Originals f skaryna. short biography

Francysk Lukich Skaryna is an East Slavic pioneer printer, writer, humanist philosopher, medical scientist, public figure and entrepreneur. He is known for translating the books of the Bible from Church Slavonic into Belarusian. The first printer was born around 1490 in the city of Polotsk, which at that time was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In Belarus, he is considered one of the most significant figures in the history of the state. Educational institutions, organizations, as well as honorary awards of the state: a medal and an order are named in his honor. The contribution to the culture of Belarus is immortalized with monuments, one of them is installed on the square near the National Library in Minsk.

Life and biography of Francysk Skaryna

Francysk Skaryna (approx. in Belarusian) was born at the end of the 15th century in the family of a merchant named Luka and his wife Margarita. Researchers have not come to a common conclusion regarding the date of his birth, so you can find different information about this. In addition, some scholars argue that Francis had a middle name - George. They came to this conclusion by studying the surviving documents of the Grand Duke Sigismund I in Latin. Other interesting facts from the life of the first printer are also controversial.

The scientist received his primary education in his native city. He learned Latin at the school of the Bernardine monks. Historians suggest that in 1504 Francis entered the Krakow Academy, which is currently the Jagiellonian University. He graduated from the Faculty of Liberal Arts with a bachelor's degree. Years later, the famous pioneer printer was awarded the title of licentiate of medicine and a doctorate in free arts. For the next five years, the writer studied at the Faculty of Medicine, after which he passed the exams at the University of Padua in Italy, despite the fact that he did not study here. This is also evidenced by relevant documents. In 1512, the scientist was awarded the degree of Doctor of Medicine, as he passed all the exams without difficulty.

In 1517 Skaryna founded a printing house in Prague. In it, he published the "Psalter" in Cyrillic, which became the first printed book in the Belarusian language. In total, he translated and published 23 religious books over the next two years. In 1520, the scientist moved to Vilna, which at that time was the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Here he founded a printing house, which became the first in the country. In the next few years, the writer published the "Small travel book" and "Apostle".

Francis marries Margarita, who was the widow of Yuri Odvernik, the sponsor of his printing house. She died four years later, leaving behind a small child. This year, the elder brother of the figure also passed away. His creditors began to present property claims to the scientist. In 1532, he was arrested for the debts of his late brother, after the creditors appealed to Sigismund I, but in the same year the Poznań court ruled in favor of the defendant.

In 1535, the scientist lived in Prague, where, according to historians, he worked as a doctor or gardener, as evidenced by the documents of the royal court. It was not possible to establish the exact date of death, but presumably Francysk Skaryna died around 1551.

Book heritage of Francysk Skaryna: the first Bible

The first printer published his books in a language that was created on the basis of Church Slavonic, but has many Belarusian words. It was understandable to the compatriots of the writer. For years, linguists have debated what language the books were translated into. To date, they claim that the language of translations is the Belarusian edition of the Church Slavonic language.

The key feature of the books of the first printer is that they conformed to the rules for writing church books, which were rarely observed in full. They kept the texts from the publisher of the picture books. the presented case was the only one in the history of the publication of Bibles in Eastern Europe. It is also worth noting that the fonts and engraved headpieces that were introduced in the scientist's printing houses were used by book publishers over the next hundred years.

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The biography of the East Slavic educator and scientist Francysk Skaryna is connected with creativity, medicine, philosophy and linguistics. One of the greatest representatives of Belarus at the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries left behind a monument of literature in the form of a Bible translated from the Church Slavonic language. At present, the personality of a humanist of a bygone era is revered by many Slavic peoples. Universities and streets are named after him, as well as an order and a medal awarded for merits in the field of science, art and social activities.

Childhood and youth

Francysk Lukich Skaryna was born around 1470 in the city of Polotsk, which in ancient times was within the borders of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

Mentions of the parents, named Lukian and Margarita, were preserved in the book of complaints of the Polish king Casimir IV Jagiellon in connection with the theft of 42 rubles from a Velikoluksky resident. And although the professions and social status of the father and mother remained unknown, scientists suggested that they had enough money to educate their son at the Bernardine monastery school.

