The influence of the Holy Mountain on the literary activity of the Trinity Monastery in the fifteenth century

Abstract

The article is devoted to the influence that Athos had on the Russian books of the fifteenth century. The object of study is a collection of manuscripts of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, which is now stored in the funds of the Research Department of Manuscripts of the Russian State Library (NIOR RSL). The authority of the Holy Mountain had a direct impact on the spiritual and scientific development of the Slavic brothers closest to Russians - the Serbs. Byzantine education influenced the Serbian literature mainly through translations from the Greek language. Serbs took a great part in the literary activities of Athos in the fifteenth century. This can be judged from the fact that most of the manuscripts of this time bear the signs of Serbian editing. The results which strengthened the ties between the Russians and Athos appeared in the field of Russian writings, which were exposed to South Slavic influence from the mid-fourteenth century to the mid-fifteenth century. After acquainting themselves with the South Slavic books, the Russians began to emulate them. This imitation can be recognized in the fact that the so-called Russian half-word (poluustav) was replaced by a half-word (poluustav) of the South Slavic type, while the teratological ornament in the manuscripts gave way to the geometric ornament. It can be concluded that the fifteenth-century blossoming of literary activities of the Trinity Monastery in Russia is closely associated with the Balkans.