baptism of Rus' was an event of enormous historical importance, not only politically and socially, but also culturally. Story ancient Russian culture began after Russia adopted Christianity, and the date of the Baptism of Rus' becomes the starting point for the national-historical development of Russia.

1. Monuments of ancient Russian literature

Writing in Ancient Rus' arose long before Christianity and therefore the appearance of writing could not be the result of borrowing from outside. With the advent of statehood and the development of trade, writing was required. For some time the Slavs used the Greek alphabet. Origin Slavic alphabet associated with the brothers Cyril and Methodius (about 815-885). Slavic writing had two alphabets: Glagolitic and Cyrillic. Science suggests that Kirill first created the Glagolitic alphabet, “verb” - to speak. Later elements of Glagolitic and Greek alphabet compiled a new alphabet - the Cyrillic alphabet.
Cyril and Methodius translated many books from Greek into Slavic; some surviving ones speak of a respectful attitude towards literacy and bookishness. But not only scribes in Rus' had literacy. Unfortunately, too few ancient Russian books have survived (some books indicate 130, others 150), since numerous fires, disastrous invasions, the rule of the Horde, and careless storage destroyed significant libraries. Even a small portion of what has survived allows us to imagine the contents of the libraries. The most ancient is considered to be the Ostromir Gospel of 1056-1057, written by Deacon Gregory for daily reading, starting from Easter.
Various “Izborniki” were compiled, which contained wise reflections for all occasions, not only religious, but also Soviet in content. The peculiarities of the literature of Ancient Rus' were the combination of works of religious, historical, military, and instructive content. Early Russian literature had one important distinctive feature: it was not just narrative, but instructive.
The “Teaching” of Vladimir Monomakh, addressed to princes and his children, is interesting. From a statement of principles he proceeds to a description own life as a role model. The “Instruction” says that from the age of 13 Vladimir worked, went on campaigns, a total of 69 campaigns are listed. The main place in the “Teaching” is given to moral qualities ruler, he must be merciful, faithful in his oaths.
As a result of the expansion of economic and political ties of Ancient Rus' with the West and East, a genre appeared in ancient Russian literature - the description of travel. In ancient Russian literature there was a genre of traveler's notes, for example, “The Life and Walking of Danil, the Abbot of the Russian Land.” The author describes the nature of Palestine, the foundations and customs of Jerusalem, inserts legends and tales into the narrative, and expresses his thoughts about the Russian land. “Walking beyond the three seas” by Afanasy Nikitin of the 15th century - “the first in European literature a description of India made with greater observation."
After the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380, a national upsurge began, a new attitude towards man, faith in reason. The stage begins - the lives of saints in the works of Epiphanius the Wise, depicting the complex variety of human feelings, psychological impulses and experiences. Ivan Peresvetov puts forward the principle of equality of all in the face of the sovereign - against inequality by birth.
The Christianization of Rus' gave a powerful impetus to the further development of writing and literacy. The first literate and scribes were formed in schools that opened at churches, and later at monasteries. There were not only schools for boys, but there was also a school for girls in Kyiv at the St. Andrew's Monastery, where girls were taught writing and women's crafts. Since ancient times, schools in Rus' were spiritual - for the training of clergy, where they taught not only reading, writing and theology, but also studied grammar and rhetoric. Literacy was widespread in the urban environment, among the rich. Not only boys, but also girls were taught literacy.
Christian literature “introduced Russian people to new standards of morality and morality, expanded their mental horizons and provided many information of a historical and geographical nature.”
The system of genres in Ancient Rus' depended on the needs of the church until the 17th century, with the exception of chronicles, with the exception of the “Teachings” of Vladimir Monomakh, “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”, with the exception of “The Prayer of Daniel the Prisoner”, the rest of the stock of books has a narrow cult purpose .
The literature of Ancient Rus' is rich and majestic. Its greatness lies in the intensity of ideological searches and breadth of interests, in the diversity and number of monuments, in the invaluable merits of the huge army of ancient Russian scribes - writers, chroniclers, thanks to whom the history of our people and the people's soul have come down to our descendants.

