Who wrote the work Nestor the chronicler. Rev. Nestor the Chronicler

On the way to monasticism

Venerable Nestor the Chronicler was a native of Kiev. We don’t know anything about the exact date of birth, the details of his childhood and youth. There is reason to believe that Nestor was born in the 50s of the XI century.

At the age of seventeen, Nestor, wanting to link his life with the monastic work, came to two blessed fathers: the Monk Anthony (the founder of Russian monasticism) and the Monk Theodosius. Of course, in the ascetics of the saints of the righteous of God, he humbly asked them not to drive him away, but to allow him to remain with them in obedience.

At this time, Anthony lived in a secluded cave, in a sacred silence, pleasing God with unceasing heartfelt prayer. Theodosius was engaged in the dispensation of the monastic monastery. The Providence of God Nestor remained with the venerable fathers.

Even before initiation into monasticism, he discovered in front of them a willingness to live a strict monastic life. Despite his youth and the many difficulties associated with the weakness of the flesh, Nestor showed the fathers firmness in the desire to follow the path of salvation.

Through them, he was sanctified and enlightened as through two great lamps of God. He zealously and meekly carried out his obedience, accustomed to humility, meekness, forgiveness, vigil, heartfelt prayer and free poverty. Feeding to his mentors the most sincere respect and love, he executed every word without complaint, with joy and confidence.

Angelic ministry

After the blessed death of Anthony (1073) and Theodosius (1074), he himself seemed to have died for the world.

From the hegumen of the Pechersk monastery, Rev. Stephen, Nestor took the angelic image, and soon he was elevated to the rank of hierodeacon.

The monks of the Pechersky Monastery were famous for many virtues. Wanting to imitate the Redeemer, they willingly performed the most difficult daily feats. Someone ate only raw or boiled grass, someone pursued a prayer vigil, someone in earthly bows. All of them were united by the fact that they unanimously remained in faith, hope, love, as befits the brothers of the Orthodox monastery.

Having assumed the angelic image (two-fold: as a monk and as a deacon), Nestor became similar to the disembodied heavenly servants: with even more jealousy, he pleased God with obedience and prayer, began to increase in himself Christian virtues. At the same time, he did not hypocritically consider himself a sinner unworthy of the gifts of God.

Pursuing ascetic work and experiencing Divine goodness, Nestor did not deny the significance of theoretical knowledge. He valued the godly books as a treasury of Truth, allegorically compared them with rivers that flood the universe. It is believed that his special obedience was the compilation of chronicles.

So, in the 80s of the XI century, he recorded the life of his spiritual teacher,. But perhaps the most outstanding creative work of Nestor the Chronicler was the history of the development of the Russian land. He is believed to have completed this work by the year 1112-1113.

In essence, it included a complex of various legends, processed and presented in the form of a single whole piece. Historical facts are closely intertwined in it with the history of the development of the Church. The history of Russia itself is presented here as an important and integral part of world history. Fundamentality and clarity of work gives the author a husband of great scholarship and faith.

In 1091, the brethren, moved by the Holy Spirit, gathered at the head of the hegumen at the council, where, after consulting, they determined to dig up the relics of St. Theodosius buried beforehand in the cave and solemnly transfer them to the Pechersk church. According to the hegumen's word, Nestor, having prepared the necessary instrument, chose helpers from the brothers and headed for the burial of the saint. Read the prayers and began to dig. Dug alternately, evening and night; however, to get to the honest relics did not work. And only when they struck the bell, at that very moment Nestor suddenly realized that he had got to the relics.

This event itself was accompanied by miraculous signs: the brethren in the monastery saw pillars of fire. Relics reverently moved to the prepared place. Subsequently, Nestor witnessed other miracles and signs performed by the power of God through this shrine.

Having achieved, with the help of God, holiness and Reverend Nestor peacefully rested in the Lord in 1114, bequeathed to the brothers to continue the chronicle of the history of Russia compiled by him, which was done. In its present form, this chronicle is known to us by its name:.

In addition, other works of the Chronicler came to us, for example:,.

Troparion to Nestor the Chronicler, Pechersk, in the Near Caves, voice 4

The great princes of the Russian acts / and the reverend father of Pechersk lives and miracles written, / his own, to God-Wisdom Nestor, many ti for the sake of virtues name / written in the heavenly mind, // pray and write in the Book of Animals.

Biography of Nestor the Chronicler

Nestor    - Rev., a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery; he was tonsured a monk, then ordained deacon.
   In 1091 he was instructed to open the relics of the prep. Theodosius. He died about 1114. Other information about him is not preserved.
   For a long time prep. Nestor was credited with compiling the first Russian chronicle, "", but since about half of the nineteenth century this opinion has been shaken. His defenders were based on the postscript of Nestor, as a compiler, in the Khlebnikov arch (XV - XVI centuries) and on the words of the black-faced Polycarp in his message to the Kiev-Pechersk archimandrite Akindin (XIII century): "as blessed Nestor wrote in a chronicler .. . " P.S. Kazansky was one of the first to point out ("Otech. Zap." For 1851) to a significant number of contradictions of the chronicle with other works of Nestor, which undoubtedly belong to him: "The Legend of Boris and Gleb" and "Life of Theodosius". Other researchers even argued that the originator of the chronicle was not only not Nestor, but not even a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk monastery.
   The Life of Theodosius (written about 1088) is considered to be a model of chronicle biography in its completeness and slimness. It is rich in information about the Kiev-Pechersk monastery and the people who lived in it. "Life" in Russian is printed by the preosv. Filaret in the "Scientific Notes of the II Department of the Academy of Sciences" (1856, II t.).
Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Nestor the Chronicler

