Lesson - a study on ancient Russian literature on

Topic: "The moral character of a person in ancient Russian literature."

(the lesson was compiled by Balabayeva S.I., teacher of the Russian language and literature, MBOU "Secondary School No. 1" and conducted on 10/24/2012).

Technological picture for the lesson:

Information technology, ICT;

Technology of education of spiritual culture;

Person-oriented technologies;

Technology of pedagogical cooperation.

Teaching methods:

Creative reading method;

Illustrative method;

heuristic method;

Search method;

Method of analysis and synthesis.

The objectives of the lesson: the formation of skills in the analysis of read works, taking into account the ethical and aesthetic education of the individual.

Educational:

To continue acquaintance of students with the worldview of the people of the era of Ancient Russia;

Identify the main Christian commandments of the studied works.

Developing:

To promote the development of students' research skills;

Continue the formation of skills in the analysis of a work of art;

Work on the development of oral and written speech of students.

Educational:

Engage students in thinking about the literary text;

To bring up mercy, kindness, sympathy, deep sincere respect for our ancestors, love for one's fatherland;

To contribute to the formation of an idea of ​​the moral ideal of the hero of ancient Russian literature.

Lesson equipment:

Exhibition of reproductions;

Audio recording of the Old Russian text;

Computer presentation for the lesson;

Student projects.

During the classes:

1. Introductory speech of the teacher against the background of the recording of the song "My Russia, golden domes." (slide number 1)

Many of you guys were in the church, plunged into the holy silence and tranquility, peered with interest at the faces of the saints depicted on the icons.

We often became such expressions: “Holy Russia”, Faith and truth, love and humility, hope and asceticism are heard in these words ...

As an epigraph to today's lesson, we took the words of the famous academician Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev /address to the epigraph/.

(slide number 2)

Old Russian literature fills us with pride for our distant ancestors - predecessors, teaches us to respect their work, struggle, their concern for the good of the Motherland.

We must be grateful sons of our great mother - Ancient Russia.

The past must serve the present.

D.S. Likhachev.

What do you guys think, what is the purpose of our lesson?

(to form an idea of ​​the moral character of the hero of ancient Russian literature).

And what tasks need to be solved for this?

(Recall the previously studied works of ancient Russian literature and analyze them from the point of view of clarifying their worldview, certain character traits and actions, to understand what moral precepts (testaments) the authors of these works left us).

Answer in writing the question: “What were they, the heroes of ancient Russian literature”?

What themes were the most important in ancient Russian literature?

(The theme of the Motherland and the theme of the moral perfection of man are the most important themes of ancient Russian literature).

What is morality guys?

(this is the inner world of a person, his spirituality, morality.

It was they who determined the works that you chose to study and work on your projects.

What did the old wise books tell you about?

(slide number 3)

By heart, one of the students reads a passage about the benefits of book teaching.

We must not forget that the literature of that time was based on a system of religious ideas about the world, it was distinguished by high spirituality. The life of the human soul, the upbringing and improvement of human morality was the main task of ancient Russian literature.

With what piece would you like to start our conversation today?

(children present their projects in turn).

To the slides on the Teachings of Vladimir Monomakh.

The teaching of Vladimir Monomakh is a moral testament (testament) to descendants.

What moral values ​​does Monomakh praise?

(slide number)

What advice do you find useful today?

(emphasis on mercy).

Do you think people show mercy in our time?

The teaching of Vladimir Monomakh testifies to the high level of development of the educational prose of Kievan Rus. The advice that the prince gave to his sons and “others who read” before his death reflected not only his experience as a statesman of that time, the experience of a politician and commander, but also his literary education, his ideas about the moral character of a Christian.

The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom, created in the late 40s of the 16th century by the writer and publicist Pskov priest Yermolai, is rightfully called the pearl of ancient Russian literature. His surname has not come down to us, it is only known that, having taken monasticism, he received the name Erasmus, which in Greek means "sinful."

(Slides on "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom").

What is the genre of this work?

(Life is one of the main ethical genres of ancient Russian literature).

(A meek, moderate, deeply religious person).

What traits of a real masculine character does Peter show, according to Fevronia?

(courage, kindness, meekness, boldness).

Give examples from the text (sympathy for trouble, desire to help him, with a snake).

In what act was the meekness, humility of the prince manifested?

(in marriage to Fevronia).

Did Peter immediately decide to marry Fevronia?

(no, he neglected the condition put forward by Fevronia, thereby exposing his vanity and pride, which was considered the most mortal sin, for which he was again punished by God - again scabs went over his body, for which the author condemns Peter.)

And what impression did Fevronia make on you? What spiritual qualities of a simple peasant girl does the author speak about in the Tale?

(mind, spiritual beauty, non-possession (did not accept his gifts), mercy, fidelity in married life).

What caused the hostility of the boyars and their wives to the new princess?

(malice, envy, arrogance, greed).

Did you like Fevronia?

(Yes, why?) (wisdom, kindness, humility, mercy).

Are these qualities valued in modern times?

What did this story make you think about?

D.S. Likhachev wrote: “The life-giving power of Fevronia’s love is so great that poles stuck in the ground blossom into trees with her blessing. The crumbs of bread in her palm turn into grains of sacred incense. She is so strong in spirit that she can guess the people she meets. In the strength of her love, in wisdom, Fevronia turns out to be higher than even her ideal husband, Prince Peter.

