Peresopnytsia Gospels

Peresopnytsia Gospels

The Peresopnytsia Gospels ( _uk. Пересопницьке Євангеліє, "Peresopnytske Yevanheliie"), dating from the 16th century, is one of the most intricate surviving East Slavic manuscripts. It was made between August 15, 1556 and August 29, 1561, at the Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Dvirtsi, and the Monastery of the Mother of God in Peresopnytsia, Volyn'. The scribe was Mykhailo Vasyl’ovych, son of an archpriest from Sianik, who worked under the direction of Hryhorii, the archimandrite of the Peresopnytsia Monastery.

The manuscript is a Gospel Book containing only the four Gospels of the New Testament, and is ornamented with Glagolitic characters, which were influenced by the Italian Renaissance style. The Glagolitic alphabet was invented by Saints Cyril and Methodius in the 9th century to translate the Bible and other religious works into old Church Slavonic, the language of the Bulgarians and Serbs, and the liturgical language of the Russian Orthodox Church. Although it is not in daily use it was used for religious purposes until the late 19th century in Croatia. This is the first known example of a vernacular Old Ukrainian translation of the canonical text of the Scriptures.

The Peresopnytsya Gospels are the most well-known translations of canonical texts into the Old Ukrainian language. Luxuriously decorated under the influence of the Italian Renaissance, the work also shows characteristic Ukrainian decorations, and a high artistic level in the miniatures of the Ukrainian icon-painting school connected with Byzantine and Eastern Slavonic traditions.

The Peresopnytsya Gospels were commissioned by Princess Nastacia Yuriyivna Zheslavska-Holshanska (Zaslavska-Olshanska)of Volyn, and her daughter and her son-in-law (Yevdokiya and Ivan Fedorovych Czartoryski).

After its completion the book was kept in the Peresopnytsya Monastery. On 17 April 1701 it was presented to Pereyaslav Cathedral by Ivan Mazepa the Hetman of Ukraine. From 1799 it was kept in Pereyaslav Seminary. Later on it was held in Poltava Seminary, Poltava Museum of History and Regional Studies, Kyiv-Pecherska Lavra preserve. On 24 December 1948 this treasure of Ukrainian culture was placed at the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine.

Three Ukrainian Presidents—Leonid Kravchuk in 1991, Leonid Kuchma in 1994, and Viktor Yushchenko in 2005—took the oath of office on the Gospels.

External links

* [http://sio.midco.net/danstopicalstamps/peresopnytsia.htm Information on a Peresopnytsia Gospel commemorative stamp]
* [http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=17039&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html Information on the Peresopnytsia Gospel] from UNESCO
* [http://www.georgefox.edu/academics/undergrad/departments/soc-swk/ree/plokhy.html Role of the Gospel in Ukrainian inaugurations]
* [http://libraries.theeuropeanlibrary.org/Ukraine/treasures_en.xml Peresopnytsya Gospel] Treasure of the National Library of Ukraine, displayed via The European Library


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Gospel Book — The Gospel Book, or Book of the Gospels (Greek: ). Even when the antimension is unfolded to receive the chalice and diskos, the Gospel Book is not removed from the Holy Table, but is stood upright in front of the Tabernacle.The Divine Liturgy… …   Wikipedia

  • Slavic translations of the Bible — This article deals with the history of translations of the Bible into Slavic languages, which begins with the second half of the 9th century.Old Church Slavonic and Church SlavonicThe oldest translation, commonly called the Old Church Slavonic,… …   Wikipedia

  • Oath of office — Lyndon B. Johnson taking the presidential oath of office in 1963, after the assassination of John F. Kennedy An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before undertaking the duties of an office, usually a position in government… …   Wikipedia

  • Protestantism in Ukraine — Protestants in Ukraine number about 600 to 700 thousand (2007), about 1% of the total population. Nearly all traditional Protestant denominations are represented in the country. According to Christianity Today magazine, Ukraine has become not… …   Wikipedia

  • Ukrainian Bible Society — ( uk. Українське Біблійне Товариство) religious non profit organization, established by representatives of different Christian denominations in Ukraine, who recognize the Bible as the Word of God. It is a member of the international association… …   Wikipedia

  • 1561 in literature — Events*August 21 Completion of the Peresopnytsia Gospels.New books*Gabriele Fallopius Observationes anatomicae *Sir Thomas Hoby The Book of the Courtier ( Il Cortegiano ) (translation) *Julius Caesar Scaliger Poetices *John Calvin Institution of… …   Wikipedia

  • President of Ukraine — Президент України …   Wikipedia

  • List of Belarus-related topics — This is a list of topics related to Belarus. Those interested in the subject can monitor changes to the pages by clicking on Related changes in the sidebar.Belarus* Belarus * Belarusian diplomatic missionsCommunications in Belarus* Communications …   Wikipedia

  • Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine — Національна бібліотека України імені В. І. Вернадського English Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine …   Wikipedia

  • Osip Bodyansky — Osip Maximovič Bodjanskij, 1878 Osip Maksimovich Bodyansky (Осип Максимович Бодянский; 1808–1878) was a notable Slavist of Ukrainian ethnicity who studied and taught at the Moscow University. Bodyansky s close friends included Nikolai Gogol,… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”