Grigory Skovoroda
Grigory Skovoroda is one of the most prominent figures in the cultural and literary life of Ukraine throughout its centuries-old history, the forerunner of modern philosophical thought and the founder of Ukrainian philosophy. A great national thinker, educator and writer, in his works he developed a whole range of ideas that were relevant both in his time and today, and was one of the first to express the progressive views of Ukrainian society. His multifaceted philosophical and literary heritage was the link that was missing for a significantly qualitative turn in the cultural development of the country.
Gregory was born on December 3, 1722 in the centenary town of Chernukha (now the regional center of the Poltava region) in the family of Savva Skovoroda and his wife Pelageya. Having compared contradictory facts, most historians agreed that Savva was a priest from the Cossacks: after all, then any person respected by fellow villagers and knowledgeable of literacy could be elected as a holy father, and Savva’s court was located in Kharsiki, where plots were usually allocated for the clergy.
The boy grew up inquisitive and hardworking, the school sexton “bacalar” (who arrived from the mysterious Academy in Kyiv itself) was pleased with him. Skovoroda’s first biographer, his close friend and beloved student M. Kovalinsky, wrote: “Grigory, in the seventh year from birth, was noticeable for his inclination to read God, a talent for music, a desire for science and fortitude.” When 12-year-old Grits graduated from a four-year school in his native village, “his father willingly sent him to the Kiev School, which was then famous for science,” that is, to the Kiev-Mohyla Academy. The boy mastered all the courses taught there - analogies, grammar, syntax, poetics and rhetoric - easily and soon found himself among the best students. And since he was poor, he had to earn a living on his own: by tutoring and singing in the academy choir. The latter played an important role in Gregory's future. In December 1741, charter director G. Matveev-Golovnya came to Kyiv with the goal of selecting the best Little Russian singers for the court chapel. Thus, young Skovoroda unexpectedly found himself in St. Petersburg at the court of Elizaveta Petrovna. Two and a half years flew by like in a fairy tale: dust-free and not boring work, profitable new acquaintances, expensive beautiful clothes, abundant food... Anyone in Gregory’s place would have lived and rejoiced, but his soul was sad for his native Ukraine, for the lessons that had become sweet within the walls academy. They gave up on the “fool” and, when in August 1744 the Empress went to travel around Little Russia, she was released on all four sides, however, with the rank of court guide.
Skovoroda spent another six years at the Kiev-Mohyla Academy: he completed a full course in philosophy and most of the most difficult and important course - theology. Grigory quickly made up for lost time and regained his fame as one of the best students at the academy. But soon, as Kovalinsky wrote: “The range of sciences taught in Kyiv seemed insufficient to him. He wanted to see foreign lands.” Such an opportunity presented itself to the young man, and in 1750, as a clergyman, as part of a detachment led by Colonel G. Vishnevetsky, who was familiar from St. Petersburg, he went to Hungary to the “Tokaj Mountains.” Three years spent away from his homeland benefited Gregory; he used them to continue his education in Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Prague and, possibly, Italy. And wherever he went, Skovoroda “tried most of all to get acquainted with people who were very famous for their learning and knowledge”; he studied Latin, Greek, German and Hebrew. In particular, it is known that in Germany he met mystical and pietist philosophers, which influenced his further formation as a mystical philosopher. He could not help but pay attention to the life of ordinary people. Skovoroda’s life observations in the future were reflected in the bitter lines:
Fly to heaven, even to the forests of Versailles,
Take off your golden clothes,
Put on even a royal hat,
If you are sad, then you are still poor and naked...
Conquer the entire globe, be king of many peoples,
What helps you?
Is your soul still crying inside?
When you are sad, you are all mean and naked...
In 1753, Grigory Savvich returned to Ukraine and in June was invited by Bishop Nikodim Sribnitsky to the Pereyaslav Collegium to teach a course in poetry. He took the task seriously and even prepared new lectures - “Discourses on poetry and a guide to the art of it” - which were simpler and easier to study than the classical syllabic-tonic system of Lomonosov. But the bishop, a man of old traditions, kicked out the mentor after Skovoroda refused to teach the standard course.
As the best student at the academy, Metropolitan Timofey Shcherbatsky recommended Grigory Savvich to the Kovray landowner Stefan Tomare as a home teacher for his son Vasily. It would seem that he should be glad that he acquired “a wandering university and an academy of the then Ukrainian landowners,” but the relationship between the proud mentor and the pompous owner did not work out, as a result of which Skovoroda was forced to leave both a profitable, quiet place and his beloved student. He spent several years traveling: he visited Moscow and Trinity-Sergius Posad, where he lived in the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, observing the life of the monks, but eventually returned to Ukraine, to Pereyaslav. By that time, Tomara finally realized what treasure he had lost, and soon lured Skovoroda to Kovrai again. This second Kovray period became perhaps the happiest in the life of Grigory Savvich. It was while living on the estate of S. Tomara that he created most of his poems, 30 of which were later combined into the collection “The Garden of Divine Songs Vegetated from the Seeds of Holy Scripture”: these are mainly poems on biblical texts and laudatory odes to various persons. These and subsequent works of Skovoroda preserved the main traditions of old Ukrainian song lyrics, but the poet’s literary manner also had advanced tropes: expressiveness of images, contrasting transitions from pathos to humor or grotesque, an abundance of metaphors, antitheses, cross-cutting motifs, symbols (Skovoroda is considered the initiator of the transition of Ukrainian artistic language from medieval to modern style). In addition, each written poem had a melody selected by the author: Skovoroda played the sopilka beautifully. And for his tribute to the times - the ornateness of verbal forms and laudatory compositions - Grigory Savvich was ranked among the poets of the Baroque period.
In 1759, G. Skovoroda’s work in Kovray ended, and from there he moved to Slobozhanshchina, where, at the invitation of Bishop Joseph Mitkevich, for seven years he taught poetry, ethics, syntax and Greek at the Kharkov Collegium and improved his knowledge by studying ancient authors: Plutarch , Cicero, Horace, he especially appreciated the ideas of Plato. Here Skovoroda’s first philosophical works saw the light: lectures-sermons for the ethics course “Having woken up, we saw him” and “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his lips”, treatises “The Entrance Door to Christian Virtue”, “Narkiss” and “Symphony, entitled Book Ashan , about self-knowledge”, as well as the famous “Kharkov Fables”. Grigory Savvich wrote his treatises in his favorite style - as dialogues, on behalf of people of different ages and status - thereby showing that philosophical depths are accessible to everyone who has thought at least once about the meaning of human existence.
The main themes of Skovoroda’s works were the search for the human “I” and rethinking the Bible. He was considered a mystic and a Freemason, an atheist and a desecrator of the Book of Books: after all, Grigory Savvich dared to question the eternal biblical truths - Joshua stopping the Sun, the floating of iron and much more. The philosopher himself, in fact a deeply religious person, admitted that “the Bible is a very bad and awkward thing if we turn it into our carnal affairs,” and at the same time saw in it a poetic creation that hides the truth under external images. And in the doctrine of the eternity of the world and its infinity in space and time, Skovoroda retreated from Plato and considered the world as three components: large, small and symbolic; big (space) is nature; small (microcosm) - human; symbolic - the Bible. In each of them there are two principles: God, or eternity, and matter, or temporary; in all nature, spirit dominates matter.