Nestor - The monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, the first Russian chronicler, according to the study of Tatischev, Miller and Schlozer, was born in 1056, but his birthplace is not known for certain, Tatishchev, based on the Königsberg list of the Nestor Chronicle, considers his Belo-Ozero homeland because This list (according to the St. Petersburg edition of 1767). Nestor is presented talking about Prince Sineus that he is sitting with us on Bela Lake. But others in the Koenigsberg original read this with a slip and instead of the words printed in our side, they say only the word Sineus, and the writer of the History of the Kingdom of Chersonese of Tavria printed in Russian in 1806 in St. Petersburg (Volume 1, p. 542 Korsun, or Kherson, the Greek city, considers Nestorov to be his fatherland, and calls Nestor himself a Greek, concluding, perhaps, from the fact that Nestor in his Annals described Korsunskaya Church and the Chambers of Vladimir and the Princess of Greece there, as if he himself was a local resident. . But Korsun and the Russians, who then had close trade ties with the Greeks, could be known in detail. Yes, and Nestor himself could take a trip there for viewing this source of enlightenment in Russia. There is also the opinion of one Mazuro-Polish writer (Lelevel, Vilna Professor) that he seemed to be a Pole, because, de, he lived in Kiev, and he himself called Kievians Polyany, i.e. Poles. (See the Competition Enlightenment Magazine, 1821, No. 5). Anyway, until now everyone agreed that Nestor was a natural Slavo-Russ.

At 17 years of age, as he wrote about himself in the Annals, he came to the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery and was tonsured into Monasticism by Stephen, Hegumen of Pechersk; and then consecrated to Deacon. In 1091, he was instructed, with his two Brothers, to find the Relics of St. Theodosius, which he acquired. More than this, nothing is known from his Life, but it is only said in Paterik Pechersky that he "enjoyed the summer, laboring in the business of Chronicles and eternal remembering the summer, and please taco please the Creator in the summer, to him for an eternity temporary repose for eternity, and it is laid in the Cave. "

Miller concludes from his words of satisfaction that he lived 59, and Schlozer was 60 years old. The first one says that he, having lived 40 years in the Monastery, i.e. from 1113, he began to write his Chronicle and continued to the end of his life, i.e. until 1115, and according to Schlezerov, until 1116. But Tatishchev believes only until 1094, because, in 1093, he ended with devout exhortation and the word Amen. Miller and Schlezer refute his opinion firstly, by the fact that it was not under this year alone that Amen was put; and secondly, that the first successor of his Annals Sylvester, Vydubitsky Hegumen, could not tell about himself during the invasion of the Polovtsian Prince Bonyak to Kiev: and coming to the Monastery, to us who exist after Kelly, then Nestor wrote back 1096 and continued to about 1116, where already Sylvester directly puts his name. But in the original list of Lavrentievsky, in comparison with Königsberg, which when printed in this place, as in many others, is spoiled and mixed, it is clear that Nestor finished writing his Chronicle 6618, i.e. 1110, and Sylvester began with 6619, i.e. 1111, and finished 6624 or 1116. Here are the words of Silvestrov: "Behold, Igumen Sylvester St. Michael, the writer (and maybe just wrote off) these Chronicler books, hoping from God the mercy of accepting (Grand) Prince Volodymyr, prince of him Kyiev (in Kiev), and I the time of the abbess (the igumen was formerly) of St. Michael at 6624 Indykta, 9 years old, and whosoever reads these books, then be in prayers. " Then he, or anyone else, begins the continuation of Letopis: in the summer of 6619 there was a spring in Polovtsy, Svyatopolk Volodymer, and so on. After Sylvester, from 1116 Nestorov continued the Chronicle, according to the legend of Tatishchev, Nifont, Igumen of Volyn (see the article on Nifont) and brought it to 1157. After his unknown continued onuyu until 1203; and since that time great differences begin in the Chronicles and prove that the successors were different. Of these, according to Tatishchev, they are known only by the names of Simon, Bishop of Volodymyr, and John, the Priest of Novgorod. (See the articles about them in their places.) But Nestorov and the followers of his original have never been found anywhere else, and probably all of them have been lost for a long time, and there are only numerous lists left in various Russian libraries. Of the manuscripts of the haratais now known to us are Pushkin, written in the 2nd half of the 14th century, Lavrentievsky - in 1377, the former Trinity of the 15th century, burned down in Moscow in 1812; and paper - Ipatyevsky, Khlebnikovskiy, Kenigsberg, Rostov and others. Of these, Radzivilovsky, or Königsberg, was printed in St. Petersburg in 1767 in a 4 sheet share. However, quite faulty. For, at Miller’s proposal to publish it, Taubert, President of the Academy of Sciences, entrusted this task to Translator Ivan Barkov, who was completely incapable of, and, as Schlozer writes, even allowed him to produce another, add an ancient language to the new one. Miller could not dispute this pleasures and refused to participate in this publication, and Schlozer according to the outline of Taubert composed the Preface to this. After the Koenigsberg list, Nikonovsky was published in St. Petersburg 1767-1792. in 8 parts; then Novgorodsky first in Moscow in 1781, Novgorodsky second in St. Petersburg in 1786, Bezymyanny in Moscow in 1784, Sophia in St. Petersburg in 1796, only the 1st part, and so on. All in 4 dl., Except Novgorod second. Another Sofia 1820 and 1821. in Moscow, 2 parts. The Historical Society began to publish the Lavrentyev List, however, it did not end. Another beginning of this edition is made in St. Petersburg. And the most important edition of Nestor's Annals is Schlozerov, the Conflicted Nestor, who the writer has been working on for 40 years. He explained the most difficult places in it, comparing different lists with one another, with Byzantine and Middle Ages Latin historians, from whom Nestor drew. Almost everything unintelligible in ancient Nestor Cosmography has now become comprehensible by comparing Russian names with Greek and Latin names found in Sinkella in the Easter Chronicle, in Cedrin and in Western Writers. It is now known that Nestor borrowed a lot from the Annals of Archimandrite George Amartalos, a Greek historian of the 9th century, not yet written in original, but in the Slavonic translation has long been known. The first part of his Nestor, printed in German in 1802, was devoted to Schlozer to Emperor Alexander I. The next 4 parts came out one after the other, and the last was printed in 1809, all in Göttingen. This arch is finished by Schlozer on Prince Yaropolk. This essay useful for our History is translated into Russian with some only change in the order of the composer. For the translator of the 1st and 2nd parts of the original joined together, from the last taking only the Introduction, and composed his 1st, and the rest of the 2nd part, joining the 3rd parts of the original, composed his 2nd, and from the rest his third. This translation of the 1st part was printed in St. Petersburg in 1809, the 2nd in 1816, and the 3rd in 1819, under the name Nestor.

