Fedorov's first printing press. History of the book
On March 1, 1564, the founder of mass printing, Ivan Fedorov (c. 1510-1583), together with Peter Mstislavets, completed work on the first Russian large-scale printed book, “The Acts and Epistles of the Holy Apostles.”
Letters have existed in Rus' for a long time, but the book came to our ancestors with the adoption of Christianity.
Ivan Fedorov studied at the university in Krakow. In his youth he lived and worked in Little Russia and was known as a cannon master. Upon arrival in Moscow, Ivan Fedorov found himself surrounded by Metropolitan Macarius and received the position of deacon in the Church of St. Nicholas of Gostunsky in the Kremlin. He took part in the work of the commission for correcting handwritten church books (eliminating discrepancies and heretical inserts).
Printing in territorially expanding Rus' was caused by the need to supply churches under construction with liturgical literature with corrected canonical texts. The second reason was the need to prevent the spread of cheap and mass printed Uniate literature from the West and to put a barrier to Catholic expansion to the East. In 1563, by order of Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich IV the Terrible, construction began in the capital of the State Printing Yard on Nikolsky Krestets (now Nikolskaya Street next to the Kremlin).
Ivan Fedorov quickly mastered the subtleties of typographic art in the printing house. On April 19, 1563, the “cunning masters of printing” Ivan Fedorov and his assistant Pyotr Mstislavets began work on their first book - the Acts and Epistles of the Holy Apostles. This work lasted about a year. On March 1, 1564, the first Moscow large-scale printed book was dated by the first state printing house in Moscow. 
The pioneer printer himself did a lot of editorial work on it and designed it according to all the rules of the printing art of that time. In this book, Ivan Fedorov made rich headpieces for each section, colorful vignettes at the top of the pages, initials (at the beginning of paragraphs), and typed it in a semi-standard font, developed on the basis of handwritten Moscow letters of the mid-16th century.
Following the “Acts of the Holy Apostles,” Fedorov and Mstislavets published the Teaching Gospel, and in 1565 two editions of the “Chasovnik” (Book of Hours). It began to be used as an educational book for teaching reading. Circulations of several hundred copies were considered large at that time. But the attitude towards the innovation caused a protest from a group of clergy. After all, the handwritten creation of liturgical books usually solemnly began as an important spiritual task after prayers; the soulless printing press was perceived at first as something soulless and suspicious. In addition, the work of monastic scribes became unprofitable; the machine made it possible to print books faster and cheaper. Since the main defender of Ivan Fedorov, Metropolitan Macarius, died in 1563, the pioneer printers were left without patronage. In 1566, there was a fire in their printing house (possibly the result of arson), and they decided to leave Muscovy. Outside Muscovite Rus', the “Teaching Gospel”, the “Psalter” with the “Book of Hours” and the first Russian printed primer with grammar, the “ABC”, were published - “for the benefit of the Russian people.” (The only copy of I. Fedorov’s “ABC” was discovered in 1939, now located in the USA in the library of Harvard University.) In the city of Ostrog in Volyn, Fedorov published the famous “Ostrog Bible” - the first complete Bible in the Church Slavonic language. Printed in a large font, new for that time, on 628 sheets, it was a masterpiece of technical execution and artistic taste (about 300 copies have survived to this day). Ivan Fedorov’s boards with the font he developed for this book were kept for a long time by his followers after his death, and some of them were in working order for almost 200 years. .jpg)
Ivan Fedorov was not only a pioneer printer, but also politician Rus' during the time of Ivan the Terrible. He had numerous and varied talents - he was a military engineer and inventor, writer, and innovative printer. On December 5, 1583, I. Fedorov died. He was buried in Lvov in the St. Onufrievsky Monastery. In 1977, the Fedorov Museum was opened here, but in 1990 the monastery fell into the hands of the Basilian monks, who liquidated the museum. In 1909, in the center of Moscow, next to the Kitai-Gorod wall, where the Sovereign’s printing yard was located in the 16th century, a monument to Ivan Fedorov (sculptor S.M. Volnukhin) was erected. In 1998, at the Moscow courtyard of the Trinity-Seogiev Lavra, an icon was consecrated depicting Metropolitan Macarius and the first printer, Deacon Ivan Fedorov, next to a printing press - the first image of a printing press and the first printer on an Orthodox icon.
