Francysk Skaryna

Артыкул прысвечаны “Апосталу” Ф. Скарыны, які пабачыў свет у сакавіку 1525 г. і стаў першым дакладна датаваным выданнем, выпушчаным ў Вялікім Княстве Літоўскім. Разглядаецца змест і структура, мастацкая аздоба і паліграфічнае выкананне выдання, аналізуюцца захаваныя ў свеце асобнікі і магчымасці вяртання кніжнага помніка ў навуковы і грамадскі ўжытак Беларусі.

=====

The article is devoted to the first exactly dated edition, "The Apostle" by F. Skaryna, printed in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Th e book was published in March 1525. Th e content and structure, artistic decoration and printing publication’s implementation are considered.

The paper observes the Great-Russian copies of Fr. Skaryna’s forewords for the Bible books translated by him: the language forms of the copies were edited by Muscovite bookmen according their ideas about the Church Slavonic norm. Furthermore, there are specified information on other handwritten copies of Skaryna’s books which are deposited in Moscow archives.

Concerning time of birth of the first book publisher in Grand Duchy of Lithuania, most diverse theories have been expressed. The spectrum of opinions is extraordinarily wide and full of contradictions. For lack of new documents, which could pour new light on F. Skaryna’s life, we have to be content with the few available sources. The article examines his known portrait from 1517 and studies the included text elements (parenthesis), primarily with help of semiological analysis. Although there is a large amount of literature about the publisher’s portrait, it hasn’t been studied within the most obvious and obligatory genre paradigm – the European and in particular Czech Portrait paintings of the first quarter of 16th century. Skaryna’s portrait is the second precisely dated Czech portrait in the Renaissance period and the first portrait of a bourgeoisie representative. All Czech portraits from the first half of the 16th century contain information about the age of the pictured person at the time the portrait was taken. The portrait of F. Skaryna is no exception. The embedded inscriptions, traditionally attached to portraits, inform us, according to a common practice of the era, about «doctor Francysk Skaryna, aged 47 years, pictured in 1517». The combination of letters М and З, earlier interpreted as artist’s or painter’s signature (*MƷ), actually means age of the depicted person (МЗ = 47 [years]). The same pattern, occuring most often in Latin (ANNO … ÆTATIS SUÆ … ; 1522 ÆT XXII; Aº. 1519 ÆT 27), can be found on countless tempera, oil and engraved portraits from 15th and 16th century. The portrait of the Ruthenian publisher from 1517 is a paraphrase of the well-known engraving «Saint Jerome in His Study» («Der heilige Hieronymus im Gehäus») by A. Dürer from 1514. Since he wasn’t just an average imitator, the inventive Prague artist transformed the inspiration source, but at the same time, both the mutual connection (St. Jerome = Fr. Skaryna) and the allusion remained obvious. «Monogrammist IP», i.e. the skilful author of Skaryna’s portrait, can be for many reasons identified as «Master of the Litoměřice Altarpiece». Largely speaking, he was the only artist we know of, who worked with the aforementioned genre at that time. The portrait from 1517 brings an important biographic detail to light and reveals that F. Skaryna lived a long life. The time of his life (taking in account critical reading of sources from 1541 and 1552) stretched from 1470 to 1551/52. In 2020, 550 years will have passed since F. Skaryna was born.

