Dimitrii Rostovsky
Dimitrii Rostovsky, originally named Danylo Savyc Tuptalo, was born in 1651 in Makarov, Ukraine. A prominent religious figure, he began his education at Mohyla College before becoming a monk in 1668, adopting the name Dimitrii. Over the next two decades, he traveled extensively throughout Ukraine and the Baltic region, engaging in preaching and teaching, while also being affiliated with various monastic communities, notably the Kiev Caves monastery. In 1702, he was appointed metropolitan of Rostov by Czar Peter the Great, navigating the complexities of the czar's social reforms without directly opposing him, which allowed him to maintain his position amidst political turmoil.
Rostovsky's literary contributions were largely religious, with poetry aimed at critiquing the Old Believers, a sect that resisted reforms in the Russian Orthodox Church. He also wrote plays intended for educational purposes. His major work, the four-volume "Kniga zhitii sviatykh" (Lives of the Saints), published between 1689 and 1705, was well-regarded for its readability and drew from traditional sources, achieving significant popularity during the 18th century. Dimitrii Rostovsky passed away in 1709 and was canonized as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1757, leaving a lasting legacy in both religious and literary spheres.
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Dimitrii Rostovsky
Writer
- Born: December 11, 1651
- Birthplace: Makarov, Russia (now in Ukraine)
- Died: October 28, 1709
Biography
Dimitrii Rostovsky was born in 1651 in Makarov, Russia (now in Ukraine), a Cossack village near Kiev, and his given Ukrainian name was Danylo Savyc Tuptalo. He attended the Mohyla College from 1662 to 1665 and, as was common at that time for a man interested in following a life of learning, he took the cowl of a monk in 1668, assuming the name of Dimitrii. For the next two decades he traveled throughout Ukraine and the Baltic region, preaching and teaching. He also was associated with a number of monastic communities, including the Kiev Caves monastery, which made him their official preacher. In 1702, Czar Peter the Great made him the metropolitan of Rostov, from which comes his name of “Rostovsky.” Although he did not approve of Peter’s social reforms, Rostovsky did not oppose Peter, and thus avoided the czar’s ferocious wrath, which struck down many other churchmen.
Rostovsky’s poetry was almost entirely religious in nature, often directed against the Old Believers, a heretical sect which opposed the reforms of Patriarch Nikon of the Russian Orthodox Church. He also dabbled in drama, writing several plays which would have been presented in schools as a teaching device. However, his most notable work was his four volume Kniga zhitii sviatykh (lives of the saints), published between 1689 and 1705. These volumes drew from many traditional sources and were eminently readable, reprinted at least ten times through the eighteenth century. Rostovsky died in 1709 and was canonized as a saint in the Russian Orthodox Church in 1757.