Ivan Fedorov was born between 1510 and 1530. There is no exact information about the date and place of his birth (as well as his family in general). The genealogical interpretation of his typographical sign, identical with the coat of arms of the Belarusian noble family of Ragoza, gives reason to assume its connection with this family either by origin, or as a result of the addition to the coat of arms “Srenjava” - in another reading “Srenjava” - the so-called “act of adaptation” . Several dozen Belarusian, Ukrainian and Polish surnames belonged to this coat of arms.
In 1553, John IV ordered the construction in Moscow special house for the printing house, which in the 1550s published several “anonymous”, that is, not containing any imprint, publications (at least seven of them are known).
It is believed that Ivan Fedorov also worked in this printing house. The first printed book in which the name of Ivan Fedorov and Peter Mstislavets, who helped him, is indicated was “The Apostle,” work on which was carried out, as indicated in the afterword to it, from April 19, 1563 to March 1, 1564. This is the first precisely dated Russian book.
This publication, both in textual and printing sense, is significantly superior to the previous anonymous ones. On next year Fedorov’s printing house published his second book, “The Book of Hours.”
After some time, persecution of printers by copyists began. After an arson that destroyed their workshop, Fedorov and Mstislavets were forced to flee to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
In 1566, together with Pyotr Mstislavets, Ivan Fedorov left Moscow and moved to Ukraine. According to one version, this happened due to persecution of the church, but there is also information that the reason was educational activities.
After leaving Moscow, he lived and worked in Zabludov, Ostrog and Lvov. But even in Moscow, the printing business he founded continued.
In Zabludov, a small town in western Belarus, a printing press appeared in July 1568. And although the printing house only existed for about 2 years, its role in the history of Slavic book printing was great: in those distant times it was an example of friendly ties between fraternal peoples. The Teaching Gospel, the Psalter and the Book of Hours were published here. For his work, Ivan Fedorov was given the opportunity to lead a comfortable life as a nobleman - a landowner.
But he decided differently: he collected typographic tools, fonts, and his simple belongings and went to Lvov, where he soon also founded a printing house.
Ivan Fedorov turned to wealthy Ukrainian artisans for help, and a year later, in 1573, he began printing the Apostle. The book has an afterword: “The story... where this drukarnya began and how it came to pass” is the first example of memoir literature.
The Lvov edition of “The Apostle” also contains an introductory word from Ivan Fedorov himself, where he talks about the persecution: “Not from the Sovereign, but from many chiefs and priests, who conceived many heresies against us for the sake of envy,” who “...from the earth , fatherland and our family were expelled to hitherto unknown lands.”
At the beginning of 1575, the major Ukrainian feudal lord Prince Konstantin Ostrozhsky, who had long been thinking about publishing the complete Slavic Bible, invited Ivan Fedorov to his service. The pioneer printer saw in this invitation an opportunity to continue his favorite business and agreed.
The fourth printing house in his life in Ostrog (now near the city of Rivne) was the most productive. In less than 4 years (1578-1581), she published 5 editions, including the famous Ostrog Bible. In Ostrog and other Ukrainian and Belarusian publications, Fedorov signed his name as Ivan Fedorovich.
Ivan Fedorov was a versatile and enlightened person. Not only was he involved in publishing, but he also cast cannons and invented a multi-barreled mortar with interchangeable parts. The first Russian book printer had close ties with the enlightened people of Europe. His correspondence with the Saxon Elector Augustus was found in the Dresden archive.
Between February 26 and July 23, 1583, he traveled to Vienna, where he demonstrated his invention at the court of Emperor Rudolf II. For some time he worked in Krakow and Vienna and had close connections with enlightened people of Europe. In particular, correspondence between Ivan Fedorov and the Saxon Elector Augustus was found in the Dresden archive (the letter was written on July 23, 1583).
The life of Ivan Fedorov ended in Lvov in 1583. On December 5 (15), 1583, Ivan Fedorov died on the outskirts of Lvov. He was buried in Lvov in the St. Onuphrius Monastery. In 1971, while dismantling the monastery wall, the remains of the pioneer printer and his son Ivan, who died mysteriously 3 years after the death of his father, were found.