But guys, the Tale of Boris and Gleb deserves special attention, authored by Nestor.

(slides + student report on slides)

(Printed text on students' desks) This is a work for careful reading, therefore it is not included in our anthology on literature.

Boris and Gleb - princes, sons of Vladimir, who baptized Russia, became martyrs, "meek and many-merciful", "blessed martyrs", having accepted death from their elder brother Svyatopolk, nicknamed the Accursed by the people.

Distant and incomprehensible words… Perhaps, having read the text of the lives of these saints, we will not only give an answer to this question, but also understand what meaning was put into the moral values ​​that were eternal for our people in that ancient era.

Let's try together with you to identify the main Christian commandments of the "Life of Boris and Gleb."

(Slide with Boris and Gleb).

Why did Prince Vladimir ardently love his younger sons?

Who is opposed to Boris and Gleb? (Svyatopolk)

Why did he plot to destroy the brothers?

Why does Boris, who knew about his imminent death, not try to avoid it?

Does not resist Svyatopolk?

(Seniority is an absolute value for a person of that time).

With the name of Christ, he calmly accepts death.

What caused the massacre of Svyatopolk over Gleb?

How does Gleb die?

Find the words in the text: “And when Gleb realized that they wanted to take his life, tears poured from his eyes, and he prayed with tears to his killers.”

(slide) “Don't touch me, my dear brothers! Do not touch me, for I have not done any harm to you ... If there is any offense, take me to your prince, but to my brother and master. Have pity on my youth, have pity, my lords!... Do not cut the ear that has not yet ripened, do not destroy the vine that has not yet grown. It will not be murder, but cheese-cutting!”

(this prayer is the most penetrating place in all ancient Russian literature).

How was the further fate of Svyatopolk?

(died ingloriously).

What role did Boris and Gleb play in Russian history?

Why are the noble princes Gleb and Boris also called passion-bearers?

(endure passion, meekly endure physical torment).

“Since that time,” the chronicler writes, “sedition has subsided in Russia.” The blood shed by the holy brothers for the sake of preventing internecine strife was that fertile seed that strengthened the unity of Russia.

In 1072, Boris and Gleb were canonized, i.e. raised to the rank of saints.

What is he, a resident of Ancient Russia? A thousand years separate us from its existence ... Historical sources, chronicles, and other literature of Ancient Russia tell about it. His life was not easy - the constant raids of enemies: either the Pechenegs, or the Polovtsy, or the Khazars. Yes, and princely strife added grief to the common man. As an example, we can cite the same Drevlyans who suffered from the Kievan Princess Olga.

The first chronicle of Ancient Russia is The Tale of Bygone Years. She talks about how they lived in Russia, how Russia was baptized, who ruled it.

An ancient Russian person is most likely a deep pagan. Although Prince Vladimir the Great ordered him to be baptized, and he goes to a wooden church, he still does not really know who Christ is. He used to pray to wooden idols and to many gods of the sky, earth, rivers, lakes, forests and fields. Now he is told to worship icons and the cross, to fast in the spring, to have one wife. All this is strange for him, because a real warrior of the princely squad should have as many wives as possible!

But if he really becomes imbued with Christianity, then he has a chance to join some monastery, learn to read and write, rewrite books. That is, to become a unique person, because there are almost no literate people. Even the princes of Kiev rarely learned to read and write.

"The Tale of Igor's Campaign" creates the image of Russian soldiers. These people are brave, persistent and brave. Death is not so terrible for them as shame, defeat and dishonor. But they are not fanatical samurai, sweeping aside the joys of life. For Igor and his warriors, their families, the warmth of their relatives, and loved ones are no less important. Love for life as a result of the "Tale" and helps Prince Igor to reach his home, having escaped from captivity.

The same historical source created the eternal image of Princess Yaroslavna - a faithful wife who awaits her husband-warrior at home. She worries, cries, grieves, considering her husband dead. Probably, all the best women of Ancient Russia, loving wives and mothers, lived their lives like that. The woman of Ancient Russia is not a slave downtrodden at home, thinking nothing behind the walls of the hut, but a free-thinking citizen with a warm heart.

Essay on the topic "The Importance of Old Russian Literature for the Modern Reader"

The history of any nation is studied mainly from chronicles, handwritten and printed sources left by distant ancestors. Only in this way can one learn about the events that took place many centuries ago.

For a Russian person, the unique masterpieces of ancient Russian literature, which have come to us since the 11th-12th centuries, are an invaluable historical and spiritual heritage. All these works are imbued with the spirit of patriotism and love for the native land.

In such an epic creation as "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" describes the heroic campaign of the glorious prince of Novgorod-Seversky Igor Svyatoslavich against the Polovtsy, which he undertook back in 1185.

This masterpiece rightfully belongs to the greatest monuments of literature of Ancient Russia. Thanks to him, we learn about the life and way of life of our great ancestors, their aspirations and aspirations. The work also has tremendous historical value, as it describes in detail one of the most significant events of that time.

