Nikiforov, Vasyuk

Vasyuk Nikiforov (mid-16th century) is one of the first Russian engravers who allegedly worked in the first Moscow so-called anonymous printing house, which existed from about 1553 until the printing house of Ivan Fedorov and Pyotr Mstislavets in 1563 . Probably, Vasyuk prepared boards and was the author of engravings of the Moscow printing house both anonymous in 1553 and the next printing house in 1563 .

Engraving from the Apostle of 1564, allegedly authored by Nicephorus Vasyuk

There was no biographical information about Nikiforov; it is known that he was a stone carver in the city of Novgorod. The derived name “Vasyuk” can be from the full name or “Basil” or “Basilisk”.

In 1552, John IV , in consultation with Metropolitan Macarius , decided to start printing; for this purpose, began to look for masters of printing. In the same year, at the request of John the Terrible, a typographer Hans Messingheim or Bockbinder was sent from Denmark, in addition, new letters and a printing press were written out from Poland (probably from some Russian printing house in Polish possessions), and printing began ^{[1 ]} . In the 1550s, several “anonymous” editions were published, that is, they did not contain any output data (at least seven are known, including the first Moscow printed book, the narrow-font Four Gospels (circa 1553). Where this printing house was located is unknown, it is also unknown who was the head of this printing house, most likely Hans Messingheim himself. In the letters of Ivan IV dated February 9 and March 22, 1556, Nefedyev was called "a master of printed books." The message of Ivan the Terrible to the Novgorod clerks Fyodor Yeremeyev and Kazarin Dubrovsky speaks of Marush Nefedyev , whom Ivan Vasilyevich sent to Novgorod, so that he would bring to Moscow the Novgorod master Vasyuk Nikiforov, who "knows how to cut any kind of thread." The latter was allegedly the engraver of the first Moscow printing house ^[2] . And Marusha himself, perhaps, was the head of the printing house after Hans Messingheim. It is also believed that Ivan Fedorov worked as a student in this printing house.

In this letter in particular it is written:

We sent to Novgorod Novgorod the master of printed books Marush Nefedyev, told him to see the stone, which was prepared on the platform for the Most Holy One, for the Meeting. When Marusha inspects this stone, he will tell you that it is suitable for the church platform and you can put your face on it: you would examine this stone yourself and you would get the masters who put it on it, then you would send us for a sample two or three stones ... Marusha told us that there is in Novgorod, they call him Vasyuk, Nikiforov, he knows how to cut every thread, and you would send that Vasyuk to us in Moscow [3] [4] .