The triumph of Orthodoxy in the first week of Lent in Kyiv and Little Russia at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th century

Last year, as is known, the Holy Synod passed a resolution on the widespread celebration in Russia of the week of Orthodoxy by performing in all churches not only the usual service prescribed in the Lenten Triodion for this day, but also a special prayer service at the end of the liturgy, which hitherto was performed only in cathedral churches and was part of the so-called rite of Orthodoxy or anathematization. In the Orthodox East, such a prayer service has been performed everywhere and for a long time, and we discussed it in the article: “The Triumph of Orthodoxy in the first week of Lent in the Orthodox East,” published on the pages of the magazine “Rukov. for rural shepherds” last year (No. 11, pp. 318–323). But even in the Russian Church, the order of the Holy Synod can in no way be considered an innovation, completely unknown in its liturgical practice. On the contrary, exactly the same custom existed in our church in the south of Russia at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries, and about this we want to convey interesting information to our readers, bearing in mind the idea, among other things, that our pastors, who are beginning to perform this prayer service for the first time, can take advantage of the instructions regarding it that are contained in the very interesting liturgical monument we are placing below. But first it is necessary to say a few words about the monument itself and its appearance. In the museum of the Orenburg Scientific Archival Commission there is a manuscript collection of sheets from the 1st 18th century or the very beginning of the 19th century (149 sheets), containing mostly a translation of the famous book of Thomas a à Kempis “On Imitating Christ” (without beginning) and several other articles of a historical and liturgical nature. At the end of this collection, a printed brochure of six sheets (138–143) was attached by the bookbinder under the title: “Annex on the praise of God to the Church Charter, proposed to the rank of spiritual council” with the date in the margins: “Rus of 1700.” The article ends with almost a repetition of the title: “all this is remembered by advice, and not by command, but I am all submitted under the reasoning of the Holy Orthodox Church.” This collection is undoubtedly of South Russian origin. In addition to the typical font of South Russian and specifically Kyiv printing houses, its content also speaks for this. Thus, it is prescribed here “fairly, in the likeness of the great feast of the supreme apostolic saints Peter and Paul, in Russia, the first blessing on the mountains of Kyiv, for the acceptance of faith in Christ from the holy first-called apostle of Christ Andrew, then the holy baptism received from the throne of his Constantinople, befits that holy first-caller for our salvation, the apostle of Christ Andrew celebrate the First Called deliberately with all-night singing, not only with the polyeleos itself, at the ringing of all the campaniums.” Regarding the memory of the Great Martyr Barbara, it was noted: “The holy miraculous body of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara rests in Russia, for this reason her holiday is deliberately revered here with ringing in all campaigns.” Kiev saints Vladimir, Grand Duke, his children Boris and Gleb and Rev. Anthony and Theodosius, Pechersk ascetics, have, according to this Appendix to the Church Charter, solemn services. “In the same Russia, enlightened by the baptism of saints from the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, we read here, it is appropriate to honor that holy enlightener with a special holiday, with the ringing of the entire campanium with polyeleos, but also with all-night singing in his churches (especially in his God-saved capital city).” “It is also fitting for the saints The miraculous passion-bearers of the Russian princes Boris and Gleb should be celebrated deliberately, with ringing throughout the entire campaign. "... "In the same way, the holy venerable fathers of our Pechersk, the pioneers of monasticism in Russia, Anthony Theodosius, should be celebrated honestly with polyeleos and ringing in all campaigns, and where their churches are, there and with all-night singing. Among the feasts of the Mother of God, “longest celebrated” with the singing of the all-night vigil, the “immaculate conception of the Mother of God from St. Anne” is also indicated. “On the Fourth Day of the Holy Great Lent on the days of the heel, after the Little Vespers in the churches of the special monastic or secular cathedrals, according to the establishment of the holy memory of the Orthodox and blessed Metropolitan of Kyiv Peter Mogila, it is advised, according to this Appendix, that the Passion Gospels be revered, two chapters before the Sunday ones from each evangelist with a refrain before the very reading and according to the reading: “Glory to your passion, Lord” 2 In the rite of “all-night singing of any holiday”, regarding the melody of the chants “Blessed is the man”, the following instruction is given: “Let these verses be sung: “Blessed is the man” and so on, sweetly, in the tune of the Kiev-Pechersk most favorable long-lasting, and not short-lived, newly invented in worldly churches.” “Between the verses sung as in the psalm of the cob of the evening (i.e., “Bless my soul the Lord”), the first kathisma and the psalm reading, not sung in the middle, is read aloud by everyone, and not quietly and silently, unable to hear by others, below and passed away and abandoned.” Regarding the singing of “Lord have mercy” on holidays, it is noted: “on all Sundays of the week and on all holidays, there is a polyeleos and a great doxology, and it is sung not only at the holy liturgies, but also at vespers and matins, “Lord have mercy,” the great Kiev one, and especially the Pechersk holiday one.”