In 1977, the Ivan Fedorov Museum was opened in the St. Onufrievsky Monastery. In 1990, the museum was evicted from this premises due to the transfer of the monastery to the Basilian Order, and all its exhibits were stored in the basements of the Lviv Art Gallery. In 1997, the museum was reopened in a new building called “Museum of the Art of Ancient Ukrainian Books.”
What is the significance of Ivan Fedorov in the history of printing?
Was he the first printer in Ukraine, and directly in Lvov?
According to Ukrainian researchers Orest Matsyuk, Yakim Zapasko and Vladimir Stasenko, in the 15th century there was a printing house in Lviv, which in 1460 its owner Stepan Dropan donated to the monastery of St. Onufria.
Municipal autonomous educational institution-
secondary school No. 4
Iskitim, Novosibirsk region
Section for students of city schools and additional education associations
Report
"The pioneer printer Ivan Fedorov"
Completed by: Maksimova Lada Gennadievna
student of grade 6 "B"
Head: Tupaeva Valentina Viktorovna
teacher of Russian language and literature
highest qualification category
e-mail: [email protected]
I. Introduction
II. The first book printer Ivan Fedorov
2.1. Mysteries of the birth and personality formation of Ivan Fedorov
2.2. The emergence of book printing in Moscow
2.3. The great feat of Ivan Fedorov
III. Conclusion
IV. References
V. Applications
I. Introduction
Embedded in the shining vault of heaven,
You are standing, clerk, by the ancient wall,
The forehead is majestic, bronze-clean.
You are for Russia, for Ukraine
You hold the first printed sheet.
V. LUGOVSKOY
Russia is rich in outstanding talents. In any field of knowledge there are names that have glorified our country throughout the world. And descendants perpetuate the glorious deeds of their heroes in marble and granite, in bronze and cast iron. But time does not spare granite or marble, human memory is destroyed, names are forgotten... And only a book, carefully preserved by descendants, transmits invaluable information about the great deeds of the past from century to century. True, now, unfortunately, they read much less than 20-30 years ago. But can the living flesh of a book compare with the cold lines on a computer monitor? “A book is a great gift to man from God. It serves not only to convey historical information, but serves as a door to the future: what the ideals of young people will depend on what the books are like, which means our future depends,” said the Chairman of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsk Clement (Kapalin).
For me, any book is living creature, someone wise with whom you can talk on any topic. All the more joyful was the news that Orthodox Book Day had been established in our country. The decision to establish an annual Orthodox Book Day was made at a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on December 25, 2009. The holiday is dedicated to the date of publication of the first printed book in Rus' by Ivan Fedorov, “The Apostle,” which was published on March 1 (old style) 1564.
From the point of view of modern scientists, Fedorov’s biography contains a lot dark spots, mysteries that make me want to solve them.
II. The first book printer Ivan Fedorov
2.1. Mysteries of the birth and formation of the personality of Ivan Fedorov
Scientists were unable to establish the exact date of birth of Ivan Fedorov. It is believed that he was born around 1510. ABOUT early years Almost nothing is known about the first printer. Some historians suggest that he studied at the University of Krakow, others mention his name, which was found in the lists of German students educational institutions. One way or another, Ivan Fedorov was a highly educated man, a professional in his field. He not only possessed high literary merits, which were clearly manifested in his afterword to the Moscow Apostle, but also masterfully mastered the technique of two-color printing, knew foundry and even cast cannons. He also invented a multi-barrel gun with interchangeable parts.
In 1550-60, Ivan Fedorov was the clerk of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of Gostunsky in the Moscow Kremlin, which has not survived. The most detailed information about the organization of the printing house was subsequently presented to the Apostle. Writing afterwords was a rule for handwritten texts. Ivan Fedorov also adhered to this tradition.
