THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE IMAGE OF VOLODYMYR THE SAINT IN WRITTEN MONUMENTS OF KYIV RUS’ (adjectival-substantive aspect)
Authors:   Educational and Scientific Institute of International Cooperation and Education National Aviation University, MEZHZHERINA Hanna 
Published: December 2023

The article is devoted to the study of the features of conceptualizing the image of Volodymyr Svyatoslavych (Volodymyr the Saint) in East Slavic written monuments of the 11th-13th centuries, to the reconstruction of the static socio-ethical portrait of the grand duke in the substantive-adjective aspect. It has been found that the socio-ethical portrait of the Volodymyr the Saint is built with the help of fifteen laudatory epithets (блаженыи, свѧтыи, страньнолюбьць, etc.), which implement the semantics of devotion to the Christian faith, righteousness, divine holiness, benevolence, respect, truthfulness, courage. A special role in creating an individualized image of Volodymyr belongs to the use of words that were almost never used in relation to a person (божьствьныи, прѣмоужьственыи, славьныи, трьблаженыи, чьстьныи). The assessment lexemes are attested in autonomous use and in the composition of the formulaic syntagms «честьныи и славьныи», «благовѣрныи и христолюбивыи», «милостивъ къ нищимъ и къ сиротамъ и къ вдовицамъ». The predominant majority of laudatory epithets used next to the name of the grand duke are hagiographic terms (блаженикъ, блаженыи, христолюбьць, благовѣрьныи, etc.). The semantics and the frequency of use of lexemes страньнолюбьць, прѣмоужьственыи, равьнохристолюбьць, равьнохристосолюбьць, блаженыи, трьблаженыи have been clarified. The lexemes блаженыи, трьблаженыи, страньнолюбьць have more specific meanings than it is indicated in the dictionaries; in the use of the epithet прѣмоужьственыи about Volodymyr, there is an influence of ancient Bulgarian Christian literature; the composite равьнохристолюбьць arose as a result of Hilarion’s word-making; the use of the epithet правьдивъ contains an allusion to a quote from Paremiynyk. Peculiarities of the use of the words блаженыи and трьблаженыи in the portrait of Volodymyr reveals the position of Iakov Mnih in the matter of canonization of the prince. The mention of Volodymyr in «Life of Alexander Nevsky» contains an allusion to the history of Saints Theodore and John and the history of the Apostle Paul. Chronology of the use of a hagiographic term свѧтыи next to the name of Volodymyr testifies in favor of scientific assumptions that he was recognized as a saint in the period between the second half of the 11th century and the middle of the 13th century. Semantics and specifics of the use of assessment adjectives and substantives in «The Tale of Bygone Years», «Memory and Praise to Prince Volodymer» by Iakov Mnih, «Sermon on Law and Grace» by the Kievan Metropolitan Hilarion, texts about Boris and Glib and other literary monuments 11th-13th century testify to the fact that in the aspect of the adjectival-substantive expression of the moral assessment of the Volodymyr his church praise is dominated. The absence of an idealized socio-ethical portrait of Volodymyr modeled with the help of laudatory epithets in «The Tale of Bygone Years» is caused by the dualistic nature of his personality as a pagan prince and a Christian prince. The use of laudatory epithets-designations, the simile of the Volodymyr to holy martyrs, biblical prophets, holy Caesars (above all to Constantine the Great), served as a factor in the conceptualization of his image in Eastern Slavic religious texts of the 11th-13th centuries and created the ground for for the liturgical honoring of the prince. The double name Volodymyr-Vasily semantically symbolized the combination of royal and church power, marked such key connections of Prince Volodymyr with his spiritual patron — Basil the Great, as actions in the field of Christianity, receiving the heavenly protection of Basil the Great, honoring the memory of Basil the Great in Korsun’ and Kyiv.