Sylvester (Protopop)

Sylvester
Sylvester
Date of Birth
Date of death
A country	;

Silvestr (in the monks Spiridon , died about 1566 ) was a Russian Orthodox priest , political and literary figure of the 16th century, a priest of the Annunciation Cathedral from the late 40s of the 16th century, mentor of Ivan the Terrible ^[1] .

Content

Biography

He began a spiritual career in Novgorod , then became a priest of the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin . He was associated with Metropolitan Macarius , who in 1542 occupied the metropolitan department and transferred the Novgorod Sylvestre to Moscow.

During the Moscow fire and uprising in 1547, he made an accusatory speech against young Ivan IV (the Terrible) , who was received favorably and made Sylvester the king's closest ^[2] . After rapprochement with the king, he became the head of the work on restoring the decoration of the Kremlin cathedrals that suffered during the fire ^[3] . Written plots and icons caused the performance of the zealot of antiquity Ivan Viskovaty ^[4] at the church council of the end of 1553 - the beginning of 1554 ^[5] . Maxim Grek also appealed to Sylvester for help. Athos monk called Sylvester his “benefactor” ^[6] . Sylvester, on instructions from Tsar Ivan the Terrible, “examined” Artemy when it was decided to appoint him as the abbot of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery ^[7] .

Together with Alexey Adashev, Sylvester was the foremost leader of the “Chosen Rada” . In 1553, during the Tsar's severe illness, Sylvester was close to the Tsar's cousin, Prince Vladimir Staritsky , who claimed the throne ^[8] . Upon recovery, the king lost interest in Sylvester, and in 1560, after the appearance of rumors about his involvement in the death of Queen Anastasia, he exiled him to Cyril-Belozersky Monastery , and from there to Solovetsky Monastery , where he took monastic vows . He spent the rest of his life in the northern monasteries, professing a philosophy of non-possession .

Literary Activity

There are two messages from Sylvestre (inaccessible link) to Alexander Shuisky-Gorbatom . He is also credited with authorship or the final edition of Domostroi (he is known for certain about the composition of the 64th chapter of this monument). In addition, Sylvester wrote the life of the Holy Princess Olga . He collected handwritten books, patronized icon painters and other artists.

Family and property status

Ivan IV and Protopop Sylvester during the great Moscow fire on June 24, 1547 . ( Pavel Pleshanov , 1856)

