Memory of the World; 2012 - unesdoc - Unesco

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Slavonic publications in
Cyrillic script of the 15th century
Inscribed 1997
What is it
A collection of sixty-three exceptionally rare and early
books printed in the Cyrillic script.
Why was it inscribed
This collection is of international significance and is
of great importance to the cultural heritage of Slavonic
nations. They represent the earliest books printed in
Cyrillic, dating from the late 15th century.
Where is it
Russian State Library, Department of Rare Books,
Moscow, Russia
This collection of early printed books in Cyrillic is the result
of more than 50 years of research work by the specialists
of the Russian State Library, who located and verified the
authenticity of these rare books. The majority of the books
are held in Russia, but others are scattered in libraries in
many countries such as Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, Serbia,
Montenegro, Romania, France, UK, USA, Croatia, Slovenia,
the Czech Republic and Greece – and have never been seen
altogether. The exceptional rarity of these publications
and their fragility brought on by their age has necessitated
limited access to them and has spurred on the project
to have all of them available in digital form so that they can
be widely studied. Another goal of selecting this collection
is, in essence, the creation of a new cultural resource – a
united digital collection of early printed books in Cyrillic
which far surpasses the collection in any single library in
the world.
These books are an important part of the cultural
heritage of Slavic nations. The books predate those
produced by the traditionally recognized father of Russian
126 Slavonic publications in Cyrillic script of the 15th century
� � Pages from the
earliest known
printed book
in Cyrillic, an
Oktoih (Book
of Psalms),
printed in
Krakow in 1491.
book printing, Ivan Federov (c.1510–83), by 70 years and
mark an important landmark in the early period of book
printing. The collection includes the first book printed
in Cyrillic, the Oktoih, a liturgical book of the Orthodox
Church, printed in Krakow in 1491. These Slavonic
publications in Cyrillic script have exerted appreciable
influence on the development of the Slavonic nations
and helped Slavic peoples to reaffirm their national
literary languages and to produce books with a cultural
identity that is different from the early printed books
of western Europe.