However, Skovoroda’s dissent on some theological and philosophical issues gave rise to misunderstandings; slander, denunciations and intrigues poisoned his life. In addition, the clergy insisted on his taking the rank, which did not correspond to the worldview of Grigory Savvich: “Do you really want me to increase the number of Pharisees? Eat fat, drink sweet, dress softly and be a monk! And Skovoroda considers monasticism to be a non-aggressive life, pleasures in small things, moderation, getting rid of everything unnecessary, neglecting all whims in order to acquire the most necessary things, in order to preserve oneself in integrity, curbing self-love, in order to more fully fulfill the commandment of love for one’s neighbor, the search for the glory of God, and not human glory." These accusatory words were interpreted as pride, and Grigory Savvich was expelled from the collegium.
Skovoroda also refused all secular positions and ranks offered to him. He once and for all chose for himself the life of a traveling teacher of the common people. For almost 30 years, the philosopher wandered around Ukraine and southern Russia - from Kyiv to Voronezh, from Orel to Taganrog - bringing a grain of goodness and knowledge to every family that agreed to shelter him. He talked about his observations, read poetry, played the sofa, sang songs and generously gave his knowledge to peasant children: he taught them literacy, arithmetic, the love of wisdom, and conveyed a living teaching about the soul.
To the philosophical works written earlier were added “Dialogue, or Conversation about the Ancient World”, “The Ring”, “Conversation called Alphabet, or Primer of the World”, “Grateful Erodius”, “Beggar Lark” and many others in which he passed the path from your understanding of Christ to your understanding of man and the world. None of these books were published during the lifetime of Grigory Savvich, but this did not prevent friends, students and those who ever after him studied at the Kyiv Theological Academy from deeply reading Skovoroda. They all called the Teacher “their Pythagoras,” “the Ukrainian Socrates,” “the Lomonosov of the steppes,” and “the Kharkov Diogenes.” And as for the love of the people, then, according to the testimony of the historian N. Kostomarov, there are few people like Skovoroda who were so remembered and respected by the Ukrainian people.
A contemporary of the philosopher F. Lubyanovsky wrote: “In Kharkov I saw the famous wanderer Skovoroda... An old man of above average height, in a gray retinue, in a Ukrainian smushka hat with a staff in his hand; by language he is a real Ukrainian... His passion is to live in a rural environment. He goes from settlement to settlement, from village to village, from farm to farm. The peasants greet and see him off with love and respect. He gives them everything: not gold, not silver, but good advice, generosity of heart. He seemed tired and thoughtful to me.” Grigory Savvich made his last trip to the Oryol region to his student and friend M. Kovalinsky. As if anticipating his death, he gave him all his manuscripts.
In the early autumn of 1794, Skovoroda returned to where he wanted to die - to the Kharkov region, to the village of Ivanovka, the estate of the landowner A. Kovalevsky. Tradition says that he knew exactly the day of his death. One day he was found digging a hole in the park. And to the question: “What are you doing, Grigory Savvich?” he answered meekly: “I am preparing the last refuge. My time has come." Skovoroda walked around and said goodbye to everyone, a few days before his death he asked that an inscription be made over his grave: “The world caught me, but did not catch me.” He died on November 9, 1794. And echoes of the legendary life of the wandering poet and sage are scattered to this day in Ukrainian speech, either in the form of a joke, a saying, or in the form of an aphorism attributed to Skovoroda:
He who is ashamed to admit his shortcomings will, over time, shamelessly justify his ignorance. - The more dangerous enemy is the one who pretends to be your friend.
It is better to be loved and respected by one intelligent person than by thousands of fools.
It’s not the one who doesn’t know who is stupid, but the one who doesn’t want to know.
Truth has simple speech.
And although, according to the writer Valery Shevchuk, “Skovoroda is more known than read,” his truth is truly simple in speech.
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“The world caught me, but could not catch me” - these words are carved on the gravestone of one of the first Russian philosophers - Grigory Savvich Skovoroda. Three centuries have passed. This bright personality has become a legend.
The philosopher's sayings turn into scathing quotes. Both Christian socialists and anti-church liberals count him as their teacher. Grigory Skovoroda is equally used as a symbol by supporters of Ukrainian independence and apologists for pan-Slavic unity. He is called the first Russian Neoplatonist and the Russian apostle. The epitaph turned out to be the most accurate. Because it is still so difficult for us to catch this extraordinary person.
Grigory Skovoroda was born on December 3, 1722 in the village of Chernukhi, Kyiv province. His father was a free but poor man, a simple Cossack. Since childhood, Grisha has become accustomed to valuing freedom, no matter what the cost. His entire philosophy was permeated with the desire for true freedom. As a matter of fact, it is difficult for us to separate Skovoroda’s teachings from his life. He is aptly compared to Socrates, whose life cannot be separated from teaching, and teaching from life.
Grisha received his initial education in the parish church, his teacher was a local deacon. Nature was another teacher. He spent all his free time reading church books. Or he walked, tirelessly studying the beautiful divine creation - the world around him.
At the age of 16 (1734) he entered the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, where he studied Greek, Latin, Hebrew and German, as well as various sciences. He reads both secular and ecclesiastical classics. After graduating from the academy, Grigory Skovoroda finds himself in St. Petersburg, at the court of Elizaveta Petrovna. But, in truth, for this he should be grateful not to his scholarship, but to his singing talent.
A few more years passed and Gregory found himself as part of the Russian mission in Tokai. For 5 years he has been traveling around Hungary, Austria, Poland, and Prussia. Everywhere he continues his education. Thus, in Vienna he repeatedly attended lectures by the philosopher Wulff, where he became acquainted with modern German philosophy and theology. In 1759, upon returning to his homeland, he began his pedagogical activity, which was never destined to take place. Twice Skovoroda was forced to leave the teaching staff of the Kharkov Collegium due to the disapproval of his superiors.
His criticism of scholastic poetry, the level and methodology of the humanities and the life of the church makes him an outcast among professors.
“The whole world is sleeping,” Skovoroda said from the pulpit, “sleeping deeply, as if bruised, and the mentors who shepherd Israel not only do not awaken them, but also stroke them, saying: sleep, don’t be afraid, the place is good, what is there to be afraid of?”
The road to Skovoroda’s life was his amazing teaching. He became the people's teacher, the most accessible and pure, in the deepest sense of the word. Skovoroda preaches at fairs, in villages, plays the flute, sings in fields and lakes. He becomes the dear guest of all who love freedom and truth. He often visits Ukrainian and Russian monasteries.
It must be said that Skovoroda criticized nothing as much as the church: for formalism in rituals, excessive wealth, trade, politicization and corruption. But this criticism was justified. This is confirmed by the fact that Skovoroda had many friends and patrons among church hierarchs, including archimandrites and bishops.
The clergy aroused respect for his churchliness, combined with literacy. So, the rector of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra offered him the position of chief librarian, just to keep such a person.
And the monks of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, where Skovoroda so often loved to visit, repeatedly persuaded him to take monastic vows and stay with them. But Skovoroda could not be restrained and he continued his wanderings. Without accepting monasticism, Skovoroda showed all his best qualities: complete poverty and homelessness, coupled with moral purity, fasting (he did not eat meat at all), perfect love for people, thirst for church purity, zeal for God, life in Christ - this is the image this philosopher.
Love for God is the basis of Skovoroda’s existence and his entire philosophical worldview. By studying and comprehending the Bible, living according to it, we thus come to God.
This connection can be achieved not only after death, but also during life; this is the only way to find happiness. “This happiness, or “peace of mind,” is the Kingdom of God.” There is no need to go somewhere for happiness - happiness is close to everyone, it is in every person. It lies in the fact that a person knows himself, his immeasurable essence, his image of God.
Skovoroda taught not only philosophy, but also prayer. He taught that it is necessary to pray secretly, being alone with the Lord. At full time, he prayed blissfully for a long time, experiencing within himself the birth of a new, Christ-like man.
