History of the Cyrillic Alphabet

Кириллица was introduced in Russia together with Christianity from Византия. The brothers Кирилл и Мефодий, Slavonic missionary-enlighteners, are considered to be the creators of the Russian alphabet, base on the Cyrillic written form. They lived in IX century and got education at the court of the Византия emperor Michael III in Константинополь. Cyril successfully participated in disputes with supporters of other religions. About 860 he undertook a successful diplomatic mission to Хазары, the nomads who populated the south of the European part of modern Russia and adopted иудаизм in about AD 740. Кирилл и Мефодий translated from Greek Christian liturgical books. In 863, the brothers were sent to Moravia to spread Christianity in Slavonic languages.

Christianity got popular in Russia in VIII-IX centuries. The trend was supported by close links between Russia and Византия. Many courtiers of Prince Igor’, including his wife, adopted Christianity. However, during the reign of Prince Svyatoslav and young Prince Vladimir, there was a sort of revival of язычество. Under Prince Vladimir, pagan temples were constructed, with Perun, God of Thunder and lightning, the supreme one, similar to Зевс of ancient Greece and Юпитер of Rome.

Vladimir was choosing between three religions - the Christianity of Scandinavians and that of Византия, Islam of their eastern neighbors, and Judaism of the Хазары. His matrimonial alliance with the daughter of the византийский emperor sealed the choice in favor of the византийский Christianity. On making his choice, Vladimir had all the heathen idols destroyed.

The introduction of Christianity as the sole religion helped unification of Slavonic lands. The fact that Russia had the same religion as European countries made her a part of Europe. византийский traditions in architecture, art, and iconography spread all over Rus'.

The Church played a very important part during the Mongol-Tatar invasion, because the invaders were most tolerant towards the clergy of all denominations. At that time, Sergiev Posad and the Trinity Monastery, founded by St. Sergii, became the center of Russian Pravoslavnaya (“Orthodox”) Church.

The so-called берестяная грамота are among the first Russian dated manuscripts. They were found in Novgorod during the excavations in 1951. These are mostly letters of domestic or jocular nature. There are some берестяная грамота addressed to historically authentic persons, for instance to the Novgorod посадник*.

1. What is the origin of the Cyrillic alphabet?

2. Who were the brothers Cyril and Methodius?

3. What kind of diplomatic mission did Cyril undertake about 860?

4. What kind of people were the Khazars?

5. What were the brothers sent to Moravia for?

6. What helped popularity of Christianity in Russia in VIII-IX centuries?

7. What setback took place during the reign of Prince Svyatoslav?

8. What was the attitude of Prince Vladimir in the early stage of his rule?

9. What options did Prince Vladimir consider while choosing a new religion?

10. What sealed the choice in favor of the Byzantine Christianity?

11. What did Prince Vladimir do with the heathen idols on accepting Christianity?

12. How did the Conversion affect life in Kievan Rus’?

13. What do the authors write about the attitude of the Mongol invaders towards the clergy of all denominations?

14. What famous monastery was founded at that time?

15. Why are the birchbark letters so important for historians of Russia?

GLOSSARY <> birch-bark letters <> Byzantine / Byzantium <> Constantinople <> Cyrillic Alphabet <> Cyril and Methodius <> heathenism <> Judaism <> Khazars <> posadnik (the governor appointed by the Great Prince)

EXERCISE 5. (a) Read the text and answer the questions given below. (b) Translate it into Russian. §§79.3

The October Revolution and the Era of Atheism

In the summer of 1917, soon after the February Revolution, the first Council (Pomestnyi sobor) of the Russian Orthodox Church for two and a half centuries was held. It took place at the very heart of the old Third Rome, in the Uspensky (“Dormition”) Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. It reestablished the patriarchate and chose Patriarch. The choice fell on Tikhon, newly elected metropolitan of Moscow (1865-1925).

The Church which he was called upon to lead was faced with unprecedented problems. With him began a new line of martyrs and confessors, for although the Church was suddenly separated from the state the new establishment was to subject it to every kind of indignity and constraint.

The Bolshevik government decree of 23 January 1918 on the separation of Church and state and of schooling from the Church affected all religious bodies, but none so obviously or so immediately as the formerly established Church of the Russian Empire. Now the Church found itself deprived even of the rights of a person at law.