In the early 1500s, a young man who mastered literacy and Latin entered a higher educational institution in Krakow. After studying 7 free arts, among which were philosophy, law, medicine and theology, Francis received a bachelor's degree and then applied for a doctorate at the Italian University of Padua.

Knowledge of dialectics and rhetoric helped Skaryna convince the learned aristocrats to listen to a poor young man from a distant principality. On November 9, 1512, in front of a high-ranking scientific audience, he passed 2 exams with honor and became a doctor of medical sciences.

And although Francis never studied at the main educational center of the Venetian Republic, in the middle of the 20th century, his portrait by a local artist appeared on the walls of the gallery of famous graduates.

Subsequently, Skaryna used his medical knowledge in the service of the illegitimate offspring of the Polish king Sigismund I, who studied in Italy in the 1520s, and a little later in the secretariat of the Lithuanian bishop in Vilna.

Books

What happened in the fate of Skaryna in 1512-1517 is still a mystery, but by the time the following information appeared, he left medicine and became interested in printing.

Having settled in Prague, Francis organized a printing house and began translating books from the church language into East Slavonic. Having tried the technology on the "Psalter", which is considered the first Belarusian printed edition, a native of Polotsk gave the descendants of 23 books of translations of the "Bible" and made a huge contribution to world culture.

Researchers have been arguing for a long time about the language of Skaryna's religious publications, because they preserved Church Slavonic phrases interspersed with Old Belarusian words and expressions. As a result, they came to the conclusion that the printer's books were a classic edition, simplified, transcribed and adapted to reality.

The works that came out of Skaryna's machines were a unique achievement of that time. Supplemented by the author's prefaces and commentaries, they acquired a secular character and made Holy Scripture accessible to readers of any level. In addition, the printer emphasized the educational value that had previously appeared in the works of European humanist philosophers of the past.

For the design of books, Skorina independently made engravings, monograms and other decorative elements. As a result, the original editions have become not only monuments of literature, but also works of fine art.

In the early 1520s, the situation in Prague ceased to be favorable, and Francis left the printing house and returned to his native lands. Resuming production in Belarus, he released a collection of religious and secular stories for educational reading, known as the "Small Road Book". In this edition, the printer acted as a writer and educator, introducing the audience to the most important concepts of the natural and civil world, talking about the calendar, astronomy, folk holidays and other curious things.

In the spring of 1525, on the machines located in the workshop of Vilna, Skorina produced his last creation, The Apostle, and then set off to travel around Europe.

Researchers are still unsure about the itinerary of the trip taken and cannot document some interesting facts and significant events. In particular, there is no unanimous opinion about a visit to Germany and a meeting with the founder of Protestantism, and the goals of the educational mission in Moscow remain equally controversial.

It is only known that the East Slavic printer was expelled from these countries for heretical views, and his works, published at the expense of Catholics, were publicly burned.

After that, Skaryna almost did not engage in typography and worked in Prague at the court of King Ferdinand I as a gardener or doctor.

Philosophy and religion

In the prefaces and commentaries to religious publications, Skorina showed himself as a philosopher who adhered to the enlightening position of Western European humanist scholars. He stood up for the education of the people and called for the development of literacy and writing skills.

Being a patriot of the Principality of Lithuania, Francis sincerely loved his homeland and believed that every decent person must share his views. Biblical texts contributed to the spread of the point of view of the printer, who cared about the education of the individual, the organization of society and the establishment of a prosperous peaceful life on earth.

In the biography of Skaryna, there are no direct indications of the religion and religious affiliation of the native of Polotsk. The archives preserved papers, according to which Francis could belong to any of the existing denominations, was repeatedly called a Czech apostate and heretic.

Having become famous for works written according to Catholic canons, Skaryna could be a follower of the Western European Christian Church, which considered itself the only bearer of truth on earth.

This is evidenced by the translations of the Parable of Tsar Solomon and the Song of Songs, which were criticized and burned by Orthodox Moscow priests in the mid-1530s.

In addition, according to historical documents, a relative of the printer, John Khryzansom, was a zealous Catholic and close associate of the Polotsk archbishop. This gives the right to assume that all the children of the Skorina family were brought up in the same faith and were baptized according to the rites long established by the Roman pontiffs.

However, there is an opinion that Francis could well profess Orthodoxy. This is evidenced by the publications of 1522-1525, in which the characteristic features of the mentioned wing of Christian teaching were manifested: the East Slavic saints Boris, Larion, Gleb and others, as well as the canonical 151st psalm of the Slavic-Russian scripture.

In addition, scientists have found that after the exam in Padua, Skorina received a diploma in the university building, and not in the temple, like other Catholic graduates.

The third and most likely religion attributed to Skaryna is Protestantism. This is supported by the relationship with the reformers and the founder of Lutheranism, as well as the service of the Königsberg Duke Albrecht of Brandenburg of Ansbach.

Personal life

The archives contain almost no papers relating to the personal life and family of Francysk Skaryna. From a short note it is clear that in the mid-1520s, a merchant's widow named Margarita became the wife of the educator.

In addition, information concerning Ivan Skaryna's elder brother, who, after his death, left the printer with large debts and claims of creditors, fell into the hands of biographers.

This happened in 1529, when Francis lost his wife and raised his young son Simeon alone. The consequences were catastrophic, since the unfortunate husband and father, on the orders of the Lithuanian ruler, were put in prison, and only through the cares of Roman Skaryna's nephew, they managed to achieve pardon, freedom and complete immunity from property and litigation.

Death

Like most facts from the life of Francysk Skaryna, the exact date and cause of death are not known.

Scientists suggest that this happened in Prague around 1551, since it was at this time that a direct descendant of the printer arrived in this city to enter into inheritance rights with his father's property.

In memory of the achievements of the doctor, printer, philosopher and educator, a monument was erected in the capital of Belarus, Minsk, a dozen central streets were renamed, a feature film was shot and a 1 ruble coin was issued.

Memory

• Gymnasium named after Francysk Skaryna in Radoshkovichi
• Central Avenue named after Francysk Skaryna in Polotsk
• Trakt named after Francysk Skaryna in Minsk
• Minor planet №3283 "Francis Skaryna"
• Feature film “I, Francysk Skaryna…”
• Monuments to Francysk Skaryna in Polotsk, Minsk, Lida, Kaliningrad, Prague
• Coin of the USSR in denominations of 1 ruble in honor of the 500th anniversary of Francysk Skaryna
• Gomel State University named after Francysk Skaryna

For some time it was believed that the second estate of Francysk Skaryna was the name George. For the first time, they began to talk about this in the second half of the 19th century, after in 1858 copies of two letters of the king and Grand Duke Sigismund I were published in Latin. In one of them, the name of the first printer was preceded by the Latin adjective egregium meaning "excellent, famous", while in the second, the meaning of the word egregium was given as georgii. This single form served as a basis for some researchers to believe that Skaryna's real name was George. And only in 1995, the Belarusian historian and bibliologist Georgy Golenchenko found the original text of Sigismund's privilege, in which the well-known fragment "with George" was stated as follows: "... egregium Francisci Scorina de Poloczko artium et medicine doctoris". The scribal error caused a controversy over the name of the first printer, which lasted for more than 100 years.

Biography

Francysk Skaryna was born at the end of the 15th century in Polotsk, one of the largest cities in the 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, Grigory Golenchenko - around 1490 or in the second half of the 1480s.

He received his primary education in Polotsk. He studied Latin at the school of the Bernardine monks, which worked at the monastery.

Presumably, in 1504 he became a student at the Krakow Academy (University), but the exact date of admission to the university is unknown. In 1506, Skaryna graduated from the Faculty of Free Arts with a bachelor's degree, later received the title of licentiate of medicine and the degree of Doctor of Free Arts.