кандидат гістарычных навук А. А. Скеп'ян, кандидат гістарычных навук К. В. Сыцько Францыск Скарына: даўнія фактыновыя ідэі / Нац. акад, навук Ф84 Беларусі, Цэнтр. навук. б-ка імя Якуба Коласа ; уклад. Аляксандр Груша; рэдкал.: А. I. Груша [і інш.].-Мінск : Беларуская навука, 2021.-159 с. ISBN 978-985-08-2770-8. Зборнік артыкулаў прысвечаны біблеісту, перакладчыку і выдаўцу Святого Пісання, пісьменніку і першадрукару Вялікага Княства Літоўскага Францыску Скарыне. Арти кулы даследчыкаў з Беларусі, Літвы, Чэхіі і Францыі праліваюць святло на такія пытанні, як творчая самасвядомасць Скарыны, мова яго перакладу Кнігі Быццё, прынцыпы працы пісьменніка з крыніцамі, яго інтэлектуальнае асяроддзе, час выдання «Малой падарожнай кніжкі». Разлічаны на прафесійных даследчыкаў, выкладчыкаў і студэнтаў, а таксама ўсіх, хто цікавіцца асобай і дзейнасцю Францыска Скарыны. УДК [655.11(476)(092)+929Скарына](082) ББК 76.1(4Бей)

3 сакавіка 2017 года ў Нацыянальнай бібліятэцы Беларусі быў прадстаўлены ўнікальны міжнародны выставачны праект пад назвай "Шляхамі Скарыны з Белгазпрамбанкам" прысвечаны 500-годдзю беларускага кнігадрукавання. На гэтым мерапрыемстве быў паказаны асобнік "Малой падарожнай кніжкі" Францыска Скарыны (Вільня, каля 1522), які вярнуўся ў Беларусь дзякуючы ААТ "Белгазпрамбанк", якое набыло яго для сваёй карпаратыўнай калекцыі. Адзначым, што на сённяшні дзень у Беларусі захоўваецца толькі 10 асобнікаў пражскіх выданняў беларускага першадрукара (у Нацыянальнай бібліятэцы Беларусі). Выданні Скарыны віленскага перыяду да гэтага часу ў Беларусі адсутнічалі. Цяпер "Малая падарожная кніжка" вярнулася ў Беларусь!

Публикуется очерк об одном из наиболее интересных изданий белорусского и восточнославянского первопечатника — "Малой подорожной книжке", изданной в 1522 г. в Вильне. Не так давно экземпляр этой книги приобрел для своей корпоративной коллекции Белгазпромбанк, таким образом "Малая подорожная книжка" вернулась в Беларусь, поскольку до сегодняшнего дня изданий Скорины виленского периода в Беларуси не было. Автор кратко описывает характерные черты и особенности этой книги.

An essay about one of the most interesting editions of the first Belarusian and East Slavic book printer — the "Small Travel Book" — published in 1522 in Vilnja is presented. Recently a copy of this book was purchased by the Belgazprombank for its corporate collection; thus the "Small Travel Book" returned to Belarus, as there were no publications by Skaryna of the Vilnja period in Belarus until now. The character features of the book are described.

An analysis of sources mentioning the fates of Francysk (František, (†02.06.1541) and Simeon (†not earlier than 1593) expands our knowledge about the social circle of the Skaryna family. Skaryna’s elder son had close connections with Jan of Puchov ( Jan z Puchova), his younger son, with Jiři Cetl Netolicky. The both patrons were canons of the St. Vitus cathedral in Prague, and, being zealous proponents of Catholicism, achieved high positions in church hierarchy: those of administrator and archpresbyter. This information is important when looking into the confessional orientation of the Skaryna family. The children of the first printer in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were in service to individuals who accrued the reputation of distinguished literary figures in Czechia.
Simeon the Russian was employed by a family in Hradec and also had ties to Česky Krumlov, where he was physician to Jiři Netolicky, Archpresbyter of Bechyne. Jiři served in Hradec from 1564 to 1568 (Simeon might have become his personal physician at that time or even earlier), after which he went to live in Prague for two years, and later moved to Krumlov. In a similar fashion, a talented physician-gardener might have been passed from one master to another.
Skaryna’s printing activities in Prague corresponded in time with the activities with one of the key officials of the Czech kingdom, whose family seat was also situated in Southern Czechia, in Bechyne. It was Ladislaus of Šternberk (Ladislav ze Šternberka na Bechyni), who occupied the post of the High Chancellor of the Kingdom of Bohemia (supremus cancellarius regni Bohemiae) from 1510 to 1521. It is probable that upon his return to Prague, Skaryna might have approached his old patrons and their descendants, whose favors might have also been transferred to his son. This may explain why it was in Southern Czechia that Simeon the Russian pursued his gardening and medical activities.
The personal library of Francysk Skaryna must also have ended up in Sourthern Czechia. One of the books, the Little Traveller’s Book, was discovered in the early ninth decade of the 18th century by a Czech Slavicist, the Jesuit Josef Dobrovsky.
Jiři Cetl Netolicky, who was of the similar age as the first printer of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, earned a wide acclaim as the author of a book containing interesting botanical and medical reflections. The description of the sun and the young moon on the pages of his Kaʒanij o Bijdě nyněgſſyho naſſeho Ʒiwota (1568) might suggest that this emblematic image of the eternally young (or, more precisely, constantly rejuvenating) celestial bodies betokens the medical vocation of Francysk Skaryna.
Prior to entering the University of Prague, he could have attended a school in the New Town, a probable place of residence of Skaryna himself.

