1998 Exhibition Catalogue

Hilandar Monastery is one of 20 monasteries on Mount Athos (the Holy Mount), a peninsula in northeastern Greece. Mount Athos is the only autonomous monastic republic in the world and is a protectorate of the Greek state, on whose territory it is found. Although monks have inhabited it since the 6th century, the first of the still-existing monasteries was established in 963. Of the twenty monasteries, seventeen are Greek and three are Slavic. Of these, Hilandar Monastery is a Serbian monastery. Hilandar (also spelled Hilendar, Chilandar, Chilendar, Chilendariou) was founded in the year 1198 by the monk, Simeon, the former ruler of Serbia (under the name Stefan Nemanja, who ruled until 1196) and initiator of the Nemanjic Dynasty, which was to rule for two centuries. Having abdicated in favor of his son, Stefan the First-Crowned, the monk Simeon with his youngest son, the monk Sava (before tonsuring his name was Rastko), received permission to establish a monastery on the site of a former and older Greek monastery, also known as Hilandar. In 1198, with the financial support of King Stefan the First-Crowned, the foundations were laid for a larger Hilandar to be built. However, the establishment of Hilandar as a Serbian Monastery is more closely associated with Saints Simeon and Sava. It is to celebrate and commemorate the 800th anniversary of the founding of Hilandar Monastery that we present this exhibit.

Built as a fortress, Hilandar monastery has one entrance with two double doors of iron-covered, thick wooden beams. The doors close at sunset and are not opened again, for any reason, until sunrise. As various parts were repaired in different eras, the monastery, particularly when viewed from the inner courtyard, is a remarkable conglomeration of different levels and styles . Over time, damage has been caused by invaders and plunderers, earthquakes and fires. Hilandar has had two particularly serious fires, one in the seventeenth, and one in the nineteenth century. The monastery is now virtually a mosaic unto itself, the unifying element being the new roof which has just recently been added to the entire complex. Monks generally spend a third of their day in services, a third in contemplation and physical labor, and a third resting. However, most sleep very little. On Mount Athos the solar clock is used. In summer, the first set of daily services usually begins around 2 a.m. and continues until six or seven in the morning. Other services occupy part of the afternoon and early evening. At times, the services are much longer and may even be continuous. While all monks spend a good portion of each day in prayer, some actually practice "ceaseless praying" and pray continuously (internally) each minute of the day. They are strict vegetarians, and very rarely eat even fish. The monks are generally long-lived.

Gospel Lectionary Copied for Prince Miroslav, 1190-1200 365 parchment leaves.Cyrillic.Miroslavljevo Jevandelje-Évangélaire ancien serbe du prince Miroslav. Facsimile.

Currently the Codex is housed in the National Museum of Belgrade, #1538.

The serenity on Mount Athos is difficult to describe - the sounds of birds and insects, bells and a special wooden clapper that calls the monks and visiting pilgrims to services. It is literally "otherworldly." More remarkable is what is not heard - no planes, virtually no engines, no radio, no television, no children's voices, no women. The monks go to the Holy Mount "to leave the world." On Mount Athos, they have few distractions aside from those which occasional male visitors and pilgrims bring as news of the outside world. Most recently, the monks have been discussing whether to bring electricity to the monasteries of Mount Athos, but many fear what may come with this modern invention. Built for 600, there are presently 27 monks in Hilandar. They go there first for the "salvation of their souls," but also as guardians of the spiritual and material culture which they have inherited. It was in this regard that the monks of Hilandar Monastery contacted the Very Rev. Dr. Mateja Matejic of The Ohio State University in 1969 for help in assuring the preservation of this culture. From this initial request, the Hilandar Research Project, which ultimately led to the Hilandar Research Library, was born. Later in this exhibit the history of the Hilandar Research Library is illustrated - it is also to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its establishment that we present this exhibit.

Southeast view of Hilandar Monastery Dimitrije Bogdanovic, Vojislav J. Djuric, and Dejan Medakovic. Chilandar. 2nd edition. Trans. Madge Phillips-Tomasevic. The Holy Mountain: 1997, 2-3.

Gift of the OSU Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Literatures

Church life in Hilandar Monastery Dragan S. Tanasijevic. Priblizavanje Hilandaru: fotografije. Hilandar Monastery: Sveta srpska carska lavra, 1998, 117-118.

Gift of the OSU Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Literatures

An eremitical father (p. 166)

The Holy Mountain above mist and forest (p. 167) Philip Sherrard. Athos, The Holy Mountain. London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1982, 166-167.