Through the experience of spiritual life, he achieved a great keenness of feeling for the life of the world and human life. Skovoroda guesses people, he senses impending disasters, predicts an epidemic in Kyiv. He was well known and loved, both in Russia and Ukraine. Everyone considered it an honor to receive him and keep him longer. But he travels from place to place.
Tall, thin and stately, with one bag over his shoulder, with a Bible and a pipe, he wanders through villages and estates. He writes his treatises, stopping in forest tracts, in apiaries, always in solitude and prayer. His conversations, sayings and “winged” words were recorded, rewritten, and distributed. His poems, legends, fables went to the people and were sung by kobzars. He was a teacher of the entire people in the full meaning of the word - so a group was formed from among his admirers, led by V.N. Karazin, the future founder of Kharkov University.
Skovoroda died as purely and “humanely” as he lived. In August 1794, as a seventy-two-year-old man, he travels through the Oryol province, from where he returns to Ukraine, to his native Slobozhanshchina, and stays in the village of Pan-Ivanovka with his friend Kovalensky. Feeling the approach of his death, he talks about it; He confesses to the local priest.
The very day of his death is described by I. I. Sreznevsky. “At dinner, Skovoroda was unusually cheerful and talkative, talking about the past, about his travels, about difficult moments in life. After dinner everyone stood up, fascinated by his eloquence. Skovoroda quietly left the house. I walked for a long time on uneven roads. The day has passed; in the evening Kovalensky went to look for Skovoroda and found him under a large linden tree. The sun was setting, the last ray was breaking through the leaves. Frying pan, with a spade in his hand, was digging a grave.
Came back home. Skovoroda retired to his room, changed his linen, prayed to God and, putting the Bible and notebooks of his creations under his head, lay down with his hands crossed.” Thus ended the earthly life of G.S. Frying pans.
He was buried on a high bank, near a grove, in his favorite place, where he played his flute at sunrise.
Ukrainian philosopher, son of a simple Cossack; studied at the Kyiv Theological Academy, and then was sent to St. Petersburg to the court singing chapel; in 1744 he was dismissed from the post of choirmaster, with the title of court guide, and remained in Kyiv to continue his studies at the academy, but, not having a disposition for the clergy, he pretended to be crazy, as a result of which he was expelled from the bursa. Wanting to expand his knowledge, Skovoroda decided to visit abroad, where he went as a clergyman under General Vishnevsky. Traveling on foot through Hungary, Austria and, probably, Poland, Germany and Italy, Skovoroda met scientists and acquired new knowledge: for example, he studied the languages Latin, Greek, German and Hebrew. Returning to Russia, Skovoroda took the place of a poetry teacher in Pereyaslavl and wrote a “Guide to Poetry” for the school; when the Pereyaslavl bishop demanded that Skovoroda teach the subject in the old way, Skovoroda did not agree, as a result of which he was fired. In 1759, Skovoroda was invited to take the place of poetry teacher at the Kharkov Collegium, but Skovoroda, who was appointed to teach the rules of good behavior, was sentenced to dismissal from office (in 1766) as a result of some thoughts expressed by him in the introductory lecture and interpreted in a false sense. After this, Skovoroda spent most of his life constantly wandering on foot throughout Sloboda Ukraine, stopping along the way in peasant huts and refusing positions and occupations offered to him and devoting his time to teaching people morality, both in word and in his way of life. The compilation of Skovoroda’s philosophical works also dates back to this period, which, however, were not published during his lifetime. As for the significance of Skovoroda’s philosophical teachings, some consider Skovoroda a mystic and a freemason, a follower of the Martinists, while others call Skovoroda a rationalist. The reason for this disagreement is that Skovoroda’s works were not collected until recently; Only a few of his treatises were published. Only with the appearance of the collected works of Skovoroda, published by the professor
(Kharkov, 1894), the opportunity arose to begin their study. Skovoroda is a moral philosopher: he acted both with his living words and his writings; Understanding the significance of Western European civilization, he armed himself against the utilitarian direction of minds, which drowned out all the highest demands of the spirit; he found the answer to these higher demands in the Bible and in ancient classical philosophy, which protected Skovoroda both from mysticism, to which he was naturally inclined, and from the rationalism of the 18th century. Skovoroda’s view of the Bible is something between a purely orthodox and rationalistic interpretation of it. Skovoroda looked at the Bible as a poetic creation that hides the truth under external images. Drawing philosophical ideas from ancient classical philosophy, Skovoroda reworked them according to his own mood and tendencies. In the religious sphere, Skovoroda fought against soulless ritualism and appearance; he protested against the narrow understanding of Orthodoxy and Christianity. Skovoroda did not recognize the need for miracles, since natural sources in which he reveals himself abundantly and obviously are sufficient for the knowledge of God. Skovoroda looks at philosophy as the foundation and center of education in general: it is the life of the spirit, a constant search for truth. In his speculative philosophy, Skovoroda was strongly influenced by Plato, from whom he borrowed the definition of the soul, its nature and life. Skovoroda explains Socrates’ saying “know yourself” in the sense of knowing your higher nature, spirit, and mind. Dualism, according to the teachings of Skovoroda, extends not only to man, but to the whole world: matter and form or idea appear everywhere. In the doctrine of the eternity of the world and its infinity in space and time, Skovoroda departed from Plato and was influenced by Philo. Skovoroda’s practical philosophy is in close connection with the speculative: for a truly happy life you need knowledge and wisdom; happiness consists in spiritual peace and heartfelt joy; to achieve it you need to surrender to the will of God, which means living in accordance with nature. To achieve both a person’s personal happiness and the public good, Skovoroda advised: do not enter into an “unrelated position”, do not hold a position that is contrary to nature, do not study for what you were not born; Skovoroda calls all this “dissimilarity.” Indicating your affinity is one of the most important tasks of self-knowledge and revelation of the will of God residing in man; Without a successful solution to this problem, there can be no talk of happiness for a person. In his philosophical writings, Skovoroda, by the way, acted as a preacher of the idea of nationality. Skovoroda tried to combine reason and faith: reason should strive to find truth, which is not given to man by God, but is gradually revealed to him - but along with reason, faith also occupies a prominent place. The whole world consists of three worlds: large, small and symbolic; big (space) is nature; small (microcosm) - man; symbolic - the Bible. In every world there are two principles: God or eternity and matter or temporary; in all nature, spirit dominates matter. As a theologian, Skovoroda was influenced by the Eastern fathers and teachers of the church, especially the writers of the Alexandrian school - Clement and Origen, who, in order to comprehend Holy Scripture, were not content with its literal interpretation, but through allegorical explanations sought to discover its inner meaning. Even more than his writings, Skovoroda was important for Ukraine with his whole life: he was a freedom-loving man, with great tenacity of moral convictions, courageous in exposing local abuses. Despite some of his mysticism and seminarian, clumsy and often unclear style, Skovoroda knew how in practice to be a completely understandable and completely popular person throughout the Ukraine of that time. Skovoroda seemed to personify the mental awakening of Ukrainian society at the end of the 18th century. Throughout Ukraine, portraits of Skovoroda hang in many houses; his wandering life is the subject of stories and anecdotes; wandering singers adopted his songs. Skovoroda’s numerous works are divided, according to their form, into philosophical, theological and literary works. Skovoroda’s first theological and philosophical works were the treatises “Narkis, a talk about: know yourself” and “Ashan, or a Symphony about knowing yourself”; they are devoted to the question of self-knowledge, which is the starting point of Skovoroda’s entire worldview. Adjacent to these two treatises are “Rant about the Ancient World” and “Conversation between Two” (1772); the last work talks about two worlds - the old and the new, about two principles - the perishable and the eternal. In the most simple, understandable and at the same time systematic way, Skovoroda outlined his views on religion and Christianity in the essay “The Initial Door to Christian Good Morality” (1766); This is a summary of a course given to young nobles at the Kharkov Collegium. Special studies devoted to the Bible are the works of Skovoroda: “The Israelite Serpent” (1776), “Lot’s Wife” (1780) and “The Flood of the Serpent” (written in the late 80s. ). “Friendly Conversation about the Mental World” and “The Alphabet of the World” (1775) are Skovoroda’s best works devoted to the question of practical philosophy: what constitutes human happiness. Skovoroda’s works “The Fight of the Archangel Michael with Satan” (1783) and “Straight to the Demon with Barsaba” are mystical and allegorical: their main theme is “it’s easy to be good.” Skovoroda’s literary works include “Kharkov Fables” (1774); Each fable consists of a plot and force, that is, an indication of its internal meaning. The fables are accompanied by the parables “Grateful Erody” (interpreted about education) and “Wretched Lark” (about tranquility; written in 1787). Finally, Skovoroda wrote a number of poems, most of which he called “The Garden of Divine Songs, Vegetated from the Seeds of Holy Scripture”: all of them were written based on biblical texts; some are laudatory odes to various individuals. Fables, epigrams, and sayings were not included in The Garden. Some poems are written in Latin. In addition, Skovoroda authored several translations. Skovoroda’s first work to appear in print was the treatise “Narkis, or Know Thyself,” published without the author’s name, under the title “Spiritual Library” (St. Petersburg, 1798); then his “Primary School on Christian Goodwill” (Zionsky Messenger, 1806, with a brief introduction about his life), “Friendly Conversation about the Mental World” (Moscow, 1837), “Conversation of Two” (Moscow, 1837), “The Poor Lark” (1837), “Kharkov Fables” (1837), “The Battle of Archangel Michael with Satan” (1839), “Works in Poems and Prose” (St. Petersburg, 1861: 5 treatises by Skovoroda; poems, correspondence, etc. .). Finally, on the occasion of the centenary of Skovoroda’s death, the Works of G.S.S. were published under the editorship of the professor. (Kharkov, 1894), which collected, if possible, all of Skovoroda’s works; Due to censorship conditions, “Lot’s Wife” and “The Flood of the Serpent” were not included in this edition, and only an excerpt from the treatise “The Israeli Serpent” was printed. The literature about Skovoroda is quite extensive. Information about Skovoroda first appeared in print in articles by Gues de Calvet and Vernet (in the magazine "Ukrainian Herald", 1817, part VI), followed by articles by I. Snegirev (in "Notes of the Fatherland", 1823, part 16) , I.I. Sreznevsky "Excerpts from notes about the elder Skovoroda" ("Morning Star", Kharkov, 1833), "Gregory Varsava Skovoroda" ("Telescope", 1835, No. 5 - 6); "History of Philosophy in Russia" (Part 6, 1840); G.P. Danilevsky ("Osnova", 1862, No. 8, 9); rebake in "Ukrainian Antiquity", X, 1866, and in "Works" by Danilevsky, vol. 8; the most detailed biography of Skovoroda). In 1886, the “Life” of Skovoroda, compiled by his closest student, with a foreword by Professor N.F., was published in “Kyiv Starina” (IX book). Sumtsova. is equipped with an extensive critical and bibliographic article by the professor, where all the literature about Skovoroda is examined in detail and a bibliographic analysis of his works is made. Wed. also art. AND I. Efimenko "Philosopher from the People" ("Week", 1894, No. 1); her “Personality of Skovoroda as a Thinker” (, 1894, No. 5); "Philosophy of Skovoroda, Ukrainian philosopher of the 18th century" (, 1894, No. 3 - 4); A.S. Lebedev "Frying pan as a theologian" (1895, No. 2); "Ukrainian philosopher Skovoroda" (Kyiv Starina, 1895, No. 2, 3, 6); Art. L.N. Maikov in the "Journal of the Ministry of Public Education" (1894, No. 12).(December 3, 1722 - November 9, 1794) – Ukrainian. philosopher, educator and poet. Genus. in the family of a land-poor Cossack in the village. Chernukha. He studied at the Kiev-Mohyla Academy (1738–41, 1744–50). In 1750–53 he was part of the embassy mission abroad (Hungary). Upon his return, he taught poetry at the Pereyaslav Seminary and was a home teacher. In 1759–64 and 1768 he taught at the Kharkov Collegium, from where he was expelled for the course he taught on “Christian good morals.” He spent the last 25 years of his life traveling around Ukraine as a “starchik” (a wandering philosopher-mentor). He was a convinced unmercenary. At first, S. acted as a poet and fabulist - the creation of the main. Philosopher treatises and dialogues date back to the 70s–80s. During S.'s life, his works were distributed in manuscripts. Until the end of the 19th century. interest in original S.'s personality prevailed over interest in his creations. S.'s worldview was formed on the basis of reading the Bible, but under the influence of ancient literature, ch. arr. stoic, philosophy and people. Ukrainian freedom of thought, which determined the inconsistency of his philosophy. views. S. stood on the position of objective idealism, close to pantheism. God, according to S., exists as the “internal beginning” of things, a “self-propelled cause,” the law of all things. Based on the recognition of this pattern, S. denied the letters. understanding of biblical miracles as inconsistent with the “wisdom” that predetermines development. S. creates the concept of three worlds: macrocosmos (an infinite world consisting of many small worlds), microcosmos (human) and symbolic. peace (chapter of the Bible). These “three worlds,” according to S., consist of two “natures” - visible and invisible. Visible nature is a perishable shell, a shadow of the eternal tree of life, i.e. spirit - invisible nature, which represents the immeasurable life-giving basis of changeable material nature, which, therefore, is also eternal and infinite and constantly moves from one opposite to another: "...In one place the border is also the door that opens a field of new dimensions, and then the chick is conceived, when the egg spoils... Everything that fulfills has a beginning, and this world, being its shadow, has no boundaries" (Tvori, vol. 1, K., 1961, p. . 382). Your philosophy S. builds the system using a method similar to the Socratic one. S. contrasts each position - thesis - with an antithesis and considers this opposition as a means of analyzing philosophy. problems. Thus, S. formulates a number of provisions that reveal not only the polarity of phenomena, but also the unity of opposites: “the world perishes and does not perish,” “eternity in decay,” “light in darkness,” “lie in truth,” etc. d. Symbolism occupies a special place in S.'s philosophy. the world - the Bible, which acts as a connection between visible and invisible nature, as a kind of guide leading to the “blessed nature” (God). Under the influence of patristics, especially Clement of Alexandria and Origen, S. focuses on revealing its symbolism. sense. Recognizing the knowability of the world (both visible and invisible), S., in the traditions of rationalism and enlightenment, praises the power of reason aimed at understanding the secrets of nature, and states the successes of the sciences in studying the surrounding world. However, he attaches greater importance to knowledge of the world of symbols (the Bible) as a means of knowledge of the invisible world and self-knowledge as a path to knowledge of both “natures” united in humanity. "microcosm". The desire to create your own. the concept of being recedes into the background for S. before his interest in anthropology, in a cut, as in philosophy. In the lyrics of S, an important role is played by the symbol of “Petra” (stone) - the spiritual focus and support of a restless and passionate spiritual life. In exactly the same way, epistemology merges with ethics. Truth, according to S., is complete only when it promotes virtue and moral improvement; knowledge should contribute to human well-being. Human happiness, which is the focus of S.’s attention, is considered by him in connection with “related work,” i.e. labor corresponding to the natural inclinations of man. The second principle underlying ethical S.'s teachings - “equal inequality”. S. argues that there is a correspondence between true needs and ways of satisfying them, while people’s desire for the “unnatural” is associated with a violation of this correspondence and becomes a source of misfortune. Following Epicurus, S. believes that the “blessed nature” has made what is necessary for man easy, and what is difficult to achieve unnecessary. Thus, knowledge of man, the study of his nature is the path to happiness. It is precisely in accordance with human nature that S. sees the criterion of the rationality of societies. orders and moral standards. And since the desire for reasonable societies. relationships are connected in S. with the identification of natural inclinations, S.’s call to “Know yourself” receives a new, social and pedagogical. sound.
Works: Works, X., 1894; Collection op., vol. 1, St. Petersburg, 1912.
Lit.: Danilevsky G.P., Ukrainian antiquity, X., 1866, p. 1–96; , G. S. Skovoroda, M., 1912; , Ukrainian mandrovani philosopher G. S., 1926; Tichina P., Popov P., Trakhtenberg O., G. S. Skovoroda, Zbirnik dopovidey z nagodi 220-richchya narozhdeniya. 1722–1942, [Ufa], 1943; Bilic T. A., Svitoglyad G. S. Skovorodi, K., 1957; Popov P. M., G. Skovoroda, K., 1960; Shkurinov P. S., Worldview of G. S. Skovoroda, M., 1962; Pedko M.P., Svitoglyad G.S. Skovorodi, Lviv, 1967; Berkovich E. S., Stavinska R. A., Streimish R. I., G. Skovoroda, Biobibliography, X., 1968.
I. Ivano.
Philosophical Encyclopedia. In 5 volumes - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. Edited by F.V. Konstantinov. 1960-1970.
Ukr. philosopher, poet, teacher. He studied at the Kiev-Mohyla Academy. From 1759 approx. For 10 years he taught humanities at the Kharkov Collegium. Since the 70s led the life of a wandering beggar philosopher; Op. during his lifetime they were distributed in manuscripts. S. was closely connected with the traditions of democracy. Ukrainian culture from which he drew samples of the people. anti-clerical satire. Like a cross. As an enlightener, he tends to be critical. attitude not only to feudal, but also to early Burzh. ideology with its cult of material contentment and prosperity.
Philosophy S.'s teaching, set out in his dialogues and treatises, is based on the idea of three “worlds”: the macrocosm, or the Universe, the microcosm, or man, and the third, “symbolic”. a reality that connects the big and small worlds, ideally reflecting them; its most perfect example is, according to S., the Bible. Each of these worlds consists of “two natures”: visible (“creature”, the created world) and invisible (“god”). According to the teachings of S., the main thing is in discovering invisible nature through visible nature. human problem existence, which is resolved in the feat of self-knowledge, in the discovery of the “inner,” “heartfelt,” “single” person. God is understood not only as a person interested in a person, but also as an unconditional condition of reality, impersonal and speculative. “form” that gives law to “matter,” which makes it possible to talk about S.’s tendency toward pantheism. With a constant interest in biblical issues, S. is also characterized by intense attention to antiquity. Philosopher heritage (primarily the tradition of Platonism). Ethical pathos, taken from the Old and New Testament books, is combined with the promotion of Stoic principles. morality. This duality of sympathies is also reflected in the style of philosophy. Op. S., where the prophet. intonations coexist bizarrely with Socratic techniques. dialogue. In interpreting the Bible, S. contrasts the literalist interpretation of Old Testament plots with symbolic ones. method of the Alexandrian school (Origen, Clement of Alexandria). Apparently, through Origen, S. also accepted the ancient. the idea of beginninglessness and infinity of the “created world”.
Social and pedagogical. S.'s views are based on the doctrine of “affinity”, “kin labor”. The “affinity” of each person to a certain the type of activity, physical or spiritual, is revealed through self-knowledge; a person who recognizes his “affinity” becomes truly happy. According to S., only through the spiritual dispensation of the department. personality can come to the ideal of a perfect human. society. Because not every person is capable of creativity. effort of self-knowledge, the problem of social pedagogy arises. S.’s ideal teacher resembles Socrates’ “birth attendant”: the mentor’s task is not suggestion, not intellectual dictatorship, but unobtrusive, delicate assistance to the student who is busy searching for a true calling, “affinity.” The democratic style, dialogical, “multivocal” form of expression of ideas even during S.’s lifetime contributed to the wide popularity of the op. and the personality of the wandering philosopher.
Soch., Har., 1894; Outside zibrannya tvoriv, vol. 1-2, K., 1973; Soch., vol. 1-2, M., 1973.
, G.S.S., M., 1912; , Ukrainian mandrovani philosopher G.S., [Har.], 1926; Popov P. M., Grigory S., K., I960; Redko M.P., Svitoglyad G.S.S., Lviv, 1967; Tabachnikov I. A., Grigory S., M., 1972; Makhnovets L., Grigory S., K., 1972; Loschits Yu. M., S., M., 1972.
Philosophical encyclopedic dictionary. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. Ch. editor: S. M. Kovalev, V. G. Panov. 1983.
This article is a work in progress and is in the process of being finalized.
pseudo-folk “philosopher”, forerunner of modernist sectarianism in the Russian Orthodox Church.
Skovoroda’s simple philosophical addition (to his moralism - Ed.) boils down to the following. Man is a “little world”; in self-knowledge he reveals the true man within himself; in the knowledge of the whole “world” of nature, in the same way, illuminated by the spirit of truth, he reveals the light behind the darkness, the truth behind the decay, which, like that true man , divine, being created and arranged by God himself. The very vision of this new, second world is divine and inspired by God. “Now you see two in total: two waters, two lands. And now your entire creation is divided into two parts. But who divided it for you? God. He divided everything into two for you, so that you would not confuse darkness with light, darkness with truth. But for now you have not seen except one lie, be it walls covering the truth, for this reason he has now created for you a new heaven, a new earth. He alone creates the wondrous truth. And so now you see two things - old and new, obvious and secret” (dialogue “Narkissus”): 128.
G. Shpet finds cosmic dualism in Skovorod: “The whole world consists of two natures: one visible, the other invisible. Creation is called visible, and God is invisible. This invisible nature or God permeates and contains all creation, everywhere and always was, is and will be” (“Narkissus”). This “dualism” serves as a cover for universal symbolism (allegorism, as Shpet calls it), because it follows from it that everything depicts everything.
If this “dualism” has the appearance of a metaphysical principle, then Skovoroda’s actual philosophy ends with it. For how could this principle be developed further? Either in a metaphysical direction, as the disclosure of the so-called cosmological problem, or in a strictly theological direction, which, in turn, would be either the acceptance of church dogmatic theology, or theologizing at one’s own risk - dissidence, sectarianism. Skovoroda chose the latter. As is usually the case in Christian sects, the only source and authority in this case is the Bible, the rest is the work of a moralistic imagination, felt as “spiritual light” or divine inspiration. The psychological foundations that lead suitably minded interpreters to an allegorical interpretation of St. Scriptures. Skovoroda’s thought entirely goes towards allegorism. His increasingly significant works in the 70s and 80s were devoted to the justification of the allegorical interpretation of the Bible and its application to the interpretation of some of its texts. These are: the Israelite serpent or picture called: day; The book about reading the Holy Scriptures is named Lot's Wife; Dialogue. His name: Zmiin Flood: 129.
Man is a “little little creature”.
school theologySkovoroda was compared with whomever - the Ukrainian Socrates, the Russian Socrates, the steppe Lomonosov, “under his forelock and in the Ukrainian scroll”, “his” Pythagoras, Origen, Leibniz... Danilevsky finds similarities between Skovoroda and Novikov. In any case, our Socrates found himself without Plato, which, of course, greatly detracts from his Socratic significance: 122.
A special reverence for G. P. Skovoroda was developed among the symbolists and representatives of the first generation of modernists, special in the sense that it was not directly related to Skovoroda’s own views.
G. Shpet writes: “About the talented depiction of Skovoroda in the book of the late Vl. Erna (Gr. S. Skovoroda. Life and Teaching. M., 1912) it’s difficult to say... Written with enthusiasm and inspiration, this book is an excellent expression of the worldview of the author himself, but in relation to Skovoroda it is a song of praise, in which the latter is portrayed to the reader as such , what the author would like to see as the first Russian philosopher, but not what the real Skovoroda was”:123.
The works of G. P. Skovoroda were published by the magazine of the sect of priest Georgy Kochetkov “Orthodox community”. A member of the sect, S. Averintsev, called Skovoroda “an unusual poet, a sage and a seer with traits of high foolishness.”
Among supporters of Ukrainian autocephaly, Skovoroda’s views are considered “special wisdom.”
The following were named in honor of Skovoroda:
In the village of Skovorodinovka, Kharkov region, there is the Literary and Memorial Museum of G. S. Skovoroda. A portrait of Grigory Skovoroda and two drawings he made are placed on the 500-hryvnia banknote.
Grigory Skovoroda
G. Skovoroda was born on November 22, 1722 in the village of Chernukhi in the Poltava region into a poor Cossack family.
He received his primary education at a local rural school and from traveling sextons. Probably in 1734 (other dates also occur) Gregory entered the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, which provided secondary and higher education. The Academy was under the patronage of the Metropolitan of Kyiv. As a rule, it was headed by professors of theology, who at the same time performed the duties of abbots of the Kyiv Fraternal or St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monasteries.
The course of study was designed for 12 years. The first class (headlight or analogy) was preparatory. In the next three, grammatical (infemia, grammar and syntax), languages were studied: Latin, in which the main courses were taught, Church Slavonic, Greek, book Ukrainian, Polish. The next two classes (secondary) were devoted to literary and rhetorical education. At the same time, the Orthodox catechism, arithmetic, geometry, history, and geography were studied.
Education at the Academy was free, young people of all classes were accepted there. But there were no scholarships, and students from poor families, who usually lived in an academic bursa (dormitory), had to earn a living themselves. Many sang in church choirs, were hired as home teachers, and those who were able to do so earned extra money by writing ornate poems of praise, which were very popular in Kyiv in the 18th century, for various anniversaries, memorable dates and other celebrations. Obviously, young Gregory also supported himself with these earnings, because the Academy provided a good musical and poetic education for those times.
Although G. Skovoroda’s youthful poetic works are not known to us, we should assume that he rhymed already in those years. His mature poems, songs and fables, written in the bookish Ukrainian language and Latin accepted among educated people, are distinguished by innovative freshness and belong to the literary peaks of his time. G. Skovoroda mastered the basics of poetic skill by the age of twenty.
He perfectly mastered the techniques of baroque poetics, widely used in Kyiv by such predecessors as D. Tuptalo, S. Yavorsky and F. Prokopovich. Like Klimentiy Zinoviev, a fellow graduate of the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, a wandering monk, poet and collector of folk proverbs, he widely introduced folklore images and expressions into literature, using his own observations from the life of different strata of Ukrainian society.
In his youth, G. Skovoroda was one of the best singers of the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, which soon affected his fate. Musical art in Kyiv in the 17th–18th centuries reached a high level, which was noted, in particular, by traveling foreigners (Syrian Christian Pavel of Aleppo, German pastor Gerbinius, etc.). From the second half of the 17th century, school musical works of a spiritual and sometimes secular nature came to us: psalms and cants. Among others, G. Skovoroda became a master of their composition. From the first years of the 18th century, musical notation was taught at the Academy, and printed music was used. At the same time, a printed textbook on music theory appeared at the Academy, the author of which was the composer and music theorist Nikolai Diletsky, who was born in Kyiv around 1630.
In secular music, the repertoire of historical dumas was especially developed, the authors and performers of which, traveling kobza players and lyre players, were an integral part of Kyiv spiritual and musical life. The art of singing played an important role in the life of G. Skovoroda. As one of the best singers, he was selected by Italian choirmasters for the royal chapel, and in 1741 (possibly 1742) he went to St. Petersburg. The northern capital, having forgotten the dark years of Anna Ioannovna's reign, entered a new life. As a result of the coup, the narrow-minded, but cheerful and people-friendly daughter of Peter I, Elizabeth, ascended the throne, whose closest person was the same as G. Skovoroda, a Cossack son from Ukraine - A. Razumovsky, who began his dizzying career in that the St. Petersburg Chapel.
Yesterday's student received a substantial salary and could observe the life of the imperial court from the inside every day. Fortunately, his duties were not burdensome and did not take much time. Gifted and educated, who by the will of fate found himself at the court of G. Skovoroda, had brilliant prospects. But he was not interested in court fun, luxury and intrigue. In St. Petersburg, much more clearly than in Kyiv, a stunning discrepancy between the external situation and the internal nature of people was revealed to him. At court, he constantly met with venerable dignitaries and young dandies who had the highest titles and enormous fortunes, with the highest, but often ignorant, church hierarchs. In essence, these individuals, including the queen herself, were in no way superior to the most ordinary people, although they considered themselves the highest society.
During these years, G. Skovoroda probably developed the conviction that every person has two natures - external, ostentatious, dependent on his social status and wealth, and internal, genuine. Yesterday's Kiev "spudi" (as the students were called then) began to feel burdened by their position. He was drawn back to books and debates, to philosophical and theological works that had not yet been mastered, which here in St. Petersburg were of no interest to anyone. And with the first opportunity provided, in 1744, G. Skovoroda returned to the Academy to complete its full course.
Education in the highest classes of the Academy lasted six years and involved mastering philosophy in two years and theology in four years. Philosophy was divided into “natural”, with in-depth study of mathematics, and metaphysics. The first contained the foundations of natural knowledge - “physics”, which included astronomy, meteorology, biology, the basics of anatomy, physiology and psychology, etc. Metaphysics considered the root causes of the phenomena of existence behind them, but not given in direct experience (still according to Aristotle) . A special place was occupied by such disciplines as logic and ethics.
Philosophy courses taught at the Kyiv Academy in the first half of the 18th century differed little from those accepted at leading European universities. The neo-scholastic spirit of late Aristotelianism in its predominantly theological-Neoplatonic interpretation also reigned here. At the same time, a characteristic feature of the philosophical courses of Kyiv scientists was a free discussion of issues of religious philosophy, reflecting the more liberal attitude of the then Ukrainian Orthodoxy to theological searches, in comparison with dogmatic-formalistic counter-Reformation Catholicism.
Among the professors who played a special role in the development of G. Skovoroda, one should, first of all, mention M. Kozachinsky and G. Konissky, graduates of the same Academy. The first was more than 20 years older than G. Skovoroda and had solid life experience. In particular, he spent six years in Serbia, studying there, with some other Ukrainian teachers, at the request of Metropolitan Vincent of Karlowitz and Belgrade, organizing Orthodox schools and becoming the founder of the Serbian literary language. Adhering to the general principles of Christian Aristotelianism, he, at the same time, was inclined to bring God closer to the spiritual foundations of nature in the spirit of Renaissance Neoplatonism and opposed the absolutization of the opposition of matter and form.
At the same time, M. Kozachinsky was sufficiently familiar with contemporary European philosophy and science (Galileo, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz), although he did not consider it anything fundamentally superior to the Orthodox tradition of somewhat Platonized Aristotelianism. His commitment to ancient wisdom was reflected in his literary work. In particular, he wrote the drama “The Prosperity of Marcus Aurelius,” dedicated to the famous Roman emperor, who was called “the philosopher on the throne.”
Unlike M. Kozachinsky, G. Konissky, who became a monk in 1744 and became rector of the Academy in 1752, was only five years older than G. Skovoroda. They had much in common, especially a love of poetry, moral philosophy, and the symbolic interpretation of biblical wisdom. Already famous for his eloquent sermons, he taught courses in poetry (writing “The Rules of Poetic Art”), philosophy and theology at the Academy. Following his teacher, Kyiv professor S. Kalinovsky, he attached great importance to ethics, teaching it along with logic, physics and metaphysics as the fourth part of philosophy.
G. Konissky was also quite familiar with the ideas of new European thinkers, in particular Descartes and Spinoza, and was interested in contemporary natural science, however, like other Kyiv professors of the 18th century, he treated new trends with caution, giving preference to the Aristotelian-neo-scholastic tradition. In 1747, probably with the participation of G. Skovoroda, on the stage of the Kyiv Academy he staged the religious and edifying drama “The Resurrection of the Dead” that he had written.
Around 1750, G. Skovoroda completed the full course of the Academy. His scholarship was well known in the city, and the then Metropolitan of Kiev T. Shcherbatsky, a philosopher and former rector of the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, persuaded the young philosopher to take monastic vows. Monasticism, with the support of a hierarch of such rank, would have opened the way for G. Skovoroda to higher academic and church positions. However, it was not his career that attracted him. Moreover, being well acquainted with the way of life of monks, the young thinker did not believe that tonsure would contribute to his spiritual growth.
At the same time, being in Kyiv, and even more so in St. Petersburg, G. Skovoroda could not help but feel the insufficiency of the education he received. A new culture was being created in Europe, overcoming the remnants of the Middle Ages, and he, naturally, sought to join in its fruits. Fate gave him such an opportunity. Friends introduced G. Skovoroda to the Russian service general F. Vishnevsky, who was passing through Kyiv, who was going to Hungary (which was part of the vast Austrian Habbsburg power at that time) with the task of purchasing and sending Tokay wines to the royal court, which were especially popular with Elizabeth and her entourage. .
As part of the Russian mission, occupying an easy and tolerably paid position, which most of all involved communication with F. Vishnevsky and expanding the general’s cultural horizons, G. Skovoroda went to Hungary for several years. Having enough free time and speaking Polish and German (not to mention Latin, which was almost a second native language for him), yesterday’s Kiev student became well acquainted with the life of Central Europe. In addition to Hungary, he visited Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland, and apparently also Germany and Northern Italy.
At first, in European countries, G. Skovoroda was impressed by the comfort, cleanliness and decorum of life. However, everywhere there was the same veneration and hypocrisy as in the Russian Empire. The general level of university science was generally no higher than in Kyiv, but most people had almost less interest in knowledge than at home. Catholics and Protestants had long ceased their previously bitter struggle and were content with their catechisms.
The age of Voltaire (especially the critical philosophy of I. Kant) in the intellectual life of Europe had not yet arrived, and the great rationalist philosophy of the 17th century was already so worn out by countless commentators that few people were sincerely worried.
But the main thing was that, as it turned out, new European rationalism, in comparison with ancient and biblical-ancient Christian wisdom, said practically nothing new regarding the most important ideological issues: about God, the soul and a moral, worthy life. Certainly. G. Skovoroda understood the significance of Western European thought, deeply appreciated its beginning liberation from medieval dogmas, and admired the latest scientific and technical achievements. But he had already found inner freedom from dogmatic authorities at home, and technical innovations, which were also used mainly for military needs and court entertainment, did not replace the need for spiritual search.
Three years later, the disappointed G. Skovoroda returns to Kyiv. In the West he did not find the spirituality he sought. However, the experience of living abroad, as before at the royal court, was extremely valuable for the young philosopher. He became well acquainted with the main spiritual and philosophical movements of Europe in the mid-18th century, among which German Protestant Pietism was closest to him. It can be assumed that he seriously influenced G. Skovoroda, although similar mentalities were characteristic of the Ukrainian philosopher earlier. In Pietism, he most likely simply recognized something native and close to his spiritual experience.
Returning home, G. Skovoroda again faced the problem of choosing a future path in life. For all his modesty and undemandingness in everyday life, he did not intend to take monasticism, not considering it necessary for spiritual growth and not wanting to bind himself with the bonds of novitiate and submit to the church hierarchy. At the same time, he took great responsibility for a person’s choice of occupation in life, subsequently formulating the concept of “related work.”
According to the philosopher, who in this respect is close to the Protestant teaching, work is the life calling and duty of every person. However, each person has his own calling and destiny, which he must realize and then live in accordance with it. Happiness is possible only if we mind our own business, follow our abilities and purpose. And an unhappy life belongs to someone who was destined for one thing, but did not find himself or betrayed his calling, and spends his whole life doing something other than his own.
At the same time, material wealth (although everyone needs it within a reasonable minimum), like high titles and titles, cannot bring happiness. G. Skovoroda repeatedly thanked God, who made what is necessary not difficult, and what is difficult not necessary...
G. Skovoroda considered philosophical and poetic creativity in combination with pedagogy to be “kindred” to his work. From 1753 he taught for 15 years. First, according to a new program developed by him (this course was recorded under the title “Thinking about poetry and a guide to its mastery”), G. Skovoroda reads poetry at the Pereyaslav Collegium. However, not getting along with the local authorities, who demanded that he follow the approved program, he leaves this ancient city and teaches privately for several years, living for a long time in the house of the rich and influential landowner S. Tamara in the Pereyaslav region. At the invitation of friends and fellow students who already held high positions in the Russian Orthodox Church, he makes a long trip to Moscow and the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, but refuses the professorial and other positions offered to him there and returns to Ukraine.
Most of the poetry collection “The Garden of Divine Songs” dates back to these years of G. Skovoroda’s life. In many of them we see the deep spiritual drama of a person who, in the prime of his life, cannot achieve reconciliation with the world of injustice and falsehood, while realizing at the same time the relativity of everything external, foreign to the human soul. The poet reverently treats everything natural, internally involved in the divine sources of existence, which he senses in every person and all of nature, but most of all in his own heart.
The formal side of G. Skovoroda’s poetics is also noteworthy, demonstrating a wealth of poetic forms, rhythms and techniques with a skillful combination of complex meters with a fully mastered rhyming system, which by that time was still little developed in Ukrainian and Russian versification.
In 1759–1769, he taught intermittently at the Kharkov Collegium, which was opened shortly before. During this time, he created “Aesop’s Fables” (1760), “The Initial Door to Christian Good Morality” (1766) and already, in 1767, the first major philosophical works: “Narkis. Rant about: get to know yourself" and "Symphony, called the Book of Ashan about knowing yourself." In all these works, and especially in the last two, G. Skovoroda interprets what is perhaps the main idea for his philosophy - about self-knowledge and about the distinction between the genuine, spiritual, higher and false, profane, lower in man.