Religion plays an important role in ancient Russian literature. So the unique book "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom", which tells about the life of Russian saints, has survived to this day. In this story, written by the writer Yermolai-Erasmus in the middle of the 16th century on the basis of oral traditions from Murom, Russian folklore is miraculously intertwined with ancient history.

Another monument of ancient Russian literature, The Teachings of Vladimir Monomakh, created in the 12th century by the great Kiev prince Vladimir Monomakh, is called the first secular sermon in which moral and ethical questions are raised for the first time.

Undoubtedly, ancient Russian literature is of invaluable importance for the modern reader, since it carries a deep moral force. Thanks to these sources, we learn about the best features of our distant ancestors - about their heroism, valor, selfless love for their Motherland and home.

We get to know their way of life and way of life. Old Russian literature is our history, which we must know, honor and remember.

Composition » Old Russian Literature » Essay on the topic “The Significance of Old Russian Literature for the Modern Reader”

Attention, only TODAY!

Introduction

Conclusion

List of used literature

Introduction

Russian literature is nearly a thousand years old. This is one of the oldest literatures in Europe. Its beginning dates back to the second half of the 10th century. Of this great millennium, more than seven hundred years belong to the period that is customarily called "ancient Russian literature."

Literature arose suddenly. The leap into the realm of literature took place simultaneously with the appearance of Christianity and the church in Russia, and was prepared by the entire previous cultural development of the Russian people.

The artistic value of ancient Russian literature has not yet been truly determined.

Russian literature of the 11th - 17th centuries developed in peculiar conditions. She was handwritten. Printing, which appeared in Moscow in the middle of the 16th century, very little changed the nature and methods of dissemination of literary works. In general, and in the 17th century, literary works continued, as before, to be distributed by correspondence.

Some of the ancient Russian literary works were read and copied over several centuries. Others quickly disappeared, but parts that scribes liked were included in other works, since the sense of copyright had not yet developed enough to protect the author's text from changes or borrowings from other works.

None of the works of ancient Russia - translated or original - stands apart. All of them complement each other in the picture of the world they create.

We often talk about the internal laws of the development of literary images in the works of new literature and that the actions of heroes are determined by their characters. Each hero of the new literature reacts in his own way to the influences of the outside world. That is why the actions of the actors can even be "unexpected" for the authors, as if dictated to the authors by the actors themselves.

There is a similar conditionality in ancient literature. The hero behaves as he is supposed to behave, but it is supposed not according to the laws of a natural character, but according to the laws of that category of heroes to which the hero belongs in feudal society. For example, the ideal commander should be pious and should pray before going on a campaign. And in the "Life of Alexander Nevsky" it is described how Alexander enters the temple of Sophia and prays with tears to God for granting him victory. The ideal commander must defeat a numerous enemy with a few forces, and God helps him.

The writers of Ancient Russia had a very definite attitude towards the image of a person. The main thing is not external beauty, the beauty of the face and body, but the beauty of the soul.

In the views of the ancient Russians, only the Lord God was the bearer of absolute, ideal beauty. Man is His creation, God's creature. The beauty of a person depends on how fully the Divine principle was expressed in him, that is, his ability to desire to follow the commandments of the Lord, to work on the improvement of his soul.

The more a person worked on this, the more he, as it were, was illuminated from within by the inner light that God sent him as his Grace. The rich spiritual life of any person could work a miracle: to make an ugly person beautiful. This requires a righteous, pious way of life (especially through prayer, repentance, fasting). This means that the Spiritual sphere was perceived, first of all, aesthetically; saw the highest beauty in her. She did not need physical beauty.

The ideal of man in ancient Russia was considered primarily by the holy ascetics, in whom they saw direct mediators between sinful man and the divine sphere. Every era had its heroes. On the example of several works, let us consider how the theme of man and his deeds developed in ancient Russian literature. But first, let us consider the periodization of the history of ancient Russian literature.

1. Periodization of the history of Old Russian literature

The works of literature of Ancient Russia are always attached to a specific historical event, to a specific historical person. These are stories about battles (about victories and defeats), about princely crimes, about going to the holy land and just about real people: most often about saints and princes-commanders. There are stories about icons and about the construction of churches, about miracles that are believed in, about phenomena that supposedly happened. But not new works on clearly fictional plots.

Literature accompanies Russian reality, Russian history in a huge stream, follows it on its heels. Fearing lies, writers base their works on documents, which they consider to be all previous writing.

The literature of Ancient Russia is evidence of life. That is why history itself, to a certain extent, establishes the periodization of literature.

The literature of the 11th - the first third of the 13th century can be regarded as a single literature of Kievan Rus. This is the century of a single ancient Russian state. The century of the first Russian lives - Boris and Gleb and the first monument of Russian chronicle writing that has come down to us - "The Tale of Bygone Years".

Then comes a relatively short period of the Mongol-Tatar invasion, when stories are written about the invasion of the Mongol-Tatar troops into Russia, about the battle on Kalka, "The Word about the destruction of the Russian land" and "The Life of Alexander Nevsky". Literature is compressed to one theme, but this theme manifests itself with unusual intensity, and the features of the monumental-historical style acquire a tragic imprint and lyrical elation of high patriotic feeling.

