THE IMPORTANCE OF BOOKS IN THE RELIGIOUS AND MORAL FORMATION OF OLD RUSSIAN SOCIETY

ABSTRACT

This article studies the significance of book culture in the social and cultural aspects of life in Old Russian society. The article presents information about the role that the Old Russian book played in the development of culture and spiritual life. First of all, the book was a conductor of spiritual and moral values, educating in a man the ethical standards in accordance with religious precepts. In Russia, the book for many centuries was the main instrument of familiarization with Christian culture, the formation of moral foundations.

Keywords: Old Russia, Orthodoxy, book, values, religious, culture.

The Orthodox faith deeply penetrated into the life of old Russia, giving it religious meaning, forming moral foundations and national culture. Each subsequent generation enriched the religious culture with its own acquisitions. External manifestations of religion, although at first causing apprehension, were gradually assimilated and became an integral part of life. However, the “inner layer” of Orthodoxy, its spiritual values and ideals required special efforts to comprehend and master, first of all, constant and thoughtful reading of the sacred books received by Russia at baptism.

Unlike paganism, which relied on oral tradition, Christianity presupposed a written culture necessary for the study of faith and worship. This was the impetus for the formation of the Old Russian literary language and the emergence of translated and original literature. Books as a source of spiritual wisdom were highly respected. The main “pedagogical” book was the Bible, demonstrating the ideals of family relations and warning against deviations from them. The Gospel was considered daily reading, and many people knew the Psalter by heart, using it as a desk book.

In addition, Old Russian people had access to liturgical books, the works of the holy fathers of the Church, the lives of the saints, and various collections of religious content. These texts served as a source of spiritual values of Orthodoxy, allowed them to find consolation, strengthen their faith and acquire knowledge. They were taught literacy and received their first lessons of parental education.

M.I. Demkov notes: “Our first writers, contemplating life from a spiritual height, were mainly concerned with expressing Christian truth in their creations .... did not think about their own personality, about the originality of ideas and therefore next to their own thoughts brought, without hesitation, someone else's” [5, p. 40].

D.S. Likhachev emphasizes: “Borrowings and compilations, the desire to avoid individual peculiarities of style constitute a characteristic feature of literary ecclesiastical genres.... The more authoritative is the circle of works from which the writer gathers the “flowers” of his style, the more they tune the reader to a pious mood... awe-inspiring” [6, p. 55].

One of the most striking examples of such literature is the “Word” of St. Theodosius of Kiev-Pechersk, written in the eleventh century. This work is devoted to understanding the religious content of authority and was addressed to Grand Duke Izyaslav Yaroslavovich in response to the attempts of Catholic ambassadors to induce him to Catholicism. “Word” Theodosius of Kiev-Pechersk not only demonstrates the spiritual and moral essence of Old Russian literature, but also reflects its active participation in the formation of religious and political consciousness in Russia.

The highest degree of dignity of the Russian saints was that they placed ecclesiastical instruction as their primary pastoral activity. This was expressed in the fact that they began to use sermons and various “Words” as their main pastoral work. This was also characteristic of St. Cyril of Turov.

Cyril of Turov, being an educated ecclesiastical orator, well versed in Greek theology, appears to us as an intelligent clergyman.

In the context of studying the role of literature in religious and moral education, it is impossible not to mention the importance of hagiographic literature. Hagiographic literature of ancient Russia with the help of hagiographies of saints illustrated the application of Christian norms and rules in practice. An important genre in those times were chronicles, which recorded the most significant events in the history of the principality or state. Written at princely and bishop's courts, as well as in monasteries, these chronicles had a historical and legal character and recorded important events of the present time. This genre made it possible to describe such events as the beginning of the reign of a new prince, the annexation of a new principality or region, as well as other significant stages in history.

Researchers have noted that the transition from ecclesiastical to secular genres in Old Russian literature contributed to the creation of a new genre of princely hagiography. In light of the secular character of princely hagiographies, their connection with chronicles and military novels was especially obvious. These works were intended to strengthen princely power and fill it with sacral meaning.

The first books of old Russia were handed down from generation to generation, written down and preserved. They were not only written monuments, but also spiritual guidelines that determined the moral path and cultural heritage of the Russian people.

Old Russian literature was an active participant in the development of religious and moral ideas, not passively experiencing the influence, but creatively interacting with it. The first books of old Russia played a decisive role in the perception and understanding of spiritual and moral values and in the formation of personality.

Thus, Old Russian literature, originating in Kievan Rus, had a special depth of spirituality and morality. Although it was not characterized by special originality, its works were filled with Christian truths and carried an enlightening mission.

References:

1. Dzhurinsky A. N. (2003) History of Education and Pedagogical Thought: Textbook for Students of Higher Educational Institutions. Moscow: VLADOS-PRESS;
2. Likhachev D.S. (1952) The emergence of Russian literature. Moscow, St. Petersburg: Publishing house of the USSR Academy of Sciences;
3. Likhachev, D.S. (1947) Russian chronicles and their cultural and historical significance. Moscow, St. Petersburg: Publishing house of the USSR Academy of Sciences;
4. Sapunov, B.V. (1978) A book in Russia in the XI-XIII centuries. St. Petersburg: Nauka;
5. Demkov, M.I. (1913) History of Russian pedagogy. Мoscow;
6. Likhachev, D.S. (1962) Culture of Russia in the time of Andrei Rublev and Epiphanius Premudrogo (late XIV - early XV century). Moscow, St. Petersburg: Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Leningr. Department.