1757 engraving of Hilandar Slobodan Curcic, editor. Hilandar Monastery: An Archive of Architectural Drawings, Sketches, and Photographs. Princeton: Princeton University, 1987, fig. 1.

The items in this case are facsimiles of Slavic manuscripts currently located in the library of Hilandar Monastery, or of manuscripts that were housed in the monastery at one time. The Slavic manuscript collection of Hilandar is the most extensive on Mount Athos, and is much larger than those of the other two Slavic monasteries, Zograf (Bulgarian) and St. Panteleimon (Russian). The Slavic manuscript collection of Hilandar numbers almost 900 manuscripts. Separate collections of chrysobulls, edicts, charters, etc., in both Greek and Slavic, are quite large. Manuscript leaves are sometimes found in early Cyrillic printed books where they were probably included to replace missing or incomplete portions of the text. The printed book library of Hilandar Monastery is also quite extensive and includes both true incunabula (or early printed books) as well as many of the earliest Cyrillic imprints.

It was the concern for conserving this rich heritage, and especially the manuscripts which by definition are unique, that led the monks of Hilandar to contact the Very Rev. Dr. Mateja Matejic, then an Assistant Professor of Slavic and East European Languages and Literatures at The Ohio State University. Between 1970 and 1975 (the majority of the work was accomplished in 1971), all Slavic manuscripts, all edicts and related documents, all manuscript portions of printed books, and half of the Greek manuscripts were microfilmed. In this manner both preservation (at least of the intellectual content) and access were assured. In addition, numerous photographs and slides were taken of the monastery, buildings, religious objects, and the daily life of the monks.

Psalterion/Psalter, 14th century 231 paper leaves. Cyrillic. Der Serbische Psalter. Faksimile-Ausgabe des Cod. Slav. 4 der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek München. Facsimile. Wiesbaden, 1983.

Hilandar Slavic Manuscript #517, ca. 1550 Chilandar Medical Codex. N. 517. Facsimile. Beograd: Narodna Biblioteka Srbije, 1980. 204 paper leaves.

Gift of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts

Stichirarion, end of the 12th century Hilandar Manuscript #308. Facsimile. East Slavic. Novgorod orthography. Early Slavic neumatic notation. 109 parchment leaves. Content: Verses for services of the Lenten Triodion and Pentecostal liturgical cycles. Monumenta Musicae Byzantinae. Fragmenta Chiliandarica Palaeoslavica. A. Sticherarium. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1957.

Facsimile on loan courtesy of the Music Library, OSU

Hirmologion, beginning of the 13th century Hilandar Manuscript #307. Facsimile. East Slavic. Kievan orthography. Early Slavic neumatic notation. 72 parchment leaves. Content: Verses for services of the Lenten Triodion and Pentecostal liturgical cycles.

Monumenta Musicae Byzantinae. Fragmenta Chiliandarica Palaeoslavica. B. Hirmologium. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1957.

Facsimile on loan courtesy of the Music Library, OSU

Hilandar Slavic manuscripts #307 and #308 are among the oldest extant Slavic music manuscripts. They were possibly part of the initial library of the Hilandar Monastery when it was first established.

While microfilm preserves the intellectual content and offers researchers much of what they need from the manuscript, it cannot fully replace the original codex. This is particularly true when teaching students about manuscript culture, paleography or simply the proper way to treat a manuscript. This knowledge is especially important for those graduate students whose research will, of necessity, take them to manuscript repositories in this country and elsewhere where they will be expected to handle and treat a manuscript with all due caution and care. For all these reasons which are related to our teaching mission, in October of 1994 the Hilandar Research Library decided to purchase seventeen East Slavic, primarily Russian, manuscripts which were offered for sale in New York. They are currently housed in the Rare Book and Manuscript (Special Collections) Library of The Ohio State University Libraries. It is no coincidence that all of these manuscripts are East Slavic. It is believed there are some 500,000 Slavic Cyrillic manuscripts extant in the world; 90% of them are East Slavic, the rest essentially are South Slavic. The vast majority of Slavic Cyrillic manuscripts are found in countries that formerly comprised the Soviet Union, especially Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

John Chrysostom, Collection of Sermons with Additional Texts, end of the 15th century Aronov #2. 29.3 x 19.5 cm. 289 paper leaves. Semi-uncial.

"Starchestvo" Monastic Sbornik, middle to the third quarter of the 17th century. Aronov #4. 14.2 x 8.5 cm. 296 paper leaves. Semi-uncial.

Excerpted from Aronov manuscript descriptions by Irina Vasil'evna Pozdeeva.

Demestvennik, end of the 19th century Aronov #18. 34 x 21.7 cm. 151 paper leaves. Demestvennyi musical notation by one scribe.

Illuminated Life and Lament of Joseph, first half of the 19th century Aronov #16. 21.7 x 16.7 cm. 28/44 paper leaves. Semi-uncial.

These two cases contain seven of the seventeen manuscripts purchased in 1994. They include the oldest (15th century), the only music manuscript, and several manuscripts with illuminations and ornamentation. The fact that many of the manuscripts are of recent date, 18th or 19th century, should not be a surprise for two reasons. Firstly, most of the world's extant Slavic Cyrillic manuscripts date from the 16th century and later. The vast majority of earlier manuscripts are now lost to us. Secondly, Cyrillic manuscripts were produced in large quantities until the very end of the 19th century. The printed book tradition in Cyrillic, although dating from 1491, never fully replaced the manuscript until this century. The manuscripts in these cases include two very typical "Russian" manuscripts, and we were fortunate that they were among the seventeen available. They are a Stepennaia kniga, that is, a Genealogy of Russian (and Rus'ian) Rulers, and a Chronograph, or historical chronicle. This Chronograph is essentially a somewhat later copy of a known 1620 version, however, the last entries of this Chronograph are unique to the manuscript. The final part includes references to Anna Mikhailovna, the daughter of Tsar Mikhail Romanoff, founder of the Russian dynasty that ruled Russia until Tsar Nicholas II was murdered in 1918. On the wall in the south gallery of the exhibit hall is a poster-size image of an edict dated 1652 which Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, brother of Anna Mikhailovna, sent to Hilandar (see image at right).

Stepennaia kniga, 1749-1750 Aronov #19. 32.1 x 21 cm. 466 paper leaves. Small semi-uncial with marked cursive elements.

Chronograph, last quarter of the 17th century Aronov #3. 786 paper leaves. Chancery cursive.

Excerpted from Aronov manuscript descriptions by Irina Vasil'evna Pozdeeva

Illuminated Sbornik with the Lives of Andrei, Fool in Christ, and Nifont, end of the 18th century. Aronov #1. 33 x 19.5 cm. I-II + 1-326 paper leaves. Later liturgical semi-uncial.

Case #8 (shown on page 15) gives a brief description of the Hilandar Research Library (HRL) and the related Resource Center for Medieval Slavic Studies (RCMSS).Cases #9 and #10 contain facsimiles, an original manuscript and an early printed book from the HRL collection. The HRL is primarily known for its vast resources of Slavic Cyrillic manuscripts on microform. It is the largest library of its kind in the world. The general statistics included will give some orientation as to the scope of these resources. We include a microfilm of Hilandar Slavic manuscript #1, filmed in 1970 by Professor Walt Craig, and a reader-printer copy of folio 2r from this same "working copy." This is a working copy of the refurbished camera-negative. We also include a microfiche of the initial folia of the Grigorovichev Parimejnik, a manuscript which was taken from Hilandar Monastery in the 19th century and is now located in Moscow. We take great pride in maintaining the highest standards possible in the preservation of all of our camera-negative film. In this manner, the resources of the HRL will be available to all future generations, and we preserve at least a microform image of the originals. The HRL is very proud of being a pioneer not only in the preservation of Slavic Cyrillic manuscripts on microform, but in their online cataloging as well. Included in this case is an example of one of the more than 2,000 online records we have thus far produced. Accessible not only on our own online catalog, but also through OCLC, Inc.®, these records guarantee a much broader access to the primary sources, as well as make it easier to link secondary sources to them. Finally, through our webpage and our new newsletter, Cyrillic Manuscript Heritage, we strive to reach students, scholars and interested parties well beyond our own campus.

The Hilandar Research Library (HRL), together with the Resource Center for Medieval Slavic Studies (RCMSS), is one of two administrative units that grew out of the Hilandar Research Project, 1969-1984, which had as its goal the microfilming of the Slavic Manuscript Collection of Hilandar Monastery on Mt. Athos, Greece, and other Hilandar Monastery collections of manuscripts and manuscript-related material. These goals were reached by l975. Subsequently, it was decided to expand the goals to include other Cyrillic manuscript material on Mt. Athos and throughout the world. It is estimated that the HRL houses 80% of the extant Slavic manuscript material found in the monasteries of Mt. Athos. Until this material was microfilmed, it was virtually inaccessible to male scholars, and, by tradition, still remains inaccessible to female scholars, as women have been banned from Mt. Athos for over a thousand years. Only at the HRL do female scholars have access to all of this valuable primary resource material. The goals of the Hilandar Research Library (HRL) include commitments to gather, in microform or print (facsimile representations) from all regions, as many Slavic manuscripts and related material as is possible and to make these materials accessible to all scholars, while also ensuring the microform material's preservation. It does this for the purposes of preservation, access, teaching and research. The presence of a large quantity of manuscripts on microform from so many original collections has often served to facilitate scholars' research, or even the nature of this research (for example, encouraging comparative and interdisciplinary approaches). Recently, HRL has doubled its volume with microfilm of over l,200 manuscripts from Russia. The Hilandar Research Library, located on the second floor of the OSU Main Library, provides the necessary equipment to view the microforms, to generate print copies (from those collections for which we have prior permission), microcomputer equipment, as well as microcomputer links to OSU's computerized catalog, OSCAR. Over 2,000 item records pertaining to the manuscripts on microform are accessible online, both in OSCAR and on OCLC, Inc.®, and there are plans, over the next two years, to input an additional 2,000 online records.

We have on microform either entire, or portions of, 9 collections from 5 monasteries on Mount Athos (ca. 1,630 manuscripts); 31 collections in 7 countries of the former Eastern Europe (ca. 740 manuscripts); 11 collections from Russia (ca. 1,420 manuscripts); 15 collections in 9 countries of Western Europe (ca. 200 manuscripts); 2 collections in 2 countries of the Middle East (69 manuscripts); and 3 collections with some 70 manuscripts in the United States. This represents a total of 71 collections in 20 countries, while the total number of manuscripts on microform is over 4,000. Together they represent over 1 million pages of material. The majority of the manuscripts are Cyrillic, and date from approximately the 11th to the 20th century. The collections are particularly strong in material of the 14th through 16th centuries. Approximately one-half of the material is South Slavic, the other half is East Slavic. There are, however, 18 languages thus far represented, as we have always tried to gather together entire collections, regardless of date, language or provenance. We also have over 700 early (to the year 1800) Cyrillic printed books on microfilm. These represent approximately half a million pages of additional primary resource material. The microforms are housed in a special collection, the Hilandar Research Library, which is open 9am - 5pm EST Monday through Friday (excluding holidays). This library also houses an excellent reference collection, including much early nineteenth- and twentieth-century material, pertaining to Slavic manuscripts and medieval Slavic culture.

This case is dedicated to the Founders of the Hilandar Research Library, a special collection of the University Libraries, and the related Resource Center for Medieval Slavic Studies which is affiliated with the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, both of the OSU College of Humanities. It is understandable that many people - past and present administrators, donors, volunteers and organizations - were involved in both the initial and subsequent support necessary to assure the Hilandar Research Library's becoming a special collection, and now the world's largest library devoted to the preservation and access via microform of medieval Slavic Cyrillic manuscripts. Certainly mention should be made of Arthur Adams, first Dean of the College of Humanities; Stanley J. Kahrl, first Director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies; and Walt Craig, Associate Professor of Photography and the photographer on the first microfilming expedition to Hilandar Monastery in 1970. Without such people there might never have been a beginning. Without Robert Rade Stone, the then Supreme President of the Serb National Federation, it is doubtful whether the financial commitment to lend support, to what is now the Resource Center for Medieval Slavic Studies, would ever have been as generous. Without a crucial and substantial gift from Mr. Frederick Ruffner, our subsequent endowment goal may not have been reached. These and many other people and organizations, too, are our founders. Four individuals, however, deserve special recognition. This case highlights each of them and their special contributions. As Curator of the Hilandar Research Library and Director of the Resource Center for Medieval Slavic Studies, I wish now to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all individuals and organizations who have supported us, whether in the past or present. You have helped create two unique and first-class academic units, now known throughout the world. More importantly, your efforts and contributions have assured the preservation of, and access to, a unique and often endangered cultural legacy. For additional information on the history and origin of the Hilandar Research Library and the Resource Center for Medieval Slavic Studies, please view our Web page at: http://cmrs.osu.edu/rcmss/ -Dr. Predrag Matejic

Father Mitrofan arrived at Hilandar Monastery in the 1950s. He is highly educated and fluent in several languages. He often serves as the monastic liaison for visiting researchers, helping them to gain access to the vast and rich resources of the monastery. Presently, he is a spiritual elder and official representative, epitrope, of Hilandar Monastery. In late 1969, on behalf of the brotherhood of Hilandar, he contacted the Very Rev. Dr. Mateja Matejic, then Assistant Professor of the Slavic Department at Ohio State University, with a strongly-worded plea for assistance in assuring the preservation of the manuscript heritage of the monastery. Father Mitrofan was of immeasurable help in acquiring the numerous permissions needed to visit and work on Mount Athos and served as an advisor to the three OSU photographic expeditions to Hilandar (1970, 1971, 1975). Among his responsibilities as Hilandar Monastery's often most visible monk, Father Mitrofan this year is the monastery's representative on the International Committee for the Celebration of the 800th Anniversary of the Founding of Hilandar Monastery. Father Mitrofan has closely watched the progress and development of what is now known as the Hilandar Research Library. We were fortunate that he was able to attend the dedication of the "Hilandar Room" in 1978, and are especially pleased that he was present at the 4th International Hilandar Conference, which was held in Columbus, Ohio, August 14-15, 1998.