Russian Chronicles in Old Slavonic language are collated, translated and explained by Augustus Louis Schlozer. Even Bayer and Miller argued to us that Rev. Nestor drew a lot from the Greek Chroniclers; and Schlozer found these things much clearer by the drives of the original scripts. It is impossible to think that all of them under Nestor were already translated into Russian, and consequently, Nestor read them in the original Greek. But where he learned this language is probably unknown to this day. About his travels to Greece is not mentioned anywhere. Tatishchev under the year 1031 of his History on behalf of the Chronicler, although he says that in Novgorod be Efrem, who taught us the Greek language, but then Nestor was not yet born and, therefore, this word should not be understood about him. But under the year 1097, Tatishchev put the words on behalf of the Announcer (unless it is a third-party insert): then it happened to me to be in Vladimir, looking for the Schools and the Teachers' instructions — one can also understand Nestor; because from the Chronicle itself it is clear that he was an enlightened husband in his time. But in the Pushkin list, these words are attributed to some Vasily. So, it should be assumed that Nestor learned the Greek language in Kiev itself from the Greek Spirituals, whom in the first centuries of Russian Christianity had always been there enough. Moreover, the Great Princes themselves, from the introduction of the Christian Faith in Russia, immediately began to cave about the enlightenment of their people. Vladimir, according to Nestor, “started poimati from deliberate Chadi and give books to the teaching. And Yaroslav collected many scribes, and invited Greek to Slovene letters and save many books, by their own faith. Many of them also knew our Greek language . So, enlightenment was based in Russia before Nestor. Therefore he, though in monastic humility in the Preface to the Life History of Rev. Theodosius calls himself an unlearned nickname of the same trick, but in his younger years, joining the Monastery, where science always held on, could conveniently acquire knowledge of languages; while reading foreign books, brought by the Greeks, between which, of course, Historical was sufficient, could have gotten ready to write the History of their Fatherland in their own language, following the example of the Byzantines. This is proved by the fact that he begins his Time Warmer, like Byzantine Historians, with Biblical Genealogy; in many even places, as Schlozer argued in his Specific Nestor, he rewrote or translated entire pages from the Greek Chronicles, word for word, kept their order and time counts. But, most remarkable of all, writing back in the XI century, when Europe was covered with the darkness of barbarism, he did not fill his Chronicle with such fables about the origin and ancestors of nations like others, after his former Chroniclers of the North. True, following the Byzantine Historians, he begins his Annals of the General People’s Production of the Population, and from there he derives it from the descendants of the Slavs, but, having reached the description of the North, he suddenly reveals such information about the Northern peoples that he does not have in any of them. He accurately means their dwellings, distinguishes the peoples adjacent to and distant from the Slavs, notices their transitions and connections, and then proceeds especially to the History of the Northern Slavs. The sources of his stories are unknown to us. But he could have any notes of ancestors; He learned a lot, as he himself announces, from his comrade, Monk Jan, who lived 90 years old, who died in 1106, and therefore, was born in 1016, a year after the death of Grand Prince Vladimir; and much himself was a contemporary. Moreover, he leads the History of his people with a little only after 250 years, and therefore could still have fairly faithful Traditions. The fidelity of his legends is proved by the fact that although the successors and census takers of his Chronicles were sometimes added by some local news from other countries, Nestor may not have reached the end; but from his own legends they never dared to change anything, but perhaps from a misunderstanding, being not so much knowledgeable in foreign literature as he did, only spoiled his own names and names, or shortened and interpreted according to his own concept, and through that made much absurd in the Chronicle and wrong; essentially the same narrative Nestor always remained, in a different form only. The foreigners themselves paid tribute to Nestor by writing their own many news from him and applying them to their people, who could not find anything more reliable. Schlozer, a skillful and discerning Historian and Critic, having demolished him with all the Northern Chroniclers, found him the only and real Russian Historian. "This Russ," he says, "in comparison with the later Scots and the Poles, is as excellent as sometimes eclipsed by reason before incessant folly."

Although the beginning of his Chronicle, he imitated the Byzantines, but the syllable of his narrative is more like the biblical than the Byzantine. His personalities speak for themselves, as in the Old Testament Historical Books. He often introduces the sayings of Holy Scripture, makes devout or moral reflections instead of philosophical-critical arguments, describes signs and wonders. This thing should not have been expected of Monk, and especially in those times. We find the same thing in all the Stories written by the Spiritual of those times. The calculation of his time begins, according to the Koenigsberg list, from the year 858, and according to Lavrentievsky, from the year 852, but at first very confusingly and with the omissions of many years. Perhaps this happened from the mistakes and omissions of the scribes - and since 879 he has already described everything more extensively and precisely. Foreigners from the 17th century only became aware of the name of this our chronicler. Herbinius and Berg already refer to him, and Leibniz wanted to have a list with his Chronicle. But then the error in the argument of Nesterov was born in 1752. Translating Nesterov's Chronicle, abbreviated printed in German at the Millerovo Assembly of Russian History, did not understand the words: The Book of the Chronicler of the Black Russian of the Feodosiyev Monastery accepted the word "Feodosiyev" for "Theodosius" and called it this name. Because of this, many foreigners called him Theodosius for a long time, until Miller explained the mistake in his Monthly Writings, to the benefits and amusement of employees, for 1755 in the month of April, when describing Life and Chronicles of Nestor. Others have also joined this error, and, for example, in the Ekherovoi Scientist Lexicon, 1751 edition, it is said that Nestor lived in the 17th century. Moller in the Description of his Estland and Livonia, ed. in Swedish in 1756, he does not even believe that Nestor would ever exist, and so on. (See in Schlezer.) In addition to the Russian Annals, Nestor, in the general opinion, wrote The Lives of the Monks of the Caves, placed in the 1st part of Paterik Pechersky, printed for the first time in Kiev in 1661, in a sheet, and then many times. But these Lives have not come down to us in the form in which they emerged from his pen. Because Nestor himself is mentioned in them already in the third person. In the Preface to Pateriku, it is said that the original was lost during military turmoil; and Simon, Bishop of Volodymyr and Suzdal kept them for us, choosing only the most memorable of them.

