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Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not
used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad
quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are
images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to
keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the
original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain
imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made
available for future generations to enjoy.
This eagerly awaited volume, the first of its kind by western
scholars, describes the development amongst the diverse inhabitants
of the immense landmass between the Carpathians and Urals of a
political, economic and social nexus (underpinned by a common
culture and, eventually, a common faith), out of which would emerge
the future Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The authors explore every
aspect of life in Rus, using evidence and the fruits of post-Soviet
historiography. They describe the rise of a polity centred on Kiev,
the coming of Christianity, and the increasing prosperity of the
region even as, with the proliferation of new dynastic centres, the
balance of power shifted northwards and westwards. Fractured,
violent and transitory though it often is, this is a story of
growth and achievement - and a masterly piece of historical
synthesis.
This is the first comprehensive study of the origins and early uses of Russian writing. Simon Franklin examines a wide range of writings, from the parchment manuscripts of the Orthodox Church, through the Novgorod birch-bark documents, to inscriptions on stone and metal. He analyzes the texts from a variety of perspectives, and presents fascinating insight into this crucial aspect of Russian history. The impressive scholarship and idiosyncratic wit of the volume commend it to specialists in Russian history and Russian literature.
This eagerly awaited volume, the first of its kind by western
scholars, describes the development amongst the diverse inhabitants
of the immense landmass between the Carpathians and Urals of a
political, economic and social nexus (underpinned by a common
culture and, eventually, a common faith), out of which would emerge
the future Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The authors explore every
aspect of life in Rus, using evidence and the fruits of post-Soviet
historiography. They describe the rise of a polity centred on Kiev,
the coming of Christianity, and the increasing prosperity of the
region even as, with the proliferation of new dynastic centres, the
balance of power shifted northwards and westwards. Fractured,
violent and transitory though it often is, this is a story of
growth and achievement - and a masterly piece of historical
synthesis.
There are saints in Orthodox Christian culture who overturn the
conventional concept of sainthood. Their conduct may be unruly and
salacious, they may blaspheme and even kill - yet, mysteriously,
those around them treat them with even more reverence. Such saints
are called 'holy fools'. In this pioneering study Sergey A. Ivanov
examines the phenomenon of holy foolery from a cultural standpoint.
He identifies its prerequisites and its development in religious
thought, and traces the emergence of the first hagiographic texts
describing these paradoxical saints. He describes the beginnings of
holy foolery in Egyptian monasteries of the fifth century, followed
by its high point in the cities of Byzantium, with an eventual
decline in the twelfth to fourteenth centuries. He also compares
the important Russian tradition of holy fools, which in some form
has survived to this day.
The Christian culture of Rus (the medieval precursor of modern
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus) is sometimes presented either as a
reflection of an indigenous spirituality wrapped in borrowed
(Byzantine) forms or, by contrast, as merely a provincial version
of its Byzantine original. The essays in this volume start from the
premise that neither view is adequate. The history of culture -
even of a self-consciously imitative culture - involves a continual
process of inevitable 'mistranslation', as the imported models are
reshaped and reinterpreted according to local resources,
circumstances and preconceptions. These essays explore aspects of
the 'translation of culture' on several levels: from the semantic
processes of the actual translation of written texts from Greek
into Slavonic, through to larger issues of ideology and identity.
They consider both the initial stages of such 'translation' (from
Byzantium to Rus) and some of the subsequent 'retranslations' of
the Byzantine heritage in the culture of Rus and - eventually - of
Russia.
The authors included in this volume-Ilarion, Klim Smoljatic, and
Kirill of Turov-are remarkable for both their personal and literary
achievements. Appointed in 1051 by Prince Jaroslav the Wise,
Ilarion was the first of only two recorded "native" metropolitans
of Kiev. His "Sermon on Law and Grace" constitutes the finest piece
of eleventh-century Rus' rhetorical literature. Klim Smoljatic, the
second "native" metropolitan of Rus' (from 1147), is the author of
the controversial "Epistle to Foma," which addresses the debate
over the proper nature and limits of Christian learning. Finally,
the twelfth-century monk Kirill of Turov is best known for his
collection of allegorical lessons and some of the most accomplished
sermons of Kievan Rus'. The volume contains the first complete
translations of the "Epistle to Foma" and the lessons and sermons
of Kirill, as well as an entirely new rendering of the "Sermon on
Law and Grace." Simon Franklin prefaces the texts with a
substantial introduction that places each of the three authors in
their historical context and examines the literary qualities as
well as textual complexities of these outstanding works of Rus'
literature.
Introduction by Simon Franklin; Translation by Michael Glenny
The authors included in this volume, Ilarion, Klim Smoljatic, and
Kirill of Turov, are remarkable for both their personal and
literary achievements. Appointed in 1051 by Prince Jaroslav the
Wise, Ilarion was the first of only two recorded "native"
metropolitans of Kiev. His "Sermon on Law and Grace" constitutes
the finest piece of eleventh-century Rus' rhetorical literature.
