ScriptoriaSlavica

 

Among the unique items in the reference collection of the Hilandar Research Library is a copy of Kirill Mikhailovich’s brief description of Hilandar Monastery, published in Budim, 1814.

Bogdanović, Djurić, and Medaković (1997: 198), in a discussion of visitors to Hilandar Monastery in the 18th century, mention that in addition to “devout pilgrims,” there were also “travellers for scholarly purposes, particularly those curious about its collection of manuscripts. One such was the Russian Vasily Barsky, who stayed at Chilandar twice, in 1725 and 1744.” During his latter visit, Barsky “wrote a detailed description of Chilandar and its antiquities.”

The authors continue with the note that “Based on the results of Vasily Barsky’s works, a small book was published in Budapest in 1814 under the title Kratkoe opisanije svjatija i preslavnija Lavri carskija Hilandara (A Short Description of the Holy and Famous Imperial Monastery of Chilandar), which was virtually a copy of Barsky’s writings made by the monk Kirilo (Cyril) Mihailovich ‘for Serbs and Bulgars’. This was how Chilandar got its first monograph, similar to the already existing descriptions of Serbian monasteries intended for pilgrims and an educated public.”

Source: Bogdanović, Dimitrije, Vojislav J. Djurić, Dejan Medaković. Chilandar. 2nd edition. [Belgrade]: Jugoslav Revija, [Sveta Gora monastery of Chilandar], 1997.