KYIV-MOHYLA ACADEMY AND ITS ROLE IN SERBIAN, MOLDOVAN CULTURAL RELATIONS

Abstract

The Kyiv Academy during its existence became the most influential educational institution in Ukrainian lands. Its popularity abroad was due to the fact that special admission conditions were created for foreign students, which facilitated their studies. And a large number of foreigners guaranteed the further spread of Ukrainian ideas. The purpose of the work is to study the dynamics of the appearance of Serbian and Moldovan youth within the walls of the Kyiv Theological Academy and to understand its contribution to the modernization of the political and cultural space on the territory of the Balkan Peninsula (1726–1798). Methods. The methodological basis of the master's thesis is based on the principles of science and historicism. When writing the work, various general scientific and special historical research methods were used. Scientific novelty. The article analyzes for the first time the procedure for admission of foreign students to the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. It is proved that the majority were sent to the academy on the initiatives of foreign metropolitans, who actively cooperated with the rectors of the educational institution. This allows us to establish that the academy had authority among the highest circles of the Orthodox world. In return, the Russian government issued decrees in favor of foreigners and granted them broad rights. Results.  In order to understand the place and role of the Kyiv Academy, an analysis of the admission procedure for foreign students was carried out. It became known that most of them were sent to the academy on the initiatives of foreign metropolitans, who actively cooperated with the rectors of the educational institution. And this meant that the academy had authority among the highest circles of the Orthodox world. In return, the Russian government issued decrees in favor of foreigners and granted them broad rights. Thus, the authorities wanted to extend their imperial influence. Usually, foreign students were accepted to study at the academy at the request of the abbots of churches and monasteries (with the consent of the Holy Synod). There were also cases when students studied at their own expense or with the support of patrons. Many foreign students received only the status of a real student (3 years), and did not fully complete the academic course. This was due to lack of funds, poor language skills at the educational institution, illness and other social problems. At the beginning of the 18th century. The Kyiv-Mohyla Academy turned into an important intellectual center for the training of the Serbian intelligentsia. With the assistance of the Austrian government, the Karlovy Vary Metropolitanate was formed. Its leaders carried out systematic work on the opening of educational institutions. The main problem was the lack of qualified teachers and educational and methodological literature. In this difficult situation, the leadership of the Russian Empire decided to strengthen its influence in the region and allowed Serbs to study at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Conclusions. During 1726–1798, 35 Serbs studied at the academy. Of this cohort, the largest number (22) arrived in 1741–1761. However, from the second half of the 1750s, the government of Maria Theresa began to struggle with the prevailing Russian influences and, through repression and alternative humanitarian policies, significantly reduced the number of Serbs receiving education in Kyiv. As a result of the education of a large number of Serbs at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Ukrainian-Serbian cultural ties were significantly intensified. They were manifested in the fact that some graduates of non-Serbian origin (M. Kozachinsky, T. Klymovsky, T. Levandovsky, P. Padunovsky, H. Shumlyak, I. Mynatsky, S. Zalutsky) were sent to work in the schools of the Karlovy Vary Metropolis. Among the most famous teachers from Ukraine, one can name M. Kozachinsky, who headed the Karlovy Vary Latin School. However, a large part of the Serb graduates of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy returned to their homeland for the sake of cultural revival. Thus, D. Novakovych became the bishop of the Budyma Karlovy Vary Metropolis, J. Rajich established himself as a teacher and writer. In turn, the artists S. Baltych and J. Vasylevich represented Ukrainian Baroque on the Balkan Peninsula.