Cultural Life in the Time of Ivan Alexander

 

The time during which Ivan Alexander ruled was a period of continuing educational and cultural growth.  It was estimated now, that over 60% of the town population in Bulgaria could read and write by the middle of the 14th century. 7  An explanation for this impressive literacy rate can be found in examining cultural developments four centuries earlier.

In Pliska, Preslav and Ohrid, the students of St Cyril and Methodius laid the foundations of an education system, which grew with time.  It was known that during the period of 885 – 893, Clement of Ohrid taught more than 3500 people to read and write. Naum and his followers also created a vast educational programme in Preslav. 8

This was a period of intense cultural development in the country.  Monasteries and churches led the educational process, offering primary education to everyone interested.  This consisted of reading and writing, learning the numerical values of letters, along with religious instruction.  The equivalent to secondary education – which at the time included advanced grammar and language, a study of the Bible, as well as study and analysis of theological texts – was offered by monasteries mainly to monks, but some lay students were also accepted.  Certain monasteries like Kilifarski Monastery, the Patriarchal Monastery, the Preobrazhenski Monastery, the Boboshevski Monastery and others offered an advanced course of study, which also included religious singing of hymns, accompanied by the study of Greek language. 1  The successful completion of the course authorized the student to be called Grammarian (Grammatik – Граматик) as a sign of his achievement and he was also allowed to teach others.  Many of the monks, once they had achieved this title, were encouraged to travel.  Some joined other monasteries in the Balkans and Europe, learning new languages and expanding their knowledge and culture. 2  They also spread the achievements of learning, literature and language to other Orthodox countries like Russia, Walachia, Serbia, Moldavia, etc.  Some young Bulgarians were sent after their schooling to a particular country – Byzantium or a western European country in order to prepare them for service in diplomacy. 3

Many of the monasteries of the time acquired fame as repositories of writing and translation; some were directly involved in education.   Tsar Ivan Alexander and several boyars were responsible for the foundation and subsequent patronage of a number of new monasteries in the Tirnovo area. 8

The Kilifarevski Monastery (mentioned above) was founded by Theodosius of Tirnovo around 1348 – 1350 and apart from becoming a centre for Hesycism, it became a major educational centre – in 1360, and there were as many as 460 students there from Bulgaria and the neighbouring countries.  The importance and volume of the literary work undertaken and the scale of the educational scope, as well as its location in the proximity of the capital, and the Tsar’s patronage, made the Kilifarevski Monastery one to the most important medieval centres of learning in Bulgaria at the time. 1

The Patriarchal Monastery of the Holy Trinity was another cultural centre, located in the Arbanassi Mountain, not far away from Tirnovo.  Founded by Ivan Alexander, it grew in importance once Theodosius of Tirnovo settled there and later Euthymius joined him.  Before becoming a Patriarch, Euthymius created a school of letters, which attracted many foreign students from Walachia, Russia, Serbia and Moldavia. 1

The Preobrazenski Monastery and the Ivanovo Rock Monastery are two of the more famous monasteries, which were supported through donations by Ivan Alexander. Other monasteries, founded or supported by Ivan Alexander include the Trunski Monastery, the Kremikovski Monastery and the Boboshevski Monastery.  The Rila Monastery, founded in the 10 century by John of Rila was expanded and strengthened.  In the Bachkovski Monastery, which had been founded and used by Georgian noblemen and monks, changed the ethnicity of its inhabitants during the time of Ivan Alexander – most of the monks were now Bulgarians.

The capital Tirnovo was acquiring a reputation of “New Constantinople” or “Third Rome” – a leading cultural and religious light for the Orthodox worldthe middle of the 14th century. 4, 6   Ivan Alexander was leading by example – an intelligent and educated man, who spoke Greek, he had one of the richest collections of books to rival that of any monarch in the Orthodox world.

Ivan Alexander did not write any books himself, but he paid lavishly for the writing, translation, copying and decorating of large number of literary works – not only ecclesiastical and liturgical works, but also secular work – Byzantine chronicles, popular legends and tales, legal treaties and works on medicine and natural science.  He commissioned an encyclopaedia and the Gospels, which are currently held in London – with its marvellous 366 miniatures. 2 Other works of literature and art, commissioned by him include the Vatican copy of the Chronicles of Constantine Manasses(this consists of 206 parchment sheets with 69 miniatures in the text) and The Tomichov Psalter (illustrated with 109 miniatures, now in Moscow).  On the order of Ivan Alexander in 1337 the Sofia Psalter (Софийски Песнивец), which is also known as the Kuklen Psalter, was produced in the Kuklen Monastery, supported and financed by him.  This is the only Psalter kept in Bulgaria – in the library of the Bulgarian Academy of Science. 9   Popular tales, which appeared as books, included The Fall of Troy, The Life of Alexander and many others, which have not survived through the centuries. 8

Theodosius of Tirnovo was Ivan Alexander’s spiritual advisor.  He was a disciple of the spiritual school of Mount Athos and propagated the Hesychist ideology.  Under his influence and that of his successor, Ivan Alexander established the most active centre of book production on the Balkans at the time, which was accompanied by a consistent and vibrant artistic style and supported by a unifying language reforms – headed by the energetic Patriarch Euthymius. 5   Euthymius produced language reforms, which unified writing, produced anywhere in the country and enlightened the classical art style with colourful local elements and motifs, creating through this a unique Bulgarian style. 5

This process of cultural acceleration was assisted by the increase of income, received through trade.  Another reason was the fact that the price of paper, which was imported, came down at the time and made the production of books cheaper.  This made copying more books – they were copied not only in Greek, but also in Bulgarian translation.  Monks in various monasteries made their names by copying large numbers of books. 2  

Other areas of interest at the time included Science – Constantine Kostenechki (from Kostsnetz) reviewed the astronomical beliefs of a number of medieval astronomers in his work ”Sections of Cosmography and Geography”; Arsenius of Thessalonica gave descriptions of his travels in “Description of the Sacred Places in Palestine”.   Many other literary works cast a light on the history of the BulgarianKingdom through the lives of saints like Theodosius of Tirnovo, Gregory Tzamblak, etc.

In the cities of Cherven, Tirnovo, Melnik and Ovetch, which have been comparatively well-researched, 60 -70 % of the population could read and write.  This included four groups of the town population – the aristocrats, the clergy, the craftsmen and the traders.  In villages, the skill to read and write was much less popular, due to the heavy burden of work, which peasants in the middle ages had to do. 7                      

Sources:

  1. Chavrukov, Bulgarian Monasteries, 2.        
  2. Fine, The Late Medieval Balkans, 435–446
  3. Панайотов, Българско Средновековие, 2005; 331–351
  4. Андреев, Лазаров, Павлов: Кой е Кой, 146-147
  5.  Dimitrova, The Gospels of Tsar Ivan Alexander, 13–23
  6. Подбрани извори (Selected Sources), 2, Кн 14:322
  7. Петрински, Началото, 61–65
  8. Medieval Bulgarian Culture, Editor Zheliaskova
  9. 1396: Никополската Битка, 25 – 44

Full bibliography -in my book Tamara Shishman and Murad I (at Amazon Kindle books)

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