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 pass 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 mercy, 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 Vilna, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, where he founded the first printing house in the state. In it, Skorina in 1522 publishes "A small travel book", and in 1525 "Apostle".

In 1525, one of the sponsors of the Vilna printing house, Yuri Odvernik, died, after which 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 governor of Trok Konstantin Ostrozhsky.

In 1525, the last master of the Teutonic Order, Albrecht of Brandenburg, secularized the Order and proclaimed a secular Prussian duchy, vassal to the Kingdom 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 with a letter of recommendation from Duke Albrecht). Skaryna returned to Vilna, 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 governor of Vilna, Albrecht Gashtold, demanded the return of people.

On February 5, 1532, the creditors of the late Ivan Skaryna, having filed a complaint with the King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund I, succeeded in arresting Francis for his brother’s debts under the pretext that Skorina allegedly hid the property inherited from the deceased and constantly moved from place to place (although in fact, Ivan's son Roman was the heir). Francysk Skaryna spent several months in a Poznań prison until his nephew Roman got a meeting with the king, to whom he explained the matter. On May 24, 1532, Sigismund I issued 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, Sigismund, having sorted out the case with the help of Bishop Jan, issues two privileges, according to which Francysk Skaryna is not only declared innocent and receives freedom, but also all kinds of benefits - protection from any prosecution (except by royal order), 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.

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.

Books

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 were discussions among Belarusian linguists about the language into which Skaryna translated books: into the Belarusian edition (excerpt) of the Church Slavonic language or into the church style of the Old Belarusian language. At present, Belarusian linguists agree that the language of Francysk Skaryna's translations of the Bible 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.

The title page of the Bible reflects, according to researchers, the image of Skaryna's coat of arms as a doctor of medicine. The main content of this image "Moon Solar" is the acquisition of knowledge, physical and spiritual treatment of a person. Next to the coat of arms is the sign "scales", which is formed by the letter "T", which means "microcosm, man", and the triangle "delta" (?), which symbolizes the scientist and the entrance to the Kingdom of knowledge.

Fonts and engraved headpieces from the Vilna printing house Skaryna were used by book publishers for another hundred years.

views

The views of Francysk Skaryna testify to him as an educator, patriot, humanist. In the texts of the Bible, the educator Skaryna appears as a person who contributes to the expansion of writing and knowledge. This is evidenced by his call to reading: “And every person needs honor, because he eats the mirror of our life, spiritual medicine, fun for all troubled ones, they are in troubles and in weaknesses, true hope ... ". Francysk Skaryna is the initiator of a new understanding of patriotism: as love and respect for one's Fatherland. From a patriotic position, the following words of his are perceived: “Because from birth, animals walking in the desert know their own pits, 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 - so are people, and where they were born and nourished, according to the Bose, to that place they have a great affection.

The humanist Skaryna left his moral testament in the following lines, which contain the wisdom of human life and human relationships: have from others ... This law, born, eats in the heart of every single person.

The prefaces and afterwords in the Bible of Francysk Skaryna, where he reveals the deep meaning of biblical ideas, are saturated with concern for the rational ordering of society, the education of a person, and the establishment of a worthy life on earth.

