The Encomia оf All Russian Saints by Monk Gregory of Suzdal

The Problem of Dating and Early Text

Abstract

The Encomia to All Russian Saints by Monk Gregory of Suzdal holds a special place among Russian homiletic texts of the 16th century. This work, dedicated to praising a multitude of righteous saints, reflects a significant event in the history of the Russian Church — the glorification of Russian ascetics at the Makaryev Councils of 1547 and 1549. Three lists of the monument, stored in the collections of the Manuscript Department of the Russian State Library, are used as research material: F. 242. № 60; F. 209. № 284; F. 304/I. № 337. As a result of textual research, early and late versions of the work were identified. The late version represents a substantial reworking of the original text. This article outlines the main directions of editorial work, and a detailed comparative analysis of the early and late versions is not provided. It is revealed that the monument has been known to the present day based on the published text of the late version. The purpose of this article is to prepare and publish the text of the early version. In the course of the research, new information is drawn from the lists used for the first time, concerning the problem of dating the Encomia to All Russian Saints. It is established that the question of the time of writing the monument is related to the problem of attribution and dating of the versions of the Life of the Venerable Euthymius of Suzdal.