Euphrosinia of Polotsk: life, educational activities

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Euphrosinia of Polotsk is the first Belarusian, and according to some historical information, and East Slavic educator. In addition, we know her as the first woman in Russia, canonized as a saint. Despite the fact that the life of Euphrosyne of Polotsk fell on a period when Christianity had already split, she is equally highly revered by both the Orthodox and the Catholic Church.

The main merits of the saint are the translation and rewriting of books, as well as the construction of their own monasteries and churches, which were real educational centers of the Polotsk principality.

Famous princess

Euphrosyne of Polotsk… This name is inscribed in golden letters not only on the pages of the spiritual life that existed in the East Slavic lands, but also in the entire history of the culture of Belarus.

Euphrosinia of Polotsk is a princess and a nun. But, above all, this is a well-known educator who left an unforgettable memory in the souls of people. More than eight centuries lie between the present time and the period when the famous princess lived. And therefore, it is not surprising that there is not much information about her.preserved in the history of the East Slavic people. However, they are also able to assess the great Polotsk woman as a talented woman-enlightener, pointing to her pan-European significance. All the activities of Euphrosyne, as well as her famous compatriots K. Smolyatich and K. Turovsky, without any doubt, speak of a high cultural upsurge that was observed in those years on Belarusian soil.

The Life of the Holy Princess

The future Saint Euphrosyne of Polotsk was born in 1110. Initially, she was given the name Predslava. She was the daughter of Prince Svyatoslav of Polotsk (son of Vseslav the Witch) and was the great-granddaughter of Princess Rogneda and Prince Vladimir. Predslava's father did not receive inheritance from his parents, and therefore, together with his family, he lived at the court of his elder brother, Boris Vseslavich.

At the end of the 12th century, the book "The Life of Euphrosyne of Polotsk" was written. Its author is unknown to us. Most likely, he was an abbot or a monk who lived in one of the monasteries founded by the princess. There is a high probability that the author of the book is a student of Euphrosyne herself. But be that as it may, this narrative tells readers in detail about the life of a holy woman.

Unfortunately, "Life …" in its first edition has not survived to this day. This is due to wars and fires. However, we can get acquainted with the book in six editions and in almost 150 lists. This is a confirmation of the great popularity of the work. One of the most complete lists is Pogodinsky. It dates from the 16th century.

"The Life of St. Euphrosyne of Polotsk" isa real monument of hagiographic East Slavic literature of the 12th century. The text of the book is built according to the canons that distinguished hagiographic literature. It is believed that this work has its own prototype. They could well serve as the work "The Life of Euphrosyne of Alexandria." However, the author of the East Slavic literary monument introduced individual features into his work. Thus, the researchers note the brightness of the dialogues and monologues of Euphrosyne herself. It is likely that they were taken from books written by the holy princess.

Structure of the "Life of Euphrosyne of Polotsk"

The famous work is preceded by a rhetorical introduction, traditional for hagiography. Next comes the main part. It tells about the life path of the holy woman of Polochan, confirming her spiritual ascent. The final part of the work is Praise. Here, despite hagiographic traditions, there are no stories about posthumous miracles that occurred. For those who have not read The Life of Euphrosyne of Polotsk, a summary of the book will be given below.

Craving for knowledge

The work “The Life of Euphrosyne of Polotsk” tells us that from childhood she showed a great love for heartfelt prayer and books. Predslava, according to some sources, received her education in St. Sophia Cathedral, and according to others - at home, directly at the prince's court (this version is considered more likely).

The girls' teachers were only clerics. They gave her an education, using hagiographic literature and Holy Scripture instead of textbooks. According to the teachers and from the biography of the saints, the girlI got an idea of the statutes and customs that existed in the monastery. Science came easy to her. She was ahead of her peers in many ways. In the "Life …" her unusual love for learning, great abilities and diligence are noted. Predslava had wide access to books. In her house there was an extensive library, where, in addition to religious literature, the girl read a novel about the exploits of A. Macedonian, collections of aphorisms and sayings, etc. Somewhat later, she became interested in works describing theological interpretations of the essence of nature, as well as books with ancient history.

The "Life of …" also indicates that the girl from an early age combined a love of education with concentrated prayer. Her wisdom "wondered" not only the parents. The fame of Predslava has spread to many cities.

Choosing a Life Path

The Polotsk princess was distinguished not only by her wisdom, but also by her beauty. However, she rejected numerous marriage proposals that came to her without any hesitation. Predslava consciously decided to give up worldly life at the age of 12. This was the period when parents first began to think about the marriage of their daughter. The girl was guided by ideas about selfless service to high moral ideals and the importance of spiritual perfection. The princess decided to follow "her Bridegroom" - for Christ.

Predslava turned to a relative who lived in Polotsk, the widow of her uncle Roman Vseslavich. She was an abbess and could help the girl become a nun. However, the extraordinary beauty of Predslava and her early ageseemed to the old princess incompatible with tonsure. The deep mind and high religious conviction of the girl helped to convince the old princess. The abbess called a priest, who took the vows, giving Predslava the name Euphrosyne.

Monastic years

For some time, Euphrosyne of Polotsk went through a school of obedience to the Lord. At the same time, she lived in the same monastery in which she took the tonsure. However, a little later she received the blessing of the Bishop of Polotsk Elijah and went to live in St. Sophia Cathedral. Her room was a cell - "a stone cranberry". In this cathedral, Euphrosyne was especially attracted by the library. From the books that were in it, the nun "was saturated with wisdom", and the amazing concentration of the princess helped to deeply comprehend it.

