Hilandar Research Library

About Hilandar Research Library

Hilandar Research Library (HRL) promotes the education and research of medieval Slavic cultural heritage with its collection of medieval Slavic manuscripts on microform and other related materials.

Among its holdings are:

Saint Sava
Saint Sava, first Archbishop of the autocephalous Serbian Church
  • Microfilms of the Slavic manuscript library of Hilandar Monastery and portions of several other monastic collections on Mount Athos, Greece
  • 700+ early Slavic imprints on microform
  • A 10,000 volume reference collection
  • Over 45 original Cyrillic manuscripts and early printed books
  • Mount Athos slide collection
  • Steven Enich Serbian Orthodox Culture Slide collection
  • Much of the personal library and archives of the 20th-century iconographer, Pimen Maksimovich Sofronov

HRL Reach

Since 1984, HRL, in partnership with the Resource Center for Medieval Slavic Studies (RCMSS), has supported students and scholars from around the world to advance the research and teaching of Cyrillic manuscript heritage.

Below are a few data points to help illustrate the reach and impact of HRL’s world-class collection as of fall 2017.

  • 334 researchers making 417+ research visits, totaling more than 42 years of on-site research time
  • 484 articles by 177 authors and co-authors published in 23 countries
  • Eight four-week Medieval Slavic Summer Institutes (MSSI) hosted since 1999.
  • 109+ scholars trained through MSSI: 28% international, 39% US, 33% Ohio State Buckeyes
  • 30 MA theses and 51 Ph.D. dissertations enhanced by HRL materials

Stay Connected

Since 1997, HRL and RCMSS together have curated and distributed one of the most read and respected joint publications in the field. Over 1000 individuals and institutions in over 30 countries subscribe to the biannual, Cyrillic Manuscript Heritage (CMH) newsletter.