The next period, the end of the 14th century, the first half of the 15th century is the century of the Pre-Renaissance, coinciding with the economic and cultural revival of the Russian land in the years immediately preceding and following the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380. This is a period of expressive-emotional style and a patriotic upsurge in literature, a period of revival of chronicle writing and historical narrative.

The victory won by the Russians over the Mongol-Tatars on the Kulikovo field made a huge impression not only on contemporaries. This explains the fact that a number of literary monuments are dedicated to the Mamaev battle: "Zadonshchina", "The Legend of the Mamaev Battle", etc.

In the second half of the 15th century, new phenomena were discovered in Russian literature: monuments of translated literature became widespread, journalism developed.

Since the middle of the 16th century, the official stream has been increasingly affecting literature. The 17th century is the century of transition to the literature of modern times. This is the age of the development of the individual principle in everything: in the very type of the writer and his work, the age of the development of individual tastes and styles, professional writing and a sense of copyright ownership.

Such is the periodization of the history of ancient Russian literature. There is no need to consider all the monuments that existed in Ancient Russia. On the example of several works, let us consider how the theme of man and his deeds developed in ancient Russian literature.

2. Man in the literature of ancient Russia

One of the first, most important genres of emerging Russian literature was the chronicle genre. The oldest chronicle that has actually come down to us is The Tale of Bygone Years, presumably created around 1113. It is here that we first learn about the people of Ancient Russia.

Kiev scribes argued that the history of Russia is similar to the history of other Christian states. There were also Christian ascetics here, who tried by personal example to induce the people to adopt a new faith: Princess Olga was baptized in Constantinople and urged her son Svyatoslav to also become a Christian. There were in Russia their martyrs and their saints, for example, Boris and Gleb, who were killed on the orders of their brother Svyatopolk, but did not violate the Christian precepts of brotherly love and obedience to the elder.

Two lives were written on the plot of the martyrdom of Boris and Gleb. The author of one of them "Reading about the life and destruction of Boris and Gleb" is the chronicler Nestor. The creation of the church cult of Boris and Gleb pursued two goals. Firstly, the canonization of the first Russian saints raised the church authority of Russia. Secondly, he affirmed the state idea, according to which all Russian princes are brothers, and at the same time emphasized the obligation to "subjugate" the younger princes to the elder ones.

"Reading" Nestor, indeed, contains all the elements of the canonical life: it begins with an extensive introduction, with an explanation of the reasons why the author decides to start working on the life, with a brief summary of world history from Adam to the baptism of Russia. In the actual hagiographic part, Nestor tells about the childhood years of Boris and Gleb, about the piety that distinguished the brothers even in childhood and youth; in the story of their death, the hagiographic element is even stronger: they are preparing to accept death as a solemn and intended suffering from birth. In "Reading", in accordance with the requirements of the genre, there is also a story about the miracles that take place after the death of the saints, about the miraculous "finding" of their relics, about the healing of the sick at their tomb.

Thus, Saints Boris and Gleb entered Russian literature as people who honored Christian precepts.

Another work of the hagiographic genre can be considered "The Tale of the Life of Alexander Nevsky", written, as D.S. Likhachev, Metropolitan Kirill between 1263 - 1280.

The characteristics of Alexander Nevsky in the work are diverse. In accordance with hagiographic canons, his "church virtues" are emphasized. And at the same time, Alexander, majestic and beautiful in appearance. Courageous and invincible commander. In his military actions, Alexander is swift, selfless and merciless. Having received the news of the arrival of the Swedes on the Neva. Alexander "burned his heart", "with a small retinue" he rushes to the enemy. The swiftness of Alexander, his military prowess is characteristic of all episodes that talk about the military exploits of the prince. Here he appears as an epic hero.

Literary and historical article

Ideals and ideal images of ancient Russian literature

teacher of literature of the highest category

GBPOU MO "Pavlovo-Posad Industrial and Economic College"

Elektrogorsk, Moscow region

Annotation:

Keywords: ideal, canons of various types of lives: martyr's, confessor's, hierarch's, venerable, lives of pillars and "for Christ's sake" holy fools.

The ideal (translated from Greek - the ideal image, idea) determines the way a person thinks, his actions, awakens the desire for the best, for perfection. The ideals of the moral spiritual beauty of the Russian people have been developed by our literature over the course of its thousand-year development. Ancient Russian literature created the characters of ascetics who were persistent in spirit, pure in soul, who devoted their lives to serving people and the public good. They complemented the folk ideal of a hero - the defender of the borders of the Russian land, worked out by folk epic poetry.

The emerging and growing monasteries played an important role in the spread of Christian culture. The first schools were created in them, respect and love for the book, “book learning and reverence” were brought up, book depositories-libraries were created, chronicles were kept, translated collections of moralizing and philosophical works were copied. Here the ideal of the Russian ascetic monk was created and surrounded by a halo of pious legend, who devoted himself to serving God, that is, to moral perfection, liberation from base vicious passions, serving the high idea of ​​civic duty, goodness, justice, and public good. This ideal was concretely embodied in hagiographic (hagiographic) literature. Life has become one of the most popular mass forms of propaganda of the new Christian moral ideal in Russia. Lives were read in the church during the service, introduced into the practice of individual reading, both monks and laity.

