The Life of the Venerable Abraham of Chukhloma (Galich): Research, Sources and Materials

Abstract

St. Avraamy Chukhlomskoy (b. Unknown - July 20, 1375) is a disciple and follower of St. Sergius of Radonezh. The Vita of Abraham Chukhlomsky was compiled in 1548–1553 by hegumen of the Gorodetsky monastery Protasius. However, the protograph has survived only partially. There are 29 copies of the Vita and three lengthy editions. The first and most ancient edition is represented by one copy of the middle of the 16th century, it is the closest to the time of the creation of the Vita. The second edition is represented by 16 lists, most of which date back to the 17th century. One of them is listed in the Cheti-Minei of German Tulupov. The third edition is represented by 7 lists dating from the late 17th — early 19th centuries. Another 4 lists do not belong to these three editions and represent a short reworking of the Vita. The entire Vita was collected and published by the pre-revolutionary researcher S. P. Rozanov. Despite the fact that the life of the Monk Abraham of Galich is of interest to a number of researchers, today there is no detailed linguistic analysis of the text of the Vita. This article analyzes the research of this historical source, notes the dynamics of various linguistic hypotheses that this source generates. Since all editions are heterogeneous among themselves (the first and second editions of the text of the Vita are especially different), differences were determined, both in the structure of the Vita itself, and in syntax, and in vocabulary, therefore this article conducts a comparative analysis of the studies of the Vita of Abraham Chukhlomsky.