... “Blessed are they at the weekly and holiday liturgies.” They are sung, and not only read, in secular city churches. Let the Cherubic song be sung according to Pechersk.” Finally, speaking about polyeleos and magnifications on deliberate holidays, the compiler of the “Appendix to the Church Charter” points to the custom in this regard practiced in northern Muscovite Rus', and recommends it to the Orthodox inhabitants “in Little Russia.” “And here we will remember the polyeleos and magnifications at the matins of deliberate holidays, he says: for in Great Russia, in monastic or secular churches, which have many clergy, all the priests and deacones come to the magnification in sacred vestments in the midst of the church, and holding burning candles in their hands, they sing throughout the countries the magnification in many verses, and in a row they incense around the icons of that holiday, placed in the middle, and they also incense other icons of local people and people. It would be decent to store the hedgehog in Malaya Prussia too.” So, based on all the presented excerpts, there is no doubt that in this “Appendix to the Church Charter” of 1700 we have a very interesting monument to the liturgical practice of the South Russian church in general and the Kyiv churches in particular. The Kiev origin of the monument is evidenced by numerous Kyiv local holidays 3 in honor of, for example, St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called, St. Great Martyr Barbara, St. the Russian passion-bearers princes Vladimir, Boris and Gleb and the Pechersk saints Anthony and Theodosius, the author’s excellent acquaintance with the liturgical practice of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra and a special preference for the melodies adopted in it, as “the most pleasant ones” (i.e. the Kyiv Pechersk melodies). From the same extracts, and especially about the singing of the all-night vigil, it becomes undoubtedly clear that the compiler of the “Appendix to the Church Charter” was a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk monastery, since he directly contrasts his monastic customs and melodies with the customs and melodies “newly invented in the secular churches.” Who, in this case, can be considered the author of the monument that occupies us? Beyond any doubt, the compiler of the “Appendix to the Church Charter” was not a person of authority and did not occupy an independent episcopal see, which explains the fact that this Appendix was “offered to the ecclesiastical rank in consultation,” or “by advice, and not by command,” which could not have happened if it had come from, for example, the Kyiv metropolitan, or in general from a person in authority. Involuntarily, therefore, our thought dwells on the enlightened and energetic archimandrite of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, (1690–1708) and Oasaph of Krakow, the former rector of the Kiev-Mogilev Academy 4, who in 1708 was even elected to the Kyiv metropolis. The year of publication of this monument, 1700, falls during the reign of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra precisely by Archimandrite Joasaph of Krakov, who, being educated and well-informed regarding the order of worship in the south of Russia in Kyiv and in Muscovite Rus', could with great convenience print this “Appendix to the Church Charter.” The Kiev-Pechersk printing house, not only at this time, but also later until 1718 5, was at the complete disposal of its archimandrite and was always at his service, which the zealous and enlightened figure of the southwestern Church, who had established himself through numerous works in the publication of liturgical books, could not help but take advantage of. Archimandrite Joasaph of Krakow was well informed regarding the liturgical practice of Moscow Rus', since he had the opportunity to personally observe and study this latter. “In 1697, Metropolitan Varlaam Yasinsky, writes Metropolitan Eugene, presented him (that is, at that time hegumen Joasaph) to the Emperor with a request to ordain himself as a coadjutor, and he was already summoned to Moscow, but it is unknown why he was not ordained” 7. There is no need to add that this Archimandrite Joasaph, who stood at the head of the Kiev-Pechersk monastery for about twenty years, was well aware of the liturgical orders of the monastery and the mils and roads recommended by him to the “spiritual rank” in Little Russia, the tunes of Kiev and Pechersk... How is the triumph of Orthodoxy described in the “Appendix to the Church Charter” we are considering by Archimandrite Joasaph of Krakow? “In the first week of the Holy Great Lent about the Orthodox veneration of holy icons, it is said here that in the Lenten Triod there is an order established at the apical thrones for the curse of heretics, and especially iconoclasts, but also, in addition to the thrones of bishops, in great monasteries, in cathedral churches, that succession can be carried out without the curse of the bishop, singing only the cathedral prayer service with the canon of that