АРБАНАСИ ПРЕЗ ОСМАНСКАТА ЕПОХА (XV – XIX в.)

Author(s): Veselin Goranchev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2017

This article presents information about the history of the village of Arbanasi situated in the close proximity of the town of Veliko Tarnovo. The theses of the researchers working on the problem of the origin of the village are stated in it. The analysis of the information presses the view that most likely Arbanasi was founded either in the second half of the 15th century or in the beginning of the 16th century. The publication gives demographic datum about the village and information about the participation of its inhabitants in the struggle for national liberation. The economic development of the village is examined in details as well as the development of the educational work in it. The text is based on a wide range of studies and the information known so far is complemented with new facts obtained from historical records in Greek from the private archives of Georgy Popsimeonov – one of the most educated inhabitants of Arbanasi in those days (“St. Cyril and St. Methodius” National Library – Bulgarian Historical Archive,fund 36) and from the private archives of one of the most outstanding Arbanasi resident families – the Rusovich (State Archives – Veliko Tarnovo, fund 963K). The deciphering and the translation of the historical documents have been done by the author of the publication.

Ктиторски изображения и надписи в манастири и църкви на Видинската епархия от XIV – XIX век

Author(s): Atanaska Stamboliyska / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2015

A survey will be made in the present article of the existing donor images and inscription in somemonasteries and churches in the bishopric of Vidin in the 14th – 19th c. This type of sources contain immense information, which not only allows us to trace back the foundation and development of the monastic and parish network, but also presents data on the physical features, garments, adornments, haircut and colours of donor’s clothes. The inscriptions, on the other hand, contain rich repertoire of names, thus supplementing to the existing onomastic fund. Data provided by the images and inscriptions in the churches is backed up and supplemented by the Ottoman registers, hagiographic literature and archaeological material.

Градоустройствен и архитектурен облик на град Плевен през ХV–ХVIII век

Author(s): Mladen Vasilev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2013

This topic focuses on some facts about the existence and development of the town of Pleven in the period between 15th and 18th centuries that are little known and unpublished so far. The appearance of the town and its urban space is a demonstration of the allotment between the three main ethno-confessional communities – Eastern Orthodox, Muslim and Jewish. The article focuses on the discovery of the remains of St. Georgi monastery in Kaylaka Park near Pleven which was destroyed by the Ottomans in the late 18th century and the yet undiscovered exact location of St. Nikolay Mirlikiiski in the Ottoman Pleven Municipality.

Християнската знат в земите на днешна Република Северна Македония през XV–XVII в.

Author(s): Tervel Popov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 2/2022

During the 15th – 17th centuries, in the lands of the present-day Republic of North Macedonia, Christian nobility continued to exist. The Christian spahi, who were quite numerous in the southwest of the Bulgarian lands in the 15th century, gradually disappeared from Ottoman records. In urban centres such as Ohrid and Kratovo, the boyar estate remained. Duce Dimitar Pepić from Kratovo was the most distinguished Christian nobleman in the historical and geographical region of Macedonia in the 16th century, and he was respected by the people as a ruler. We have evidence about many Bulgarian nobles who became ktetors of churches and monasteries, thereby supporting not only the Christian fate, but also their people.

Osmanska poreska politika u svjetlu neobjavljene izvorne građe

Author(s): Amir Krpić / Language(s): Bosnian Issue: 18/2022

Review of: Fahd Kasumović, Na periferiji svijeta islama: Osmanska poreska politika u Bosanskom ejaletu 1699-1839, Univerzitet u Sarajevu, Orijentalni institut, Sarajevo, 2021.

Elemente de cultură și civilizație polonă în povestirea „Copiii verzi” a Olgăi Tokarczuk

Author(s): Cristina Godun / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 2/2022