2.2.The emergence of book printing in Moscow
The emergence of book printing in the Moscow state coincided with the era of Ivan the Terrible. This was the time of consolidation of statehood and the final establishment of a monarchical centralized state. First of all, Grozny solved the political problems of Rus' in the East. In 1552 he conquered the Kazan kingdom, and a little later Astrakhan. Vast expanses inhabited by non-Orthodox peoples came under the rule of the Moscow Tsar. Their organic inclusion in the state required Christian enlightenment, and soon the Kazan diocese appeared, which required liturgical books. It would seem that the problem could be solved by traditional handwritten production, but the printing press had already been invented in Europe. Our tsar strove to look no worse than foreigners (Grozny was the first to be crowned king, the first of the Russian tsars to openly present himself as a universal tsar - the heir of Rome and Byzantium) and demanded that educational work be carried out. Metropolitan Macarius, continuing the tradition of the Novgorod rulers and Moscow metropolitans, expressed the educational aspirations of the 15th-16th centuries, which resulted in an extensive program - the ideological basis of the reforms of the era of Ivan the Terrible, which transformed Rus' from a Grand Duchy into a Kingdom (monarchy).
Based on the testimony of the first printer, it is believed that the printing house in Moscow was opened in 1563. To begin their typographic activities, Ivan Fedorov and Pyotr Mstislavets produced and cast one font using a half-chart design. Making a font is a labor-intensive job. First, the matrix was made - cut into hard metal convex shape For each letter, a copy was made by imprinting on softer metal. The resulting in-depth form was called a matrix. By pouring metal into it, they got letters in the right quantity. Then from these letters the text was typed, which required jeweler's precision maintaining spaces between letters and words. “The Apostle” was published as a perfect work of printed art.
The first printed publications in medieval Europe continued the art of modern handwritten books. Johannes Gutenberg followed this path when he published the Bible in Mainz in 1455. When creating his first books, Ivan Fedorov could use his experience in the design of not only handwritten samples, but also printed books brought from abroad. Researchers have found that the text of the “Apostle” differs from the handwritten “Apostles” common at that time. This could only mean one thing - the text was carefully edited. Scientists admit that it was edited either in the circle of Metropolitan Macarius, or by the pioneer printers themselves, Ivan Fedorov and Peter Mstislavets.
The second book to come out of Ivan Fedorov’s Moscow printing house was “The Book of Hours,” published in two editions in 1565. The first of them was printed on August 7, 1565 and finished on September 29, 1565. Other printed materials were printed from September 2 to October 29. We learned to read from this book. We do not know of any other books published by Ivan Fedorov and Pyotr Mstislavets in Moscow. But they most likely existed, since some of them are mentioned by the 18th century bibliographer Bishop Damascus (1737-17950).
2.3 The great feat of Ivan Fedorov
In 1565, in Moscow, Ivan Fedorov and Pyotr Mstislavets published another book - “The Book of Hours”. Ivan Fedorov and his comrade in Moscow were very prominent and respected people. But the oprichnina introduced by Ivan the Terrible caused them great concern. “For the sake of envy, many heresies were plotted against us,” Ivan Fedorov later wrote, explaining his and Metislavets’s departure to Belarus, which then belonged to the Polish Lithuanian state. So Ivan Fedorov and Pyotr Mstislavets published only two books in Moscow, but this is quite enough for Ivan Fedorov to forever remain the first printer of Rus'. Having ecclesiastical rank deacon, Ivan Fedorov took from Moscow not only his wife and children, but also the tools and materials necessary to continue printing. Soon Fedorov and Mstislavets were able to resume work in Lithuania, on the estate of Hetman Khodkevich in Zabludov. Here in 1569 the “Teaching Gospel” was printed. Unlike the Moscow ones, this book was not liturgical and was intended for home reading. From Khodkevich's estate, Ivan Fedorov moved to Lvov in 1572, despite the fact that Khodkevich, as a reward for his work, gave Fedorov a village where the pioneer printer could engage in farming and live comfortably. But Fedorov abandoned settled life, considering his printing activity an apostolic ministry. (Apostles, which translated from Greek means “sent”, were the disciples of Christ whom he sent all over the world to tell about himself.) In Lvov, on February 14, 1574, the first accurately dated printed book in Ukraine, the so-called Lvov “Apostle”, was published; The font and some of the headpieces in this book were borrowed from the Moscow "Apostol", but the endings and patterned initials were made anew. In the same year, in Lvov, Ivan Fedorov first published a book for Russian children - “ABC”.
The second edition of the ABC was published in 1576 in the city of Ostrog, where Fedorov was invited by Prince Konstantin Ostrozhsky. In 1580 Fedorov released New Testament The Psalter is in a small format, easy to read. This is the first book in Russian history that is accompanied by an alphabetical subject index.