The confiscation of Church property (legitimized by the same decree) soon led to confrontation. The newly elected patriarch’s first encyclicals expressed a severity, which bordered on militancy (19 January and 7 November 1918). But his insistence that the new leaders acted ‘in a manner contrary to the conscience of the people’ could only serve to confirm the Bolsheviks in their resolve to mould that conscience in accordance with their own ideology. An intensive (generally crude) anti-religious propaganda campaign was put into operation as soon as the Civil War ended in 1922. There followed clashes, deaths and arrests. Among those to be tried and executed, in 1922, was the meek and popular metropolitan of Petrograd, Veniamin Kazansky.

The 1930s saw a drastic reduction in the number of churches, the dissolution of the monasteries, and the imprisonment of countless clergy. At the outbreak of war, hardly four bishops were at liberty to exercise their pastoral role within the narrow limits permitted by the authorities. The war created an entirely new situation. (CamEnc 1994, abridged: 340 words)

1. What important event took place in the life of the Russian Pravoslavnaya (‘Orthodox’) soon after the February Revolution?

2. Why hadn’t the Pomestnyi sobor been convened for two centuries and a half?

3. Who had abolished the patriarchate in Russia long before the Revolution?

4. Why does the author refer to Moscow as ‘the Third Rome’?

5. Who became the first post-Revolutionary Patriarch?

6. Why does the author describe the problems which faced the Patriarch as unprecedented?

7. How did one of the first Bolshevist decrees change the status of the Russian Pravoslavnaya (“Orthodox”) Church and religion in general?

8. What did the Bolsheviks deprive the Church of?

9. How did the Church react to the confiscation of Church property legitimized by the same decree?

10. What kind of campaign was put into operation as soon as the Civil War ended?

11. What happened to metropolitan of Petrograd, Veniamin Kazansky?

12. What historic event created an entirely new situation?

EXERCISE 6. Write a shorter version of the previous text (200 words).

EXERCISE 7. Use this information to describe Russian ‘Maslenitsa’ for foreigners. §§79.3

Масленица

Последняя неделя перед Великим Постом называется “сырною”, так как по церковному уставу в это время употребляют в пищу рыбу, масло, яйца и сыр. В народе эта неделя называется Масленицей. Масленица стала синонимом самого широкого, безбрежного веселья. Не случайно в народе говорят: “Не житьё, а Масленица”.

Каждый день Масленицы отмечался по-особому и имел своё название.

Понедельник - “встреча”. К этому дню достраивались горки, качели, балаганы. Первый блин отдавался нищим на помин усопших.

Вторник - “заигрыши”. С утра молодые люди приглашали кататься с гор, поесть блинов.

Среда - “лакомка”. В этот день зять приходил к тёще на блины.

Четверг - “широкий разгул”. С этого дня Масленица разворачивалась во всю ширь. Народ предавался всевозможным потехам: ледяные горки, балаганы, качели, катание на лошадях, карнавалы, кулачные бои, шумные пирушки.

Пятница - “тёщины вечёрки”. Зятья приглашали в гости своих тёщ, угощали их блинами.

Суббота - “золовкины посиделки”. Молодые невестки приглашали в гости к себе золовок. Новобрачная невестка должна была подарить золовкам подарки.

Молодым, поженившимся в последний год, отводилось особое место в масленичных увеселениях. Так, при катании с гор, холостые парни задерживали молодых и требовали, чтобы жена поцеловала мужа 25 раз.

В воскресенье, “прощёный день”, провожали Масленицу: её сжигали, ругали, провожали с шумом, криками, музыкой и приплясыванием. В прощёное воскресенье полагалось помириться со своими ближними, просить прощение за все обида и огорчения, причинённые другим в течение года. Заканчивается Масленица и приходит Великий Пост. Приходит конец великому веселью, и в народе говорят: “Не всё коту Масленица, будет и Великий Пост” (По материалам книги «Праздники и знаменательные даты православного и народного календаря»).

EXERCISE 8. Answer the questions.

1. Why does the Church (RPrCh) call Maslenitsa ‘the Cheese Week’?

2. What is the popular name of the week and why is it called so?

3. Why is Maslenitsa Monday called ‘Meeting Day’?

4. Why is Maslenitsa Tuesday called Zaigryshy (‘Flirting Day’)?

5. What do they call Maslenitsa Wednesday?

6. What day might be considered the climax of Maslenitsa Week?

7. What happened on Maslenitsa Friday?

8. What was special about Maslenitsa Saturday?

9. When do Russians use the proverb, "It is not all the Maslenitsa Week for the cat, the Great Fast will come too"?

EXERCISE 9. (a) Replace the Russian words with appropriate English counterparts. (b) Translate the text into Russian making use of the words supplied below. §§79.3