Religion

Catholicism

Skaryna could have been a Catholic, since among the books he published during the Prague period (1517-1519) there were those that were not included in the Orthodox biblical canon (“Parables about the Wise King Solomon” (1517), “Song of Songs” (1518) ). The language of the Prague publications is close to the old Belarusian (contemporaries called it "Russian", hence the "Russian Bible"). In the Grand Duchy of Moscow, Skaryna's books were burned as heretical and written on the territory subject to the Roman Church, and Skaryna himself was expelled precisely as a Catholic. The publishing activity of Skaryna was criticized by the Orthodox prince Andrey Kurbsky, moreover, after his emigration from the Moscow principality. There is also another curious document - a letter of recommendation from the Roman Cardinal Iosaph to the Archbishop of Polotsk about a certain John Chrysansom Skorin, written in Rome. It says that the most illustrious and most venerable brother Ioann Chryzansom Skorina, who is to deliver the message to His Eminence the Archbishop of Polotsk, has been trained in “this city collegium”, elevated to the rank of priest and “returning” to the diocese. Possibly, this Ioann Khrizansom Skaryna was from Polotsk and was a relative of Francysk Skaryna. It can be assumed that the Skorin clan was still Catholic. And then it looks quite logical that the first printer Skaryna bore the Catholic name Francis. It is worth noting, however, that although the document was originally published in 1558, later the researcher G. Galenchenko found that the date was reported with an error and the document should be attributed to the 18th century. This is consistent with the realities mentioned in the document, in particular the existence of the Catholic diocese of Polotsk.

Orthodoxy

Skaryna could be Orthodox. Facts and arguments in favor of the Orthodox faith of Skaryna are just as numerous and just as indirect. Firstly, there is evidence that in Polotsk until 1498, when the Bernardine monastery was founded, there was simply no Catholic mission, so Skaryna's baby baptism was unlikely to have passed according to the Catholic rite.

Books of the Vilna period (1522-1525) were printed in the Old Belorussian version of the Church Slavonic language (for Skaryna's contemporaries and even centuries later, it was the "Slovenian" language - see "Gramma? tіki Slavensky pravilnoe Cv? ntaґma"). This can explain their compliance with Orthodox canons. In his publications, the biblical translator Skorina divided the Psalter into 20 kathismas according to the Orthodox tradition, which is not the case in Western Christianity. In the "Saints" from the "Small Road Book", where Skorina adheres to the Orthodox calendar, he cited the days of memory of Orthodox saints - East Slavic Boris, Gleb, Theodosius and Anthony of the Caves, some South Slavic (Sawa Serbian). However, there are no Catholic saints, including the expected Saint Francis. Some of the names of the saints are given in folk adaptation: "Larion", "Olena", "Hope". Such materials are most thoroughly presented by M. Ulyakhin, who emphasized the absence of holy representatives of the Western Church among those called the Enlightener; introduction of Psalm 151 into the text of the translation of the Psalter, which corresponds to the Orthodox canon; the absence in the Creed of the filioque recognized by Catholics and Protestants; adherence to the Jerusalem (and Studian) statutes, which were used by Orthodoxy; finally, direct statements: “Affirm, O God, the holy Orthodox faith of Orthodox Christians for ever and ever,” etc., in prayer phrases placed in the “Small Road Book.” It should be remembered, on the other hand, that Schweipolt Fiol, himself an indisputable Catholic, also published books for Orthodox services; so the "from the audience" argument is not absolute.

Evidence in favor of the "Orthodox" version can also be the fact that the act of presenting the insignia in facultate medicine - a certificate (or diploma) of medical merit - was not signed in the church of Padua. According to the theory of V. Agievich, in European Catholic universities the signs of dignity were awarded to Catholics in the church, and to other non-Catholics in Epali palatio in loco solito - in places determined by the charter of the university. So Skaryna was awarded a diploma “in the appointed place of the episcopal palace”, and not in the church, which indicates his non-participation in the Catholic denomination.

Protestantism

There is also a theory that Francysk Skaryna was associated with Guzism, a proto-reformation movement. The reformers of the 16th century considered Skaryna their comrade-in-arms. Symon Budny and Vasil Tyapinsky referred to him in their works. In the documents of the XVII-XVIII centuries Skaryna is mentioned as a Protestant. An interesting fact is that a copy of Skorinov's "Small Travel Book" from the collection of the British Library (London) bears the bookplate of Paul Speratus (1484-1551), an associate of Martin Luther: in 1524, Paul Speratus arrived in Prussia on the recommendation of Luther and became there he was the main figure in the reformation, and from 1530 he became the Lutheran bishop of Pomesania. It is believed that Skorina handed this copy to Bishop Speratus when visiting Königsberg in 1530. It is also characteristic that the Prussian Duke-reformer Albrecht invited Francis Skorina to Königsberg, although he could have found specialists in book printing and medicine among fellow believers and compatriots.

