Francis Skorin is a famous Belarusian pioneer and enlightener. Over a 40-year career, he tried his hand at medicine, philosophy, gardening. He also traveled a lot, came to Russia, communicated with the Prussian Duke.
The life of Francis Skorina, whose photo is placed in our article, was very eventful. At a young age, he went to study science in Italy, where he became the first East European graduate to receive the title of Doctor of Medicine. He was raised in the Catholic faith, but he was engaged in the study of Orthodoxy. Skorina became the first person to start translating the Bible into the East Slavic language, understood by his people. Until that time, all church books were written in Church Slavonic.
Bible translations into Slavic languages
The first translations of biblical books were made by Cyril and Methodius in the second half of the 9th century. They translated from the Byzantine Greek lists into the Church Slavonic (Stro-Slavic language), which they developed using their native Bulgarian-Macedonian dialect as a basis. A century later, other Slavic translations were brought from Bulgaria to Russia. In fact, starting from the 11th century, the main South Slavic translations of biblical books became available to the Eastern Slavs.
Biblical translations made in the XIV-XV century in the Czech Republic also influenced the translation activities of the Eastern Slavs. The Czech Bible was translated from Latin, it was widely distributed throughout the XIV-XV centuries.
And at the beginning of the XVI century, Francis Skorin translated the Bible into the Church Slavonic language in the Belarusian edition. This was the first translation of the Bible, close to the folk language.
Origin
Francis (Franciszek) Skorina was born in Polotsk.
A comparison of university acts (entered the University of Krakow in 1504, and in the act of the University of Padua dated 1512, he is presented as a “young man”) suggests that he was born in about 1490 (possibly in the second half of the 1480s ) The biography of Francis Skorina is known to researchers far from completely.
They believe that the origin of the name Skorina is associated with the ancient word "soon" (skin) or "skorina" (peel).
The first reliable information about this family has been known since the end of the 15th century.
Francis father, Lukyan Skorina, is mentioned in the list of Russian ambassadorial claims of 1492 to Polotsk merchants. Francis Skorina had an older brother, Ivan. The royal decree calls him both a Vilnius tradesman and a townsman. The godfather of the Belarusian first printer is also unknown. In her publications, Skorina uses the name "Francis" more than 100 times, occasionally - "Francis."
Below is a portrait of Francis Skorina, printed by himself in the Bible.
Life path
Skorin received his primary education in his parents' house, where he studied the reading and writing of the Cyrillic alphabet in the Psalter. He learned the language of the science of that time (Latin), most likely, at the church of Polotsk or Vilna.
In 1504, an inquisitive and enterprising townsman entered the University of Krakow, which at that time was famous in Europe for its Faculty of Liberal Arts, where they studied grammar, rhetoric, dialectics (Trivium cycle) and arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music (Quadrivium cycle ").
Studying at the university allowed Francis Skorina to understand what a wide outlook and practical knowledge a person has “seven free arts”.
He saw all this in the Bible. He directed all his future translation and publishing activities to make the Bible accessible to the “people of the Commonwealth.”
In 1506, Skorina received her first bachelor's degree in philosophy.
Around 1508, Skorina served as secretary to the Danish king.
To continue his studies at the most prestigious faculties of European universities (medical and theological), Skorina needed to become a master of arts.
It is not known exactly in which university this happened: in Krakow or some other, but in 1512 he arrived in Italy at the renowned University of Padua, already having a master's degree in free sciences. Skorin chose this educational institution to obtain a doctor of medicine degree.
A poor but capable young man was allowed for exams. For two days he participated in disputes with prominent scientists, defending his own ideas.
In November 1512, in the episcopal palace, in the presence of famous scientists from the University of Padua and senior officials of the Catholic Church, Skorina was declared a doctor in the field of medical sciences.
This was a significant event: the son of a merchant from Polotsk was able to prove that abilities and vocation are more important than aristocratic origin. His portrait, created already in the middle of the 20th century, is in the memorial hall among 40 portraits of famous European scientists who graduated from the University of Padua.
Skorina also had a doctorate in free sciences. In Western European universities called "seven free sciences."
A family
In a brief biography of Francis Skorina, there is a mention that after 1525 the first printer married Margarita - the widow of the Vilnius merchant, member of the Vilnius Council Yuri Advernik. At this time, he served as a doctor and secretary with the bishop in Vilna.
The year 1529 was very difficult for Skorina. In the summer in Poznan, his brother Ivan died. Francis went there to deal with matters related to the inheritance. In the same year Margarita suddenly died. In the hands of Skorina was the infant son Simeon.
In February 1532, Francis was arrested on unfounded and unsubstantiated charges by the creditors of his late brother and ended up in Poznan prison. Only at the request of the son of the late Ivan (Roman's nephew) was he rehabilitated.
Francis Skorina: interesting facts from life
It is assumed that in the late 1520 - early 1530s the first printer visited Moscow, where he carried his books, published in Russian. Researchers at Skorina’s life and career believe that in 1525 he traveled to the German city of Wittenberg (Reformation Center), where he met with the ideologist of German Protestants Martin Luther.
In 1530, the Duke of Albrecht invited him to Koenigsberg for printing.
In the mid-1530s, Skorina moved to Prague. The Czech king invited him to the post of gardener in the open botanical garden in the royal castle of Hradcany.
Researchers in the biography of Francis Skorina believe that he most likely performed the duties of a qualified gardening scientist at the Czech royal court. The title of doctor “in the medical sciences”, obtained by him in Padua, required certain knowledge of botany.
From 1534 or 1535, Francis in Prague worked as a royal botanist.
Perhaps due to insufficient knowledge, other interesting facts about Francis Skorin remained unknown.
Book publishing and educational activities
In the period from 1512 to 1517. the scientist appeared in Prague - the center of Czech printing.
To translate and publish the Bible, he needed not only to get acquainted with Czech biblical studies, but also to thoroughly know the Czech language. In Prague, Francis orders printing equipment, after which he begins to translate the Bible and write comments on it.
Skorina’s publishing activities combined the experience of European printing and the traditions of Belarusian art.
The first book of Francis Skorina is the Prague edition of one of the biblical books, the Psalter (1517).
F. Skorin made a translation of the Bible into a language close to Belarusian, and understandable to ordinary people (the Church Slavonic language in the Belarusian edition).
With the support of philanthropists (they included the Vilnius burgomaster Jakub Babić, advisers Bogdan Onkav and Yuri Advernik), he published 23 illustrated books of the Old Testament in Old Russian in 1517-1519 in Prague. In the sequence: Psalter (6/08/1517), Book of Job (6/10/1517), Proverbs of Solomon (6/10/2517), Jesus Sirahav (5/12/1517), Ecclesiastes (2/01/1518), Song of Songs (9/01/1517), book The Wisdom of God (01/19/1518), The First Book of Kings (08/10/1518), The Second Book of Kings (10/08/1518), The Third Book of Kings (10/08/1518), The Fourth Book of Kings (10/08/1518), Joshua (12/20/1518 ), Judith (02/09/1519), Judges (12/15/1519), Genesis (1519), Exit (1519), Leviticus (1519), Ruth (1519), Figures (1519), Deuteronomy (1519), Esther (1519) , Weeping of Jeremiah (1519), Prophet Daniel (1519).
Each of the biblical books came out in a separate issue, with a title page, and had its own preface and afterword. At the same time, the publisher adhered to the same principles for submitting text (the same format, typing strip, font, decoration). Thus, he provided for the possibility of bringing all publications under one cover.
The books contain 51 printed prints of engraving on paper from the plate (board) on which the drawing is applied.
Three times in the books of Francis Skorina, his own portrait was printed. In Eastern Europe, no other Bible publisher has ever done this.
According to researchers, on the title page of the Bible there is a seal (coat of arms) of Skorina - a doctor of medicine.
The translation made by the pioneer is canonically accurate in conveying the letter and spirit of the biblical text, not allowing liberties and additional interpretations of the interpreter. The text preserves the state of the language corresponding to the Hebrew and Ancient Greek originals.
Francis Skorina’s books laid the foundation for rationing the Belarusian literary language and became the first translation of the Bible into the East Slavic language.
The Belarusian enlightener knew well the works of clergymen famous at that time, for example, St. Basil the Great - Bishop of Caesarea. He knew the works of John Chrysostom and Gregory the Theologian, to whom he refers. His publications are Orthodox in content and are intended to meet the spiritual needs of the Orthodox population of Belarus.
Skorina sought to give her commentary on the Bible a simple and understandable form. They contain information about historical, everyday, theological, linguistic circumstances and realities. In the theological context, the main place in the preface and epilogue written by him was occupied by the exaggeration - an explanation of the contents of the books of the Old Testament as a foreshadowing and prophecy of New Testament events, the victory of Christianity in the world and hope for eternal spiritual salvation.
In the photo below - a coin of Francis Skorina. It was released in 1990 on the 500th anniversary of the glorious Belarusian first printer.
The first Belarusian book
Around 1520, Francis founded a printing house in Vilnius. Perhaps the printing house was transferred to Vilna because of the desire to be closer to his people, for whose enlightenment he worked (in those years, the Belarusian lands were part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania). The room for Skorine’s printing house was given in his own house by the head of the magistrate of Vilnius, “the mayor’s mayor” Yakub Babich.
The first Vilnius edition is The Small Road Book. Skorin gave this name to a collection of church books published by him in Vilnius in 1522.
In total, the Little Road Book includes the Psalter, the Clockworker, Akathist the Holy Sepulcher, the Canon of the Holy Sepulcher, Akathist the Archangel Michael, the Canon Archangel Michael, the Akathist John the Baptist, the Canon St. John the Baptist, the Akathist the Virgin, the Holy Virgin, Akarist theotokos, Peter The canon to St. Peter and Paul, the Akathist to St. Nicholas, the canon to St. Nicholas, the Akathist to the Cross of the Lord, the Canon to the Cross of the Lord, Akathist to Jesus, the Canon of Jesus, the Shastidnevets, the Penitent of Canon, the Canon of the Matins on Saturday, “Soborniki”, as well as the general epilogue “Writings” Speech in this Little Road Book. ”
It was a new type of collection in the East Slavonic book writing, addressed to both clergy and secular people - merchants, officials, artisans, warriors who, due to their activities, spent a lot of time on the road. These people needed spiritual support, useful information, and, if necessary, the words of prayers.
The Psalter (1522) and the “Apostle” (1525) published by Skorina constitute a separate group of books not translated, but adapted from other Church Slavonic sources with an approximation to folk speech.
Edition of the Apostle
In 1525, Skorina published in Vilnius one of the most common books in Cyrillic - The Apostle. This was his first edition, which was precisely dated and the last in time, the publication of which was a logical and logical continuation of the publication of Bible books, which had begun in Prague. Like The Little Road Booklet, the Apostle of 1525 was intended for a wide range of readers. In many introductions to the book, the enlightener wrote to the “Apostle” 22 forewords and 17 afterwords, describes the contents of sections, individual messages, and explains “dark” expressions. The whole text is preceded by Skorina’s general preface, “By the act of the world the apostle of the book of the subject”. It praises the Christian faith, draws attention to the moral and ethical standards of public human life.
Worldview
The views of the enlightener say that he was not only an enlightener, but also a patriot.
He contributed to the spread of writing and knowledge, which can be seen in the following lines:
"Every person needs to read, because reading is a mirror of our life, a cure for the soul."
Francis Skorina is considered the founder of a new understanding of patriotism, which is seen as love and respect for his homeland. Of the patriotic remarks, his following words attract attention:
“Beginning from birth, the animals that go into the desert know their pits, the birds flying through the air, they know their nests; fishes floating on the sea and in rivers, smell their vira; "bees and the like harboring their hives - so are people, and where the essence was born and nourished according to Bose, to that place I have great mercy."