All these years, the Reverend did not leave the love of teaching. And at the same time, she believed that spiritual enlightenment is an integral part of mercy and love for people. Euphrosinia began to rewrite books, revealing wisdom to everyone with the help of her diligence. In those years, only men were engaged in this hard work. And the mere fact that a young woman took on such a job was a feat in itself.

Part of the books transcribed by Euphrosyne went on sale. The proceeds from this, at the request of the nuns, were distributed to the poor. At the same time, the famous princess began to write her own books. In them, she captured teachings and prayers, and also made translations from Latin and Greek. In addition, Euphrosinia corresponded with her brothers in spirit and with her compatriots. One of them wasKirill Turovsky. At the same time, the Reverend did not go to fight with the existing old traditions. She sought "illumination with light", which manifested the highest wisdom of a woman.

Opening your own monastery

According to the "Life…", Elijah - Bishop of Polotsk - received from God's angel confirmation of the height of asceticism and service of Euphrosyne. At the same time, the higher powers pointed out to him that he should put a nun at the head of the monastery. Three times with a similar message, the angel appeared to the Monk Euphrosyne, who gladly accepted the choice of Christ. For the location of the monastery, a village located not far from Polotsk was determined. Here was the Church of the Savior and the burial place of bishops.

The ceremonial handover of Euphrosyne's Village took place in St. Sophia Cathedral. Bishop Ilya himself blessed the Reverend to create a convent in this place.

Blossom of the monastery

Reverend Euphrosyne of Polotsk became the founder of the Transfiguration Convent. This monastery was widely known throughout the Polotsk land. Sisters Euphrosyne and sisters Euphrosyne also got tonsured here.

A women's school was established at the monastery. It carried out educational activities of Euphrosyne of Polotsk. The princess, who gathered the young girls, taught them singing and writing books, needlework and many other useful crafts. The nun also took care that the girls knew the law of God and were hardworking. It is worth noting that the school, founded at the Transfiguration Monastery of the Savior, in many ways contributed to the rapid flourishingabode.

Building a temple

In the middle of the 12th century, on the site of a wooden church, Euphrosyne of Polotsk decided to build a stone one. To fulfill her dream, she came to John for advice. This monk already had experience in building temples. According to the "Life …" all the work went pretty quickly. Already 30 weeks later, the temple of Euphrosyne of Polotsk was erected. Its discovery took place in 1161. "Life …" tells the story of a diva that happened at the very end of the erection. It consisted in the fact that during the construction process the bricks ran out, and the masons did not know how to complete their work. But the next day, after the prayer of the saint, the craftsmen found the right material in the oven.

The Church of Euphrosyne of Polotsk never ceases to amaze researchers. It differs from many buildings of that time in its proportions, gable ceiling, as well as the unusual elongation of the drum. The interior of the church itself seems mysterious to visitors: despite the massive walls, it is loaded with thick pillars.

Temple Equipment

After the construction of the new church, Euphrosyne worked actively to ensure that this house of God had everything necessary for holding services. The nun invited artists who painted the walls with biblical scenes depicting the faces of saints. Drawings amazing in their beauty were painted on the choirs, as well as in the cell intended for the Reverend.

For his own monastery in the Church of Euphrosyneacquired an icon of the Mother of God (the miraculous Hodegetria of Ephesus). According to legend, the Evangelist Luke himself wrote it.

Altar Cross

A special place in the new temple was given to the item made by the best jeweler of Kievan Rus Lazar Bogsha. This is the cross of Euphrosyne of Polotsk. It was ordered by a nun especially for the church she built. The exact date of manufacture (1161) and the name of the master were visible on the cross.

The Cross of Euphrosyne of Polotsk has a six-pointed shape. According to theologians, such a decision is a symbol of the primitive light. The six ends of the cross mean those six days during which the Lord created the world. A masterpiece of ancient jewelry art was decorated with illustrations relating to the entire history of the New Testament, as well as the ancient church. The cross (see photo) of Euphrosyne of Polotsk had images of Christ and the Mother of God, the Archangel Gabriel and Michael, the apostles Paul and Peter, St. Euphrosyne herself, as well as John the Baptist. Precious metals and stones decorated this historically significant item.

But the relics were given special value by particles of holy relics. So, in the upper crosshairs on the front side of the Cross, the Blood of Christ was placed. A little lower is the "Life-Giving Tree". In the upper crosshair on the reverse side there was a stone taken from the Sepulcher of the Most Holy Theotokos, and below was a particle of the Holy Sepulcher.

Unfortunately, during the war with Nazi Germany, the shrine disappeared without a trace. This Cross, like the notorious Amber Room, is considered one of the most valuable works of art, the search forwhich are still ongoing. To date, in the St. Euphrosyne Polotsk Monastery there is an exact copy of the relic, which was made in 1997 by the Brest jeweler-enameller N. P. Kuzmich.

Monastery

Euphrosyne of Polotsk is considered the founder of not only the convent. By her order, a monastery was built, and with him - the church of St. Mother of God.

Subsequently, both monasteries became real centers of education for the Principality of Polotsk. In the schools opened under them, young people learned to write and read and write. Libraries and workshops for writing books worked here, as well as icon painting and jewelry work. The Monk Euphrosyne of Polotsk herself created and then wrote down prayers and sermons. But in addition to her educational activities, the nun was known to contemporaries as an adviser, peacemaker and fair judge.

Last years of life

Being in old age, Euphrosyne decided to go on a pilgrimage to holy Jerusalem. There she, being exhausted after a long journey, fell ill and soon died. The princess of Polotsk was buried not far from Jerusalem, in the monastery of St. Theodosius. In 1187, the reburial of the saint took place. Her remains were transported to the Feodosiev cave of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. Only in 1910 the relics of the saint were delivered to Polotsk.