Klim Smoljatic, the second "native" metropolitan of Rus' (from
1147), is the author of the controversial "Epistle to Foma,," which
addresses the debate over the proper nature and limits of Christian
learning. Finally, the twelfth-century monk Kirill of Turov is best
known for his collection of allegorical lessons and some of the
most accomplished sermons of Kievan Rus'.
The volume contains the first complete translations of the
"Epistle to Foma" and the lessons and sermons of Kirill, as well as
an entirely new rendering of the "Sermon on Law and Grace," Simon
Franklin prefaces the texts with a substantial introduction that
places each of the three authors in their historical context and
examines the literary qualities as well as textual complexities of
these outstanding works of Rus' literature.
"My favorite novel -it's just the greatest explosion of
imagination, craziness, satire, humor, and heart." Daniel
Radcliffe. The devil with his retinue, a poet incarcerated in a
mental institution for speaking the truth, and a startling
re-creation of the story of Pontius Pilate, constitute the elements
out of which Mikhail Bulgakov wove The Master and Margarita, the
unofficial masterpiece of twentieth-century Soviet fiction. Long
suppressed in its native land, this account of strange doings in
Moscow in the 1930s provides us with the essence of the sceptical,
trenchant, unadulterated voice of dissent
The 'graphosphere' is the dynamic space of visible words.
Graphospheres mutate, they are reconfigured with changes in
technology, in modes of production, in social structures, in
fashion and taste. The graphospheric environment can be public or
private, monumental or ephemeral. This book explores a new approach
to the study of writing, with a focus on Russia during its 'long
early modernity' from the late fifteenth century to the early
nineteenth century. Taking an inclusive approach, it charts
unmapped territory, uncovers sources that have almost entirely
escaped attention and therefore provides, in the first instance, a
unique reference guide to cultures of writing in Russia over four
hundred years. Besides generating fresh insights into distinctive
features of Russian culture, this outward-looking and accessible
book offers a pioneering case study for the wider comparative
exploration of the significance of technologies of the word.
This book provides a thorough survey and analysis of the emergence
and functions of written culture in Rus (covering roughly the
modern East Slav lands of European Russia, Ukraine and Belarus).
Part I introduces the full range of types of writing: the scripts
and languages, the materials, the social and physical contexts,
ranging from builders' scratches on bricks through to luxurious
parchment manuscripts. Part II presents a series of thematic
studies of the 'socio-cultural dynamics' of writing, in order to
reveal and explain distinctive features in the Rus assimilation of
the technology. The comparative approach means that the book may
also serve as a case-study for those with a broader interest either
in medieval uses of writing or in the social and cultural history
of information technologies. Overall, the impressive scholarship
and idiosyncratic wit of this volume commend it to students and
specialists in Russian history and literature alike. Awarded the
Alec Nove Prize, given by the British Association for Slavonic and
East European Studies for the best book of 2002 in Russian, Soviet
or Post-Soviet studies.
Byzantine literature is often regarded as little more than an
agglomeration of stereotyped forms and generic conventions which
allows no scope for individual thought or expression. Accordingly,
histories of Byzantine literature tend to focus on the history of
genres. The essays in this book challenge the traditional view.
They attempt to show the coherence and individuality not of the
genre but of author. By careful analysis of all the works of a
given author, regardless of genre, these studies aim to reach
behind the facade of convention, to discover not only biographical
facts but also the writer's own likes and dislikes, his social
views, his political sympathies and antipathies, his ethical and
aesthetic standards. Most of the authors under consideration lived
in the twelfth century. Several of them experienced or wrote about
the same set of events; often they were acquainted with one
another, or else had mutual friends. Thus each essay is both
complete in itself and complementary to the others in the book; the
individuality of each writer is most fully revealed in the
comparison with his contemporaries and conversely the separate
portraits may be combined to form a broader picture of Byzantine
literary society of the time.
What is Russia? Who are Russians? What is 'Russianness'? The
question of national identity has long been a vexed one in Russia,
and is particularly pertinent in the post-Soviet period. For a
thousand years these questions have been central to the work of
Russian writers, artists, musicians, film-makers, critics,
politicians and philosophers. Questions of national self-identity
permeate Russian cultural self-expression. This wide-ranging study,
designed for students of Russian literature, culture, and history,
explores aspects of national identity in Russian culture from
medieval times to the present day. Written by an international team
of scholars, the volume offers an accessible overview and a broad,
multi-faceted introductory account of this central feature of
Russian cultural history. The book is comprehensive and concise; it
combines general surveys with a wide range of specific examples to
convey the rich texture of Russian cultural expression over the
past thousand years.
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