And it is to us, today's inhabitants, that his words are addressed so that people
"... all labor and treasury bills for the Commonwealth good and for their Fatherland were not fierce."
His words contain the wisdom of life of many generations:
“In fact, we adhere to the law of birth, it happens sometimes: you repair something to everyone that you yourself love from the others, and you don’t repair it to others that you yourself don’t want from other people ... This law is born to the series of One Every Man.”
The value of the activity
Francis Skorin was the first to publish a book of psalms in the Belarusian language, that is, he was the first to use the Cyrillic alphabet. This happened in 1517. Two years later, he translated most of the Bible. In different countries there are monuments, streets and universities bearing his name. Skorina is one of the outstanding people of the era.
He greatly contributed to the formation and development of the Belarusian language and writing. He was a highly spiritual person for whom God and man are inseparable.
His achievements are of great importance for culture and history. Reformers, such as John Wycliffe, translated the Bible and were persecuted in the Middle Ages. Skorina was one of the first humanists of the Renaissance, who again took on this task. Indeed, his Bible was several years ahead of Luther's translation.
According to public recognition, this was not an ideal result. The Belarusian language was only developing, therefore, the text preserved elements of the Church Slavonic language, as well as borrowings from Czech. In fact, the educator created the foundations of the modern Belarusian language. Recall that he was only the second scientist to print in Cyrillic. His graceful introduction is one of the first examples of Belarusian poetry.
For the first printer, the Bible had to be written in an accessible language so that not only learned people could understand it, but also a simple person. His books were intended for the laity. Many of his ideas were similar to those of Martin Luther. Like Protestant reformers, the Belarusian enlightener understood the importance of new technologies in spreading his ideas. He headed the first printing house in Vilna, and his projects were of great importance outside Belarus.
Skorina was also an excellent engraver: bright woodcuts depicting biblical figures in a traditional Belarusian costume helped illiterate people understand religious ideas.
During his lifetime, Francis Skorin was not widely known throughout the world, since there has never been an Orthodox reformation in world history. After his death, the situation has changed little. He did not destroy his familiar world as decisively as Luther did. In fact, Skorin himself probably could not have understood the idea of ​​reformation. Despite his innovative use of language and art, he had no desire to completely destroy the structure of the Church.
However, he remained popular among compatriots. The attention was drawn to the nationalists of the 19th century, who wanted to emphasize the importance of “the first Belarusian intellectual”. Skorina’s work in Vilna gave reason to demand that the city gain independence from Poland.
In the photo below - a monument to Francis Skorina in Minsk. Monuments to the Belarusian first printer are also located in Polotsk, Lida, Kaliningrad, and Prague.
Last years
The last years of his life, Francis Skorina was engaged in medical practice. In the 1520s, he was a doctor and secretary with Bishop Jan of Vilnius, and already in 1529, during the epidemic, he was invited to Konigsberg by the Prussian Duke Albrecht Hohenzollern.
In the mid-1530s at the Czech court, he took part in the diplomatic mission of Sigismund I.
The first printer died no later than January 29, 1552. This is evidenced by the letter of King Ferdinand II, given to the son of Francis Skorina Simeon, which allowed the latter to use all his father’s preserved heritage: property, books, debt instruments. However, the exact date of death and the place of burial have not yet been established.
Below in the photo is the Order of Francis Skorina. They are awarded citizens for educational, research, humanitarian, charity work for the benefit of the Belarusian people. Approved award 13.04. 1995 year.
Great enlightener and modernity
At present, the name of Skorina is the highest awards of Belarus: the order and the medal. Also named after him are educational institutions and streets, libraries and public associations.
Today, the book heritage of Francis Skorina has 520 books, many of which are in Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany. About 50 countries have publications of the Belarusian first printer. There are 28 copies in Belarus.
In 2017, which was dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the Belarusian printing industry, a unique monument, the Small Road Booklet, was returned to the country.