Today, early modern book printer Francysk Skaryna, is the most well-known historical figure in Belarus. His image contains features from the academic concept of the ‛national hero’, shaped by its studying and instrumentalization during the period of more than 200 years. The current heroic image is greatly impacted by the 500th anniversary of Francysk Skaryna, celebrated in Soviet Belarus from 1986–1990. It was the largest event celebrating Skaryna to ever happen. The author attempts to decode the image of the man created by researchers, writers, creative circles and Soviet officials during the celebration. Previously, the author was engaged in research of Skaryna’s image development in XIX–XX cent. This allowed for a greater focus to be placed on the changing perceptions of Skaryna’s figure that occurred in Soviet Belarusian society during Perestroika. Current research is based on a wide range of evidence from published texts, visual representations and archival documents inspired by the anniversary. The findings show the importance of Skaryna’s figure for the topics of language, historical ‛normality’, interdenominational reconciliation, social peace, European relevance and international acknowledgement of the Belarusian society on the threshold of the national independence.

Першадрукар Францыск Скарына – самая вядомая гістарычная асоба ў сучаснай Беларусі. Дзвесце гадоў вывучэння і функцыяналізацыі яго постаці сфармавалі рысы, тыповыя для канцэпта «нацыянальнага героя». Адным з ключавых этапаў у тварэнні цяперашняга гераічнага вобраза Скарыны было святкаванне яго 500-годдзя ў БССР у 1986–1990 гг. Свята сталася самай масавай публічнай падзеяй, калі-небудзь арганізаванай у гонар першадрукара. Тэкст спрабуе акрэсліць сэнсы, якія інтэлектуальныя і творчыя супольнасці, а таксама ўладныя структуры ўкладалі ў фігуру Францыска Скарыны падчас юбілея. Аўтар ужо даследаваў гісторыю вобраза прешадрукара ў ХІХ–ХХ стст. Гэта дазваляла канцэнтравацца на зменах, якія адбыліся ва ўспрыняцці Скарыны пад уплывам працэсаў перабудовы ў беларускім падсавецкім грамадстве. Свята спарадзіла шырокую базу сведчанняў у публікацыях, візуальных прадуктах і архіўных дакументах, якія і выкарыстоўваліся для аналізу. Вынікі даследавання паказалі важнасць постаці Скарыны для тэмаў мовы, гістарычнай «нармальнасці», міжканфесійнага міру, грамадскай згоды, еўрапейскай уключаннасці і міжнароднага прызнання беларускай супольнасці на парозе здабыцця дзяржаўнай незалежнасці.