Ancient Russia inherited from Byzantium rich, widely developed traditions of hagiography. TOXcentury, certain canons of various types of lives were firmly established there: martyr's, confessor's, hierarch's, venerable, lives of pillars and "for Christ's sake" holy fools.

The martyr's life consisted of a series of episodes describing the most incredible physical torments. Which the Christian hero was subjected to by a pagan ruler, commander. The martyr endured all the tortures, showing willpower, patience and endurance, loyalty to the idea. And although he eventually died, he won a moral victory over the pagan tormentor.

Of the translated lives of martyrs in Russia, the life of George the Victorious gained great popularity. In Russia, George began to be revered as the patron of farmers, the holy warrior-defender of the peaceful labor of the ratai. In this regard, his torment in his life fades into the background, and the main place is occupied by the image of a military feat: victory over a serpent - a symbol of paganism, violence, evil. The "Miracle of George about the Serpent" in ancient Russian literature and iconography was extremely popular during the period of the struggle of the Russian people with the steppe nomads, foreign invaders. The image of George slaying the dragon-serpent with a spear became the coat of arms-emblem of the city of Moscow.

In the center of the confessional life is a missionary-preacher of the Christian faith. He fearlessly enters into a struggle with the pagans, endures persecution, torment, but, in the end, he achieves his goal: he converts the pagans to Christianity.

Close to the life of the confessor is the life of the saint. His hero is a church hierarch (metropolitan, bishop). He not only teaches and instructs his flock, but also protects them from heresies, "the wiles of the devil."

The lives of martyrs became popular during the period of invasion and domination of the Mongol-Tatar conquerors. The fight against the wild hordes of the steppe nomads was interpreted as a fight between Christians and the "nasty", that is, the pagans. The behavior of Prince Michael of Chernigov in the Horde was assessed as a high patriotic feat (“The Tale of Mikhail of Chernigov”). The Russian prince and his boyar Fedor refused to fulfill the demand of the impious king Batu: to pass through the cleansing fire and bow to the bush. For them, the performance of this pagan rite was tantamount to treason, and they preferred death.

The venerable life became widespread. The earliest original work of this type is The Life of Theodosius of the Caves, written at the endXIcentury Nestor. The purpose of life is to create "praise" to the hero, to glorify the beauty of his deeds. This determines the selection of material: "I am worthy of it". Emphasizing the truth and reliability of the facts presented, Nestor constantly referred to the stories of "self-evident": the cellar of the monastery Fedor, monk Hilarion, hegumen Paul, the charioteer who carried Theodosius from Kiev to the monastery. These oral stories, which existed among the monastic brethren and shrouded the living human image in the haze of the created pious legend, formed the basis of The Life of Theodosius of the Caves. The task of Nestor as a writer was not only to write down these stories, but also to process them in a literary way, to create the image of an ideal hero who “gives an image of himself”, that is, he would serve as an example and a role model. An important place in the life is occupied by an episode connected with the struggle of the lad Theodosius with his mother. The mother, a pious Christian, did her best to turn her son away from the intention to devote himself to God: not only with affection, persuasion, but also with cruel punishments and even torture. Dressing in "thin" clothes, working in the field along with slaves, a baker, Theodosius, the son of a princely tiun (tax collector), dishonored not only himself, but also his family in the eyes of society. As abbot, he set an example of exceptional diligence for the monks: he carried water from the river, chopped wood, spun yarn for weaving books, came to church earlier than everyone else and was the last to leave it. The “thinness of the vestment” of the Caves Abbot is contrasted by Nestor with the purity of his life, the lordship of the soul. "Lightness of the soul" allows Theodosius to become not only a teacher and mentor of the brethren, but also a moral judge of the princes. He forced Prince Izyaslav to reckon with the rules and norms of the monastery charter, entered into an open conflict with Svyatoslav, who illegally seized the grand prince's table and expelled Izyaslav. "The Life of Theodosius of the Caves" was a model that determined the further development of the life of the monks in ancient Russian literature.

Vladimir Monomakh was one of the most prominent figures of Kievan Rus. In the Ipatiev Chronicle, the prince is called "a good sufferer for the Russian land", "a brotherly-lover and a beggar-lover." His "Instruction" was written no earlier than 1117 - this is a story about his own life, a letter to Oleg Svyatoslavich. Vladimir Monomakh writes his “Instruction” already on the verge of death and addresses it to everyone who is ready to accept his precepts, first of all, to the princes. "Instruction" contains both specific historical and autobiographical moments. In it, Monomakh draws the image of an ideal statesman who stands up for the unity of his native land. Vladimir himself appears before us as a wise ruler, a brave warrior and a man who subtly feels the beauty of the world around him. The "Instruction" contains those moral precepts that have been and remain relevant to this day. This is, first of all, faith in God, who is "merciful and merciful." Monomakh advises not to forget the poor, orphans and widows, not to be lazy at home, to do all the work yourself. He advises warriors to be very careful. In peacetime, following his precepts, you can avoid many problems: do not lie, do not abuse drunkenness and fornication, pay attention to guests, regardless of their social status; you should not be lazy either in thoughts or in deeds; Honor the old like a father, and the young like brothers. These covenants are like the advice of parents who wish their children to be happy.

