Metropolitan Eugene (Bolkhovitinov) and the beginning of study of Chernigov Grivna
Abstract
This article is devoted to the initial stage of the study of the ancient amuletzmeevik of the 11th century called “Chernigov grivna” or “Grivna of Vladimir Monomakh”. The aim of the article is to examine the nature of the scientifi c activity of metropolitan Eugene (Bolkhovitinov), who was one of the fi rst to start the study of this artifact. The golden Chernigov grivna was discovered by local residents by the river Belous near Chernigov in July 1821. This was the fi rst of the zmeeviks found which has a Christian image on the one side and a pagan one on the other, accompanied by Slavic and Greek inscriptions. The discovery aroused great interest of academics in Russia. A community of scholars which collaborated with Chancellor N. P. Rumiantsev and which later received the name “Rumyantsev’s Circle” was the fi rst to study the grivna. Metropolitan Eugene was in active contact with Rumyantsev’s Circle in his study of the artifact, proposed his variant of reading the inscriptions, urged other academics to publish their studies of the grivna. In 1826, following Rumyantsev’s death, the Circle ceased to exist. Alongside Rumyantsev’s Circle, the study of grivna was carried out by the Society for the History and Antiquities of Russia at Imperial Moscow University, the members of which were many scholars who collaborated with Rumyantsev. The periodicals of the Society published a range of studies of grivna. The article of metropolitan Eugene summed up the initial stage of its study. Rumyantsev’s Circle and the Society represented diff erent forms of academic communities that were typical of the Enlightenment. They ensured the advancement of scholarly knowledge in the public space, thus forming the cultural and intellectual demands of the educated reader. Metropolitan Eugene’s study of Chernigov grivna carried out in this domain was of an enlightening nature.
Keywords