The Slovenian linguist Kopitar, in a work published in Slovakia in 1839 in Latin, referring to the work of contemporary Lutheran researchers, suggested not only a meeting between Skaryna and Martin Luther in Wittenberg at dinner at the house of Philip Melanchthon, but also some intrigues that Skorina built against Luther. And at the same time he doubted this theory: “Already if someone [carefully] considered the fact that in 1517-19 in Bohemian Prague, the doctor of medicine from the university, Francysk Skaryna, published the Russian Bible with taste and after that in 1525 in Vilna numerous other ecclesiastical Lithuanian-Russian books, he would not have had the completely natural assumption that the suspicion was directed at this Dr. Skaryna, a Greek Catholic, who, translating from the Vulgate, was an opponent of Luther, who translated from the original. And for this very reason, he [Skorina] most of all could be unpleasant to this reformer, a Protestant, moreover, a married man.

Memory

• In the Republic of Belarus, Francysk Skaryna is considered one of the greatest historical figures. The highest awards of the country are named in his honor: a medal and an order. The university in Gomel, the central library, the pedagogical school, gymnasium No. 1 in Polotsk, gymnasium No. 1 in Minsk, the non-governmental public association "Belarusian Language Society" and other organizations and objects bear his name. Monuments to him stand in Polotsk, Minsk, Lida, Kaliningrad and Prague.
• At different times, five streets of Minsk bore the name of Francysk Skaryna: in 1926-1933 - Kozmodemyanskaya street; in 1967-1989 - Oleshev Street, in 1989-1997 - Academic Street, in 1991-2005 - Independence Avenue, since 2005 the former Staroborisovsky tract has been named after Skaryna. Also, the name of Skaryna is the lane (1st lane of Skaryna).
• The name of Francysk Skaryna is also carried by the central avenue and street in Polotsk.
• Minor planet No. 3283, discovered by the Soviet astronomer Nikolai Chernykh, is named after F. Skorina.
• I, Francysk Skaryna ... - a film dedicated to Francysk Skaryna, whose role was played by Oleg Yankovsky.

Gallery

• In memory of Francysk Skaryna

Monument in Polotsk

Monument in Minsk

Postage stamp of the USSR, 1988

Jubilee coin, USSR, 1990

The Francysk Skaryna Medal is the oldest Belarusian medal established in 1989

Order of Francysk Skaryna

, Bavarian State Library, etc. Record #118892193 // General Regulatory Control (GND) - 2012-2016.

Francysk Skaryna, a scientist, educator-humanist of the Renaissance, left an indelible mark on the history of Russian culture, in the history of social and philosophical thought of the East Slavic peoples. He was one of the most highly educated people of his time: he graduated from two universities (Krakow and Padua), spoke several languages ​​(besides his native Belarusian, he knew Lithuanian, Polish, Italian, German, Latin, Greek). He traveled a lot, his business trips were long and distant: he visited many European countries, visited more than a dozen cities. Skaryna was distinguished by an extraordinary breadth of views and depth of knowledge. He is a physician, botanist, philosopher, astronomer, writer, translator. And besides, he was a skilled "bookmaker" - publisher, editor, printer. And this side of his activity had a huge impact on the formation and development of Slavic printing. In the history of the domestic book business, Skaryna's activities are of particular importance. His first-born - "Psalter", published in Prague in 1517, is also the first Belarusian printed book. And the printing house, founded by him in Vilnius around 1522, is also the first printing house in the present territory of our country.