But a real feat Ivan Fedorov did a colossal amount of work on
A significant event in Russian and world history is the invention of printing. The innovation came around the 16th century. One of the figures whose name is associated with the advent of printing during the time of Ivan the Terrible speaks to many famous Ivan Fedorov. The story of this man is familiar not only to adults and enlightened people. The biography of Ivan Fedorov, the first printer, is available for children to study at school.
How did it all begin?
Each person in history has an interesting and unique line of his own destiny. Life sometimes takes unexpected turns. Everyone has encountered this. And, of course, he is no exception - he is a pioneer in the field of Russian book printing.
The biography of Ivan Fedorov, the first printer, begins with a legend. The chronological framework of his birth varies from 1510 to 1530. Oddly enough, no reliable information has been preserved about where exactly the pioneer printer was born and spent his childhood. But, in all likelihood, this happened in the Kaluga province. Information has been preserved that he held the position of deacon of the Church of St. Nicholas of Gostunsky. He taught literacy, like many clergy in churches. Already in 1532 he graduated from the University of Krakow. This is evidenced by the fact that the first printer had a bachelor's degree.
Church service
As a result of his activities, pioneer printer Ivan Fedorov met Metropolitan Macarius. A short biography says that perhaps this is what gave the impetus to the fact that Fedorov would soon be entrusted with such an important task as the printing of the Apostle.
As you know, Macarius was close to Ivan the Terrible, and, having noticed a capable young man, could contribute to his future fate.
By order of the tsar, in the 1550s, work began on the development of the first Moscow printing house. Fonts and other equipment necessary for the functioning of the printing business were selected in a special way. At first, the enterprises were anonymous. But then the case began to spread widely.
The birth of the first Russian book - “Apostle”
Prepared for children, it mainly tells about the creation of the first printed book. In 1564, the first Russian printed book in the Slavic language, “The Apostle,” was published. Ivan Fedorov and his assistants, Pyotr Mstislavets and Marusha Nerefiev, took an active part in its appearance. Preparations for this event took about a year. The completion of the work was marked by success, since this copy was much better in quality than previous books. This work received the blessing of Metropolitan Macarius, but, unfortunately, Macarius did not live to see the publication of “The Apostle.”
This is what Ivan Fedorov is famous for - the first printer. Biography for children sometimes focuses only on this.
But, of course, everything was not limited to one book. Book printing became more widespread. In 1565, at the behest of Ivan the Terrible, another liturgical book called “Book of Hours” was to be published. This was done by Pyotr Mstislavets and Ivan Fedorov (the first printer). The biography indicates that two copies were made. Subsequently, she was of great benefit to society. Various prayers and songs were recorded there. A daily church ritual was performed on them. But the main thing is that it was with it that they began to teach reading.
Persecution of pioneer printers
But the situation has actually worsened. The development of printing was unprofitable for many. Firstly, to the scribes, who, in essence, lost their position, and therefore their monetary profit. The upper strata of the population were also dissatisfied; they were afraid that increasing the level of public education could subsequently lead to them losing their privileges. The people risked the emergence of ideas that would help organize a rebellion against officials, landowners, the clergy, and so on. There was also an opinion that the soul was put into handwritten books, since this is the hard work of a specific person. But printing on machines did not carry such properties, and was taken for something unclean. The biography of Ivan Fedorov, the first printer, tells about the difficult position of the figure.
The culmination was a fire that occurred in 1566 in the printing house. Moreover, the activities of the pioneers in printing began to be considered heresy. After this event, it was decided that the pioneer printers, including Pyotr Mstislavets and Ivan Fedorov, should go to Lithuania.
Work in Lithuania
A printing house was organized in Zabludiv, the estate of Hetman Khodkevich. The first book published from this book was the Teaching Gospel. Subsequently, the book was given the name Zabludovsky. This significant event took place in 1568-1569. Again the same pioneer printers supervised the work. But the further activities of these people are separated. As explained short biography Ivan Fedorov, the pioneer printer, he remains and continues to work in Zabludov. he goes to Vilna. As a result of work in Zabludovo, Ivan Fedorov created the book “Psalter with the Book of Hours.”