It is also impossible to decide rightly, before or after his Annals Nestor wrote these Life Biographies. Schlozer believes that before; and Tatishchev says that after; but he and the other say these things to confirm each one's opinion in the reasoning of the end of his Chronicle. On the contrary, one member of the Society of Russian History and Antiquities proves that Nestor did not write a special Paterik, and the biographies in Paterik, ascribed to him, included in his Chronicle, from which they were descendants transferred to Paterik. (See Notes and Proceedings of the Society of Historical and Ancient Russian. Part 1. p. 53 et seq.) In the Preface to the Biography of the Teacher. Theodosius, on the handwritten Paterikam, Nestor himself speaks: first writing about Life and the destruction, and about the Holy Blissful Passion-Bearer Boris and Gleb, and come to another confession (ie Life Theodosievo) to come. But these words in the printed Patericke are omitted, and the biography of those Princes, written by Nestor, has not yet been published yet, but it is between the manuscripts in the library of the late Chancellor Graf N.P. Rumyantsev. At the end of this list, it is written: Sinzha Nester is sinful about Life and destruction, and about the miracle of Holy Sacred and Passionate Serpent I am more dangerous than the leading writings, I myself have brought together the other, from many few, and honored God with respect. I pray you and respectfully, but for the love of God, remember me and say: God Prayer to the blessed Boris and Gleb's Passion-bearer cleanse the sins of those who have written off, you will receive grace and generosity and humanity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as the Father Glory with Saint. Spirit now and ever. - It is remarkable that the writer of the Life of the Blessed Princes of these, placed in the Power Books, used this Nesterov composition, but supplemented it from others.
Biografija.ru

Nestor (50-ies. XI. Century / 1114) - Kiev chronicler. The main achievement of Nestor's life was the compilation in 1112/1113. "Tale of Bygone Years". "... Where did the Russian land come from, who in Kiev started to reign first and where did the Russian land come from?" - this is how Nestor defined the goal of his work from the first lines. His works have been reprinted several times. Last edition: “The Tale of Bygone Years”, St. Petersburg, 1997. The text was translated into modern language by D.S. Likhachev, B.A. Romanov, O.V. Curd, AG Kuzmin.

Guryeva T.N. New Literary Dictionary / T.N. Guriev. - Rostov n / a, Phoenix, 2009, p. 189-190.

Nestor the Chronicler, Pechersky (c. 1056-1114), compiler of the Tale of Bygone Years, was born in Kiev, at seventeen he entered Kiev-Pechersk Convent as a novice. It was adopted by the founder of the monastery Theodosius. By the purity of his life, prayer and zeal the young ascetic soon surpassed even the most famous Pechersk elders. After being tonsured as a monk, he was awarded the rank of hierodeacon. His main obedience in the monastery was the book business. In addition to the “Tale of Bygone Years,” he wrote the life of the first Russian saints - the martyrs of Boris and Gleb, the life of St. Nicholas. Theodosius - the founder of the correct monastic life in Russia, the tales of the first Pechersk devotees, and many others. other

Memory prp. Nestor is celebrated on October 27 / November 9, September 28 / October 11 and in the 2nd week of Great Lent.

Nestor (XI - beginning of the XII century.) - Chronicler. The origin and life of Nestor before monastic tonsure is unknown. In the 70s of the XI century, he became a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery and soon received a deacon. Wrote works on Boris and Glebe   and Theodosia of Pechersk   . Traditionally considered the author of the first edition. "Tale of Bygone Years"   , the main source of the initial period of the history of ancient Russia, compiled app. 1113   year and not come down to our time. Buried in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

Used materials of the book: A. Shikman. Figures of national history. Biographical directory. Moscow, 1997.

Nestor (god of birth and death is not set) - a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk monastery (from the 70s of the 11th century), an old Russian historian and publicist. In the 80s he wrote "Reading about the life and destruction of ... Boris and Gleb" and "Life ... Theodosius". In these writings, along with the preaching of Christian ideas, emphasized the independence of Russia in relation to Byzantium, condemned princely strife. According to many researchers, Nestor was the compiler of the greatest work of ancient Russian historical thought - The Tale of Bygone Years, which appeared around 1113. In the "Tale" reveals the author's broad horizons, his ardent patriotic feeling, feudal-Christian and folk-heroic motifs are difficult to intertwine. The tomb of Nestor is located in the caves of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

A.M. Sakharov. Moscow.

Soviet historical encyclopedia. In 16 volumes. - M .: Soviet encyclopedia. 1973-1982. Volume 10. Nakhimson - Pergam. 1967.

Literature: M. Priselkov, chronicler Nestor, P., 1923; his own, History of Rus. chronicles of the XI-XV centuries., L., 1940; Likhachev D.S., "The Tale of Bygone Years" (Historical and Literary Essay), in the book: The Tale of Bygone Years, Part 2, M.-L., 1950; his, Rus. Chronicles and their cultural and historical value, M.-L., 1947.

Nestor, a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery (c. 1056-1114), a spiritual writer, thinker, chronicler, author of The Tale of Bygone Years. From Nestor's The Life of Theodosius of the Caves, written by Nestor, we learn that he was tonsured with an igum. Stefan (the years of his hegumenism are 1074-78) and he was elevated to the “deacon’s dignity” and that even before the “Life of Theodosius” he read “Reading about Boris and Gleb”.

