YELYSEI PLETENETSKYI’S INNOVATIONS IN THE FIELD OF ENLIGHTENMENT IN THE KYIV-PECHERSK LAVRA AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT IN THE ACTIVITIES OF PETRO MOHYLA (to the 400th anniversary of the death of Yelysei Pletenetskyi)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze the innovations of the Pechersk Archimandrite Elisei Pletenetskyi in the field of enlightenment in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and to compare his activities with Petro Mohyla. It was determined that Yelysei Pletenetskyi has a special place in the history of Ukrainian spirituality and culture as the initiator of many innovations with the aim of bringing the Orthodox Church out of a state of crisis. In the field of educational affairs, this was clearly evidenced by the activity of the Pechersk Cultural and Educational Circle, which he founded, the main directions of which found their further development under the leadership of the Lavra and the Kyiv Metropolitanate of Peter Mohyla. A comparison of the activities of the Pechersk cultural and educational center during the time of Elisey Pletenetsky and Peter Mohyla proves that they were united by a single goal – the recovery of the Orthodox Church from the crisis and the cultural and spiritual renewal of the Pechersk monastery after a long period of decline, and the means of its implementation - the literary and publishing business, school foundation, translation and preaching activities. The ideological and linguistic concepts of Peter Mohyla and Elisey Pletenetskyi contributed to the elevation of Kyiv, the elevation of the authority of the Orthodox Church, the expansion of the sphere of use of the literary Ukrainian language of that time, and the development of the national self-awareness of the Ukrainian people. At the same time, there are significant differences in functioning of Pechersk intellectual center at differentstages. In particular, the work of figures of Elisei Pletenetskyi’s circle was largely influenced by Eastern influences. This was manifested in the use of Greek and Church Slavonic languages in writing and teaching at the Kyiv Brothers’ School, the priority of translations from the ancient Greek language, and the selection of sources for preaching. The Mohyla period of activity of the circle is notable for the predominant Western European influences, which, in particular, is evidenced by the creation by Peter Mohyla of the Latin-Polish department of the Pechersk Printing House, the introduction of these languages into the educational process of the Lavra Gymnasium and the Kyiv College.