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KIEVAN RELIGION & CULTURE. KIEVAN RELIGION & CULTURE. PRE-CHRISTIAN EAST SLAV SOCIETY Practiced animistic paganism deified nature, many gods & spirits worshipped women’s reproductive power lacked institutional structure. Perun. domovoi. polovoi. vodianoi. mother goddess.
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KIEVAN RELIGION & CULTURE PRE-CHRISTIAN EAST SLAV SOCIETY • Practiced animistic paganism • deified nature, many gods & spirits • worshipped women’s reproductive power • lacked institutional structure Perun domovoi polovoi vodianoi mother goddess
KIEVAN RELIGION & CULTURE CHRISTIAN KIEVAN RUS’ • Form of Christianity = Eastern Orthodoxy • Accepted uncritically from Byzantine model • Place high value on aesthetics: Beauty = Truth = God • Subject to Byzantine Patriarchate, but Russian Church had much autonomy
KIEVAN RELIGION & CULTURE CHRISTIAN KIEVAN RUS’ • Structure of Russian Orthodox Church • Metropolitan at head • Two types of clergy: • black = monks/nuns • white = priests/bishops • Church involved in many aspects of Kievan society • Many pagan elements retained or incorporated into Christian practice
KIEVAN RELIGION & CULTURE KIEVAN CULTURE • Oral tradition (folklore) • Folksongs, proverbs, sayings, fairy tales • Byliny or Stariny (epic poems) • heroic & romantic • feature bogatyrs (heroes) The Bogatyrs: Dobrynya Nikitich, Ilya Muromets, & Alyosha Popovich
KIEVAN RELIGION & CULTURE KIEVAN CULTURE • Written literature • Developed in close association with religion: • Canonical literature: prayer books, hymnals, illuminated manuscripts, chronicles
KIEVAN RELIGION & CULTURE KIEVAN CULTURE • Written literature • Developed in close association with religion: • Canonical literature: prayer books, hymnals, illuminated manuscripts, chronicles • Secular literature: poetry, ballads, tales • Lay (Tale) of the Host of Igor • Literacy fairly widespread
KIEVAN RELIGION & CULTURE KIEVAN CULTURE • Architecture • Wooden: reflect native folk traditions • Stone: heavy Byzantine influence • But developed distinctive Russian style St. Sophia Cathedral, Kiev Reconstruction of wooden church: Suzdal Hagia Sophia, Constantinople
KIEVAN RELIGION & CULTURE KIEVAN CULTURE • Architecture • Wooden: reflect native folk traditions • Stone: heavy Byzantine influence • But developed distinctive Russian style St. George Monastery, near Novgorod St. Sophia, Novgorod Golden Gate of Kremlin, Vladimir Assumption Cathedral, Vladimir
KIEVAN RELIGION & CULTURE KIEVAN CULTURE • Art • Close association with religion • church mosaics & frescoes Frescoes in St. Sophia, Kiev
KIEVAN RELIGION & CULTURE KIEVAN CULTURE • Art • Close association with religion • church mosaics & frescoes • icons Christ Pantokrator (Byzantine) Christ the Redeemer (Kievan)
KIEVAN RELIGION & CULTURE KIEVAN CULTURE • Art • Close association with religion • church mosaics & frescoes • icons Vladimir Mother of God The Virgin Orans
KIEVAN RELIGION & CULTURE KIEVAN CULTURE • Art • Close association with religion • church mosaics & frescoes • icons St. George The Archangel Gabriel