"The reading of the life and the destruction of the blessed passion-bearer of Boris and Gleb" was written by Nestor according to the canon of life-martyria (that is, the life of the saint-martyr). The stories of the death of the sons of Vladimir Svyatoslavich Nestor provide a broad historical introduction, which reflects on the eternal struggle between good and evil. According to Nestor, Russian history is the struggle between good and evil, the eternal good principles of the human soul with the demonic temptation of the forces of evil. Boris and Gleb appear in the "Reading" as active advocates of Christian ideals - humility and brotherly love, and Svyatopolk appears as an instrument of devilish intrigues. Reading is inferior in fame and prevalence to the anonymous Tale of Boris and Glebe (see: The Life of Boris and Gleb, the oldest reading list we know of refers to the 16th century.

After “Reading,” Nestor writes “The Life of Our Monk Father Theodosius, Hegumen of Pechersk,” which tells about the life and deeds of one of the founders of the monastery. As is typical of the lives of the righteous who work in the monastery, the Life of Theodosius is notable for the liveliness of the characteristics of the monks and laity. Nestor achieves the illusion of believability in the description of miracles performed by Theodosius, artfully depicting everyday details, naturally conveying the characters' dialogues. The image of Mother Theodosius stands out in particular in the “Life”: contrary to tradition, Nestor portrays a pious Christian woman, not devoid of any individual traits, appearing in the conditional role of the saint's mother, but, on the contrary, portraying a powerful, resolute woman who does not stop her son’s religious aspirations and does not stop in order to brutally beat up or put on a chain a child who dreams only of godly deeds and tonsure. Theodosius’s life image is also complex and, perhaps, close to its prototype (Nestor probably relied not so much on literary tradition as on eyewitnesses ’stories about Theodosia): differing in monastic life with extraordinary humility, Theodosius nevertheless sharply condemns unseemly acts of humor . Svyatoslav. Researchers found plot motifs in the “Lives”, supposedly borrowed from translated Byzantine lives, but probably we should speak only about the similarity of situations: Nestor always fills the story with specific features of Kiev life and monastic life of the XI century. In this regard, such an episode is interesting: the prince, who was somewhere outside the city, entrusts a certain lad to take Theodosius on a cart to Kiev. Seeing the poorly dressed Theodosius, the young man takes him for a simple monk and, condescendingly reproaching him for constant idleness (“you are all days old”), suggests changing places: the young man will sleep in a cart, and let Theodosius rule the horse. True to his customs, Theodosius humbly agrees. But when the travelers approached Kiev, the young man notices the extraordinary respect provided to Theodosius, and with fear understands his mistake. In this episode, in addition to the purely moralizing idea of ​​the glorification of Theodosius's humility, there are many living details: mention of the attitude towards monks far from pious respect, and the everyday features of princely life, and a purely realistic image of the hegumen himself, who walks alongside the horse when his eyes begin to stick together .

In 1113-18 Nestor compiled the oldest chronicle set, The Tale of Bygone Years, which was later included in almost all the chronicle sets.

In The Tale of Bygone Years, Nestor views earthly life as a confrontation between good and evil, and not only as a struggle between God's envoys and the servants of Satan, but as a confrontation between good and evil people. The latter are more dangerous than demons, for “the demons of God are afraid of God,” and an evil person is not afraid of God or a person. It is through them that the world's evil multiplies.

Memory prp. Nestor celebrates Sep. 28 / Oct. 11, Oct. 27 / Nov. 9 and in the 2nd week of Lent.

T. O., D. K.

Used materials site Great Encyclopedia of the Russian people - http://www.rusinst.ru

Nestor Hagiograph and Nestor Chronicler

Nestor (middle XI - beginning of the XII century.) - writer hagiographer   . A convent of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, Nestor was the author of the most ancient Russian lives "Readings about the life and destruction of the blessed martyrs Boris and Gleb" and "Lives of our reverend Father Theodosius, hegumen of Pechersky." One of the first he developed in his works the ideas of Christian providentialism, as well as the principle of rigid opposition of spiritual and material principles, acted as an ideologist of monastic asceticism and non-possessiveness. Biographical information about him is extremely stingy. In Kiev-Pechersk monastery, he cut his hair after 1074. Here he was elevated to the rank of deacon. He spent the rest of his life working on the lives that glorified him by his name in Vladimir Volynsky, where he became a scribe who knows and possesses a rare literary gift. The creation of the “Reading about the Life of Boris and Gleb” dates back to the end of the 11th - the beginning of the 12th century, and the Life of Theodosius dates back to about 1108, when, on the initiative of Svyatopolk II, the canonization of the Pechersk devotee was performed.

The Reading about the Life of Boris and Gleb is the first ancient Russian hagiographic composition written according to the laws of the life genre, although the Christian church does not know any direct hagiographic samples that would correspond to the lives of the passion-bearers. It was supposed to replace the “Legend about the Life of Boris and Gleb” created a little earlier, reflecting the old Russian cult of the martyr princes in close popular understanding of the world and far from canonical (with elements of dual faith) interpretation. In the "Reading", the perfidiously killed princes act as mediators, begging for God's indulgence towards people. They are in every respect exemplary saints, personalities are absolutely pious, whose way of life is a preparation for martyrdom. The whole narrative is subordinated to the central moral-edifying idea of ​​patience, humility and obedience. The fact of the death of princes in an internecine struggle turns into an abstract, as if timeless, moral example, a kind of sacral act, comparable to the sacrificial feat of the Son of God. Their death, according to Nestor, shows not the weakness, but the admirable force of overcoming the attraction of the worldly world. In this way, perhaps for the first time in ancient Russian thought, the primacy of spirituality is absolutized and the installations of spiritual-practical activity that are unknown to the Slavic-Russian society are being formulated. Nestor proceeds from the fundamental incompatibility of the ideal and the material principle of being. The rupture of the two planes of being is overcome by sacrifice, which is regarded as a way of liberation from the materiality of life and a breakthrough into another world, as the path of communion with a higher ideal. The logic of the actions of the princes is not ordinary earthly, respectively, and an adequate assessment is possible only from the standpoint of monastic detachment from the carnal and the earthly. The monk conquers the world by the feat of austerity and abstinence (death for the world), the feat of the princes is the real death for the sake of overcoming the carnal, vain, leading away earthly existence from God. At the same time, all events in the life are predetermined by a craft that permeates the life of the heroes from birth to death. Hence the conclusion about the God-established world order.