This article once again turns our attention toward the documents of Skaryna’s doctoral defence in Padua. The author’s ‘in-depth’ reading of these famous documents helps to fill certain lacunas  in Skaryna’s biography, for example, the exact time of Skaryna’s exams. Also, reading Skaryna’s doctoral documents together with the other acts of doctoral defences of the same period, the article inscribes Skaryna’s case into the context of the academic life in university medical studies of Renaissance Europe.
The author argues that Skaryna’s case took place within the ordinary bureaucratic procedure: as for all students, his examination consisted from three stages (Gratia, Tentativum, Privatum), while Privatum as well as Gratia were not specifically attributed for Skaryna as the most researchers state. Nevetheless, the study of other nuances (costs of degrees, new details on audience, medical and philosophical contexts of examinations), permits to discover the very singularity of Skaryna’s case from the different perspectives.
Certainly, Scaryna’s stay in Padua was a milestone both for his career of doctor and for his desire to become a printer. The study of Skaryna’s audience shows that at least three of them (from thirty-three persons) were quite likely (and in case of famous scribe Bartolomeo Sanvito, certainly) involved into the book printing activities. Futher research reveals that simply mentioned in previous Skaryniana, certain reverendus dominus Bartholomeus de S. Vito – was in fact Bartolomeo Sanvito, famous Paduan Renaissance scribe, one of the creators of Italic script, illuminator and antiquary, linked with many Italian humanists, with the illustrious printer and publisher Aldo Manuzio among them. Such ‘materialization’ of Skaryna’s audience could help to better understanding Skaryna’s connections in the world of Renaissance culture and his reasons for becoming printing pioneer for his country.

The article shows the present certain results of understanding the Skaryna times and the place
of well-known The Little Travel Book he printed for travellers in Vilnius in 1522. There are pointed out some lacunas in his biography, his connections with other printing houses and
other printers' engravings being used for his own printed books.

The paper reveals that Francysk Skaryna, while making his translation of the Song of Songs (Prague, 1518), utilized not the only print edition of the Czech Bible or not only the Vulgate but probably he also addressed the East Slavonic translations from Hebrew which in the second half of the 15th century Christian Hebraists of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were engaged in.

While solving the problems of the Book science of 16th century, we have to be very guarded in questions of terminology. This is of particular importance when we talk about “Little Traveller’s Book” which starts the history of the typography in Grand Duchy of Lithuania. There is a widespread belief that above-mentioned book was printed in Vilnius approximately in 1522. It would be more correct to say that “Little Traveller’s Book” was completed in Vilnius. Its part – eight akathists and eight canons – could have been printed earlier in Prague.
This hypothesis can be supported by several arguments. In contrast with Acts and Epistles of the Apostles (the Apostle, 1525) “Little Traveller’s Book” is not dated anywhere and regarding the content it is heterogeneous (composite) publication. In the content of “Little Traveller’s Book” particularly stand out the akathists and canons that content unique wood engravings, endpieces, vignettes, borders and initials. Two wood engravings were made by “Master of New Testament” whose works were published in Prague Book of Psalms (1517).
The autonomy of akathists as a particular publication is accented by publisher’s acrostic colophon written in the last akathist via initials. The Akathists housed in Wroclaw (Wroclaw University Library, Nr. 305071) can represent Prague period of typography. The “Evidence” of E. Nemirovkij about Vilnius origin of akathists is incorrect.

Francišak Skaryna, the fi rst Belarusian book printer, is the most well-known historical figure among Belarusian people nowadays. Active studying of his personality and attempts of its popularisation started at the beginning of the 19 th century in the Russian Empire discourse. During a lapse of a hundred years Skaryna’s image was associated with a Slavic translator, the first all-Russians printing pioneer, as well as a Catholic poloniser and an Orthodox enlightener. The article analyses the evolution of the fi rst book printer’s image in academic and journalistic texts of the Russian Empire. Th e author tries to answer why Francišak Skaryna was not transformed into Russian national hero and what determined his “Belarusian future”.
Keywords: Francišak Skaryna, the Russian Empire, intellectual history, the first book printer, national hero

