Top of page

Book/Printed Material The Lectionary (Orsha Gospel).

About this Item

Title

  • The Lectionary (Orsha Gospel).

Summary

  • This gospel, believed to have been created in Polotsk (present-day Belarus) in the second half of the 13th century, is one of the oldest monuments of the Cyrillic Slavonic alphabet and one of the most ancient decorated Belarusian manuscripts. It contains two multicolor miniatures with gilding portraying the evangelists Luke (folio 42 verso) and Matthew (folio 123 verso). The miniatures reflect the influence of the early Palaeologian (relating to the last Byzantine dynasty, reigned 1259--1453) Byzantine style in old Belarusian art. The images are vividly depicted in bright colors. The work has two headpieces and 310 rubricated initials made in the floral-geometrical and animal-form styles close to the style of decorations of Belarusian manuscripts (the 12th-century Polotsk Gospel and other works). The book has a lower board binding made of oak panel with three brass bosses, broken in halves lengthwise. The manuscript contains readings for the entire year, without the beginning (the first 25 folios are missing). It begins with the lection for Saturday of the seventh week after Easter. After the Gospel readings is a menology (an arrangement of the readings according to months and saints' days) and the Sunday matutinal (early morning) gospels. The manuscript was found among the property that invading Napoleonic troops in 1812 discarded from the monasteries of Orsha (in present-day Belarus). It was contributed to the museum of the Kiev Theological Academy by the landowner I.S. Melenevskyi in 1874 and is now in the collections of the V.I. Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine.

Created / Published

  • [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], [1250 to 1299]

Headings

  • -  Belarus
  • -  1250 to 1299
  • -  Bible
  • -  Bible. New Testament
  • -  Codex
  • -  Illuminations
  • -  Lectionaries
  • -  Miniatures (Illuminations)
  • -  Orthodox Eastern Church
  • -  Saints

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 142 folios : parchment ; 194 x 264 millimeters.
  • -  Original resource at: V.I. Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine.
  • -  Content in Church Slavic.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Source Collection

  • Illuminated Manuscripts from Europe

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021667517

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

The Lectionary Orsha Gospel. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, to 1299, 1250] Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667517/.

APA citation style:

(1250) The Lectionary Orsha Gospel. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, to 1299] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667517/.

MLA citation style:

The Lectionary Orsha Gospel. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, to 1299, 1250] Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021667517/>.