More than a century has passed since then. Time irretrievably erased many facts from the biography of the Belarusian pioneer in the memory of generations. The riddle arises at the very beginning of Skaryna's biography: the exact date of his birth is unknown (usually indicated: "around 1490", "before 1490"). But recently in the literature, the year of Skaryna's birth is increasingly called 1486. ​​This date was "calculated" as a result of the analysis of the publisher's mark - a small elegant engraving often found in his books depicting a solar disk and a crescent moon running on it. The researchers decided that the first printer depicted the “death of the Sun” (solar eclipse), thus indicating the day of his birth (in the homeland of Skaryna, a solar eclipse was observed on March 6, 1486).

Polotsk, where Skaryna was born, was at that time a large trade and craft city on the Western Dvina, which was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. There were about fifteen thousand inhabitants in the city, who were mainly engaged in blacksmithing, foundry, pottery, trade, fishing, and hunting. Skaryna's father was a merchant, selling leather and furs.

It is believed that Skaryna received his primary education in one of the Polotsk monastic schools. In the autumn of 1504 Skaryna went to Krakow. He successfully passes the entrance exams to the university and his name appears in the list of students - Francysk Lukich Skaryna from Polotsk. Skaryna studied at the faculty, where they studied traditional disciplines, reduced to a strict system of seven "free arts": grammar, rhetoric, dialectics (these are formal or verbal arts), arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy (real arts). In addition to these disciplines, Skorina studied theology, law, medicine, and ancient languages.

Krakow is the capital of the Kingdom of Poland, a city with a centuries-old Slavic culture. The flourishing of art, science, and education also contributed to the relatively early emergence of book printing here. At the beginning of the XVI century. There were twelve printing houses in Krakow. The publications of the Krakow printer Jan Haller, whose activities were most closely connected with the University of Krakow, were especially famous - the printer supplied him with teaching aids and literature. Possibly, Skaryna was familiar with Galler and received the first information about book publishing and book printing from him. Among those who awakened in young Skaryn a love for "black art" was the teacher of the faculty of "liberal arts", a humanist scientist Jan from Glogov, who himself showed an interest in printing.

Student years flew by quickly, and in 1506 Skaryna, having graduated from Krakow University, received the title of Bachelor of Liberal Arts and left Krakow.

At the beginning of 1967, the Academy of Sciences of the Byelorussian SSR received a package from Italy (from the University of Padua) - photocopies of documents and materials related to one important event in the life of Skaryna. Documents testify that in the fall of 1512 a certain very learned, but poor young man, doctor of arts, came to Padua from very distant countries ... and turned to the College with a request to allow him, as a gift and special favor, to undergo medicine". And further: "the young man and the aforementioned doctor bears the name of Francis, the son of the late Luka Skaryna from Polotsk." On November 5, the “Board of the Most Glorious Padua Doctors of Art and Medicine” admitted Skaryna to the tests, which took place on November 9 in the Bishop's Palace in the presence of the most prominent scientists of the University of Padua. The examinee withstood the test with brilliance, "commendably and flawlessly" answering questions, reasonably objecting to controversial remarks. The Board unanimously awarded him the title of Doctor of Medicine.

Being in Padua, Skaryna could not, of course, miss the opportunity to visit neighboring Venice - the universally recognized center of European book printing, a city with numerous printing houses and established book publishing traditions. At that time, the famous Aldus Manutius was still living and working in Venice, whose publications enjoyed pan-European fame. Undoubtedly, Skorina held an aldina in her hands, and perhaps, having become interested in the book business and making certain plans on this score, she met with the great publisher himself.

Nothing is known about the next five years of Skaryna's life. Where has he been all this time? What did you do during these years? Where did you go from Padua?

Scientists try to fill this gap with conjectures, assumptions. Some believe that Skaryna made trips as part of a diplomatic mission to the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen, and then to Vienna. Others believe that Skaryna visited Wallachia and Moldavia with the intention of setting up printing houses there. Still others claim that Skaryna came to Vilnius for a short time, where he tried to interest some wealthy citizens with his book publishing plans. Or maybe he immediately went from Padua to Prague with the firm intention to engage in book publishing? ..

