Ivan Fedorovych (Fedorov
Fedorovych (Fedorov), Ivan [Fedorovyc], b ca 1525, d 16 December 1583 in Lviv.
Fedorovych (also known as Khvedorovych or Khodorovych) was the founder of book
printing and book publishing in Russia and Ukraine. He was deacon of Saint Nicholas
Gostunsky Church in Moscow, where, from 1553, he oversaw the construction of a
printing house commissioned by Tsar Ivan IV. In 1564–5 Fedorovych and the Belarusian
P. Mstsislavets published in Moscow several liturgical works in Church Slavonic.
This technical innovation created competition for the Muscovite scribes, who persecuted
Fedorovych and Mstsislavets and finally caused them to flee to the Grand Duchy
of Lithuania. There they were received by the Lithuanian great hetman H. Khodkevych
at his estate in Zabludow (Zabludiv) (northern Podlachia, on the Ukrainian-Belarusian
border), where they published Ievanheliie uchytel’noie (Didactic Gospel, 1569)
(see Zabludow Gospel) and Psaltyr’ (Psalter, 1570). In Zabludow, Fedorovych changed
his surname from Fedorov to Fedorovych. He moved to Lviv in 1572 and resumed his
work as a printer the following year at the Saint Onuphrius Monastery (see Saint
Onuphrius's Church and Monastery). (Fedorovych's tombstone in Lviv is inscribed
‘drukovanie zanedbanoe vobnov[yl]’ [renewed neglected printing].) In 1574 Fedorovych,
with the help of his son and Hryn Ivanovych of Zabludow published the second edition
of Apostol (originally published in Moscow), with an autobiographical epilogue,
and Azbuka (Primer). Fedorovych was known as the ‘Muscovite printer’ or Iwan Moschus
(Ivan the Muscovite) in Lviv, a name used more to identify his place of origin
than his nationality. In 1575 Fedorovych, in the service of Prince Kostiantyn
Ostrozky, was placed in charge of the Derman Monastery; in 1577–9 he established
the Ostrih Press, where, in 1581, he published the Ostrih Bible and a number of
other books. Fedorovych returned to Lviv after a quarrel with Prince Kostiantyn
Ostrozky, but his attempt to reopen his printing shop was unsuccessful. His printery
became the property of the Lviv Dormition Brotherhood (later the Stauropegion
Institute). The brotherhood used Fedorovych's original designs until the early
19th century.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Isaievych, Ia. Pershodrukar Ivan Fedorov i vynyknennia drukarstva na Ukraini
(Lviv 1975)
B. Struminsky
Source: http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com
|