In social terms, this leads to the conclusion about the inviolability of the hierarchy, obedience to elders, and in personal terms - obedience to fate. In the literature “Reading about the Life of Boris and Gleb” was often regarded as a condemnation of civil strife. But providential perception of reality suppresses the manifestation of such protest. It was not condemnation that followed from the attitude towards overcoming creaturely being, but the denial of the vain worldly life as such, with all its passions, material concerns and dissension. In The Life of Theodosius, an image of an ideal earthly life was created, overcoming the imperfection of the created world in the feat of monasticism. In contrast to the “Reading”, the hagiographic subjects and techniques involved are not supplanting the real biographical basis of life. Nestor formulated the main features of the Russian type of ascetic holiness. This austerity is strict, but accessible, not requiring anything superhuman, its basis is bodily abstinence, prayer and fasting, the main thing is not absolute seclusion for the sake of own salvation, but service to the world.

The ascetic's sacrificial feat consists of work for the common good, in combination with material and spiritual help to those who need it, and constant prayers for the forgiveness of sinners and the lost. Here, the temptation of complete detachment from life, politics and culture, outlined by the “Reading,” is overcome, although the corresponding moral values ​​are preserved. The principle of the ontological secondary nature of the material in relation to the ideal sphere of the divine remains unshakable. The feud of Theodosius is still an example of movement from the world to God, but this movement is multifaceted, not limited to a complete rejection of worldly temptations and the cutting off of carnal passions. Ultimately, the choice between God and the world, spirit and passion is made in favor of the first. The fatalistic principle of God's care for the world, which Nestor justifies the uselessness of worries about the earth (the requirement not to be burdened with material worries, to live in charity in the hope that God should take care of everything) is consistently carried out in the Life.

Nestor proclaims the revelation given by God to his chosen ones as the source of absolute knowledge. Therefore, Theodosius, not experienced in wisdom, turns out to be wiser than philosophers. However, from this postulate, Nestor does not unfold the apology of irrationalism and anti-intellectualism, typical of Christian mystic ascetics. Praising divine wisdom, he nevertheless does not reject the need for teaching and appreciates bookliness. Nestor-hagiographer is often mixed with the Nestor-chronicler, attributing to him the authorship of The Tale of Bygone Years and a series of articles about the Pechersky Monastery included in this story. Textologically proved that hagiographic and chronicle works belong to different Nestor. Nestor the chronicler was a senior contemporary of Nestor the hagiographer, was a pupil of Theodosius and disagreed with Nestor the hagiograph in the interpretation of the history of the Pechersky monastery. In addition to these differences, there are differences in the ideological and political preferences of both authors. Nestor the Chronicler apparently considered it unreasonable to be the summary of the entire Tale of Bygone Years. The oldest chronicle code is attributed to him erroneously because of the error of the monks who knew about the existence of the Pechersk chronicler Nestor and who signed the lists of chronicles copied at the monastery.

Russian philosophy. Encyclopedia. Ed. second, modified and supplemented. Edited by M.A. Olive. Comp. P.P. Apryshko, A.P. Polyakov. - M., 2014, p. 409-411.

Writings:

Life of the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb and their service. Pg., 1915;

Life of Theodosius of Pechersk // Monuments of Literature of Ancient Russia XI - beg. XII century. L., 1978. S. 304-391.

Literature:

Priselkov MD Nestor the chronicler. The experience of historical and literary characteristics. Pg., 1923.

Eremin I. P. To the Characteristics of Nestor as a Writer // Proceedings of the Department of Old Russian Literature (Institute of Russian Literature of the Academy of Sciences). L., 1961. T. 17. S. 54-64:

Boguslavsky S. A. To the question of the nature and volume of the literary activity of Nestor // News of the Department of the Russian Language and Literature of the Academy of Sciences. 1914. T. 19, Vol. 1. P. 131-186;

Kuzmin, A.G. The initial stages of ancient Russian legacy. M., 1977. S. 133-183.

The main Russian chronicler

"The Tale of Bygone Years" remains relevant today

Alphabet, literacy, enlightenment - without these concepts it is impossible, perhaps, the development of spirituality, or, especially, civilization. These are the ways in which sacral, as well as moral, intellectual, aesthetic knowledge is transmitted from generation to generation. All holiness and literacy in Russia went, first of all, from Kiev, the mother of Russian cities, now undergoing severe trials.

   V.M. Vasnetsov. Saint Nestor the chronicler. 1885 -1893

Nestor the Chronicler (commemorated by the Church on November 9th to the new century), who left us the “Tale of Bygone Years” - the most famous of the ancient Russian chronicle writings of the XII century, describing in the Nearby (Rev. Anthony) caves of the Kiev Monastery. mainly the history of the Eastern Slavs, where the story begins from the Flood, covering historical and semi-legendary events that took place in ancient Russia. Otherwise, the monument is called the Chronicle of Nestor or the Primary Chronicle.

