Ostroh Academy
Encyclopedia
National University "Ostroh Academy" ' onMouseout='HidePop("5962")' href="/topics/Romanization_of_Ukrainian">translit.
: Natsional'nyi Universytet Ostroz'ka Akademiia) is a Ukrainian self-governed (autonomous) research university that was re-opened in 1994 by the Presidential Decree of April 12, 1994. The university was re-opened in place of a historical Ostroh Academy that was founded in 1576 in Ostroh
by a Ruthenian nobleman Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski
.
got under influence of the Catholic or Protestant nobles. To counter this influence Count Konstanty Ostrogski
, one of the most influential people in the Crown of Poland and a major partisan of the Orthodox faith, founded a large university-like school in his estate in Ostrog
in what is now Ukraine
. Ostrogski envisioned a lay academy, that would however strengthen the Orthodox
spirit in the country and prevent mass conversions to Protestantism, Greek or Latin Catholicism, a process in full swing at the time. and as such was first mentioned in Piotr Skarga
's 1577 On the Unity of God's Church under a Single Shepherd and on Greek Dismissal of this Union.
The school was founded some time between 1576 and 1580, but it did not start full activities until 1585. Initially tasked only with translation of The Bible to Ruthenian (later published as the Ostrog Bible
), with time it grew to become a permanent institution of secondary education
.
Large part of the funding came from Princess Halszka Ostrogska
's testament of 1579, in which she donated six times sixty thousand Lithuanian grosz
to local school, hospital and St. Spas' monastery near Lutsk
.
The school, while officially styled Academy rather than University, was modelled after European universities of the epoch. It taught the trivium
(grammar
, rhetorics, dialectics) as well as quadrivium
(arithmetics, geometry
, music
and astronomy
). In addition to that, it also featured education in Latin, Greek
and Ruthenian
(predecessor to both modern Ukrainian
and Belarusian
), the only institution of higher education in the world teaching that language at the time.
The first rector of the academy was Herasym Smotrycki, a noted Greek Orthodox writer of the epoch. With time Ostrogski assembled a significant group of professors, many of them people expelled from the Jagiellonian University
(such as the first dean of astronomy Jan Latosz
) or conflicted with the king or the Catholic clergy. However, the political nature of the conflict between Ostrogski, Protestants and Catholics prevented the school from attracting enough professors of international fame. It did however invite numerous Greek scientists from abroad, including Smotrycki's successors Kyrillos Lukaris, as well as Metropolitan bishop
Kizikos, Nicefor Parasios, the envoy of the Metropolitan of Constantinople, and Emmanuel Achilleos, a religious writer. Some of the professors were also of local stock, including Jurij Rohatyniec, Wasyl Maluszycki and Jow Kniahicki. The religious character of the academy was underlined by close ties to Orthodox monasteries of Derman, Dubno
, Slutsk
and later also Pochayiv.
While the school failed to attract as many students as the founder had envisioned, it nevertheless became very influential as a centre of Ruthenian (that is Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian) culture and literature. Among the notable alumni were religious writer Zacharius Kopystensky, hetman
Petro Konashevych-Sahaidachny, one of the fathers of Belarusian poetry Andrzej Rymsza and future exarch
s of Lwów Gedeon Balaban and of Polotsk Meletius Smotrytsky
, son of the first rector and a noted Orthodox writer and teacher. It also became the alma mater
of professors of the so-called brotherhood schools for Orthodox burghers being founded in late 16th century all around the country in accordance with the royal decree of 1585 by king Stefan Batory
. After the foundation of Jesuit Collegium in Ostroh in 1624 the academy lost its significance and was closed around 1640.
The school was reactivated in 1994 and now occupies the buildings of the former Rococo
Capuchin
monastery (built in 1779). Since October 2000 the university carries a title of National. It is one of the 14 research universities in Ukraine since July 2009. Ostroh Academy is the only elite university of Ukraine that is not located in a regional capital.
