the First exactly dated Russian printed book was “the Apostle”, published in Moscow by deacon Ivan Fyodorov in the second half of the XVI century. That represents this volume, one copy of which is kept in the Museum-reserve “Kolomenskoye”, read in joint material mos.ru and the Agency “Moscow”.
“Apostle” was not the first book printed in Russia. Known about a dozen of not having the output of publications, which are referred to 1550 years. It is believed that they might have let invited to Moscow from the Danish master Hans Messingham, nicknamed Bokbinderi (from the Latin bokbyndere — “the bookbinder”). In the case of “Apostle” is known and the names of the creators of this work, Ivan Fyodorov and his assistant Pyotr Timofeev Mstislavets, and date: they gathered leaf by leaf almost a year, from 19 April 1563 to 1 March 1564.
to Move from manuscript to print religious books was required due to the rapid expansion of the Russian Empire under Ivan the terrible. Successful campaigns against Kazan and Astrakhan resulted in the annexation of extensive territories in the East. They began to appear Orthodox churches, which desperately needed a liturgical literature. Try somehow to satisfy this need was only possible with the help of the printing press, invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the XV century.
a Person from the middle Ages. Know looked like Ivan the terrible in life
Another catalyst of printing was the need to reconcile religious texts over centuries of circulation in manuscript form overgrown with errors, misprints and regional interpretations. This problem greatly troubled the pious the terrible, who, as says Ivan Fedorov in the afterword to “Apostle” of 1564, began a “pomyshlyali kako would sloziti printed books… in order to continue the Holy books Ismailia pravedna”.
However, Ivan could only dream about the unification of religious books. This process, launched a hundred years under Patriarch Nikon, was named a book of the right led to the schism of the Russian Orthodox Church.
the Book is a liturgical collection of texts of the New Testament, telling of the acts and the Epistles of the Holy apostles with special markings on the conceived fragments read over the various services. This arrangement was not invented by Ivan Fedorov — manuscripts “Apostle” is known from the XII century.
As the gospel, this collection existed in Russia in two main versions — the texts were located either in the chronological order of the narrative, or in accordance with the readings of the Church calendar. The book of Ivan Fedorov refers to the first option.
Printing of the book — the location of the text, the use of leaf ornament, the appearance of engraved Fronti��of peace became a model for later Russian printers.
Particularly interesting is the depiction of bows in architectural interior: if the basis for framing the arched decorations was engraved in one of the German Bibles of the XVI century, the prototype of the Evangelist is unknown. It is considered that this is the work of the Russian masters.
an Important part of “Apostle” — the colophon (PostScript), which contains information about the purpose of the newspaper, its printer, place and time of creation. Anonymous Russian books 1550-ies of such a section was not.
the Only “Apostle” 267 534 sheets or pages, each page of 25 lines. Format: approximately 28 by 18 inches, to define more precisely is not possible, because all known copies of the first “Apostle” cropped by the binder.
According to experts, the circulation amounted to about two thousand copies, of which up to the present day came a little more than 50.
Accurate information about the date and place of birth and the social origins of Ivan Fedorov there. It is believed that he graduated from the University of Cracow: there in 1532 for a degree of bachelor was awarded a Johannes Theodori Moscus. Researchers transcribe the name as “Ivan Fedorov Moskvitin”, from which I conclude that the future pioneer was born about 1510.
In the epilogue to the first “Apostle” he is mentioned as deacon of the Church of St. Nicholas of Gostovskogo. This temple existed in the Moscow Kremlin from the end of XV century until 1817. Then overnight, was demolished to not interfere with the parades.
In Moscow in 1565, Ivan Fedorov and Petr Mstislavets still managed to produce two editions of “prayer-book”, then went to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. According to one version, the reason for their hasty departure was the harassment by the copyists of books. Angry scribes, realizing that they have taken the bread, he set fire to the printing house, near the Nicholas gate.
the Fugitives founded a new printing house in the estate of the famous zealot of Orthodoxy Hetman Gregory Chodkiewicz in Zabludow (the town is now in Poland). There they published “the Didactic gospel” (1569) and “Psalms Chasoslovets” (1570).
After the formation of the Commonwealth with its enhanced role of the Catholic Church Fedorov was forced to move to Lviv, where in 1574 he printed the second edition of “the Apostle” and the first Russian alphabet.
In 1576, he settled in jail, the birthplace of Prince Constantine of Ostrog. There he published five books, including the famous Ostrog Bible in 1581 — the first complete edition of the Bible in Church Slavonic.
Moscow pioneer died in Lviv on 5 December 1583 and was buried in the local Holy Onufriy monastery. During his life he managed to produce thirteen different publications, the first four — scooperation with Petr Mstislavets.
we have not reached any intravital image or description of the appearance of Ivan Fedorov. Opened in Moscow in 1909 at the Kitay-Gorod wall monument to pioneer the work of the sculptor Sergei Volnukhin is a generic image and no individual traits of this remarkable man is not responsible.
Information about the associate of Ivan Fedorov even less. He probably was born in the first half of the XVI century in Mstislavl, which was then part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (now Belarus). About his life before 1564, when Moscow was printed “Apostle”, the trustworthy information.
after Parting with Fedorov, the Mstislavets moved to Vilna, where he opened his own print shop. In it he published three books — “the gospel” (1575), “Psalter” (1576), and “prayer-book” (about 1574-1576). After 1577 traces of Mstislavets lost.
the Split, which followed the ecclesiastical reforms of Patriarch Nikon in 1654 led to the appearance of the old believers who did not agree with the innovations. In particular, they sought to preserve pre-reform icons and religious books. In many ways, these rarities came to us thanks to their efforts. Was no exception and an instance of “Apostle”, which is in the Museum-reserve “Kolomenskoye”.
the Book belonged to Kovrov merchants Pershin from the village of ilina Gora Little Vsegodichi parish (now vyaznikovskiy district, Vladimir region). Pertini was engaged in the grain and fish trade, their ships went to the lower reaches of the Volga. As bespopovtsy Spasova consent (netocny), they contained the chapel and also set up a Bindery. In the family of generations have been collected, stored and restored old books and icons.
In the years 1897-1898 because of financial difficulties Pershin had to sell in Moscow most of his book and the iconographic collection. Perhaps one of the first Russian “Apostles” and got to someone from the old believers, who lived in the village of Kolomenskoe. In 1962, their descendants gave the priceless book to the Museum.