Беларускі першадрукар Францішак Скарына з’яўляецца найбольш вядомай сярод беларускага насельніцтва гістарычнай постаццю. Яго актыўнае вывучэнне і спробы папулярызацыі пачаліся ў ХІХ ст., яшчэ ў межах расійскага імперскага дыскурсу. На працягу ста гадоў Скарына ўспрымаўся як славянскі перакладчык, першы “агульнарускі” друкар, каталік-паланізатар, праваслаўны асветнік. Артыкул аналізуе эвалюцыю вобразу першадрукара ў навуковых і публіцыстычных творах Расійскай імперыі. Аўтар спрабуе адказаць на пытанне, чаму Францішак Скарына не аформіўся ў расійскага нацыянальнага героя і што вызначыла ягоную “беларускую будучыню”.
Ключавыя словы: Францішак Скарына, Расійская імперыя, інтэлектуальная гісторыя, першадрукар, нацыянальны герой

The first printed books in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania – The Small Travel Book in 1522 and Catechism in 1547 – paved their way to the Ruthenian and Lithuanian reader though acrostics. The books of uniform format and similar purposes originated one after another in the same historical cultural domain; however, the acrostics by Francisk Skorina and Martynas Mažvydas have not until now been the object of a thorough comparative study. The article attempts to fill this gap. The Ruthenian acrostics of the period 1519–1522 from which M. Mažvydas could have potentially drawn his inspiration are first discussed. With reference to analogy, the characteristics of acrostics are analysed; the source of M. Mažvydas’ pieces of writing is discussed.

Статья направлена на то, чтобы раскрыть перспективы и некоторые итоги применения «насыщенных описаний» К. Гирца и «уликовой» парадигмы К. Гинзбурга в скориноведении (в частности, в «пристальном чтении» документов об экзаменах Франциска Скорины в Падуе и в поиске «следов» и взаимосвязей в источниках о возможном пребывании Скориныв Москве). Основываясь на многочисленных свидетельствах иностранных авторов – современников Скорины и путешественников, а также на документах архивов, мемуарах и письмах, производя их перекрестный «допрос» и располагая их в контексте европейского Ренессанса, автор демонстрирует пути решения некоторых историографических пазлов о Скорине.
Ключевые слова: скориноведение, личный экзамен Скорины в Падуе, Бартоломео Санвито, связь свидетельств А. Тэве и Дж. Флетчера о возможном пребывании Скорины в Москве.
* Благодарю К. Ю. Ерусалимского (д. и. н., профессор РГГУ) за вопрос о Горсее в ходе обсуждения моего доклада «Сопоставляя «следы»: «уликовая» парадигма в историографии и источники о (возможном) пребывании Франциска Скорины в Москве» на конференции «Берковские чтения. Книжная культура в контексте международных контактов: К 500-летию белорусского книгопечатания» (24–25 мая 2017 г., Полоцк, Беларусь).
Сэр Джером Горсей, несмотря на свой семнадцатилетний опыт связей и интриг при Московском дворе, не может приниматься в расчёт как кандидат на роль информатора Тэве, посла, сэра и резидента в Париже в 1576. Он был в статусе ученика в начале своих путешествий (1573) в Московию. В 1580 г. занимал пост управляющего московским филиалом Компании и даже в 1584 г. (напомним, что в 1584 г. Тэве уже опубликовал свои «Потртеты»), его именовали «Master», а не «Sir» (более того, его положение и миссии 1580, 1585, 1586, 1587 гг. в Московской компании были довольно противоречивыми и оспариваемыми многими). Вдобавок, Хорсей не бывал в Париже.
This article shows perspectives and some results of C. Geertz’s «thick description» approach and C. Ginzburg’s «clues» paradigm applied to Skaryna’s studies (i. e. «in-depth reading» of such well-known documents as the acts of Francysk Skaryna’s doctoral defence in Padua and the sources of Skaryna’s possible staying in Moscow). Based on the numerous witnesses of foreign authors, contemporaries and travellers, the author carries out this cross-historiographical examination in the context of European Renaissance while tracking the origins and tracing the ways of resolving of some historiographical puzzles on Skaryna.
Keywords: Skaryna Studies, «Privatum» examination of Skaryna in Padue, Bartolomeo Sanvito, connection between Thevet’s and Fletcher’s sources about Skaryna’s possible being in Moscow.