succession. “According to the holy liturgy, a priest and a deacon in sacred robes came out from among the Church, around the iconostasis, placed with icons of the Savior and the Mother of God, and even more so by the priest and deacon himself holding the holy icons, where, having started the usual prayer service, let the troparion be sung according to God the Lord: “To the Most Pure Image of You” three times with adoration, and the Mother of God applied. Glory even now, “Everything is more than meaning,” and according to Psalm 50, the canon of that follow-up from the irmos is repeated: “Helper and Patron” and so on, adding the usual prayer service for each song of chaos: “Deliver your servants from troubles, O Great Merciful One,” “Save your servants from troubles, Most Holy Virgin Mary,” “Save your servants from troubles, all saints." According to the third song, the seat is from the canon of the morning of the week: “Your divine image on the icon forms the same great litany, the usual prayer service, for the king, for the spiritual rite, for the monastery, for benefactors and for those coming. And according to the sixth verse, the litany of the small and kontakion: “The Indescribable Word of the Father,” according to this prokeimenon: “Lord, in the light of your face let us go and in your name we will greatly rejoice,” verse: “Show your face and we will be saved,” verse 2: “God, be gracious to us and bless us, enlighten your face on us and have mercy on us.” Apostle to Philippise, chapter 2, beginning 240: “Brethren, let this be wisdom in you, even in Christ Jesus.” End: “And every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 22, began 90: “At this time, the counsel of the Pharisee was that they would deceive Jesus in word.” After: “and when he heard it, he marveled, and left him,” it is noted: “Here we add also from Luke from chapter 10, conceived 52 from the floor: “And Jesus turned to his disciples with one speech: “Blessed are the eyes that see even as you see.” I say to you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you saw and did not see, and to hear what you heard and did not hear.” At the end of the prayer service. “It is worthy to eat” the Trisagion, and again the troparion: “To the most pure image” and the great litany, even 3 hymns and dismissal.” In conclusion, we consider it necessary to add that the old printed brochure we described with very interesting liturgical content is completely unknown in the bibliography and deserves the full attention of our liturgists, who are little familiar with the peculiarities of the liturgical practice of the South Russian Church. In the near future, we intend to publish it in its entirety, for which we already have permission from the scientific Orenburg Archival Commission. This collection was donated to the museum of weapons of the Orenburg Cossack army by A. I. Myakutin in 1901, and it came to him from N. I. Fedurin, a military foreman of the same army. ) Since the rite of the nacc, according to this monument, has some interesting features with it being practiced in the churches of Kyiv and southern Russians in general, we find it not superfluous to present this rite in its entirety here. “On the first heel, it is said about reading on the passages of the gospels, Matthew chapters 26 and 23, from conception 107 to conception ending 114; in the heel of the second, from Mark chapter 14 and 15, from the conception 63 to the conception ending 69; in the third heel from Luke chapters 22 and 23, from the conception 150 to the conception ending 111; on the fourth heel from John, chapters 18 and 19, from the beginning 58 to the beginning ending 62. Before reading those passionate gospels, on the ambo in front of the holy royal doors, from the priest, dressed in black vestments, I will serve with the deacon, and I will precede the ringing of the larger campan. After reading the prayer: “Undefiled” and “And give us the Lord,” let the clergy among the priests sing with emotion from the Irmos the stichera of the holy great heel, “Glory even now,” “To you who are clothed with light, like a robe.” And after the reading of the Gospel, let the stichera of the holy Great Saturday funeral from Irmos be sung in the same touching way: “Glory and Now” “Come, let us bless Joseph of ever-memorable”, let the verse end, as at the ninth hour of the royal holy Great Heel: “We worship with Your passion, Christ, we worship with Your passion, Christ, we worship your passion, Christ, show us your glorious resurrection.” Therefore, let the vespers end, singing throughout the countries: “Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,” and so on.” The mention among the Mother of God holidays of the holiday “for the immaculate conception of the Mother of God from St. Anna” does not in the least prevent us from considering the monument to be of Kiev origin, since Kiev scientists of the 17th and early 18th centuries in their writings often proved the dogma of the immaculate conception of the Mother of God, now recognized by the Catholic Church. Proceedings Kiev. spirit. Academician 1900 No. 12, p. 598; S. T. Golubeva, Kiev Academy at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries. Kiev, 1901, pp. 53–55. P. Pekarsky. Science and literature in Russia under Peter the Great, Sibirsk. 1862 vol. II. Description of Slavic-Russian books and printing houses 1698–1725, pp. 669–670. Described. Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral and the Kyiv diocese. Kyiv. 1825, p. 213. You might be interested in: