The Nativity of Saint Nicholas Troparia and Kontakia in Russian Handwritten and Printed Sources

Abstract

The present article emerged due to fortunate circumstances. It happened that an intact notation of a troparion to the Nativity of Saint Nicholas “Chudnoe i slavnoe rozhdestvo tvoe…” was found in the 17th century manuscript from the compendium of Archbishop D. Razumovskiy in the Russian State Library, fund 379, №66. The troparion itself is written in the form of the znamenny chant using kryuki (znamennaya notation). To date, the notation is the only record of both troparion and hymnography to the Nativity of Saint Nicholas. The article provides the chant in its original form “istinno pravoslavnoy melodii – spasitelnoy i dushepoleznoy” [its truly orthodox melody – salutary and edificatory], as Archbishop Boris Nikolaev1 talks about the znamenny chant. In conjunction with this, the author of the article presents a conversion from bespometnaya notation based on kryuki into a five-line one. The process is conducted based upon the analysis of popevkis from dvoeznamenniks dating from the 18th century, as well as upon litsas and fitas of M.Brazhnikov2. The conversion of bespometnaya notation is given in the form of a hypothesis of how the chant would sound with a view to a scientific discussion. The publication is preceded by brief research of troparia and kontakia of the feast day and their content and status in Russian handwritten and printed sources. These issues are of utmost importance to both fellow citizens and religious practices when it comes to rediscovering the chants to The Nativity of Saint Nicholas. Therefore, troparia and kontakia are introduced in their entirety. These are nine heritages of Russian hymnography in the sources during the late 16th-19th centuries.