It is here that we read the thrilling heart of every Russian Orthodox person about how the holy apostle came to the lands of the future Russia. “When Andrei taught at Sinop and arrived in Korsun, he learned that not far from Korsun the mouth of the Dnieper ... and sailed into the mouth of the Dnieper, and from there he went up the Dnieper. And it so happened that he came and stood under the mountains on the shore. And in the morning he got up and told the disciples who were with him: "You see these mountains? The grace of God will shine on these mountains, there will be a great city, and God will raise many churches." And he went up on these mountains, blessed them, and put up a cross, and prayed to God, and came down from this mountain, where Kiev would later be, and went up the Dnieper. And he came to the Slavs, where Novgorod stands today ... ".

   Tale of Bygone Years ", on the verb

And here is another fragment from the Tale: “After the passage of time, after the death of these brothers (Kyi, Schek and Khoryv), the Drevlyane glades and other surrounding people began to oppress the field. And the Khazars found them sitting on these mountains in the forests and said: "Pay us tribute." Having confessed, they gave the glades smoke from the sword, and the Khazars carried them to their prince and to the elders, and said to them: "Behold, we have found a new tribute." The same asked them: "From where?". They replied: "In the forest on the mountains above the river Dnieper." Again they were asked: "And what was given?". They showed the sword.

And the elders of Khazar said: "This is not a good tribute to the prince: we got her with weapons, sharp only on one side, with sabers, and these weapons are double-edged with swords. They are destined to collect tribute from us and from other lands."

And all this came true, for they did not speak of their will, but by God's command. So it was with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, when Moses was brought to him and the elders of Pharaoh said: "This is destined to humiliate the land of Egypt." And so it happened: the Egyptians died from Moses, and at first the Jews worked for them. In the same way: first they ruled, and after that they ruled over themselves; so it is: the Russian princes are owned by the Khazars even today. ”
* * *

   Rev. Nestor the Chronicler. Icon. XIX century.

This year is 900 years since the death of an outstanding writer and preserver of Russian history, an ascetic of faith. "Kiev-Pechersk Paterik" claims that the Rev. Nestor the Chronicler was born in 1050s in Kiev. As a young man, he came to St. Theodosius, the founder of the Kiev Caves Assumption monastery, and became a novice. He tonsured Nestor the successor of Theodosius, hegumen Stefan.

   The Monk Nestor said: “The great benefit of the book is sometimes useful, the books will punish and teach us the path to repentance, because we gain wisdom and abstinence from book words. These are the rivers that infuse the universe, from which wisdom comes. In the books there is uncountable depth, they are comforted in sorrow, they bridle abstinence. If you diligently look in the books of wisdom, you will gain great benefits for your soul. For he who reads books, talks with God or holy men. "

   Nestor the Chronicler. Reconstruction of the skull SA Nikitin.

Recall that this was said in those times when the book was truly only a source of spiritual wisdom and enlightenment. For a thousand years, much has changed.

The machine of Guttenberg printed, alas, megatons of the most unbridled literature, when the civics included “secular” literature, sometimes sophisticated and perverted to insanity and devilry.

Rev. Nestor carried obedience to the chronicler in the monastery. In the 1080s, he wrote “Reading about the life and destruction of the blessed martyrs Boris and Gleb” - in connection with the transfer of the relics of martyr-brothers to Vyshgorod in 1072. Recall that the brothers-princes were the first saints in Russia, they were canonized in the guise of saints - as the intercessors of the Russian land and the heavenly assistants of the Russian princes.

   Nestor the Chronicler. Beresta. V. Churilov. Kharkov.

At the same time, Rev. Nestor compiled the Life of St. Theodosius of Pechersk, and in 1091, on the eve of the feast of the feast of the Caves, the hegumen John instructed him to excavate the holy relics of St. Theodosius into the church (the memory of the discovery is celebrated on August 14). Historians claim that at the ceremonial opening of the relics of the veneer. Theodosius (1091), the monk Nestor was one of the main actors, and Nestor's great prestige among the brethren of the Pechersk monastery is indicated by the story of the Kiev-Pechersk Paterikon about expelling the demon from Nikita the Recluse from Chernorizets: here, along with such devotees of faith and piety, as igumen Nikon, Pimen Postnik, Agapit Lechets, Gregory the Wonderworker, Isaac Pechernik, Gregory, the canon maker, Onisifor the Seer, - Nestor also stands, "the writing of a chronicler," then still a relatively young monk.

   Monument to Nestor the Chronicler in Kiev. 1988 Sculptor F.M. Sogoyan Architect N. Sour.

The Big Biographical Encyclopedia states: “The most important work is the Life of Theodosius of Pechersk, composed between 1077 and 1088: it alone can give some foothold in the judgments about Nestor as a writer. Using great popularity in Old Russian writing, the life of prep. Feodosia has a rather complex literary history, which can be traced with more or less attentive attitude to the various editorial offices of the Kiev-Pechersk Paterik, in which this Life has long occupied a prominent and honorable place. As a literary work, Nestorovo Life has significant advantages and clearly indicates the author’s great erudition and outstanding education: a good language (Church Slavonic style), a sensible and interesting presentation ... ”.

   But the main achievement of the life of the Monk Nestor was still the compilation to 1112-1113. "Tale of Bygone Years". On the basis of the historical and literary data that science currently has, there is reason to believe that the legendary Nestor Chronicle included “The Legend, that the Caves Monastery”, “The Word of the First Pecherskys”; “A word about transferring the relics of the prep. Theodosius ", as well as a few small notes.

   Lyubech. Monument to Nestor the chronicler.

The monk is justly considered the author of the history of Russia as an integral part of world history, the history of the salvation of the human race.

“This is the story of the time years, from where the Russian land went, who in Kiev started to reign first, and from where the Russian land began to eat,” so Rev. Nestor defined the goal of his work from the first lines.

Nestor was definitely a Russian patriot, as can be judged at least about the events to which he dedicated the pages of his narrative. He tells about the first mention of the Russian people in church sources - in 866, under the holy patriarch of Constantinople, Foti. It also tells about the creation of the Slavic literacy by the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles "Slovenian teachers" Cyril and Methodius. It is from him that we learn about the baptism to Helen of Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga in Constantinople.

