Books Belonged to Archimandrite Evfimy (Miloslavov), Rector of the Tobolsk Theological Seminary (1836–1842), in the Сollection of the State Public Scientific-Technical Library of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Abstract

The article introduces into scholarly circulation valuable copies of Euro­pean books printed in the 17th–19th centuries that were held in the collection of the Tobolsk Theological Seminary, the oldest seminary in Siberia. These books were donated by the Seminary’s Rector (1836–1842), Archimandrite Evfimy (Andrei Miloslavov), a native of Siberia and a graduate of the Moscow Theological Academy. At present, these books, along with a greater part of the survived foreign-language publications from the Tobolsk Theological Seminary, are preserved in the Department of Rare Books and Manuscripts of the State Public Scientific and Technical Library of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Studying the provenance of these books and the inscriptions found in them helps to clarify the book repertoire of the educated Siberian clergy and to trace how European books were used in theological educational institutions of Russia.

Among the 25 identified copies belonging to Evfimy, there are editions in Latin, French, and German. These include Protestant literature (the Book of Concord and its supplement by A. Rechenberg, works by Ch. Wittich, R. Bakius, S. Lutz, and others) and Catho­lic literature (Francis de Sales), as well as works of the Enlightenment thin­kers (B. de Fontenelle, N. Boulanger), Chr. Wolff’s “German Logic”, writings of Pliny the Younger used in the instruction of seminarians, Theophane (Prokopovich’s) Ortho­dox Theology in Latin, published in Leipzig, and notes by J. J. Bellermann on the Russian Orthodox Church. A number of books bear inscriptions reflecting the stages of the owner’s life and service. The large number of marginalia on several books, directly related to the text’s content, attests to the active use of these editions. The study of these copies allows conclusions to be drawn about the profound knowledge of domestic edu­cated priests in the field of Western theology and philosophy, which enab­led them to engage in polemics with representatives of other confessions and with materialists at an appropriate level, and also to glean the most valuable and acceptable elements for Orthodox readers from the works of Catholic and Protestant theologians. Handwritten references to other works permit assumptions about the owner’s reading circle and the possible composition of the Tobolsk Theological Seminary lib­rary. Inscriptions made during Evfimy’s tenure as seminary inspector often contain information on the date of purchase and the price of the book, and bear witness to the purposeful selection and ordering of books from Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Further research is planned to continue identifying books from Evfimy’s collection in the holdings of the State Public Scientific and Technical Library of the Siberian Branch of the RAS, along with their study and scholarly description.