Museum complex

“YURIEV GOSPEL” (aprakos gospel)

Scribe: Fedor Ugrinets
Ancient Rus’, Kiev
Around year 1120
Ancient Russia. End of IX – first half of the 13th century
Parchment, iron gall ink, vermeil; handwriting – uncial; drawing. Binding – 1858: boards, velvet, silver; engraving, casting
231 parchment leaves (33,2 х 28 cm)
From: along with other manuscripts it was gifted to the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery by Patriarch Nikon. In august of 1906 after the order of the Holy Synod it was transferred to the Synodal library in Moscow. Because of the abolishment of Synodal institute by the decision of the People's commissariat for education in 1920 the Synodal collection was passed to the State Historical Museum.
Showcase 16

The Yuriev gospel is one of five dated Russian manuscripts of the XII century. It contains a special edition of the gospel translation of the text, has an exceptionally rich ornamental design, due to which it was named an "encyclopedia of old Russian ornament". It is an outstanding monument of ancient Russian book art: on the back of the first sheet there is a luxurious cinnabar frontispiece, created in the form of a church decorated with ornaments and birds, as well as a lot of non-repeating large ornamental initials and headpieces. The text is executed in a professional, but not calligraphic uncial. In 1858 a new binding was made for it, covered with some crimson velvet and decorated with silver engraved plates.

More information...

The Yuriev gospel is dated to the years when hegumen Kiryak was in charge (1119–1128). However, since the manuscript was undoubtedly thought of as the ceremonial altar gospel of the princely monastery, its order most likely refers to the first years of his administration – the time of the monastery's foundation and the laying of the St. George Cathedral, to which the manuscript was intended. The scribe record says that the codex was written "in Novgorod". Such expression a Novgorodian scribe would never use. Besides that, all 230 leaves of the text have no Novgorodian dialectic characteristic linguistic properties which definitely can be found in manuscripts of that region. That fact only proves that the manuscript has a not-Novgorodian origin. According to the outstanding ornaments it is decorated richly with, the most likely places of its creation were central book scriptoriums of Kiev – the capital of the united old Russian state. Its scribe was Feodor who was called “Ugrinez” meaning “a Hungarian”. That does not necessary mean his origin, but he probably had attended Hungary or had some mediate connection with it.
According to the scribe record the gospel was ordered by hegumen of the Novgorodian princely Yuriev Monastery Kiryak and his chief church administrator Sabbas. The Yuriev Monastery was founded by the outstanding Novgorodian and later Kievan duke Mstislav the Great, probably, around 1119. The chronicle of this year mentions the lay of foundation of the first stone St. George Cathedral of the Monastery, that was built by the first known in Russian chronicles Russian architect – foreman Peter. There is no doubt that hegumen Kiryak, having ordered the gospel, carried out the order of the churchwarden of the monastery-Mstislav the Great, who built and provided the monastery. The orderer of the Gospel duke Mstislav is a bright figure in Russian history.
He was a grandson of grand duke Vsevolod (1078–1093) who was the third son of grand duke Yaroslav the Wise and Greek czarevna daughter of byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomach. His father was the eldest son of Vsevolod, grand duke Vladimir Monomach (1113–1125) and his mother was Gyda, daughter of the last Anglo-Saxon king Herald, who lived after his death during the battle with Normans and conquest of England by William the Conqueror at court of her first cousin once removed - Sweyn II of Denmark. Their marriage researchers date to 1072–1074 or 1074/5. Their first-born son Mstislav was born in Smolensk in 1076. During the baptism he got the name Theodore, and in honor of his English grandfather he was named Herald. In Scandinavian sources he is mentioned with this name and probably in European countries he was known only by this name. Mstislav probably had the second font name – George, which is confirmed by several annalistic and other sources. Probably the name “George” was a patronal name of his grandfather Herald (it's no coincidence that the patron saint of England is St. George) and it could be transferred to Mstislav as well as his worldly name. Probably that is why Mstislav dedicated his monastery to that saint.

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