"The Life of Abraham of Smolensk" written by Ephraim in the first thirdXIIIcentury. Glorifying the feat of "patience" of Abraham, Ephraim cited numerous analogies from the lives of John Chrysostom, Savva the Sanctified. An outstanding personality of an educated, learned monk appears before readers. In the suburban Smolensk monastery, in the village of Selishche, he created a scriptorium, supervising the work of many scribes. The scholarly studies of Abraham arouse the envy and indignation of the hegumen and the monks. For five years, he patiently endures "disgrace and reproach» brothers, but, in the end, was forced to leave the monastery in Selishche and move to the city, to the monastery of the Holy Cross. The learned monk's sermons attracted the attention of the entire city. The popularity and success of a talented person among the townspeople “offends the conceited mediocrity” , and ignorant priests and monks accuse Abraham of heresy. The Smolensk prince and nobles came to the defense of Abraham, and the Bishop of Smolensk Ignatius and the successor of Bishop Lazar became his patrons. Efrem actively intervenes in the course of the story, gives his assessment of the behavior of the hero and his persecutors in rhetorical and journalistic digressions. Ephraim sharply denounces the ignorant who take the priesthood, argues that no one can live their life without misfortunes, hardships, and they can only be overcome with patience. Only patience allows a person to navigate the ship of his soul through the waves and storms of the sea of ​​life. In his life-concluding praise, Ephraim glorifies not only Abraham, but also his native city of Smolensk.

LiteratureXIII- XVcenturies has vividly responded to all events in Russia. The leading place is occupied by stories dedicated to the struggle of the Russian people with the Tatar-Mongols. "The Tale of the Invasion of Batu" refers to the genre of military stories. Its main theme is the struggle of the Russian people against the enemies who attacked their homeland. After The Tale of Igor's Campaign, this is the best military story of Ancient Russia: it emphasizes with great force the desire of Russians to defend their native land, not sparing life. The story calls for a fight against enemies, praises the selfless courage, military prowess and heroic deeds of Yevpaty Kolovrat, squads, princes and townspeople. “Giant in strength”, Evpaty Kolovrat stands out among his heroic team of brave men as an epic hero. His exploits instill fear in the enemies and at the same time involuntarily arouse their admiration. Even Batu, who brutally ravaged the Russian land, pays due respect to his enemy, releasing the few surviving warriors and giving them the body of Evpaty. The heroic feat of Evpaty, who with a small retinue rushed to the countless hordes of enemies, is explained by his ardent love for his native land and his desire to take revenge on his enemies for the devastation of Ryazan and for the death of the Ryazan people. Many images from folk poetry entered the story of Evpaty Kolovrat: the battle of a small squad with the innumerable force of the Tatars, the conversation of the wounded combatants of Evpaty with Batu, the duel of Evpaty with Khostovrul, the image of Evpaty in the form of an epic hero, Baty's regret that he does not have such heroes as Evpatiy.

A new stage in the development of ancient Russian hagiography is associated with Grand Duke Moscow, with the activities of a talented writer of the endXIV- startXVcenturies of Epiphanius the Wise. He wrote two outstanding works of ancient Russian literature - the lives of Stefan of Perm and Sergius of Radonezh, which vividly reflected the rise of the national self-consciousness of the Russian people associated with the struggle against the Golden Horde yoke. The personalities of Stefan, the educator of the Komi-Permians, and the founder of the Trinity Monastery, Sergius, clearly embodied the idea of ​​serving the Russian land, the consciousness of the need to overcome and defeat “the fear of the hated strife of this world” for this. Both Stefan of Perm and Sergius of Radonezh are a model of perseverance, purposefulness, uncompromisingness. All their thoughts and actions are determined by the interests of the motherland, the good of the public and the state. Having learned the Permian language, Stefan creates the Permian alphabet and translates Russian books into this language. Then he goes to the distant land of Perm, settles among the pagans and influences them not only with a living word, but also with an example of his own behavior. Stefan cuts down the "purple birch", which was worshiped by the pagans, enters into a fight with the sorcerer (shaman) Pam. Stefan shames his opponent: he invites Pam to enter together into the raging flames of a huge fire and get out of it, enter an ice hole and exit another, located far from the first. Pam categorically refuses all these trials, and the Permians see with their own eyes the impotence of their sorcerer, they are ready to tear him to pieces. However, Stefan calms the angry mob, saves Pamu's life, and only banishes him. Thus, willpower, conviction, endurance, Stephen's humanism win, and the pagans accept Christianity. Glorifying the feat of Stephen, Epiphanius denounces those Christian clergy who achieve high positions by bribery, bribes, "jumping" on each other.

Epiphanius the Wise Sergius of Radonezh portrays the ideal of a new church figure. On the example of the life of Sergius, Epiphanius argued that the path of moral transformation and education of society lies through the improvement of the individual. The style of the work is distinguished by lush rhetoric, "good words". He himself calls it "weaving words." This style is characterized by the widespread use of metaphors-symbols, similes, comparisons, synonymous epithets (up to 20-25 with one defined word). Much attention is paid to the characteristics of the psychological states of the characters, their "mental" monologues. A large place in the life is given to lamentations, praise-panegyrics.

The rhetorically-panegyric style of life served as an important artistic tool

propaganda of moral and political ideas of the state being formed around Moscow.