   Nestor the Chronicler, author of The Tale of Bygone Years. 1871 Sculptor M.M. Antokolsky.

The chronicle of St. Nestor preserved to us the story about the first Orthodox church in Kiev (945), about the confessional feat of the holy Varyags-martyrs (983), about the famous "testing of faith" by St. Vladimir (986) and the ensuing after that The baptism of Rus (988).

   We owe Nestor also information about the first metropolitans of the Russian Church, about the emergence of the Pechersk monastery on the Kiev Naddnipryansky hills, about its founders and devotees. The monk witnessed the defeat of the Pechersk monastery in 1096.

The spiritual depth, historical fidelity and patriotism of the Tale of Bygone Years put it among the highest creations of our national and world script.

The Monk Nestor the Chronicler died about 1114, having bequeathed the Pechersk monks-chroniclers the continuation of their offspring. In general, in the final form, "The Tale of Bygone Years" is the aggregate work of several monks of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. Hegumen Sylvester, who gave the modern look of the Tale of Bygone Years, became successors of Nestor in the chronicle, Hegumen Moses Vydubitsky, who prolonged it until 1200, Hegumen Laurentius, who wrote in 1377 the oldest extant list that kept the Tale by Reverend Nestor ( "Laurentian Chronicle").

   Laurentian Chronicle, 1377

By the way, under the name "Nestor Chronicles of Pechersk" the Russian saint is included in the list of saints and the Roman Catholic Church.

   The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate established the Order of the name of this saint.

   The main Russian chronicler is immortalized in the sculptural monuments of many cities of Russia. We name only a few.

   Monument to Nestor the Chronicler in Priluki

First of all, the famous monument M. Mikeshina "Millennium of Russia" (1862).

On June 10, 1988, a monument to Nestor the Chronicler was unveiled near the Kiev-Pechersk Convent as a gift from the sculptor F. Sogoyan (architect N. Sour) to the city in connection with the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus.

   There is a monument to Nestor the Chronicler in Novgorod-Seversky and Priluki, where it was installed in honor of the 900th anniversary of the city on the territory of the ancient Val.

In Lyubech, the monument to the chronicler is remarkably unifying in nature: it was installed in 1997 in honor of the famous first congress of Old Russian princes, held here in 1097. As we can see, the Russian unifying theme has been painful for almost a thousand years.

November 9 The Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Nestor the Chronicler. He is known as the compiler of "The Tale of Bygone Years" - the first Russian chronicle in which it is told, "where the Russian Land came from, who began to reign in Kiev, and from where the Russian Land began to eat." Nestor died around 1114, bequeathing the continuation of his work.

The Monk Nestor the Chronicler was born in the fifties of the eleventh century in Kiev. As a young man, he came to the Pechersk monastery to St. Theodosius and became a novice. The tonsion of the future chronicler was already the successor of Theodosius, hegumen Stefan. At the same hegumen monk Nestor becomes a hierodeacon. According to the chronicle data, it did not happen before 1078. The young ascetic soon surpassed even the most famous Pechersk elders with the purity of his life, prayer and zeal.

In the monastery, the Monk Nestor carried the obedience of the chronicler. He deeply appreciated true knowledge. "Great is the benefit of the book doctrine. Books are rivers infusing the universe from which wisdom emanates. In books, there is an indescribable depth, they are comforted in sorrow, they bridle abstinence. If you diligently look in books of wisdom, you will gain great benefits for your soul" - he wrote.

In the 1980s, Nestor wrote "Reading about the Life and Destruction of the Blessed Passion-Bearers of Boris and Gleb" in connection with the transfer of their holy relics to Vyshgorod in 1072. The oldest known to historians "Reading ..." lists refers to the XVI century. The history of the death of the sons of Vladimir Svyatoslavich Nestor Svetoslavich foreshadows an extensive historical introduction, which reflects on the eternal struggle between good and evil. Boris and Gleb appear in the "Reading ..." as bearers of Christian virtues - humility and brotherly love, and Svyatopolk appears as an instrument of devilish intrigues.

A little later, Rev. Nestor compiled the life of St. Theodosius of Pechersk, and in 1091, on the eve of the feast day of the Pechersk monastery, hegumen John instructed him to dig up the holy relics of St. Theodosius to the temple. The image of the mother of Theodosius stands out in particular in the “Life”: contrary to tradition, Nestor portrays a pious Christian woman, not devoid of any individual traits, but, on the contrary, an imperious woman, stern, resolutely opposing the religious aspirations of her son, who does not stop beating or beating up cruelly on the chain of a boy who dreams only of godly deeds and monasticism.

The main fruit of the activities of the Monk Nestor was the compilation of the Tale of Bygone Years, the end of which dates back to 1112-1113 years. The circle of sources of the Kiev chronicler was unusually wide for that time. Nestor used the preceding Russian chronicle vaults and legends, monastic records, the Byzantine chronicles of John Malala and George Hamartol, various historical collections, stories of the old boyar Yana Vyshatich, traders, warriors, travelers. He not only gathered a mass of heterogeneous information, but also led it to a common denominator, having considered it not in the context of a temporary historical situation, but in the context of eternity. Nestor the Chronicler wrote the history of Russia as an integral part of world history, the history of the salvation of the human race.

In The Tale of Bygone Years, Nestor narrates the first mention of the Russian people in church sources in 866, the creation of Slavic letters by the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, the Baptism of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga in Constantinople. The chronicle of St. Nestor preserved to us the story about the first Orthodox church in Kiev, about the confessional feat of the holy Varyags-martyrs Theodore and John, about the "testing of the faith" by the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir and about the Baptism of Russia. We owe to the first Russian church historian information about the first metropolitans of the Russian Church, about the emergence of the Pechersk monastery, which became Lavra after centuries, about its founders and ascetics.

The Monk Nestor died around 1114, having bequeathed the Pechersk monks-chroniclers the continuation of their work. The first Lavra chronicler was buried in the Neighboring Caves of St. Anthony of Pechersk.