Sylvester had a son, Anfim, who inherited from his father extensive trade relations. In Novgorod , up to Moscow's elevation, Sylvester and her son were engaged in the manufacture of icons and handwritten books for sale, but in the workshops there was a place for other “handicrafts”. Sylvester understood the disadvantage of slaves' labor, therefore he freed all his servants and used the labor of hired workers ^[9] . Sylvester and Anfim carried on an extensive trade, and he himself proudly wrote that in trade matters he was believed "both here and foreigners." In the spiritual diploma of Prince Yu. A. Menshogo-Obolensky, Anfim is mentioned as a major supplier of fabrics ^[10] . Together with the owner Yuryevich Tyutin, Anfim maintained business relations with the trade people of Vilna , who in 1554 the companions sued for 1210 rubles ^[11] . In 1550, Anfim was promoted to the state service and became a “great clerk” in the treasury, and his companion Boss Tyutin in 1555 took over as second treasurer ^[12] . By 1556, Anfim was able to obtain a courtyard in China Town from the estate of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery ^[13] . Sylvester and Anfim had merchant affairs with the mayor of Narva, Joachim Krumhausen. In 1558, after the capture of Narva by Russian troops, the sons of this major merchant, in response to a question about the father’s betrayal in favor of the Russians, indicated that long before the war, their father сх sled ’privileges through Sylvester for his trade operations in Russia. In May 1558, Joachim Krumhausen himself told the council of Revel that, according to information received through Anfim, peace with Livonia could not be maintained ^[14] . Not only Novgorod merchants, but also clergymen were associated with the Baltic trade. The Archbishop Macarius of Novgorod himself was a major supplier of wax to Revel ^[15] . It can be assumed that Sylvester and his son, like a number of Russian trade people, were associated with that part of the German merchants, which was interested in preserving peace and stable trade relations with Russia and even agree, under certain conditions, to recognize the power of the tsar. Krumhausen headed the delegation of the townspeople at the talks in Moscow on the surrender of Narva in April 1558. In 1560, facing the prospect of war with Lithuania and Sweden, Adashev and Sylvester preferred a diplomatic solution to the conflict, for which Ivan the Terrible repeatedly criticized them for not wanting to act actively. This merchant activity allowed the father and son to make large donations to the monasteries, comparable to those of princes and boyars. They donated 219 rubles and 66 books to the Solovki monastery . For such a rich contribution, the monks made an annual feed on October 10 according to "the elder Spiridon, and according to his son Anfime." The contribution to the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery : a pound of incense , half a sandal of sandalwood , a pud bryntsu, 15 hryvniac peppers, a bell 8 pounds, and the old bells ringing back and forth added their copper 4 pounds, 2 feet of paper. Anfim Silverstov was mentioned in 1561 in the service in Smolensk with the new governor Dmitry Kurlyatev . As Smolensk clerk Anfim was mentioned last time on May 7, 1566, and in July of the same year he attended the Zemsky Sobor ^[16] . Since then, the name of Anfim is not mentioned, and in 1568 in November-December, an entry appeared in the expenditure book of the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery: “Tsar is the sovereign, the great prince ordered 30, according to Anfim, according to Silverstov.” Probably by this time Sylvestre himself was not alive ^[17] .

Notes

↑ Chayanov, A. V. Peasant economy: Selected Works. - M .: Economy, 1989. - 492 p.
↑ According to S. O. Schmidt, this happened during a visit by Tsar Macarius in the Novinsky Monastery, after a fire on June 21, 1547. ( S. O. Shmidt. To the study of the "History" of Prince Kurbsky. // On the teachings of priest Sylvester. - 1968. - P. 369-370.)
↑ Answers of Sylvester I.V. Viskovatomu at the Holy Cathedral. From this document it is clear that Sylvestre very often communicated with the king.
↑ Diac opposed the writing of icons and biblical scenes borrowed from Western European art, which was typical of the Novgorod school of icon painting.
↑ The Case of Viskovaty - a collection of materials from a church council of 1553/54.
↑ Works of Maxim the Greek. - 1969. - p. 168.
↑ Moscow Cathedrals on heretics of the XVI century. // CHOIDR. - 1847. - Prince. 3. Dep. 2. - pp. 18-19.
↑ Judging by the “Complaint” after the Consecrated Council for the questions of I.M. Viskovaty, the position of Sylvester did not undergo any changes even after the crisis caused by the Tsar’s illness and the oath discussion with the “diaper” Dmitry. No one was able to find concrete facts about the desire of Sylvestre to enthrone Vladimir Andreevich, Prince Staritsky ( Smirnov I. I. Essays on the political history of the Russian state of 30-50 of the XVI century. - p. 277).
↑ Kashkin A. S. Domostroy according to the Konshinsky list and the like. - 1908. - Part 1. - P. 66.
↑ Zimin A. A. A. I. Peresvetov and his contemporaries. - p. 44.
↑ Joint operations of Anfim and Tyutin began no later than 1549.
↑ V.I. Buganov. The discharge book of 1475—1598 - P. 152; Collection of RIO. - 1887. - T. 59. - p. 468.
↑ ai. - T. 1. - p. 314.
↑ This information is in the instructions of the city council of Revel to envoys to the Master of the Livonian Order.
↑ Doroshenko V.V. Trade of a large Tallinn merchant in the 16th century. // Academy of Sciences of the ESSR, 1969. - Vol. 18. - No. 4. - P. 334-338.
↑ Veselovsky S. B. Diaks and clerks of the 15th-17th centuries. - 1975. - p. 467.
↑ Jacob . Extracts from the archives of the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery.

