Cyrillic Early Printed Tetraevangelia issued in Kyiv in 1697 and 1712 – their liturgical tradition and original. Study of saints and feasts present in the menologia

Abstract

Ten Cyrillic early printed liturgical Tetraevangelia published by the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra’s printing house can be divided into two groups. The first one comprises two unique editions issued in 1697 and 1712. These first two Kyiv Tetraevangelia were issued after the 1686 annexation of the Metropolitanate of Kyiv by the Moscow Patriarchate. This event resulted in the gradual loss of independence by Kyiv church tradition and bringing censorship of Muscovite authorities over the printing houses run in Kyiv and Chernihiv, fully introduced in 1720. A text-critical study of several Gospel fragments and paratexts (i.e., Prefaces to the Gospels and Lists of Chapter Titles) has proven that these first two Kyiv Gospel editions, beside their own textual readings, contain some variants confirmed only in Moscow Tetraevangelia issued in the 2nd half of the 17th century.

The Menologia, always placed at the end in Cyrillic early printed Tetraevangelia, contain some saints and feasts venerated only locally. These commemorations can help to find originals for printed and handwritten Gospels. The Menologia also shed some light on local liturgical tradition.

This publication focuses on textual variants and liturgical tradition represented by the Menologia of Cyrillic early printed Tetraevangelia. On their basis the original of the first two Kyiv Gospel editions printed in 1697 and 1712 was found, i.e., Moscow Tetraevangelion issued in 1688. It was also proven that these two Gospel editions reflect some locally venerated saints, omitted not only in all further Kyiv Tetraevangelia but in all other 108 researched sources.

Keywords:

early printed book, Tetraevangelion, Kyiv, 1697, 1712, liturgical tradition, original

Citation rules

Ostapczuk, J. (2023). Cyrillic Early Printed Tetraevangelia issued in Kyiv in 1697 and 1712 – their liturgical tradition and original. Study of saints and feasts present in the menologia. Theological Yearbook, 65(1), 7–32. https://doi.org/10.36124/rt.2023.01

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