The life path of the “great old man”, as his contemporaries called him, looks paradoxical. He fled from the society of people - and as a result he became its spiritual leader; he never took a sword in his hands - but his one word on the scales of victory was worth hundreds of swords. The mystery surrounding the name of Sergius is also amazing. In almost all the great events of the era, we feel his invisible presence. Meanwhile, neither his own writings nor an exact record of his conversations and teachings have come down to us. Sergius spent most of his life in the Trinity Monastery he founded. Here he became famous as an outstanding ascetic in the Christian-monastic sense of the word. In addition, Sergius was known as one of the main adherents of the "common life" - a new form of monastic life in Russia at that time. However, Sergius was not exclusively a church figure. Its horizon was not limited to the line of the monastery walls. In the most dramatic moments in the history of North-Eastern Russia, he helped the princes to hear each other, urged them to stop bloody strife. The word of Sergius sounded invitingly in the formidable year 1380, when the hordes of Mamai moved to the Russian land. The people believed only Sergius, so Prince Dmitry went to him with a small retinue. Dmitry and his retinue were present at the liturgy served by Sergius himself. Sergius persuaded him to dine in the monastery refectory, "to taste their bread." Sergius himself gave the prince bread and salt. He attached particular importance to these two things. Bread - not only in the form of prosphora, but as such - was for him a symbol of Jesus himself. He repeatedly repeated the words of the Savior: “I am the bread of life” (John 9:35). Salt has meant grace since apostolic times. “Let your word always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that you know how to answer everyone” (1 Col. 9:6). Giving the dish to the prince, the abbot said: “Bread and salt!” These words were his usual blessing. The prince stood up and accepted the dish with a bow. After the meal, Sergius sprinkled Dmitry and his companions with holy water. Having overshadowed the prince with the sign of the cross, he loudly, so that everyone could hear, exclaimed: “Go, lord, to the filthy Polovtsy, calling on God, and the Lord God will be your helper and intercessor!” Then, leaning towards the prince, Sergius quietly, so that he alone could hear: “Imashi, lord, defeat your adversaries.” Sergius called two monks to him and, turning to Dmitry, said: “Set these are my gunslingers.” The prince realized that these two monks were the visible evidence of the blessing that he had received from the "elder". The hegumen tonsured them into the great schema, and now, faithful to monastic obedience, they were ready to follow the prince to battle. According to the concepts of the monks, the schema symbolized the armor in which the monk went out to fight the devil. Dmitry realized how much Sergius gave him in the person of these two monks. Peresvet and Oslyabya are not unknown people. Seeing them, everyone will immediately guess who sent them with the princely army. And the unusual attire will tell the rest without words. The Grand Duke also realized how difficult this decision was for the "old man", what a feat of self-sacrifice he performed that night. Sergius not only sent his spiritual children to death, but also committed a direct violation of church laws. The Fourth Ecumenical Council at Chalcedon decreed that a monk should not enter military service¹. For violating this prohibition, he was excommunicated from the church. The principle of monastic obedience shifted this sin onto the shoulders of the abbot, who blessed his monks to shed blood. By sending monks to battle, Sergius risked his own salvation of the soul.

The merits of Sergius to the Fatherland are not limited to his peacekeeping campaigns and the blessing of the soldiers going to the Battle of Kulikovo. For contemporaries, he became a true "lamp" - a man who managed to subordinate his whole life to the gospel commandments of love and unanimity. Always avoiding judging and edifying, he taught mainly by himself, his way of life and attitude towards others. And the people heard his silent sermon. In those days, the concept of spiritual achievement was associated, first of all, with leaving the “world”, strict observance of monastic rules. From this point of view, Sergius was impeccable. With his "high life" he inspired people with faith in their moral strength. In an era when Russia raised its head, straightened its shoulders, preparing for a decisive battle with the Horde, it needed firmness of spirit, faith in itself no less than good swords and strong chain mail. The extraordinary attractiveness of Sergius's personality was explained simply: he was a man who steadily, to the end, fulfilled his Christian and monastic duty. Are there many people who would never betray their duty? “Under the name of St. Sergius, the people remember their moral revival, which made possible the political revival, and affirms the rule that a political fortress is strong only when it rests on moral strength,” said historian V.O. Klyuchevsky. - This revival and this rule are the most precious contributions of St. Sergius, not archival or theoretical, but placed in the living soul of the people, in its moral content. The moral wealth of the people is clearly calculated by the monuments of deeds for the common good, by the memories of the figures who contributed the greatest amount of good to their society. With these monuments and memories, the moral feeling of the people grows together; they are its nourishing soil; in them his roots; tear it away from them, it will wither like cut grass. They nurture not popular conceit, but the idea of ​​the responsibility of descendants to great ancestors, for a moral sense is a sense of duty. Creating the memory of St. Sergius, we check ourselves, review our moral reserve, bequeathed to us by the great builders of our moral order, renew it, replenishing the expenses made in it.

