La Vie de saint Etienne de Perm d’Epiphane le Sage et la version qu’en donne G. S. Lytkin

Abstract

The article «The Life of St. Stephen of Perm by Epiphanius the Wise and the version given by G. S. Lytkin» is devoted to the activities of a historian and educator of Komi people, George Stepanovich Lytkin (1835–1907). In 1889 he published a book devoted to the history of Zyrjank region in the late Middle Ages in the context of the spread of Christianity and activities of the bishop Stephen of Perm as well as creation of the first alphabet for the Komi language. The author examines, how the image of Bishop Stephen transformed in version of his biography written in the Komi language (in comparison with the Epiphanius the Wise hagiografical text that sourc G. S. Lytkin used as a source to supplement information, gleaned from the hagiographic writings) and what rhetorical techniques the compiler applied. Yves Avril indicates that the life and work of G. S. Lytkin was concerned with education and enlightening activities that not only created an affinity between him and Stephen of Perm, but also led to a peculiar style of his works.

Keywords

• history of the komi people
• history of the middle ages
• christianity
• orthodoxy
• hagiographic literature