Romanization of Ukrainian
The romanization or Latinization of Ukrainian is the representation of the Ukrainian language using Latin letters. Ukrainian is natively written in its own Ukrainian alphabet, a variation of Cyrillic....
: Natsional'nyi Universytet Ostroz'ka Akademiia) is a Ukrainian self-governed (autonomous) research university that was re-opened in 1994 by the Presidential Decree of April 12, 1994. The university was re-opened in place of a historical Ostroh Academy that was founded in 1576 in Ostroh
Ostroh
Ostroh is a historic city located in Rivne Oblast of western Ukraine, located on the Horyn River. Ostroh is the administrative center of the Ostroh Raion and is itself designated as a special administrative subordination within the oblast...
by a Ruthenian nobleman Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski
Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski
Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski was a Lithuanian prince, starost of Volodymyr-Volynskyi, marshal of Volhynia and voivode of the Kiev Voivodeship, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. He got married on January 1553 in Tarnów...
.
History
In 17th century all the universities of the Polish-Lithuanian CommonwealthPolish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
got under influence of the Catholic or Protestant nobles. To counter this influence Count Konstanty Ostrogski
Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski
Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski was a Lithuanian prince, starost of Volodymyr-Volynskyi, marshal of Volhynia and voivode of the Kiev Voivodeship, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. He got married on January 1553 in Tarnów...
, one of the most influential people in the Crown of Poland and a major partisan of the Orthodox faith, founded a large university-like school in his estate in Ostrog
Ostrog
Ostrog may refer to:* Ostrog, Slovenia, a settlement in Šentjernej municipality in Slovenia* Ostrog monastery, a Serbian Orthodox Christian monastery in Montenegro* Ostroh, a historic town in Ukraine* Ostrog, a Russian term for a small fortress...
in what is now Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Ostrogski envisioned a lay academy, that would however strengthen the Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
spirit in the country and prevent mass conversions to Protestantism, Greek or Latin Catholicism, a process in full swing at the time. and as such was first mentioned in Piotr Skarga
Piotr Skarga
Piotr Skarga was a Polish Jesuit, preacher, hagiographer, polemicist, and leading figure of the Counter-reformation in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He was called the "Polish Bossuet" due to his oratorical abilities.He was born February 2, 1536 in Grójec, to a family of lesser landless gentry...
's 1577 On the Unity of God's Church under a Single Shepherd and on Greek Dismissal of this Union.
The school was founded some time between 1576 and 1580, but it did not start full activities until 1585. Initially tasked only with translation of The Bible to Ruthenian (later published as the Ostrog Bible
Ostrog Bible
The Ostrog Bible was one of the earliest East Slavic translations of the Bible and the first complete printed edition of the Bible in Old Church Slavonic, published in Ostroh, in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth , by the printer Ivan Fyodorov in 1581 with the assistance of the Ruthenian Prince...
), with time it grew to become a permanent institution of secondary education
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
.
Large part of the funding came from Princess Halszka Ostrogska
Elizaveta Ostrogska
Princess Elizaveta Ostrogska , also known as Halszka, was the only child of Prince Ilia Ostrogski and Beata Kościelecka.-Biography:Born in the Ostrog castle 1539 year, soon after her father died...
's testament of 1579, in which she donated six times sixty thousand Lithuanian grosz
Grosz
Grosz may refer to:* Grosz, a coin used in Poland as a hundredth part of 1 złoty. Złoty is Polish currency* Kraków grosz, 14th century coins of Kraków* Groschen, a coin used in various statesGrosz or Grósz is the surname of:...
to local school, hospital and St. Spas' monastery near Lutsk
Lutsk
Lutsk is a city located by the Styr River in northwestern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Volyn Oblast and the administrative center of the surrounding Lutskyi Raion within the oblast...
.
The school, while officially styled Academy rather than University, was modelled after European universities of the epoch. It taught the trivium
Trivium
In medieval universities, the trivium comprised the three subjects that were taught first: grammar, logic, and rhetoric. The word is a Latin term meaning “the three ways” or “the three roads” forming the foundation of a medieval liberal arts education. This study was preparatory for the quadrivium....
(grammar
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
, rhetorics, dialectics) as well as quadrivium
Quadrivium
The quadrivium comprised the four subjects, or arts, taught in medieval universities, after teaching the trivium. The word is Latin, meaning "the four ways" , and its use for the 4 subjects has been attributed to Boethius or Cassiodorus in the 6th century...
(arithmetics, geometry
Geometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
, music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
). In addition to that, it also featured education in Latin, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and Ruthenian
Ruthenian language
Ruthenian, or Old Ruthenian , is a term used for the varieties of Eastern Slavonic spoken in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and later in the East Slavic territories of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth....
(predecessor to both modern Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
and Belarusian
Belarusian language
The Belarusian language , sometimes referred to as White Russian or White Ruthenian, is the language of the Belarusian people...
), the only institution of higher education in the world teaching that language at the time.
The first rector of the academy was Herasym Smotrycki, a noted Greek Orthodox writer of the epoch. With time Ostrogski assembled a significant group of professors, many of them people expelled from the Jagiellonian University
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
(such as the first dean of astronomy Jan Latosz
Jan Latosz
Jan Latosz or Jan Latoszyński was a Polish scholar, astronomer, astrologist and physician. A professor at the Cracow Academy, he is best known for his staunch criticism of the papal calendar reform, for which he was deposed of his post...
) or conflicted with the king or the Catholic clergy. However, the political nature of the conflict between Ostrogski, Protestants and Catholics prevented the school from attracting enough professors of international fame. It did however invite numerous Greek scientists from abroad, including Smotrycki's successors Kyrillos Lukaris, as well as Metropolitan bishop
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
Kizikos, Nicefor Parasios, the envoy of the Metropolitan of Constantinople, and Emmanuel Achilleos, a religious writer. Some of the professors were also of local stock, including Jurij Rohatyniec, Wasyl Maluszycki and Jow Kniahicki. The religious character of the academy was underlined by close ties to Orthodox monasteries of Derman, Dubno
Dubno
Dubno is a city located on the Ikva River in the Rivne Oblast of western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of Dubno Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
, Slutsk
Slutsk
Slutsk is a town in Belarus, located on the Sluch River south of Minsk. As of 2010 its population is of 61,400).-Geography:The town is situated in the south-west of its Voblast, not too far from from the city of Soligorsk.-History:...
and later also Pochayiv.
While the school failed to attract as many students as the founder had envisioned, it nevertheless became very influential as a centre of Ruthenian (that is Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian) culture and literature. Among the notable alumni were religious writer Zacharius Kopystensky, hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
Petro Konashevych-Sahaidachny, one of the fathers of Belarusian poetry Andrzej Rymsza and future exarch
Exarch
In the Byzantine Empire, an exarch was governor with extended authority of a province at some remove from the capital Constantinople. The prevailing situation frequently involved him in military operations....
s of Lwów Gedeon Balaban and of Polotsk Meletius Smotrytsky
Meletius Smotrytsky
Meletius Smotrytsky , né Maksym Herasymovytch was a Ruthenian linguist from Galicia, author and religious activist. Son of the famous Ukrainian religious and political activist Herasym Smotrytsky. He was educated in Ostroh and Vilnius, as well as Leipzig, Wittenberg and Nuremberg...
, son of the first rector and a noted Orthodox writer and teacher. It also became the alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
of professors of the so-called brotherhood schools for Orthodox burghers being founded in late 16th century all around the country in accordance with the royal decree of 1585 by king Stefan Batory
Stephen Báthory
Stephen Báthory may refer to several noblemen of Hungarian descent:* Stephen III Báthory , Palatine of Hungary* Stephen V Báthory , judge of the Royal Court and Prince of Transylvania...
. After the foundation of Jesuit Collegium in Ostroh in 1624 the academy lost its significance and was closed around 1640.
The school was reactivated in 1994 and now occupies the buildings of the former Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
Capuchin
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
monastery (built in 1779). Since October 2000 the university carries a title of National. It is one of the 14 research universities in Ukraine since July 2009. Ostroh Academy is the only elite university of Ukraine that is not located in a regional capital.
Notable Dates
- June 18, 1578 – Ivan FyodorovIvan Fyodorov (printer)Ivan Fyodorov or Fedorovič , was one of the fathers of Eastern Slavonic printing...
with help of teachers printed first book in UkraineUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
- Bukvar (Alphabet book) and “Greek-Rus' Church Slavonic Reader”, which mentions about establishment of the Ostroh Academy. - March 9, 1579 – niece of duke Konstanty OstrogskiKonstanty Wasyl OstrogskiKonstanty Wasyl Ostrogski was a Lithuanian prince, starost of Volodymyr-Volynskyi, marshal of Volhynia and voivode of the Kiev Voivodeship, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. He got married on January 1553 in Tarnów...
– princess Halszka OstrogskaElizaveta OstrogskaPrincess Elizaveta Ostrogska , also known as Halszka, was the only child of Prince Ilia Ostrogski and Beata Kościelecka.-Biography:Born in the Ostrog castle 1539 year, soon after her father died...
confirms in testament her contribution for St. Spas Monastery, village Dorosyni and Ostroh Academy of amount of 6 000 "cop money" in lithuenian count. This was first contribution for Academy. - 1580 – with assistance of teachers Ivan FyodorovIvan Fyodorov (printer)Ivan Fyodorov or Fedorovič , was one of the fathers of Eastern Slavonic printing...
printed first in UkraineUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
printed “Book of New Testament”, Tymophy Mykhailovych's “Книжка събраніе вещей нужнеЂйших вкъратцЂ скораго ради обрЂтенія в Книзе Новаго ЗавЂта” and first edition of science literature. - May 5, 1581 – was printed first religious poetic calendar “Которого ся мЂсяца што за стар ых в Ђ ков д Ђ ело коротко е описаніе”, known in modern science literature as Andrew Rymshi's “Chronology”.
- July 12, 1581 – was printed "Ostrog BibleOstrog BibleThe Ostrog Bible was one of the earliest East Slavic translations of the Bible and the first complete printed edition of the Bible in Old Church Slavonic, published in Ostroh, in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth , by the printer Ivan Fyodorov in 1581 with the assistance of the Ruthenian Prince...
", with effort of Ivan FyodorovIvan Fyodorov (printer)Ivan Fyodorov or Fedorovič , was one of the fathers of Eastern Slavonic printing...
and leaders of Academy this was first full printing of Eastern Orthodox's Old TestamentOld TestamentThe Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
.
Notable alumni
- Petro Konashevych-Sahaidachny (1570 - March 20, 1622) — Ukrainian szlachta, Hetman of UkraineHetmans of Ukrainian CossacksHetman of Ukrainian Cossacks as a title was not officially recognized internationally until the creation of the Ukrainian Hetmanate. With the creation of Registered Cossacks units their leaders were unofficially referred to as hetmans, however officially the title was known as the "Senior of His...
(1614 – 1622). - Ostroh Сleric — pseudonym of Ukrainian unknown writer-polemnist (end of 16th - beginning of 17th century).
- Meletius SmotrytskyMeletius SmotrytskyMeletius Smotrytsky , né Maksym Herasymovytch was a Ruthenian linguist from Galicia, author and religious activist. Son of the famous Ukrainian religious and political activist Herasym Smotrytsky. He was educated in Ostroh and Vilnius, as well as Leipzig, Wittenberg and Nuremberg...
(1577 - December 17(27), 1633) — Ukrainian linguist from Galicia, author and religious activist. - Andrew Rymsha — Ukrainian writer and translator at the end of 16th century.
Departments
- The Department of Political Studies and Information Management
- The Department of Quantitative Economics
- The Department of Finance
- The Department of Romance and Germanic Languages
- The Department of Law
- The Department of International Relations