Новгородская житийная литература: текст и образ

D. B. Tereshkina

D. B. Tereshkina Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (Novgorod Branch)

Keywords: Novgorod, the lives of saints, historicity, authenticity, locality of themes and ideas, simplicity, figurativeness, text, image

Abstract

Novgorod hagiographic literature is very rich. The large number of monasteries surrounding Novgorod, the saints who were ascetics in Novgorod, the excellent preservation of Novgorod antiquities (manuscripts, literary monuments, iconography, architecture), due to the history of the Novgorod land (Novgorod escaped the ruin of the Mongol-Tatars, always preserved its own uniqueness, which, in addition to the Veche republican way of life, consisted of free definition of aesthetic expression forms) – all this led to the richness of Novgorod hagiography, numbering more than a hundred works. The basis of the Novgorod hagiographic literature consists of the most ancient, “authoritative” lives of the “popular” saints: Anthony of Rome, John of Novgorod, Varlaam of Khutyn, Mikhail Klopsky, Euthymius of Vyazhishchi, etc., preserved in a large number of copies. Ancient Novgorod hagiography developed, probably, starting from the XIII century and ending with the first half of the XVIII century. As the most representative medieval genre, it reflected the specific features of ancient Novgorod literature, which are still the subject of scientific discussion. Nevertheless, it seems to us that it is possible to distinguish the features of Novgorod medieval literature. These include a large number of chronicles (as well as constantly maintained chronicle, which is exclusively Novgorod phenomenon), the richness and variety of other literary genres (legends, lives, stories, travel genre), the interpenetration of genres (vision or miracle as an icon image and as a literary work, a visual reflection of the literary plot – “The Legend of the Battle of Novgorodians with Suzdalians”, etc.), simplicity, conciseness, artlessness of style, openness to borrowing, attention to local topics and events. The specifics of Novgorod medieval hagiographic literature reflect and expand understanding of features of ancient Novgorod literature as a whole. The hagiography of medieval Novgorod is characterized by the depiction of historical events related to the Veche way of life of the city, the description of the inconsistency of the Novgorod people in relation to the Novgorod hierarchs, the daily life of the city, the Novgorod realities – Judgment Bridge, Volkhov, the two “sides” of Novgorod, which were always in opposition to each other. One of the specific features of Novgorod hagiographic literature is high reliability of texts, which is confirmed by the realities preserved to this day, reflected in the hagiographies, and even by the local traditions of worship. In Novgorod, in fact, there is a phenomenon of “living history”, which is realized, among other things, in the connection between many monuments – literary, iconographic, architectural, and in a number of sources of business and artistic writing, directly or indirectly confirming the events depicted in Novgorod literature. These arguments allow us to claim the historical reliability of hagiographic literature (particularly, Novgorod) at much greater extent than it was previously believed.

Author Biography

D. B. Tereshkina, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (Novgorod Branch)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34680/vistheo-2021-1-85-104

Daria Tereshkina
Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (Novgorod Branch), Veliky Novgorod, Russia
terdb@mail.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2079-1116

Abstract
Novgorod hagiographic literature is very rich. The large number of monasteries surrounding Novgorod, the saints who were ascetics in Novgorod, the excellent preservation of Novgorod antiquities (manuscripts, literary monuments, iconography, architecture), due to the history of the Novgorod land (Novgorod escaped the ruin of the Mongol-Tatars, always preserved its own uniqueness, which, in addition to the Veche republican way of life, consisted of free definition of aesthetic expression forms) – all this led to the richness of Novgorod hagiography, numbering more than a hundred works. The basis of the Novgorod hagiographic literature consists of the most ancient, “authoritative” lives of the “popular” saints: Anthony of Rome, John of Novgorod, Varlaam of Khutyn, Mikhail Klopsky, Euthymius of Vyazhishchi, etc., preserved in a large number of copies. Ancient Novgorod hagiography developed, probably, starting from the XIII century and ending with the first half of the XVIII century. As the most representative medieval genre, it reflected the specific features of ancient Novgorod literature, which are still the subject of scientific discussion. Nevertheless, it seems to us that it is possible to distinguish the features of Novgorod medieval literature. These include a large number of chronicles (as well as constantly maintained chronicle, which is exclusively Novgorod phenomenon), the richness and variety of other literary genres (legends, lives, stories, travel genre), the interpenetration of genres (vision or miracle as an icon image and as a literary work, a visual reflection of the literary plot – “The Legend of the Battle of Novgorodians with Suzdalians”, etc.), simplicity, conciseness, artlessness of style, openness to borrowing, attention to local topics and events. The specifics of Novgorod medieval hagiographic literature reflect and expand understanding of features of ancient Novgorod literature as a whole. The hagiography of medieval Novgorod is characterized by the depiction of historical events related to the Veche way of life of the city, the description of the inconsistency of the Novgorod people in relation to the Novgorod hierarchs, the daily life of the city, the Novgorod realities – Judgment Bridge, Volkhov, the two “sides” of Novgorod, which were always in opposition to each other. One of the specific features of Novgorod hagiographic literature is high reliability of texts, which is confirmed by the realities preserved to this day, reflected in the hagiographies, and even by the local traditions of worship. In Novgorod, in fact, there is a phenomenon of “living history”, which is realized, among other things, in the connection between many monuments – literary, iconographic, architectural, and in a number of sources of business and artistic writing, directly or indirectly confirming the events depicted in Novgorod literature. These arguments allow us to claim the historical reliability of hagiographic literature (particularly, Novgorod) at much greater extent than it was previously believed.

Keywords: Novgorod, the lives of saints, historicity, authenticity, locality of themes and ideas, simplicity, figurativeness, text, image

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About author

Daria B. Tereshkina
Dr. Sci. (Philology), Professor of Human Resource Policies and Management Department (Philosophy).
Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (Novgorod Branch), Veliky Novgorod, Russia.
E-mail: terdb@mail.ru

For citation:
Tereshkina D. B. Novgorod Hagiographic Literature: Text and Image. Journal of Visual Theology. 2021. 1 (4). P. 85–104.
https://doi.org/10.34680/vistheo-2021-1-85-104