But here fate presented another unpleasant surprise, which Ivan Fedorov (the first printer) encountered. The biography reads as follows. Khodasevich, due to old age, reluctance to take part in organizing the printing house, and lack of a large amount of money, decided to stop operating the printing house. Khodasevich offers Ivan Fedorov to take up farming, but he refuses, because he considers himself not meant for such a task. He leaves Zabludovo by 1573.
Moving to Lviv
A short biography of Ivan Fedorov, the pioneer printer, indicates that he himself had to transport all the tools necessary for the functioning of the printing business. Here the man managed to organize his own printing house. The work began again, and in 1574 the first printed book in Ukraine, “The Apostle,” was published, with the same name as the Moscow copy. The content is also similar to that which was released back in 1564. True, something was added here. For example, several introductory texts. At the end there was a rather interesting afterword, which was personally compiled by Ivan Fedorov, the first printer. The biography preserved the lines: “This story shows where this printing began and how it was created.” This is what the title of the afterword looked like. Through the work of Ivan Fedorov, about a thousand reprints of the Apostle were completed. This meant that book printing developed not only in Russia, but also on the territory of modern Ukraine.
In 1574, the printing house of Ivan Fedorov published “Azbuka” - the first East Slavic textbook, which we have heard about many times. The books were small in size and contained everything necessary for learning to read and write.
Ostrog Bible
Then the following event occurs. In 1575, Ivan Fedorov, the first printer, received an invitation from Konstantin Konstantinovich Ostrozhsky. The prince's biography calls him one of the richest personalities of the Polish-Lithuanian state. A proposal was received to establish a new printing house in Ostrog in Volyn, that is, on the estate of Konstantin Ostrozhsky. The prince himself cared about the development of science and education in his lands. There was even an Orthodox school organized there. In 1578, the next ABC was published, for which the pioneer printer Ivan Fedorov was responsible. The brief biography adds that a year earlier work began on the famous “Bible,” which was published in 1580.
What makes it even more significant is that it is the first fully published Bible written in Church Slavonic.
Sunset of life
In 1582, the first printer Ivan Fedorov returned to Lviv to his family. He wants to continue his business. But the plan cannot be fully implemented. In 1583 he leaves this world. They buried him in the St. Onufrievsky Monastery, and over the grave they placed a slab with the inscription “Drukar (i.e., printer) of books never seen before.” This is precisely the title that Ivan Fedorov, the first printer, assigns to himself.
The biography for children and adults ends here. The memory of the great book printer is forever preserved in Russian history.
The name and basic facts of the biography of the pioneer printer Ivan Fedorov are probably known to many erudite people. But life path this man was much more difficult and exciting than what is taught in schools. We invite you to get acquainted in more detail with how the first pioneer printer in Russia lived and worked.
Historical realities
The biography of the pioneer printer Ivan Fedorov should be considered in the context of the era in which he lived. So, the 15th century is the period of the reign of the harsh Ivan the Terrible. Russia lags significantly behind Europe; books are copied in the old fashioned way in monasteries by monks. And in the West, printing presses have been in use for many years, making painstaking work faster. Certainly, to modern man massive construction- an invention by Johannes Gutenberg - will seem strange. The first printing press had bars that secured it to the floor and ceiling, a heavy press, the force of which left impressions on paper, as well as a set of letters. English alphabet in a mirror image. Page layouts were compiled from them.
Ivan the Terrible, not wanting to lag behind Europe, ordered the development of book printing, ordered a printing press, and Ivan Fedorov became the first employee of the ancient printing house.
The beginning of life's journey
Brief biography and interesting facts about the first printer Ivan Fedorov do not contain an exact date of birth. Therefore, researchers assume that he was born in the 20s of the 16th century. The place of birth is also shrouded in mystery, but it is believed that it is Moscow: it is not for nothing that he signed his name as “Moskvitin”. Information about his childhood and youth has not reached our days, which is understandable - when a person is just born, no one realizes that in the future his life will be of interest to his descendants, so the facts are not recorded anywhere.
However, the name Fedorov became famous in 1564 - this is the date of birth of Russian official printing.