Olga Shutova. Francysk Skaryna’s Bible and Italie: sources, influences and inspirations.
This paper challenges a long-standing view on the German origins (Bible of Cologne, Schedel Chronicle) of the engravings of Francysk Skaryna’s Bible. It argues that it is in Italy that Francysk Skaryna has acquired his inspirations. The paper traces the influence of the Italian sources on Francysk Skaryna’s Bible: woodcuts from the books of Venetian, Paduan publishers, Biblia Italica (1471) and Biblia vulgare istoriata (1490). It also indicates a possible iconographic model for Skaryna’s portrait.

The article establishes a textological correlation between the Czech First Printed Psalter of 1487 and the Psalter of F. Skorina (1517). Following the example of his predecessors — the Prague printers of the late 15th century (the printer of the Psalter and the printer of Prague Bible), F. Skorina used the wide-known stereotypical expression, rooted in the Medieval literary tradition, where the abovementioned construction was also used in the author’s dedication. The colophon and the foreword to the Incunabula from the year 1487 affected the language, composition and content of F. Skorina’s foreword.

Первое издание книги с подзаголовком «К 550-летию со дня рождения книгоиздателя» состоялось в 2020 г. (незначительная часть тиража, 55 экз., была издана с иным фронтисписом и оригиналом портретной ксилографии, зеркальная комбинация которых позволила наглядно показать принцип высокой печати). В 2021 г. появилось второе издание, исправленное и дополненное (за счет новой главы «Методология и демология»). Третье по счету издание (2022) представляет собой перевод книги на литовский язык. В текстовом отношении оно было актуализировано и незначительно дополнено, однако самое существенное отличие заключается в подборке первичных источников (с. 42-49). Благодаря любезному содействию украинских коллег – Галины Ивановны Ковальчук и Натальи Петровны Бондар, в книгу удалось включить новый, неизвестный отпечаток портрета (с. 46).

The present article offers a concise outline of themes and motifs registered in the oral counterparts of the Book of Genesis among the Belarusian people and focus on their analysis, thus seeking to further clarify the vernacular background of religious beliefs against which Francysk Skaryna' s Bible had emerged and with which it co-existed. It is also an attempt to envisage the specific socio-cultural and confessional context in which this "most outstanding figure in the entire panoply of Belarusian culture" (McMillin 1977) lived and worked.

На сегодняшний день (10.08.2020) актуальные иллюстрации, дополняющие статью: Ilja Lemeškin. Skorinos atminimo įprasminimas. Čekija. – Pranciškaus Skorinos Rusėniškajai Biblijai – 500. – Vilnius: Lietuvos mokslų akademijos Vrublevskių biblioteka, 2017. – P. 125–137. 

Перевод (стр. 133–134): «Пражские памятники [скульптура Эдуарда Астафьева и мемориальный камень Юрия Казакова] подобающим образом увековечили память Скорины, однако их значение этим не ограничивается. Скульптура начала жить самостоятельную жизнь, играя изначально ей непредназначенную роль. Когда в странах-наследницах Великого княжества Литовского творится зло, Скорине закрывают лицо: дабы просветитель не видел произвола и обид, наносимых его потомкам, белым рушником ему завязывают глаза. Автор данных строк такого Скорину несколько раз видел в 2011-2012 гг., когда был арестован правозащитник Алесь Беляцкий и когда в Минске был организован «плюшевый протест».