What doubts did the medieval scribe experience when he began to write the biography of St. Sergius, what kind of burden did he feel on his shoulders? It was not only the burden of a huge responsibility to contemporaries and descendants, but also a completely understandable fear that any person would experience if he suddenly found himself in the palm of a giant. But the words that Sergius Epiphanius the Wise prefaced to his Life are worth a lot: “If the elder’s life is not written, but left ... without remembrance, then this will in no way harm that holy elder ... But we ourselves do not crawl from this, leaving a lot and such a favor. And for this sake, we have gathered everything together, we begin to write ... ".

In the middleXVIcentury in Moscow on the basis of oral legends Yermolai - Erasmus wrote "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia". It glorified the power and beauty of female love - selfless, deep, capable of overcoming class barriers and even

¹Acts of the Ecumenical Councils, published in Russian translation at the Kazan Theological Academy. T.4. Kazan, 1878.

conquer death. "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia" is far from the canon of life, it is close to a folk tale, and, obviously, therefore it was not included in the Great Honors of the Menaion of Macarius, which included all the lives common in Russia inXV– beginningXVIcenturies. The story is one of the original highly artistic works of ancient Russian literature, which raised acute social, moral and even political issues. It stands at the origins of the everyday story, the genre of which was developed in literatureXVIIcentury. The story influenced the formation of the Kitezh legend, which gained popularity among the Old Believers, being a folk utopia about a bright righteous city that became invisible and sank to the bottom of Lake Svetloyar. Actually hagiographic motives in the story do not play a significant role. There is no description of the pious origin of the heroes, their childhood, ascetic deeds. The daughter of a Ryazan peasant is full of self-esteem, female pride, extraordinary strength of mind and will. She becomes a princess, a beloved and loving wife. Murom boyars, whose wives do not want to be subordinate to the peasant, demand that Fevronia leave the city. She agrees to leave, having received permission to take with her the most precious thing. The boyars are put to shame: Fevronia takes with her what is dearer to her than wealth, honors, power - her husband, Prince Peter. Peter and Fevronia live in the world and are guided by the norms of human relations. The bread crumbs collected by Fevronia from the table into her hand turn into fragrant incense, and the flyers, on which the cauldron hung over the fire, with her blessing, become large trees in the morning. The first miracle justifies the behavior at the table of a peasant woman who knows the price of bread, and the second emphasizes the life-giving power of female love. The posthumous miracle, built on the denial of the monastic ascetic ideal, affirms the same force. Before their death, Peter and Fevronia become monks, but they decide to die at the same time and bequeath to bury themselves in a single coffin. In vain they try to break the will of the dead and bury them in different places: their bodies miraculously unite. They remain inseparable even after death. Earthly love triumphs over monastic asceticism and over death itself. That halo of holiness surrounds the ideal married life in the world and the wise sovereign reign of the prince.

The works of ancient Russian literature have found a new life in our time. They serve as a powerful means of patriotic education, instill a sense of national pride, faith in the indestructibility of the creative vitality, energy, moral beauty of the Russian people, who have repeatedly saved the countries of Europe from barbarian invasion.

References

1. Borisov N.S. Sergius of Radonezh / Nikolai Borisov. - 4th ed. - M .: Young Guard, 2009.

2. Old Russian legends (XI- XVIcenturies) Life of Theodosius of the Caves. / Comp., intro. article and comment. V.V. Kuskov; Prep. Old Russian. Text and translation by V.V. Kuskova, V.A. Grikhina, G.Yu. Filippovsky; Il. V.V. Noskov. – M.: Sov. Russia, 1982, pp. 25-49.

3. Old Russian legends (XI- XVIcenturies) Life of Abraham of Smolensk. / Comp., intro. article and comment. V.V. Kuskov; Prep. Old Russian. Text and translation by V.V. Kuskova, V.A. Grikhina, G.Yu. Filippovsky; Il. V.V. Noskov. – M.: Sov. Russia, 1982, pp. 73-94.

4. Old Russian legends (XI- XVIcenturies) The Tale of Stefan, Bishop of Perm. / Comp., intro. article and comment. V.V. Kuskov; Prep. Old Russian. Text and translation by V.V. Kuskova, V.A. Grikhina, G.Yu. Filippovsky; Il. V.V. Noskov. – M.: Sov. Russia, 1982, pp. 161-195.

5. Old Russian legends (XI- XVIcenturies) Life of Sergius of Radonezh. / Comp., intro. article and comment. V.V. Kuskov; Prep. Old Russian. Text and translation by V.V. Kuskova, V.A. Grikhina, G.Yu. Filippovsky; Il. V.V. Noskov. – M.: Sov. Russia, 1982, pp. 230-257.

6. Old Russian legends (XI- XVIcenturies) The Tale of Peter and Fevronia. / Comp., intro. article and comment. V.V. Kuskov; Prep. Old Russian. Text and translation by V.V. Kuskova, V.A. Grikhina, G.Yu. Filippovsky; Il. V.V. Noskov. – M.: Sov. Russia, 1982, pp. 318-331.

7. Klyuchevsky V.O. Essays and speeches. Sat. articles. Pg., 1918, p.209.

8. Monuments of Literature of Ancient Russia.IV- middleXVcentury. M., 1981.

9. Possevino A. Historical writings about RussiaXVIcentury. M., 1983.

10. Florinsky S.M. Russian literature. Textbook for high school. Twelfth edition. M .: "Enlightenment", 1966.