Ancient prints-anniversaries. 350 years "Lute of Apollo" by Archbishop Lazar Baranovich

In the collection of old prints of the Chernihiv Historical Museum named after VV. Tarnowski preserves a collection of poems by Chernihiv Archbishop Lazar Baranovich "Apollo's Lute" (Інв. № Al-1071) issued in 1671 year in the printing house of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.
Archbishop Lazarus during 35 years he headed the ancient Chernihiv department (1657-1693 years.). There are no reliable data on its origin and childhood. He was born close 1620 year. Іоаникій Галятовський, Archimandrite of the Yelets Monastery wrote about the archbishop, that he studied from an early age wisdom in the educational institutions of Vilna, Kyiv, Kalisha . On 1642 He taught at the Kyiv-Mohyla College and was a preacher in various churches.. In 1650 became rector of the board and abbot of Kyiv-Bratsky in honor of the Epiphany of the monastery. Later he was also the abbot of the Kyiv Kirillov Monastery, Kupyatytsky Vvedensky and Dyatelovetsky monasteries (both in Belarus). In 1657 Lazar Baranovich was elected bishop of Chernihiv and Novgorod-Siversky and 8 March was ordained in the city of Iasi .
The archpastor was one of the central figures in the socio-cultural life of Ukraine in the second half of the XVII century., an active church and political figure, a caring spiritual father of his flock. The Cossack chronicler Samoilo Velychko gives the following description to Lazar Baranovich: “He was a merciful pastor and generous to the poor, generous giver, a diligent master and tireless builder for the restoration of destroyed churches and monasteries at his own expense ". Chronicler calls Chernihiv bishop "wise and God-pleasing husband".
Bishop Lazar made a lot of efforts to improve the cultural and educational condition of Chernihiv in particular and Ukraine in general. Thanks to his tireless work in Chernihiv in the XVII-XVIII centuries. gained the fame of one of the significant cultural and educational centers of Ukraine. The archbishop opened a printing house, invited gifted preachers to the city, writers and artists. Peru's archpastor owns various sermons, polemical-theological and poetic works.
The most famous and outstanding poetic collection of Archbishop Lazar is the "Lute of Apollo" written in Polish. Full original title "Lutnia Apollinowa każdey sprawie gotowa" (Apollon's lute, ready for any subject). The image of the lute appears in the collection as an instrument of glorification of God, and Apollo symbolizes poetic creativity.

The book consists of more than a thousand poems on various topics. It begins with poems on the royal coat of arms and two poems addressed to the reader. The author asks not to judge his work too meticulously given the unfavorable for poetic creativity socio-political atmosphere:

«That the time was restless,
And it makes my poem unstable »

"It was a turbulent time,
And that made my poem out of tune. ”

The set of poems is divided into certain cycles. About five hundred of them are devoted to theology (about Christ, Mother of God, angels and saints, sacraments of the Church, Doomsday), others are reflections of a moral nature (about virtues and sins, preparation for death), many poems are devoted to the natural theme (about space, nature, season, celestial bodies and more). Archbishop Lazar also covers the turbulent events of his day (fratricidal quarrels, danger of Turkish enslavement, тощо). The collection contains epitaphs of Metropolitan Peter (Graves), Kyiv voivode Adam Kisel and other famous people.
The poems of the Chernihiv archpastor are based on the principle of baroque poetics. He often uses metaphors, comparison, allegory, appeals to symbolic images. "Apollo's Lute" was published in 1671 year. As Archbishop Lazar had not yet opened his own printing house at that time, the collection was published in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra..
The archimandrite of the monastery at that time was Innocent Gisel, who also worked fruitfully in the field of Orthodox enlightenment. Archbishop Lazar and Archimandrite Innocent have maintained close friendly relations for a long time., corresponded. They were both graduates of the Kyiv Collegium, then taught in it and were its rectors, both were placed in high ecclesiastical positions.
Shortly before the publication of "Apollo's Lute" is close 1670 Lavra printing house acquires "new Polish printing house", that is, a set of Latin and Polish fonts and resumed the publishing of Polish-language works. So in 1670 Archbishop Lazar Baranowicz's book "Apollo chrześciański opiewa żywoty świętych" was published in Polish in the Lavra in (Christian Apollo glorifies the lives of saints).
Poetic collection "Apollo's Lute" from the collection of old prints of the Chernihiv Historical Museum named after VV. Tarnowski presented in the second hall of the exhibition "Chernihiv at the turn of the century". At one time it belonged to the Bryansk merchant Yakov Nikitin, as evidenced by the inscription of the XVIII century. on the cover of the book. The pages of the collection are decorated with frames of intricate ornaments. Frame of the XVII-XIX centuries. - cardboard, covered with embossed leather. The size of the book is 18.8x14.7 cm. Previously stored in the library of the Chernihiv Theological Seminary.