Лицкевич О. В. Скорина и скара: к вопросу о значении эмблемы «Луна и Солнце» // Матэрыялы міжнароднага кангрэса «500 гадоў беларускага кнігадрукавання». XIII Міжнародныя кнігазнаўчыя чытанні. Мінск,  14–15 верасня 2017 г. У 2 ч. Ч. 2. Мінск, 2017. С. 238–242.
Материал подготовлен весной 2017 г. и опубликован раньше, чем был прочитан доклад. В устном докладе на конгрессе 15 сентября 2017 г. также затронут вопрос о расшифровке эмблем "тау-крест в треугольнике" (на основе недавней статьи С. Ю. Темчина, к сожалению, еще не учтенной в печатной версии) и "крест на трапециевидной основе с двумя черточками по бокам". Все три эмблемы в совокупности расшифровываются как имя "Франциск Лукич Скорина" и символизируют Троицу, Евангелие и Пасху.

This article continues to study Francysk Skaryna’s symbolism based on the idea of linguistic character of the cognitive process. «In-depth» reading of the main source of Skaryna Studies, his Bible, takes into consideration not only his famous Prefaces but also the biblical text itself, with its specific Skaryna’s translation and accentuation of certain ideas. It is assumed that famous Skaryna’s signs – «triangle» and «trapezium», as well as other engravings in his Bible, have been thought to not «encrypt» but to make more intelligible the content for his contemporaries. Therefore, Skaryna’s symbolism must be considered as deeply rooted in the religious, Renaissance and even cabalistic context of his quotations.
Keywords: Francysk Skaryna, «in-depth reading», «triangle A-T», «trapezium», Golgotha cross, Pico della Mirandola, Christian Kabbalah, Hebrew alphabet

Пчела сказала:
– Вспомню лето,
И сердце просится в полёт.
О, торжество тепла и света,
Когда везде цветы и мёд!

Но тут ей муха возразила:
– Тебя мне слушать так смешно:
Цветы! Да где же это было,
Когда вокруг одно говно?

Пчела на муху поглядела,
Решила, смысла спорить нет,
И в сад цветущий полетела,
А муха – в ближний туалет.

***
Нас счастье ждёт и ждут печали,
Но мы в теченьи наших дней,
Обычно в жизни замечаем
Лишь то, что сами ищем в ней…

Рената Андреева

Słowa klucze: Franciszek Skaryna, wymiana spółgłosek szczelinowych b na v, lapsus conversionis Bibliae Keywords: Francysk Skaryna, change of the fricative consonant b to v, lapsus conversionis Bibliae Sed in hoc glorietur, qui gloriatur, scire et nosse me (Jer .) Введение Статья посвящена разбору проблематики фонетической и семантической передаче совокуп-ности слов семитского происхождения в Бивли рска выложена докторомъ Францискомъ Скориною из славнаго града Полоцька (Прага: Типография купца Северина , –), которая в свою очередь определяет присутствие или наоборот – отсутствие ошибок перевода и степень проницательности его автора.
The article newly actualizes the problem of peculiarities in the presentation of the phonetic and semantic value of lexemes of Semitic origin in Russian Bible by F. Skorina from Polatsk (Бивлия руска выложена докторомъ Францискомъ Скориною из славнаго града Полоцька [Prague: Typography of Francisk Skorina, y. 1517–1519]). An analysis of the named structural complexes of theses lexemes not only opens an opportunity for identification of mistakes in the translated text, but also determines the scope of Skorina’s knowledge in the field of original realities of the Semitic culture. On the basis of linguistic research into the phonetic and semantic value of lexemes of Semitic origin in Skorina’s Russian Bible, the following conclusions can be drawn:
1. the fricative consonant -в- (resp. -v-) in the lexeme Бi-в-лия might have resulted from a contamination of homonyms: Middle-Lat. biblia ‘machinae bellicae jaculatoriae’ and Lat. (or Middle-Lat.) Biblia ‛Bible’, with the provisions of the prototype of the homonyms Gk. (Middle-Gk.) αἳ βίϐλοι ‘ballistic machines’ (with the minuscule ϐ ) ↔ Gk. (Middle-Gk.) τὰ βιβλία ‛Jewish sacred books; Old Testament; Bible; finished paper work; New Testament’ taken into account;
2. Lat. (Middle-Lat.) biblia ‘machinae bellicae jaculatoriae’ / Gk. (Middle-Gk.) αἳ βίϐλοι ‘ballistic machines’ presupposes the reconstruction of a hypothetical sememe *‘God’s will – a weapon of the Almighty’ ← ‘Bible’;
3. Old Hebrew and Aramaic fragments used by F. Skorina in the exordiums of his Russian Bible (Бивлия руска) are to be regarded as illustrative elements but not as arguments on the basis of which Skorina could be elevated to the rank of connoisseur of Semitic languages.