First printed book
In the development of the culture of Rus', the merits of the pioneer printer Ivan Fedorov are fully noted. In the short biography for children, special attention is paid to his first book, which appeared after a month of painstaking work by a talented innovator and in many ways resembled a handwritten one. This is the Apostles, also known as the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles. It is distinguished by the following features:
- The presence of initial letters, which are a large letter, the first in a section, exquisitely decorated with ornaments. There are 22 of them.
- The use of ornaments that make the book especially elegant and solemn.
Thanks to Fedorov’s efforts, the book was fully consistent with ancient Russian church traditions.
Follow up
After the appearance of the first printed book, Ivan Fedorov’s work continued. A year later, the Book of Hours was published. However, the innovators had to face fierce resistance from the monks, who did not accept printed books as such. The traditions turned out to be so strong that the biography of the pioneer printer Ivan Fedorov mentions the fact of the burning of the printing house and the need to leave Moscow. However, the work continued.
Life in Zabludovo
The biography of the pioneer printer Ivan Fedorov is especially interesting for children. It mentions that after leaving Moscow he settled in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, in Zabludovo, located on the territory of modern Poland. Thanks to the help of Hetman Khodkevich, who treated the innovator kindly, Fedorov established the production of church books. In 1569, the Master's Gospel was published. Soon after this, the pioneer printer parted with his friend and assistant Pyotr Mstislavets, but continued his favorite work. The “Psalter from the Book of Hours” was published. Further, difficult times begin in the biography of pioneer printer Ivan Fedorov. Due to illness, Khodkiewicz became disillusioned with publishing books, considering this activity unnecessary, and refused to support the innovator. But the desire to do what he loved turned out to be stronger, and difficulties did not break this man’s will.
Moving to Lviv
Left without the support of the hetman, the founder of the printing business moved to Lviv. He needed money to open a printing house, but no one was in a hurry to help. However, at this moment the biography of the pioneer printer Ivan Fedorov becomes instructive: thanks to perseverance, he manages to get money and continue the business. In Lvov, the second edition of the famous “Apostle” was published, which, of course, was inferior in artistic and professionally the first version, but still has great historical value. The ABC, the first printed textbook in Russia, was also published here.
Heyday of activity
From the short biography of the pioneer printer Ivan Fedorov, we learn that, despite his willpower and efficiency, he was unable to get a stable profit, so financial difficulties forced the innovator to leave Lviv and move to the southwest of Rus'. Here, under the patronage of Prince Konstantin Ostrog, the great man managed to publish the first complete Bible in Church Slavonic, the Ostrog Bible.
Last years of life
Work in Ostrog helped Ivan Fedorov partially solve his financial problems, so he got the opportunity to return to Lviv and begin work on opening a new printing house. Alas, this was not destined to come true; in 1583, the pioneer printer passed away. The new printing house was sold to moneylenders for debts; the eldest son and student of Ivan Fedorov tried to buy it back, but they did not have enough money. Book printing in Rus' fell asleep for 20 years, only to return in triumph.
A selection of interesting facts
- The first printing press with movable type was invented by Guttenberg, a goldsmith by profession. However, due to financial difficulties, the creator was forced to enter into an unfavorable agreement with the moneylender Fust, which is why for some time it was believed that the credit for printing belonged to the latter.
- While the name of the pioneer printer Fedorov is well known to many, few people know that it was he who began separating words with spaces, which made reading much easier. Before him, texts were written together, the end of the sentence was highlighted with a dot.
- It was the first book printer who introduced some new letters and words into use.
- Even a short biography of the pioneer printer Ivan Fedorov indicates that he was an incredibly educated and erudite person for his time, spoke several languages, and sought to bring his knowledge to the masses.
- Ivan Fedorov’s assistant in creating printed books was his friend and associate Pyotr Mstislavets, information about whose childhood and youth has not survived to this day.
- The biography of pioneer printer Ivan Fedorov mentions several interesting events from his personal life. So, it is known that he was married twice.
- During the life of the first printer there were no surnames, so Fedorov is most likely an abbreviated patronymic “Fedorovich”. Thus, in the “Ostrog Bible” it is indicated that it was printed by John, Fedorov’s son.
The short biography of the first pioneer printer, Ivan Fedorov, is entertaining and instructive. This man, despite the fierce resistance of the clergy, managed to organize the publication of books, putting his whole soul into this matter.