In the XI-XII centuries there was a rise cultural development Kievan Rus. Cultural centers there were large cities, many of which became important European centers: Novgorod, Kyiv, Galich.
Excavations carried out by archaeologists allow us to talk about high culture townspeople, many of whom were literate. This is evidenced by preserved promissory notes, petitions, orders on economic affairs, notices of arrival, letters written on birch bark, as well as those preserved in different cities inscriptions on things, church walls. Schools were organized in cities to teach literacy. The first schools for boys appeared in the 10th century, and in the 11th century a school for girls was opened in Kyiv.
It is known for certain that even before the adoption of Christianity Ancient Rus' knew writing. The first handwritten books that have reached us are true works of art. The books are written in very expensive material- parchment, which was made from lamb, calf or goat skin. They were decorated with amazingly beautiful colored miniatures.
Most of the books that have come down to us from this period of time are of religious content. Thus, out of 130 surviving books, 80 contain the basics of Christian doctrine and morality. However, at this time there was also religious literature for reading. A well-preserved collection of stories about real and legendary animals, trees, stones - "Physiologist". This collection consists of several stories, at the end of each there is a small interpretation of what is described in the spirit of Christianity. So, for example, the woodpecker’s natural property of chiselling trees was correlated with the devil, who persistently looks for a person’s weak points.
Such outstanding monuments of church literature as the “Sermon on Law and Grace” by Metropolitan Hilarion and the sermons of Cyril of Turov date back to the same period of time. There were also religious books that unconventionally interpreted well-known biblical stories. Such books were called apocrypha. The name comes from the Greek word for hidden. The most popular was the apocryphal "Walk of the Virgin Mary through Torment."
IN large quantities Lives of saints were created, which described in detail the life, activities, and exploits of people canonized by the church. The plot of the life could be exciting, such as, for example, “The Life of Alexei, the Man of God.”
Also known literary monuments Vladimir-Suzdal land. Among them is "The Word" ("Prayer") by Daniil Zatochnik.
In the 11th century, the first works of a historical (documentary) nature appeared. The oldest chronicle that has survived to this day, the Tale of Bygone Years, dates back to this period of time. This document allows us to judge not only political situation of that time, but also about the life and customs of the ancient Russians.
IN major cities Detailed chronicles were kept in which the events that took place were recorded. The chronicles contained copies of original documents from the princely archives, detailed descriptions battles, reports on diplomatic negotiations. However, one cannot talk about the objectivity of these chronicles, since their compilers were primarily children of their time, who tried to justify the actions of their prince and denigrate his opponents.
Outstanding monument ancient Russian literature - "Teaching" by Vladimir Monomakh. It was intended for the prince’s children and contained instructions on how young princes, children of warriors, should behave. He ordered both his own and strangers not to offend the inhabitants of the villages, to always help those who ask, to feed guests, not to pass by a person without greeting, to take care of the sick and infirm.
And finally, the most significant monument of ancient Russian literature is “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.” The work is based on the campaign undertaken by Prince Igor Svyatoslavich against the Polovtsians. Unfortunately, the only surviving manuscript of the Lay was burned during a fire in Moscow in 1812.

In the 11th-12th centuries, the cultural development of Kievan Rus took off. Large cities were cultural centers, many of which acquired the significance of European centers: Novgorod, Kyiv, Galich.

Excavations carried out by archaeologists suggest a high culture of the townspeople, many of whom were literate. This is evidenced by preserved debt receipts, petitions, orders on economic affairs, notices of arrival, letters written on birch bark, as well as inscriptions on things and church walls preserved in different cities. Schools were organized in cities to teach literacy. The first schools for boys appeared in the 10th century, and in the 11th century a school for girls was opened in Kyiv.

It is known for certain that even before the adoption of Christianity, Ancient Rus' knew writing. The first handwritten books that have reached us are true works of art. The books were written on very expensive material - parchment, which was made from lamb, calf or goat skin. They were decorated with amazingly beautiful colored miniatures.

Most of the books that have come down to us from this period of time are of religious content. Thus, out of 130 surviving books, 80 contain the basics of Christian doctrine and morality. However, at this time there was also religious literature for reading. A well-preserved collection of stories about real and legendary animals, trees, and stones is “The Physiologist.” This collection consists of several stories, at the end of each there is a small interpretation of what is described in the spirit of Christianity. So, for example, the woodpecker’s natural property of chiselling trees was correlated with the devil, who persistently looks for a person’s weak points.

Such outstanding monuments of church literature as the “Sermon on Law and Grace” by Metropolitan Hilarion and the sermons of Cyril of Turov date back to the same period of time. There were also religious books that interpreted well-known biblical stories in an unconventional way. Such books were called apocrypha. The name comes from the Greek word for hidden. The most popular was the apocryphal "Walk of the Virgin Mary through Torment."

Lives of saints were created in large numbers, which described in detail the life, activities, and exploits of people canonized by the church. The plot of the life could be exciting, such as, for example, “The Life of Alexei, the Man of God.”

Literary monuments of the Vladimir-Suzdal land are also known. Among them is "The Word" ("Prayer") by Daniil Zatochnik.

In the 11th century, the first works of a historical (documentary) nature appeared. The oldest chronicle that has survived to this day, the Tale of Bygone Years, dates back to this period of time. This document allows us to judge not only the political situation of that time, but also the life and customs of the ancient Russians.

In large cities, detailed chronicles were kept, which recorded the events that took place. The chronicles contained copies of original documents from the princely archive, detailed descriptions of battles, and reports on diplomatic negotiations. However, one cannot talk about the objectivity of these chronicles, since their compilers were primarily children of their time, who tried to justify the actions of their prince and denigrate his opponents.

An outstanding monument of ancient Russian literature is “The Instruction” of Vladimir Monomakh. It was intended for the prince’s children and contained instructions on how young princes, children of warriors, should behave. He ordered both his own and strangers not to offend the inhabitants of the villages, to always help those who ask, to feed guests, not to pass by a person without greeting, to take care of the sick and infirm.

And finally, the most significant monument of ancient Russian literature is “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.” The work is based on the campaign undertaken by Prince Igor Svyatoslavich against the Polovtsians. Unfortunately, the only surviving manuscript of the Lay was burned during a fire in Moscow in 1812.

In the 11th-12th centuries, the cultural development of Kievan Rus took off. Large cities were cultural centers, many of which acquired the significance of European centers: Novgorod, Kyiv, Galich.

Most of the books that have come down to us from this period of time are of religious content. Thus, out of 130 surviving books, 80 contain the basics of Christian doctrine and morality. However, at this time there was also religious literature for reading. A well-preserved collection of stories about real and legendary animals, trees, stones - "Physiologist". This collection consists of several stories, at the end of each there is a small interpretation of what is described in the spirit of Christianity. So, for example, the woodpecker’s natural property of chiselling trees was correlated with the devil, who persistently looks for a person’s weak points.

Literary monuments of the Vladimir-Suzdal land are also known. Among them is "The Word" ("Prayer") by Daniil Zatochnik.