This article focuses on the colophons of F. Skaryna’s Prague editions from 1517 to 1520. A comparative analysis of them indicates that the publisher was meticulous in identifying the origin of each colophon edition. The phrase, «in the Old City of Prague» which Skaryna used until August of 1518, was eventually amended to be known as, «in the Great City of Prague». This amendment was predetermined by actual historical events such as the unification of the Old and New Cities into the Great City of Prague on the 30th of August 1518. Other examples of influence of this historical situation on the illustrative style of the book are traced. Particular attention has been paid to locating the printing house where Skaryna’s colophons were first created. The printing of Skaryna’s Ruthenian Bible in the year 1519, as an example, took place in a rented printing shop that was owned by the merchant Severin. After the death of his father, Pavel Severin could break the lease agreement, thereby, ending book publishing activities of Skaryna in Prague. Arguments have been made that Skaryna was not the only tenant of the printing shop. At some point during the years of 1517 to 1519 Skaryna met with «The printer of the Prague Bible», and the Jewish book-printer, Gershom Cohen, whose high-quality products possessed many stylistic and polygraphic features. Special correlation at the level of the colophons is traced between the printer of the Prague Bible and F. Skaryna. The colophon of the Prague Bible of 1488 had a serious and multilateral influence on the paratext of the Ruthenian Bible. This allows us to conclude, that in the process of preparing the biblical text, F. Skaryna proceeded not from the palaeotype of 1506, that is not from the Venice Bible (as it is still believed), but from the Prague incunabula of 1488. The first edition of the Bible in Czech (and generally in the Slavic language), was perfectly known and readily available to Skaryna, due to the number of printed copies that were available in Severin’s printing shop and by the established link with the printer of the Prague Bible. Additionally, this article describes the fate of the house, «At half a golden moon», where Severin’s printing shop was located and had been functioning from 1484–1488 and for many decades after. A few preserved drawings and images allow us to restore the workplace of the printing house of the end of the XV and of the first quarter of the XVI centuries.

Постаць Францыска Скарыны звяртала на сябе асаблівую ўвагу эміграцыйных навукоўцаў сваім выразным “рэпрэзентацыйным” патэнцыялам. Асоба, што выдала першую кнігу ва Усходняй Еўропе, зрабіла адзін з першых перакладаў Бібліі на еўрапейскую мову, не магла не выклікаць павагі з боку суседзяў. Скарынам беларусы на Захадзе адкрыта ганарыліся, яго дасягненні не выклікалі ні пытанняў, ні пярэчанняў. Папулярызуючы першадрукара эміграцыйныя навукоўцы і грамадскія дзеячы выконвалі своеасаблівае заданне “паставіць Беларусь на сусветную мапу”, засведчыць еўрапейскасць беларускай культуры, нацыянальную адметнасць беларусаў. Не дзіўна, што і ў працы найбуйнейшай беларускай навуковай структуры на Захадзе — Беларускага інстытута навукі і мастацтва ў Нью-Ёрку — скарыназнаўчая тэматыка адыгрывала вялікую ролю.