The students loved him, but tensions invariably arose with his superiors. G. Skovoroda had no intention of bowing to false authorities and illiterate instructions. Not wanting to adapt to the retrograde demands of the collegiums of the Left Bank and Slobozhanshchina, abandoning his professorial career at the Kiev-Mohyla and Moscow Theological Academies, the philosopher left the Kharkov collegium in 1769 and immediately wrote a collection of moralizing allegorical miniatures, which he called “Kharkov Fables.”
From that moment on, G. Skovoroda finally chose the life of a wandering philosopher, so to speak, monasticism in the world. From year to year in the summer he wandered through the expanses of Left Bank Ukraine, invariably visiting Kyiv and Kharkov. His clothes were the simplest, and in appearance he was no different from other travelers heading to holy places. But in his bag he invariably contained a luxuriously published Bible (which he deeply revered, all his life pondering the symbolic meaning of its words and images) and a flute with an ivory mouthpiece. Alone with nature, he indulged in playing music and writing poetry, which, like songs, he often performed accompanied by string instruments, in the last years of his life - a guitar, which had recently appeared in Ukraine.
On the way, G. Skovoroda had moralizing conversations with people of all classes and ranks, visited friends in estates and villages, monasteries and cities, and in the winter he stayed with some of the people close to him, most often with his favorite student and friend M. Kovalinsky. During these months, in his temporary shelters, he wrote various philosophical and poetic works, as well as numerous letters of a moralizing nature. All of Left Bank Ukraine from the Dnieper to the Don knew him. Everywhere he served as a living embodiment of the highest spiritual principles, righteousness, which crowns wisdom, beauty and kindness.
At the same time, the philosopher did not shy away from conflicts with evil, boldly entering into confrontation with high officials, up to and including the Kharkov governor Shcherbinin, known for his tyranny. He was simple and modest with the people, but when faced with the rudeness of nobles, he knew how to stand up for himself and show how little they really were worth. The role of a wanderer, an “old man,” that he chose in the theater of life allowed him to remain himself in any situation, while changing forms of behavior depending on the conditions in which he found himself.
The wandering philosopher invariably responded with refusal to repeated offers to publish his books. However, the works of Grigory Savvich, which he left in the house where they were completed, were already passed from hand to hand during his lifetime and carefully copied. They began to be collected and published already in the middle of the 19th century, when the personality and work of G. Skovoroda, a legendary man who earned the respectful nickname of “Ukrainian Socrates,” were appreciated by Ukrainian and then Russian intellectuals.
In 1769–1774, in addition to the already mentioned “Kharkov Fables,” he created philosophical works: “A Conversation, Called Two, about the fact that it is easy to be blessed,” “Dialogue, or Rant about the Ancient World,” “Conversation of Five Travelers about the True happiness in life”, “The Ring”, “A conversation called the Alphabet, or the Primer of the World”. In them, using an appeal to biblical and ancient symbols and authorities, through inferences and living examples, it is substantiated that a person should be himself and that his value is determined not by wealth, birth and regalia, but by the morality of life and worthy deeds.
A new stage in G. Skovoroda’s work opens with the philosophical treatise “The Israeli Serpent” (1775–1776), in which his teaching about the third (parallel to the spiritual and material), symbolic world is most fully revealed. The ideas contained in it largely anticipated the discovery by German cultural philosophy of the early 20th century of the world of cultural symbols as a special reality that shapes our perception of the surrounding reality and ourselves.
During the 80s of the 18th century, “Lot’s Wife” (1780–1788) and “The Battle of the Archangel Michael with Satan about this: it is easy to be good” (1785) appeared. At the same time, the wandering philosopher creates the latter, noticeably expanded. editor of the poetry collection “The Garden of Divine Songs”, and already in 1791 he completed his last great philosophical work “Dialogue. His name is the flood of Zmiin,” combining the forms of treatise, dialogue, parable and verse.
G. Skovoroda died on October 29, 1794 in the village of Pan-Ivanovka (now Skovorodinovka) in the Kharkov region, on the estate of the previously mentioned M. Kovalinsky, who soon, according to fresh memories, compiled his first biography. On the philosopher’s grave, as he bequeathed, they inscribed: “The world caught me, but did not catch me.” With his life, he showed that if you do not demand much from the world and steadily follow your inner calling, then you can live in the world and be free from it.
G. Skovoroda was an extremely educated, integral and consistent person, spoke several ancient (including Hebrew, which was then little known in the Orthodox community, which he studied for an in-depth understanding of the Bible) and new languages, and was sufficiently oriented in Renaissance and modern European philosophy. But much closer to his spirit were the ideas of the Holy Scriptures, ancient thinkers (Socrates, Plato, Epicurus, the Stoics, Neoplatonists) and the Fathers of the Church, especially the Platonic ancient Christian tradition (Clement of Alexandria, Origen, the apophatic theology of the corpus of works attributed to Dionysius the Areopagite).
For G. Skovoroda, human life is not destined. You have to create it yourself on philosophical foundations. Through philosophy one should not so much comprehend abstract truths as achieve with its help being-in-truth. This approach has deep ancient and biblical-ancient Christian origins, although in general it is alien to the spirit of most modern thinkers, in particular the modern European rationalist philosophers of the Ukrainian wanderer.
However, to the same extent G. Skovoroda is far from orthodox Christianity. He was organically, from a young age, involved in the biblical-patristic and ancient traditions, but for him both of them were not something frozen, complete and final. On the contrary, they revealed the essence of being both through their textual symbolism and through examples of concrete life (like, say, Socrates). Therefore, it is natural that the central place in his teaching is formed by the concept of “three worlds,” each of which is represented by “two natures.”
These worlds are, firstly, the macrocosm (Universe), secondly, the microcosm (or man) and, thirdly, a separate symbolic world. They are all interconnected and seem to be reflected in each other. Moreover, each of them has two natures: external, material, noticeable with direct perception, and real, spiritual, deep - internal, requiring spiritual comprehension.
In the macrocosm, behind the world of things, a genuine, sacred, divine existence is visible, interpreted by G. Skovoroda in a Christian-Neoplatonic, in a sense, even a pantheistic-mystical spirit. In the microcosm (man), the wandering philosopher also distinguishes two natures: the unreal person, as he is perceived at first glance, and the genuine, spiritual one, which one should, having recognized in oneself, see and honor in others. Likewise, highly spiritual texts, in particular biblical ones, can be perceived literally on an external level, but their spiritual meaning, revealed in their symbolism, should be recognized behind them.
For G. Skovoroda, a kind of common denominator of the internal, spiritual existence of all three worlds is Sophia, the Wisdom of God, present in nature, in man, and in the Bible, as well as in other divinely inspired works.
Based on such general philosophical principles, G. Skovoroda affirms the moral ideal of a righteous sage who does not strive for the illusory benefits of the material world, but feels and comprehends the inner, Sophia essence of all three worlds. With this attitude he has a love for nature, a high appreciation of friendship and a constant delving into the secrets of the symbolic world.
The Ukrainian sage did not deny the positive role of scientific and technical discoveries and inventions or the improvement of the socio-political system, but believed that until a person himself takes up self-improvement, all the blessings of this world will not fundamentally change his fate. A person’s happiness is in his hands, and people are unhappy because, in the pursuit of false values, they neglect genuine ones.
G. Skovoroda belonged to that type of sages who managed to embody their understanding of good, truth and beauty in everyday life. The life ideal for the wandering philosopher was Socrates and the apostles, but we know personalities of a similar nature in India (Buddha) and in all other great civilizations. Their life task was not the discovery of some new principle or the construction of an original, somehow significantly different from all others, philosophical system, but familiarization with the highest truths of existence for their practical implementation in their everyday lives. And G. Skovoroda fulfilled this calling in life fully and with honor.