Literature

Borozdin A. K. Sylvestre, Priest of the Annunciation Cathedral // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : in 86 tons (82 tons and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1900. - T. XXIXa.
Borozdin A. K. Sylvester (priest of the Moscow Annunciation Cathedral) // Russian biographical dictionary : in 25 volumes. - SPb. , 1904. - T. 18: Sabaneev - Smyslov.
D. Bulanin, V. Kolesov, V. Sylvestre, Priest of the Annunciation Cathedral // Publications of the Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Ivanitsky V. Russian woman in the era of “Domostroi” // Social sciences and modernity. - 1995. - № 3. - p. 161-172.
Kurukin I.V. The Life and Works of Sylvestre, the tutor of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. - M., 2015.
Perhavko V. B. Son of Priest Sylvestre
Pushkareva N. Sylvester // Encyclopedia " Krugosvet ".
Usachev A.S. Sylvester and the Life of Princess Olga // Rumyantsev Readings 2009. Historical and cultural traditions and innovative transformations in Russia. Educational responsibility of libraries. Part 1: materials between. scientific conf. (April 21–23, 2009). - M., 2009. - p. 246-254.
Usachev A. S. The identity of the compiler of the Power Book // Ancient Russia. Questions of medieval studies. - 2008. - № 2 (36). - p. 34-47.
Shmelev N.P. Sylvester. Novel, lead. - M .: Owls. writer, 1992. - 400 p. - ISBN 5-265-02381-X .

[1] Chayanov, A. V. Peasant economy: Selected Works. - M .: Economy, 1989. - 492 p.

[2] According to S. O. Schmidt, this happened during a visit by Tsar Macarius in the Novinsky Monastery, after a fire on June 21, 1547. ( S. O. Shmidt. To the study of the "History" of Prince Kurbsky. // On the teachings of priest Sylvester. - 1968. - P. 369-370.)

[3] Answers of Sylvester I.V. Viskovatomu at the Holy Cathedral. From this document it is clear that Sylvestre very often communicated with the king.

[4] Diac opposed the writing of icons and biblical scenes borrowed from Western European art, which was typical of the Novgorod school of icon painting.

[5] The Case of Viskovaty - a collection of materials from a church council of 1553/54.

[6] Works of Maxim the Greek. - 1969. - p. 168.

[7] Moscow Cathedrals on heretics of the XVI century. // CHOIDR. - 1847. - Prince. 3. Dep. 2. - pp. 18-19.

[8] Judging by the “Complaint” after the Consecrated Council for the questions of I.M. Viskovaty, the position of Sylvester did not undergo any changes even after the crisis caused by the Tsar’s illness and the oath discussion with the “diaper” Dmitry. No one was able to find concrete facts about the desire of Sylvestre to enthrone Vladimir Andreevich, Prince Staritsky ( Smirnov I. I. Essays on the political history of the Russian state of 30-50 of the XVI century. - p. 277).

[9] Kashkin A. S. Domostroy according to the Konshinsky list and the like. - 1908. - Part 1. - P. 66.

[10] Zimin A. A. A. I. Peresvetov and his contemporaries. - p. 44.

[11] Joint operations of Anfim and Tyutin began no later than 1549.

[12] V.I. Buganov. The discharge book of 1475—1598 - P. 152; Collection of RIO. - 1887. - T. 59. - p. 468.

[13] . - T. 1. - p. 314.

[14] This information is in the instructions of the city council of Revel to envoys to the Master of the Livonian Order.

[15] Doroshenko V.V. Trade of a large Tallinn merchant in the 16th century. // Academy of Sciences of the ESSR, 1969. - Vol. 18. - No. 4. - P. 334-338.

[16] Veselovsky S. B. Diaks and clerks of the 15th-17th centuries. - 1975. - p. 467.

[17] Jacob . Extracts from the archives of the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery.