Hymnography of Ivan the Terrible: Stichera for the Meeting of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. Hermeneutic analysis of the Church Slavonic text

Abstract

The article presents a theological analysis of the text of the stichera dedicated to the Meeting of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, composed by one of the most controversial personalities in the history of Russia — Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible. His life and activities as a political and church leader continue to arouse interest among the researchers. In particular, there are discussions regarding the 16th century — an era full of dramatic events, when, on the one hand, the state expanded and strengthened, as well as church reforms were implemented, and on the other hand, there were internal conflicts, including the Tsar’s military expeditions against Russian cities and conspiracies against the monarch, which ultimately led to the establishment of the oprichnina and terror. The stichera for the Meeting of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, written by Tsar Ivan the Terrible, are a valuable theological text that can be analyzed using the hermeneutic method. Hermeneutics studies the principles and methods of interpreting texts, helping to reveal their deep meaning. Such an analysis of the text of the stichera contributes to a deep understanding of their theological, historical and philological context. The source material for this article was the published texts of the hymnography of Ivan the Terrible, as well as original manuscripts of the 17th century, stored in the main collection of manuscripts of the library of the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra.