The Ideal Scribe: Clerk Ostafy’s Graffi to in St. Sophia, Constantinople and the 15th Century Russian Book Marginalia

Affiliation:
Vladimir Kikot Moscow University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia
Institute of Russian History of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Institute of World History of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow

Alexey Gippius

Affiliation:
National Research University Higher School of Economics
Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow

Journal name

Russkaya Rech’

Edition

Issue 5

Pages

79-94

Abstract

The article is the first to publish a 15^th century inscription from the Cathedral of St. Sofia in Constantinople (Istanbul), made by a Russian clerk Ostafiy. The analysis of graffito in the context of the Old Russian epigraphy of St. Sophia allows us to attribute it to the number of autographs of persons who visited the capital of Byzantium not for pilgrimage purposes, but on business. In connection to this the article attempts to compare the words dyak and dyakon, the latter of which became a name for a civilian clerk. The connection of the author to the church is revealed by the author’s petition prayer, where he asks to strengthen his hand. It correlates with the records of 15^th century Russian book scribes, which together make up an ideal portrait of a medieval scribe.

Keywords

St. Sophia in Constantinople, Old Russian epigraphy, graffiti, medieval scribes, marginalia

Acknowledgment

The article was prepared as a part of the RFBR project (project No. 21-59-14005 "Voyages and epigraphy: pilgrim inscriptions, geographical mobility and piety between Byzantium and Russia (5th ‒ 15th centuries).

Received

12.12.2021

Publication date

12.12.2021

Number of characters

19737

Cite

GOST	Artamonov Y., Gippius A. The Ideal Scribe: Clerk Ostafy’s Graffi to in St. Sophia, Constantinople and the 15th Century Russian Book Marginalia // Russkaya Rech’ – 2021. – Issue 5 C. 79-94 [Electronic resource]. URL: http://ras.jes.su/rusrech/s013161170017241-4-1-en (circulation date: 25.04.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S013161170017241-4
MLA	Artamonov, Yuri, Gippius, Alexey "The Ideal Scribe: Clerk Ostafy’s Graffi to in St. Sophia, Constantinople and the 15th Century Russian Book Marginalia." Russkaya Rech’ 5 (2021):79-94. DOI: 10.31857/S013161170017241-4
APA	Artamonov Y., Gippius A. (2021). The Ideal Scribe: Clerk Ostafy’s Graffi to in St. Sophia, Constantinople and the 15th Century Russian Book Marginalia. Russkaya Rech’ (5), pp.79-94 DOI: 10.31857/S013161170017241-4

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