LITERARY LEGACY OF STEFAN ZYZANIY IN THE UKRAINIAN POLEMICAL TRADITION OF THE 16TH–17TH CENTURIES

Abstract

The paper explores an integral component of the Ukrainian polemical tradition of the 16th–17th centuries – the literary legacy of the bourgeois-fraternal preacher-tribune, Stefan Zyzaniy, brother of the renowned lexicographer Lavrentiy Zyzaniy. Literary works considered a continuation of preaching activities became exceptionally significant prior to the Brest Church Union, during a period of escalating national and religious tensions. Rumors of Orthodox bishops' betrayal and the adoption of the union with the Vatican, particularly by Metropolitan M. Rohoza, contributed to the exacerbation of national and religious oppressions among the Ukrainian population. As a polemicist, Stefan Zyzaniy authored several books, including "Catechism," published in Vilnius in 1595, "Exposition on the Orthodox Faith," and "Sermon of St. Cyril, Patriarch of Jerusalem, on the Antichrist and His Signs with the Expansion of Doctrine against Various Heresies" (Vilnius, 1596). "Catechism," along with numerous sermons where he opposed Jesuits and Orthodox bishops inclined towards the Union, have not survived to this day. In the work "Sermon of St. Cyril, Patriarch of Jerusalem, on the Antichrist and His Signs with the Expansion of Doctrine against Various Heresies" (1596), Stefan Zyzaniy presents the literary image of the pope as the Antichrist. In this sermon, Zyzaniy lists eleven signs of the Antichrist's approach and connects them with the realities of contemporary life. The signs of the Antichrist's reign closely align with the events in Ukrainian society at the end of the 16th century. Therefore, this work is not merely a translation of Cyril of Jerusalem's work but an original and independent work by the polemicist writer. The paper attempts to determine the place and role of "Sermon of St. Cyril, Patriarch of Jerusalem, on the Antichrist and His Signs with the Expansion of Doctrine against Various Heresies" within the literary-religious image of the era and its impact on the societal discourse of the time through an analysis of its structure, style, and content. Analyzing this work in the context of contemporary realities contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamics of religious and cultural processes within Ukrainian society.