Pavel Mikhaylovich Shpilevsky

Pavel Mikhaylovich Shpilevsky (Belarusian Pavel M_khaylav_ch Shp_le¸sk і; was born on October 31 (on November 12) 1823 Shipilovichi, the Babruysk County, the Minsk province, the Russian Empire (nowadays Lyubansky district, the Minsk region) — 1861 St. Petersburg, the Russian Empire) — the writer-ethnographer, the publicist, the theatrical critic, the popular writer of national cultural heritage of Belarusians died on October 17 (on October 29). Candidate of divinity (1847).

Was born on October 31 (on November 12 on new style) 1827 in the priest's family in the village Shipilovichi of the Minsk province. In 1837 — 1843 studied in the Minsk theological seminary in Slutsk, in 1843 — 1847 — in the St. Petersburg spiritual academy. Graduated from academy about a rank of the candidate of divinity, it was appointed the teacher of literature in the Warsaw district spiritual school. In five years moved to St. Petersburg. Since December, 1853 godarabotat at the Main teacher training college, and since April, 1855 — the teacher at school at expedition of preparation of the state papers.

In 1846 under a pseudonym P. Drevlyansky articles on the Belarusian mythology in "the Magazine of the Ministry of National Education" were issued. In 1850 there was a historical work "The Description of Embassy of Lev Sapegi to Moskovia". In 1853 in the Moskvityanin magazine the work "Research about Vovkalaka on the basis of the Belarusian Beliefs", in the Panteon magazine — "Belarus in characteristic descriptions and fantastic fairy tales", in "Contemporary" — "Travel across Polesia and the Belarusian edge" — the work which gained the greatest fame and written by excellent literary style was printed. In the same 1853 the monograph "Belarusian Proverbs", in 1857 — "Archeological finds" and "Dozhinka, the Belarusian custom was issued. Scenic representation". In 1858 in the Illyustration magazine it was published 6 of "the West Russian sketches".

Shpilevsky's works are written more "literaturno", than scientifically. "Popularity" of style of the author causes the constant and not decreasing interest in his creativity not only among professionals, but in among fans. The important place in Shpilevsky's works is taken by the description of national poetry, ceremonialism and beliefs.

In Shpilevsky's works the thought is accurately traced that Belarusians, poleshuk and other nationalities investigated by him the most ancient in the Slavic world. Now by the academic science it is refused reliability and scientific character of the facts given in the first work ("The Belarusian national legends") of Shpilevsky. The most part of mythical characters described by Shpilevsky it is recognized as the phantoms never existing in Slavic folklore, and being a fruit of creativity of the author.

Fragment from "Travel on woodlands and the Belarusian edge" Shpilevsky: "V neskolkikh verstakh ot Bresta, almost v to Kobrin's type, begin to a wood ogromneysh_a, known pod imenem Bialowieza Forest which lasts zigzags, on space 80 verst, or 88,000 desyatin, to the river Svislochi. Border eya sostavlyayut: s the northeast — the river Narev, s the South and the southeast — Lesna, pritok the Western Bug — s the East unites s others state and chastnymts the woods, s the West is surrounded with less woody country. The dense forest all is cut up by lakes and especially small rivers, iz kotorykh are remarkable, kak sudokhodnyya in the old days: Elarka, Nikor, White, Dedovka, Narev and Narevka. The soil eya quite good, which - where sandy, but more marshy, everywhere almost equal and izobiluyet the most diverse, century trees, even mast: tut there is a willow, a linden, a fine-leaved aspen, dik_ya apple-trees and pears, klen, vyaz, berest, an ash-tree, a mountain ash, ilim, a fir, different oaks, a big and undersized birch, a black and white alder, but most of all pine and excellent kindness a fir-tree. Bialowieza Forest from time immemorial was obitalishchem bears, turov and zubrov, bogotvorimykh there are no time Lithuanians to the fact that iz rogov turov and zubrov they manufactured bowls and used ikh at zhertvennykh vozl_yan_yakh …".

"Nazvan_e Belovezhsko_y the dense forest received from drevnyago the stone lock s white vezha (towers), constructed odnim iz yatvyazhskikh princes — the lock, v kotorom v 1409 prozhival Vitovd and, together s Vladislavom Yagellom, lyubil to hunt for bisons and bears. National to a predan_a immortalized memory ob etikh okhotakh and to sikh por proslavlyaet v razskazakh znamenitykh okhotnikov …"

In this work it is possible to see, how in detail Shpilevsky describes Bialowieza Forest. He mentions not only location, but also the soil, vegetation, fauna, and also history and an origin of the name "Bialowieza Forest".

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