To the 280th anniversary of Opanas Shafonsky

In December 2020 year marks 280 years since the birth of our compatriot, epidemiologist, lawyer, historian and ethnographer, statesman, an outstanding intellectual of European level, the founder of local lore research of Chernihiv region - Opanas Filimonovich Shafonsky (1840–1811).

He was born in the family of Sosnytsia centurion Filimon Shatylovsky (with 1751 Dr.. Шафонский) 13 December 1740 Dr.. He received his primary education at home under the guidance of a private German teacher. He was the first to notice his extraordinary intellectual abilities and recommended that the father send his son to study in the famous German city of Halle., where O. Shafonsky received his first higher education at the law faculty of a local university with great success, graduating with a doctorate in law. However, the thirst for knowledge of the young scientist was still unquenchable, and therefore he continued his studies at Leiden University, after obtaining the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, and Strasbourg - known for its medical faculty, having received another higher education there 1763 year returned home and began medical practice.

Друга половина XVIII ст. in the Russian Empire, including in the Ukrainian lands, marked by permanent epidemics of plague. Do 1769 Dr.. another epidemic spread. At this time, Fr.. Shafonsky held the position of chief physician of the Moscow General Hospital, and became famous in the fight against the "black death". Not only O. joined the organization of additional hospitals in Moscow and the active introduction of sanitary measures. Шафонский, but also other Ukrainian doctors, founders of domestic epidemiology: D. Samoilovich (1744–1805) - our compatriot (was born in the village. Yanivka, now Ivanivka near Chernihiv), To. Jagiellonian (1736–1774).

After the liquidation of the epidemic, Opanas Filimonovych summarized all his experience, and outlined the main methods and means of combating the disease in a thorough scientific work "Description of plague ulcer, former in the capital city Moscow with 1770 by 1772 year, with the application of all for the termination of this then established institutions ", which was published in Moscow 1774 Dr.. She initiated a number of truly scientific studies on the plague, and her translations into foreign languages ​​have been repeatedly republished abroad.

At the age of forty-one, he completed his medical practice and lived permanently in Chernihiv, where he held positions: adviser to the criminal chamber (with 1782 р.) and adviser to the governor's board (with 1785 р.).

We know about the family life of Opanas Shafonsky, that he married Anna Enko - a representative of the well-known in Chernihiv family of burghers, Cossacks and priests, her father, Mykhailo Yenko, was the mayor (1749–1774) and chairman of the Chernihiv magistrate (1767). We also know, that the couple had two sons: Andrew and Gregory. It was Andriy who achieved the greatest career growth among the children of our compatriot, which, like a father, received the rank of a real state adviser (one of the highest ranks of bureaucracy) and became head of the Moscow Governor-General's Office in 1818-1839. The scientist's second son became a fellow adviser (slightly lower-ranking officials than the state councilor).

It is during the Chernihiv period of the scientist's life that his scientific interests change, appeal to the history and ethnography of Ukraine, statistics and archeology of Chernihiv region. It has to do with that, що у 1784 Dr.. work began on the preparation of regular topographic descriptions of the governorships of the Russian Empire, which, unlike the previous ones, had to present not only socio-economic information, but also historical and ethnographic (history of settlements, life and customs of local residents). О. Shafonsky was involved in compiling a topographic description of the Chernihiv governorate as a well-known scientist and intellectual..

The result of the persistent analytical work of the scientist was a fundamental study of the "Chernihiv Governorate topographic description", which was completed in 1786 Dr.. Now the priceless manuscript of the scientist's work is stored in the archives of the Institute of Manuscripts of the National Library of Ukraine.. In. And. Вернадського. The study was published, sorry for, after the death of the scientist through the efforts of the researcher's son - Hryhoriy Opanasovych and the chairman of the Kyiv Archaeological Commission, famous scientist and public figure, Mykhailo Sudienko’s life and activity were closely connected with Chernihiv region (1803–1874) in 1851 Dr.. This publication has long been a bibliographic rarity, which is part of the museum's scientific library and is used by staff for historical research of our region.

The work of Fr.. Shafonsky consists of two unequal in volume parts. The first part is a kind of geographical, statistical-demographic and historical-economic essay. The author covered the history of Ukraine from "ancient times" (in the mythological biblical dimension) and to its division into three governorates in the XVIII century. The second contains a topographic description of Chernihiv region in which counties and cities are described in detail, statistical information about them. The scientist described in detail the coat of arms of Chernihiv, wrote the history of the appearance of the magistrate's seal during the Polish rule. The coats of arms and seals of other cities and towns of Chernihiv region were similarly described (Городні, March, Stock market, Ніжина, Priluk). In general, the author gives a lot of different information about the life of Chernihiv region of that period. Extremely interesting and important for modern people is the information of historical and archaeological nature. О. Shafonsky was the first to present the main versions of the origin of the name of our city from the mythical prince of the Black or local black forest. He localized and described the remains of the earthen ramparts of Chernihiv, which have not survived to this day. The researcher provided information on two large mounds near the city (one of them "Black Grave"), described Anthony's caves of the Elijah's monastery as of 1786 Dr.. (later underwent changes and restructuring). The scientist also described the Yelets and Trinity-Ilyinsky monasteries, Savior and Assumption Cathedrals.

Thanks to the efforts and hard work of our compatriot we have extremely valuable information on the history and archeology of Chernihiv-Sivers'kyi, and the historical work of Opanas Shafonsky remains for us an invaluable source of knowledge about the past of our region.

27 March 1811 Dr.. Opanas Filimonovich died at the age of seventy-one and was buried in Chernihiv in the cemetery near the Resurrection Church. After the scientist's death, the citizens of one of the city streets are grateful, probably where he lived, named him, which she wore before being renamed by the Soviet authorities. On sorry, only at the end of XX century. The memory of our famous compatriot was honored by the first conference dedicated to the 250th anniversary of his birth entitled "The Past of Pine and its Surroundings", which took place in Chernihiv 1990 Dr.. Only in 2016 Dr.. Through the efforts of the Sosnytsia branch of the Chernihiv fellowship in Kyiv, a memorial plaque to O.. Shafonsky in the homeland of the scientist in Sosnytsia. In the same year, thanks to the achievements of the Revolution of Dignity in Chernihiv, more was renamed 100 streets and alleys. One of the first was renamed the former street and lane of the Paris Commune, which are named after our outstanding countryman. So glory Oh. Shafonsky became immortalized in the toponymy of our city, reminding of his achievements and victories.

Researcher of the museum,

Candidate of Historical Sciences Valentin Rebenok