Solovetsky Monastery in the Culture of Russia and the poem of M.V. Lomonosov

Abstract

The article analyzes M.V. Lomonosov`s heroic poem, which is about Peter the Great’s visit to the Solovetsky Monastery. The founders of the Solovetsky Monastery are Saints Zosima, Savvaty and Herman, who settled on a deserted island in the first third of the XV century. Over time, the monastery not only grew, but became one of the most revered in Russia. It is visited by thousands of pilgrims; kings and boyars make rich donations. The first of the Russian tsars to visit the Solovetsky Monastery was Peter the Great (1694). This visit will be described by M.V. Lomonosov in his poem. To create the image of an ideal ruler, the poet uses historical realities based on the Kholmogory and Solovetsky chronicles. However, there is also a free interpretation of historical facts that contributes to the creation of a heroic image to glorify the Russian state. The “historical inaccuracies” made by the author are identified and indicated: the feat of Peter during a storm on the White Sea, the history of the construction of the walls of the monastery, the “Solovetsky sitting” of the monks who refused to accept the reforms of Patriarch Nikon.

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