Cossack Mars of the Synod of the Baturyn Monastery

A collection of handwritten books of the Chernihiv Regional Historical Museum named after. V. V. Tarnovsky has about 300 monuments of writing of the 16th–20th centuries. Among them, the Synod of the Baturyn Krupytsk monastery attracts special attention, which is a unique monument of the history and art of our people.

It was started by St. Dmytro Rostovsky, which in 1682–1683. and with 1686 by 1692 рр. was the abbot of this monastery, and settled in it again 1679 р., being the court preacher of Hetman Ivan Samoilovych. He wrote the foreword, ordered a foreign paper (Dutch with filigree "Head of a jester" with the letters "ISO" in a rectangle), invited the highly qualified master hieromonk of the Poltava monastery Serafion Zaharievich B for its artistic design and records. (died 5.08.1685 р.) The latter decorated the pages of the book 11 baroque frames for recording births, pawnshops, initials, 12 screensavers (among them is an allegorical portrait of Hetman I. Samoilovich, and a copy of the engraving "Dance of Death" from "Chronicle" by Hartmann Schedel, published in Nuremberg 1493 р.), I knit. In general, all artistic decoration, made by Hieromonk Serafion, bears characteristic features of the so-called Ukrainian or Cossack baroque with a strong folk element, reproduced at a very high professional level (див. фото). Let's note, that the only portrait in the synodical was the mentioned image of hetman Ivan Samoilovych - the patron of Dmytro Rostovskyi, in the form of a stout warrior, in archaic armor, surrounded by fittings, real Cossack Mars.

However, I did not spare the synodic D. of Rostov. A part of the leaves and decoration of the binding was lost. Therefore, in 1821 р., when the monastery, which had already arisen from nothingness, by the order of hegumen Gervasius, deacon Avramiy Goncharev restored the book. He added sheets, which were missing, made a new title and new screensavers. The cover has been repaired, and the Synod is divided into two separate books. The content of the attraction was enriched with interesting information, about the history of the monastery. It was they who came in handy for Filaret Gumylevsky, when he wrote “Historical and statistical description of the Chernigov diocese”.

After the stormy events of 1917–1920. synodik got to the Konotop Museum of Local History, and after 1937 Dr.. its first part was transferred to our museum (inv. № Ал 1221), and the second remained in Konotop (the given information refers to the Chernihiv part, Konotopska is still waiting for its turn). Now the Chernihiv copy is counting 124 sheets, which are enclosed in a cover made of oak boards, covered with green velvet. In Soviet times, the Synod ceased to be the subject of scientific research. And only in 9 issue of the magazine "Rodovid" for 1994 Dr.. we made the first analysis of its artistic design. The text of the Chernihiv part was published in the magazine "Siveryansky litopis", № 5, 1997 Dr.. However,, given, that the synod was held in the capital monastery and no monuments equal to it in terms of status have been preserved, it deserves a complete publication with facsimile part and reference apparatus.

Старший науковий співробітник музею,

кандидат історичних наук Ігор Ситий