The practice of using literary texts as auxiliary teaching materials in the process of teaching a foreign language has a long tradition. Culture texts can illustrate Polish reality and present linguistic issues in an attractive and accessible way. Therefore, this paper assumes that the use of the didactic and functional potential of a literary text during the classes of Polish as a foreign language contributes not only to diversification of the didactic activity by awakening and cultivating interest in the language and culture being learned, but also to improvement of the learning process. It also stimulates the interest of students in specific Polish cultural phenomena. In addition to aesthetic values, the literary text offers expressive images of the Polish society, mentality and spirituality over the centuries, being an invaluable source of knowledge about the essence of Poland through the decoding and interpretation of socio-cultural codes and ethno-national or identity symbols. The aim of the paper is to discover what elements of Polish culture and civilization are found by Romanian students in the short story Green Children by Olga Tokarczuk. The narrative universe of Olga Tokarczuk is often inhabited by real characters, special individuals who existed in reality at some point, covered by oblivion, but being unusual during their lifetime. Olga Tokarczuk brings them out of the basket of history, reinterprets them, gives them a chance for a new life, and, above all, gives them a voice, thus bringing them back to the present day. In the Books of Jacob, we rediscover, among other people, Józef Andrzej Załuski (bibliophile and bibliographer), Andrzej Stanisław Załuski (patron of the arts), Benedykt Chmielowski (the first Polish encyclopedist) and Elżbieta Drużbacka (the baroque poet). In Green Children, William Davidson was a Scottish physician, chemist, and biologist. Through his eyes, we discover the political, social, and cultural realities of those times. Through Davidson, we can draw out and discuss the elements of old Polish culture and civilization, such as the situation in the political arena, internal tensions between the king and the gentry, the relationships between such concepts as center and periphery or between “I” and “the other”, the interesting phenomenon of plica polonica, or echoes of Sarmatian ideology.

Grand Vizier Köprülü Mehmed Pasha’s Fortifications Along the Northern Black Sea Coast

Author(s): Mahmut Halef Cevrioğlu / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2023

Ottoman historiography has focused on the construction activity of the Grand Vizier Köprülü Mehmed Pasha with reference to the castles he got built in Western Anatolia. Nevertheless, his endeavours to fortify the Black Sea coasts of the Ottoman Empire attracted less attention. This study seeks to describe and clarify Köprülü Mehmed Pasha’s defensive construction projects against Cossack naval raids in two separate zones of the Northern Black Sea: the Don and the Dnieper. This study relies on contemporary European reports, Ottoman archival material and related literature. It suggests that Köprülü Mehmed Pasha reinforced the protection of the Don estuary by commissioning the construction of a castle (Sedd-i İslam) on the one hand, and two self-standing towers on the other in 1660. As for the Dnieper, the pasha commanded the Doğangeçidi Castle’s construction in 1661, which was completed in 1662. Highlighting this dynamic building activity, the present essay suggests that Köprülü Mehmed Pasha’s invigoration of the northern frontiers of the Ottoman Empire should not be overshadowed by the conquests he is rather associated with.

Дербенджийските села в Златишко-Пирдопската котловина и прилежащите ѝ региони (XV – първата половина на XVII век)

Author(s): Krastyo Yordanov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2023

Based on Ottoman source material, the studies attempt to trace the fate of several Derbendji villages in the region of Zlatitsa, the valley of the Topolnitsa River, and the Sredna Gora Mountains. The Zlatitsa-Pirdop valley is located at a crossroad where two secondary roads meet. ‘Derbend guarding’ (guarding of roads and passes) in this region was to some extent directly related to the maintenance of these roads and the provision of safe travel and communications. However, the sources show that in the first century of the Ottoman rule, only two Derbendji villages were created at the initiative of the Ottoman authorities, in order to populate the deserted and dangerous areas along the road. Subsequently, before the middle of the 16th century, the network of Derbendji villages in the Zlatitsa region expanded, including a number of old settlements. Usually, the population of these settlements, on their own initiative, secured a Sultan’s firman (order) for the granting of Derbendji status, referring to the frequent robberies and murders along the road in the lands of the villages. The villagers wanted to obtain Derbendji (guardian) status so that they can defend themselves with weapons, ensuring their peace and the security of travelers. However, the fate of the Derbendji villages in the Zlatitsa-Pirdop region shows that the Derbendji status and tax privileges did not automatically lead to the demographic and economic prosperity of the villages, turning them into important economic and cultural centres of the Bulgarian nation. The strong Turkic colonization in the valley, as well as the processes of Islamization that began at the end of the 15th century among the local Bulgarian Christian population as well as the example of the first converts, had certain influence on the desire for conversion to Islam, which was associated with exemption from some taxes such as the cizie. Two of the Derbendji settlements in Zlatitsa region eventually became completely Muslim villages. Thus, the author’s thesis is confirmed that the privileged status of the population with special obligations was not so decisive for settlement development, as were factors of a natural-geographical, ethnographic (the specifics of individual ethnographic groups and regions) and socio-economic nature.

Важен принос в османистиката

Author(s): Krasimira Mutafova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2023

Teaching Slavonic in 17th century Romania: teaching material by Staico, professor at Târgoviște

Author(s): Mădălina Ungureanu / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2023

The aim of this study is to present, based on the Rom. ms. 312 from the Academy Library in Bucharest, the teaching material used by a teacher of Slavonic in the second half of the 17th century. Rom. ms. 312 BAR is well-known particularly because it contains the largest dictionary belonging to the group of the first bilingual Romanian dictionaries. The elaboration of these dictionaries should be considered in relation to the political and cultural context of the reign of Matei Basarab, in a period in which Wallachia was influenced by the cultural prestige of Kyiv and of the metropolitan Petru Movilă, who influenced the cultural development of the Romanian Principalities. Matei Basarab wanted to restore the dominance of the Slavonic language and culture, by encouraging the development of schools, among other measures. The necessary linguistic tools were provided by Kyiv, namely the Slavonic-Ruthenian lexicon and Meletius Smotrytsky’s Slavonic grammar (1619). These tools, besides being used as such in schools, provide models for the first Romanian dictionaries and the first Slavonic grammar translated into Romanian. Six Slavonic-Romanian dictionaries have survived, all written in the second half of the 17th century (except for one dating from 1649) in Wallachia, based on the Slavonic-Ruthenian lexicon published by Pamvo Berynda in 1627, which these six works adapted both in terms of the number of entries and the content of the Romanian definitions. Except for the lexicon issued in 1649, the others seem to be modified copies based on a single version. Two manuscripts containing the first Romanian bilingual lexicons also include copies after the same Romanian redaction of the Slavonic grammar. The Rom. ms. 312 comprises the lexicon, part of the grammar, and other lexicographical components, organized as additions to the main word lists. There are several studies on the content of Rom. ms. 312, yet previous research only presents it from a general perspective without much detail on its components. We shall demonstrate that its content is also more complex than that of the other lexicons, indicating and presenting its parts: the first list of words taken from the Slavonic-Ruthenian lexicon; a second list which is independent of it, but which can also be found in three of the other lexicons included in the group; three thematic lists and two lists without a specific theme, plus a dictionary of proper names translated into Slavonic, which has never been studied. Furthermore, we also present opinions on the author of the grammar included in this lexicon. A comparative analysis of the Slavonic grammar of Rom. ms. 312 and the one in Rom. ms. 3473 from the Romanian Academy Library allowed us to advance the hypothesis that these are copies of a previous writing, which was not preserved.

Nazwiska mieszczan ukrainskich w ziemi chełmskiej w XVI wieku

Author(s): Irena Mytnik / Language(s): English,Polish Issue: 1/2018

The proposed research article aims to explore the social aspects of Ukrainian anthroponomical stock in 17th and 18th centuries which concerns Polish female representatives of the most privileged class in old Ukraine. It presents and describes their baptismal names, additional identifiers and personal identification formulae (naming styles), which were a language measure for the social differentiation.

ბიბლიური მეფე დავითი და ქართველი მწერლები (V – XVIII საუკუნეები)

Author(s): Murad Mtvarelidze / Language(s): Georgian Issue: 2/2021

Biblical King Davit is especially popular in ancient Georgian literature. On the one hand, Georgian writers paraphrase his works, which is important, but even more interesting is the fact that in relation to this biblical king, important issues are reflected in the works of Georgian writers, such as the idea of the biblical origin of Georgian kings, symbolic consideration of Davit as Christ the Father, scrambling of Davit and Giant, as well as the metaphors "Davit’s Harp", "Davit's Precepts", "Davit's City", "Davit's Garden". For Georgian writers, Biblical Davit remains an exemplary hero, so when they talk about this or that character, they try to explain their actions with the examples of Davit's life or the aims of his thought, and thus determine the peculiarities of the character or action of this or that character. Strengthening of the royal dynasty of the Bagrationi made the legend of their biblical origin even more actual. Later, with the strengthening and prosperity of the country, this idea acquired more popularity, which was manifested in almost all the ascending stages of the development of Georgian literature. The article shows that the myth has traveled successfully from century to century and on the one hand gave the Georgian kings a sense of specialness, and on the other hand, Georgian writers from this ancestral dynasty used this moment along with their positive aspects to describe this or that historical figure. After the conquest of Georgia by Russia (1801) when the monarchy was abolished in Georgia and the country lost its national independence, this myth was gradually forgotten. Davit Knar, along with his sling, immediately gained popularity in Georgian heraldry. Since the Georgian kings considered themselves the descendants of the biblical Davit, this important element was reflected on the coat of arms of the Bagrationis as a symbol of devotion to the Bible and a kind of permanent and uninterrupted union with it. The metaphor "Davit's harp" in some cases refers to the harp of Davit Psalm-chanter in the literal sense, and is sometimes understood as a psalm chant, as well as the use of this metaphor as a measure to determine the fictional level of this or that work. As for the "Davit’s Precepts", it is a kind of allegorical collocation and primarily considers the views of the prophet Davit on this or that issue. From this point of view, the attitude to Davit’s precepts established by a remarkable Georgian poet of the 18th century, Davit Guramishvili is worth considering. When talking about the origin of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ with Georgian authors or translated monuments, primarily attention is drawn to the term that Davit eulogizes Christ in advance; he prophesies the birth of the Messiah and sings hymns to him. The quotation of Davit's hymns traces the whole of the old Georgian secular or historical writing. For Georgian writers, the important episodes of the life of the biblical King Davit are exemplary, which they refer to when necessary, and his thoughts - a guide, which occupies an important part in the life and work of this or that literary or historical hero.

ჩინეთის ისტორია

Author(s): Emzar Makaradze / Language(s): English,Georgian Issue: 1/2023

Review of the monograph created by a group of authors (Otar Chigladze, Davit Andghuladze, Nana Gelashvili, Shalva Chikhladze, Archil Kalandia, Marine Jibladze) - "History of China". Chief editor and compiler Marine Jibladze, publishing house, "Golden Fleece", Tbilisi, 2022.

Правосъдие, власт и общество – исторически паралели

Author(s): Albena Simova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2023

ДЖЕРЕЛА ІРМОСІВ КАНОНІВ БОГОЯВЛЕННЯ І СТРІТЕННЯ ГОСПОДНЬОГО ЦЕРКОВНОГО ПРОСТОПІНІЯ БОКШАЯ-МАЛИНИЧА 1906 РОКУ

Author(s): Ihor Zadorozhnyі / Language(s): Ukrainian Issue: 1/2023

The purpose of the article is to generalise and clarify the sources of the musical texts of irmoses’ canons of the Baptism of Jesus and the Epiphany of Church Prostopinije by Bokshay-Malynych in 1906 through the prism of close relation with the manuscript and printed irmologions of the XVII-XIX centuries. The research methodology is based on a complex system approach combining a critical understanding of literature, source studies, music-analytical, comparative methods in the analysis of musical texts. In the comparative analysis of irmoses of different lists, we use the scientific provisions by O. Tsalai-Yakymenko regarding the formative principles of time dimensional metric in sacral monody. The scientific novelty of the research consists in clarifying the sources of the musical texts of irmoses’ canons of the Baptism of Jesus and the Epiphany of Church Prostopinije by Bokshay-Malynych in 1906, structuring of the musical material, features of changes in the formation of condensed forms of singing liturgical texts. Conclusions. The analysis of irmoses’ musical texts of the Baptism of Jesus and the Epiphany of Prostopinije shows a direct connection with the manuscript and printed irmologions. The main differences in Prostopinije's irmoses are caused due to the orientation of church singers to concise and simplified forms of singing liturgical texts, the use of several typical chants, as a result of which the new intonation formations have taken place. Comparisons of musical texts from various sources demonstrate the peculiarities of the pattern formations, the preservation and renewal of ancient forms of sacral monody in regional church singing practice at the beginning of the 20th century.

Красимира Мутафова. Религия и идентичност (християнство и ислям) по българските земи в османската документация от ХV–ХVІІІ век.

Author(s): Gergana Georgieva / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2023

ქართველიქალისსამოსიქრისტოფოროდეკასტელისალბომიდან – მხატვრისფანტაზიათურეალობა

Author(s): Irina Ugrekhelidze,Nona Kartsidze / Language(s): Georgian Issue: 1/2022

The lack of material monuments of Georgian clothing prior to the XVIII cen-tury poses a significant challenge to presenting a comprehensive picture of Geor-gian costume history and comprehending the process of its development. Foreign sources from various epochs contain useful information for resolving this issue. Among them are the works of Don Cristoforo de Castelli, an Italian Theatine mis-sionary and pastor, who worked in our country in the XVII century. The goal of the present research is to determine if the seventeenth-century Georgian clothing (women’s costumes) and headgears depicted in Cristoforo de Castelli’s work con-form to reality or are merely the artist’s fantasy, what shall be done by analyzing the clothing and comparing to the relevant Georgian and foreign pictorial sources. The research is based on approved art history methods. An in-depth exami-nation of Castelli’s sketches and paintings reveals that the majority of the clothes depicted in the album have a counterpart in Georgian painting (monumental and miniature) and written monuments. Only few of them seem to be distinct, and their use is not confirmed by Georgian sources. In this regard, we should particu-larly note the entire gallery of headgears depicted in the albums, the majority of which are completely alien to Georgian tradition and have analogues only in por-traits of Muslim queens - that is explained by the influence of the Court etiquette and fashion of the eastern super-states. The research confirmed that the various clothing and headgear depicted in Castelli’s album are not a figment of the artist’s imagination, but documentary material created over time by an eyewitness-ob-server, and they reflect, like a mirror, the reality in which the author himself was an accomplice. As a result, his work is still relevant today and is one of the most reliable and important sources for the history and establishment of the process of evolution of Georgian costume.

Rituály středověku a raného novověku v recentní české a polské historiografii

Author(s): Tomáš Malý / Language(s): Czech Issue: 02/2021

The study summarises Czech and partially Polish texts on medieval and early modern rituals which have been written in the last three decades. The historiographical preoccupation with rituals and ceremonies is subject to criticism, or it is related to the developments in recent European historiography. We can conclude that both Czech and Polish historians primarily focused on the rituals of the monarchy, which they viewed from the perspective of the main actor, i.e., the king, and considered them a reflection of the political power. Contrary to anthropologists, who are interested in cultural meanings and categories, historians leaned more towards a socio-historical perspective. Descriptions, which partly result in the confirmation of the main actors’ positions of power and partly in an insight into the everyday life and material culture of the power elite, are prominent in the texts. The overall result is a rather reduced reception of anthropological perspective in the analysis of ritual. The current knowledge, essentially dependent on the quality of the existing sources, could be expanded by taking inspiration from spatial studies, e.g., methods developed in recent archaeology, as the conclusion of the study shows.

LES CAPITULATIONS FRANCO-OTTOMANES ET LES INSTITUTIONS ÉDUCATIVES ET CULTURELLES DANS LES BALKANS (XIXе – XXе SIÈCLES)

Author(s): Raïa Zaïmova / Language(s): French Issue: 4/2023

The capitulations between France and the Ottoman Empire (1535 – 1536) opened the way of trade and navigation, as well as of the Catholic missions in the Levant. The training of consuls and dragomans in Eastern languages began in the 17th – 18th century, when Capuchins and Jesuits were the main school teachers in Constantinople and Paris. The beginning of the Ottoman Empire’s decline forced its rulers to turn to France, with which they had not had military conflicts and which was famous with the scientific and technological progress. Although the diplomatic relations between the two countries were unequal and inconsistent by the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century, France managed to gain advantage over the other Western countries and to implement its own education system within the Eastern Empire. Thanks to the capitulations, which had been renewed many times over the years, Catholic missions opened their schools and enjoyed respect of the Ottoman rulers. In the period after the Crimean War, the education following European patterns gained popularity. The Catholic Congregations that had been created, along with some secular ones, attracted the attention of both foreigners and Ottoman subjects. « The Enlightenment Language » opened up an opportunity for modernization of mentality and, at the same time, provoked nationalist reactions from the students. French cultural and educational institutions underwent significant changes after the collapse of Turkey and the creation of national Balkan states.

СВЕТИ ИЛИЯ И БАЛИ ЕФЕНДИ ИЛИ ИСТОРИЯТА НА СЪЖИТЕЛСТВОТО НА ДВЕ РЕЛИГИИ

Author(s): Dilyan Tsvetkov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 22/2023

Over the past century, the capital’s district Kniazhevo offers an opportunity to glimpse not only into the coexistence of the different ethnic groups of the young state of Bulgaria but also into the coexistence of the religions – the tomb of Bali Effendi and the church of St. Elijah. Here, struggles for supremacy take place in order to add value to the world and understanding.