Ordained as a priest of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1951, Dr. Matejic arrived in Columbus as an Assistant Professor of the OSU Slavic Department in 1968. When the letter from Hilandar Monastery arrived, he immediately recognized the tremendous opportunity that was being offered. As a priest and an academician, he was well suited to head the project, for he had the trust of the monks as well as an awareness of the scholarly benefits. Many people know that he left for Mount Athos in December of 1969. What few know is that his trip took place only 3 weeks after a major operation. When informed by the captain of the small boat chartered to take him to Mount Athos that the waters were too rough to dock, he jumped in. His luggage and equipment were then tossed to him. That is the true beginning of what was first known as the "Hilandar Research Project" and is now known as the Resource Center for Medieval Slavic Studies (RCMSS) and the Hilandar Research Library (HRL). Dr. Matejic was the first Director of the Hilandar Research Project and continued in this capacity after the name was changed to the Resource Center for Medieval Slavic Studies until his retirement in 1989. Continuing his teaching in the Slavic Department, he also wrote numerous scholarly works, catalogs of manuscripts and articles. Dr. Matejic directed several theses and dissertations, including many which used the microfilms of Hilandar manuscripts. He acquired a worldwide scholarly reputation and received several awards and honors. Dr. Matejic's knowledge, almost limitless drive and energy, his national and international scholarly reputation, and connections as a highly respected member of the Serbian-American community made it possible to dream a dream and make it a reality. He, more than anyone, was the true founder of the RCMSS and the HRL and the one responsible for the national and international reputation of both. Dr. Matejic is now a Senior Research Associate of RCMSS and a valued and respected member of the OSU Advisory Council to RCMSS. This year he is also a member of the International Committee for the Celebration of the 800th Anniversary of the Founding of Hilandar Monastery. Since his retirement from regular academic duties in 1989, he has authored an average of one book per year, continuing his interests in medieval scholarship, the Eastern Orthodox Church, prose and poetry.

Dr. Studer has been the Director of Libraries at The Ohio State University since early 1977, after having served as Associate Dean of University Libraries and Director of Regional Campus Libraries at Indiana University. He has received numerous awards and citations and served on several committees at a national level, often as chair. At Ohio State, he serves on several important committees and councils. Dr. Studer has had a lengthy and highly distinguished tenure at The Ohio State University. It should be especially noted that the majority of the different Special Collections of the OSU Libraries were developed and formed during his tenure. One of the first challenges Dr. Studer faced when he came to Ohio State involved discussions about a collection of microfilms on sixteen 2,000-foot reels from a monastery in Greece. The films were being housed in a small storage closet in the Slavic Department. Upon hearing of the importance of this material and with a strong desire to make it truly accessible, Dr. Studer in mid-1977 agreed to allocate Room 308 of the Main Library to house the microfilms and a small reference collection, provided the funding for the needed furniture and equipment could be found elsewhere. The Serb National Federation donated $20,000 for these purposes and on December 2, 1978 Room 308 was dedicated as the "Hilandar Room." A part-time librarian was appointed, who reported to the Slavic bibliographer. From this juncture things developed quickly. Collections of medieval Slavic Cyrillic manuscripts on microform began to be amassed through purchase, exchanges and donations of print and microform material. In 1982 a curator was hired to administer the growing collection. By 1984 it was clear that the Hilandar Room needed to be renamed and moved to larger quarters. At this time it was moved to Room 227 and was designated as a Special Collection Library, renamed the Hilandar Research Library. If the other three founders are primarily responsible for the Hilandar Research Project, that initial impetus to preserve medieval Slavic Cyrillic manuscripts, it is Dr. Studer who is the founder of the Hilandar Research Library and the one who deserves the credit for ensuring the accessibility of these materials in the library. He has supported the activities of both the library and the related Resource Center for Medieval Slavic Studies, providing library support for grants, advising on development, and cooperating with other university colleges to provide maximum support.