So Prague. 151 7 By the middle of summer, Skorina had basically completed all the preliminary work related to the organization of the printing house, and they were ready to type the manuscript. On August 6, his first book, The Psalter, is published. The preface to the book says: “... I am Francysk Skaryna, the son of Polotsk in the medical sciences, the doctor ordered that the Psalter be embossed in Russian words and in the Slovenian language ...”

The Prague period of Skaryna's book publishing activity (1517-1519) was generally very eventful - he published nineteen more small books, which, together with the Psalter, made up a major publication - the Russian Bible. Already in his first books, he showed a subtle understanding of the nature of book art. Skaryna perceived the book as an integral literary and artistic organism, where all design techniques and typographic materials used should fully correspond to the content of the book. The Prague editions of Skaryna in terms of artistic and technical design and typographic performance are not inferior to the best examples of European book publishers of that time and significantly surpass the previous books of the Church Slavonic press. Three books contain an engraving portrait of the publisher himself - Skaryna (you had to have a strong character to decide on such a daring act - to include an illustration of secular content in a liturgical book). The engraving is very elegant and, despite the many smallest details, the reader's attention is focused primarily on the human figure. Skaryna is depicted in a doctor's robe, an open book in front of him, rows of books to his right; there are many tools and devices in the office: an hourglass, a lamp with a reflector, an armillary sphere - an astronomical goniometer ... But the most significant feature of Skaryna's publications (not only Prague, but all subsequent ones) is the simplicity of presentation of the content: the text is always given in translation into colloquial folk language with the necessary comments and explanations.

Nothing is known about the Prague printing house of Skaryna. How was it equipped? Who else besides Skaryna himself worked in it? Only its approximate location can be established. In some of his books, Skaryna indicates where the printing house was located: “in the Old Town of Prague.” In this area of ​​present-day Prague, on the right bank of the Vltava, in the labyrinths of ancient winding streets, there are many perfectly preserved ancient buildings. Perhaps among them the house where Skaryna began to print books was also lost.

Approximately in 1520, Skaryna moved to Vilnius, where "in the house of a respectable husband, the senior steward of the glorious and great place of Vilna" Yanub Babich founded a printing house and printed two books - "A Small Road Book" and "Apostle". Until recently, it was believed that both editions were published in the same year - 1525. Moreover, the following order was observed: first "Apostle", and then "Small Road Book". But at the end of the fifties of our century, a sensational discovery was made in the Royal Library in Copenhagen - a complete copy of Paschalia, the last part of the Little Travel Book, was discovered. And on the fourteenth sheet of the copy, a calendar for 1523 was printed. Thus, it was established that the “Small Road Book” was the first domestic printed book and it was published no later than 1522. This book is interesting in many respects. It was intended not only for liturgical purposes, but also for the needs of itinerant townspeople, merchants, and artisans. Small in format (8th part of a sheet) and volume, it contains a lot of generally useful advice on economic affairs, medicine, and practical astronomy. Compared to the Prague editions, the Vilnius books are much richer in design. Two-color printing is more widely used in them, the fonts are distinguished by great elegance. The books are decorated with a large number of large and small headpieces, the purpose of which was determined by the publisher himself: “Behind each kathisma there is a large headpiece, and for each chapter there is a smaller headpiece for a false division of the readers.” In other words, decorating the book, Skaryna sought not only to make it a highly artistic work of art, but also to help the reader quickly navigate the content.

In March 1525, Skaryna published The Apostle (the first domestic printed accurately dated book). On this, his publishing and printing activities, apparently, ceased. So far, no other books with his publishing mark have been found. The next event in the life of the Belarusian first printer has a purely mundane character: he gets married, participates in a lawsuit (the division of property). In 1530, Albrecht, Duke of Prussia, invites Skaryna to his service. Skaryna goes to Koenigsberg, but does not stay here for long: family affairs force him to return to Vilnius. Here he was again forced to participate in complex legal proceedings. For some time he served as secretary and personal physician of the Vilna Bishop. In the mid-thirties, Skaryna left for Prague and served as a doctor and gardener at the royal court. Francysk Skaryna died around 1540.