Who is Ivan Fedorov, perhaps, every student knows today. From history textbooks, children know that it was this person who created the first Russian printed book. They also know that he was a contemporary of Ivan the Terrible and a very enlightened person by the standards of that era. But many interesting facts from the life of this legendary person are not presented in the educational literature. As well as how thorny was the creative path of the Russian first printer.
The first book in Russia
The ancestors of modern Russians greeted the first book with love and great honor. But who is Ivan Fedorov, the inhabitants of Russia then still did not know. After all, the prototype of a modern publication appeared long before the birth of this person. In the early Middle Ages, books were not printed, but rewritten. This was done by specially trained people - scribes. The work of these specialists was hard, and labor productivity did not exceed four pages a day.
In the middle of the 15th century, the German Johannes Gutenberg invented movable letters for printing. This invention was the impetus for the emergence of publishing in Europe. But the first Moscow printing house, and it was created in the middle of the XVI century, acted exclusively on a state basis. Ivan the Terrible himself ordered the construction of a separate building for these purposes, in which, according to alleged data, Ivan Fedorov worked. The first printer briefly acquainted compatriots with printed materials, having published only two books in Moscow. Soon he was forced to leave his native land. The new, progressive method did not appeal to scribes. And this is not surprising, because the creation of a printing press deprived them of their main source of income.
In exile
The first book printers in Russia did not arouse sympathy not only among professional scribes, but also among ministers of the church. The latter saw a heretical motive in the innovative method. As a result of the conspiracy, the printing house located on Nikolskaya Street was put to fire. However, there is another version, according to which the clergy were not related to this fire. Such a phenomenon in those days in wooden Moscow happened regularly. And the masters did not dare to ask the terrible king for another loan for the construction of a new printing house.
Biography of Ivan Fedorov is full of mysteries. Briefly, nevertheless, it can be said that for many years the first Russian printer did not flow in Moscow, but in a foreign land. First, Fedorov went to the Principality of Lithuania, then to Lviv, where he was able to safely open his own workshop.
"Apostle"
Biography of Ivan Fedorov has many white spots. Presumably, he received his education in Krakow. However, no information was found at the university confirming the training of the Russian first printer in typographic art.
Fedorov was well acquainted with the basics of Western European printing. But for the publication of books in Russia, letters should have been created based on the traditions of Russian writing. Fedorov worked on his first book for a whole year. Help in this matter was provided to him by his associate Peter Mstislavets. The book was called The Apostle. The font in this work of printing art was extremely artsy and resembled a manuscript. Each paragraph began with a large red letter, which was made in a complex ornate style. The author’s references to Greek and Venetian patterns were also present in this book.
The new edition contained a biography of Ivan Fedorov. The first printer briefly narrated about his studies. According to him, the printing art was taught by a certain Danish master.
"Watchmaker"
It is not known to this day whether the information of the first printer about his education is so reliable. The life of Ivan Fedorov is full of mysteries due to the prescription of years. But, of course, this man owned all the specialties involved in the printing house of that time. The famous Russian first printer performed the functions of an engraver, typesetter, and also independently made fonts.
The author of the first Russian books wrote about this art as a gift sent from above. His works, as a rule, had a spiritual content. Therefore, it is not surprising that the second edition of Fedorov and Mstislavets was a collection of prayers. The Watchmaker was one of the first examples of educational literature. According to this book, which had a pocket format, children were taught literacy for many years.
The biography of Ivan Fedorov briefly testifies to his activities in Russia. The Watchmaker became the second and last book published in the Moscow printing house. But the desire for printing art Fedorov did not lose until the end of his days.
"Gospel"
The path of a great personality is always complicated and thorny. The history of the first printer is a prime example. Biography of Ivan Fedorov is rich in sad events. A lot of difficulties awaited him in life. But once in exile, he no less persistently continued to create book creations. Having settled in the Principality of Lithuania, Fedorov was able to continue the work of his whole life. Together with the hetman Grigory Khodkevich, he managed to release the “Teaching Gospel”.
"Psalter"
The biography of Ivan Fedorov and his career is associated with such names as Grigory Khodkevich, Pyotr Mstislavets. These people at different times were associates of this great man in the printing industry. The Psalter is a book that Fedorov has already released on his own. Khodkevich by that time had ceased to show interest in the printing house due to his advanced age. Mstislavets, at the invitation of his Lithuanian colleagues, moved to Vilna.
"Apostle": Lviv
Who is Ivan Fedorov, every enlightened person knew in Lviv. In Ukraine, there was an acute shortage of the printed word. Wandering around cities and countries for many years, Fedorov found a temporary refuge here and, thanks to influential noble people, was able to establish a workshop. A new Apostle was published in this city. Although the local population needed education, the printing house was soon ruined.
In the preface to the works that were released abroad, Ivan Fedorov briefly told readers about the persecution of book printing by the Moscow church.
"Primer"
To the question of who Ivan Fedorov is, it is impossible to give a monosyllabic answer. This man is a vivid figure of his time, he is the creator of the Russian font, the publisher of the first book. The familiar "Primer" saw the light of day thanks to this outstanding personality.
Based on historical data and monuments of Russian printed art, you can create an approximate description of Ivan Fedorov. He was an incredibly hardworking and persistent man. Until the last days of his life, he did not stop active actions not only to equip the next printing house, but even planned to cast a real military cannon. Unfortunately, his plans were not destined to come true due to a sudden death.
Prison
The last workshop of Fedorov was in the city of Ostrog. He was assisted in organizing this printing house by a local prince, whose residence was known as a cultural and educational center in the district. For the workshop, a high tower located on the river bank was allocated to the book printer. Here, the master managed to publish about five books. The first East Slavic Bible became the last and largest edition of the Russian first printer. Its circulation exceeded one thousand copies, which at that time was a significant indicator.
The preparation of the publication of the Bible, which was called the Ostrog, included the production and drawing of letters presented in five new fonts. Many errors contained in the copy sent by Ivan the Terrible slowed down the process of creating this book. For editing, analogues in foreign languages were required.
Despite his restless ardor and incredible hard work, the pioneer of Russian publishing died in complete poverty. He was buried in a foreign land, and two centuries after his death, the tombstone from his grave disappeared without a trace.