Ostroh Academy

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about an academy that existed in 1576-1636 in
National University Ostroh Academy
.
Ostroh University
Active1576–1636
Location
Ostróg (Ostroh)
,
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Websitehttp://www.oa.edu.ua/

Ostroh Academy (Polish: Akademia Ostrogska) was an academy located in Ostróg, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It is considered to be the first institution of higher education in the territory of present-day Ukraine, dating to 1576 and founded by the wealthy and influential Ruthenian noble Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski. The academy was closed in 1636 soon after the opening of a Jesuit College in Ostróg (Ostroh).

History

In the 16th century, all higher schools of the

Crown of Poland (and later a major partisan of the Orthodox faith against the Union of Brest), founded a large school in his estate in Ostroh in what is now Ukraine. Ostrogski envisioned a lay school, that would however strengthen the Eastern Christian spirit in the country and prevent conversions to Protestantism and Catholicism, a process in full swing at the time[1] and as such was first mentioned in Piotr Skarga's 1577 On the Unity of God's Church under the Single Shepherd and on Greek Secession from this Unity.[2]

Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski

The school was founded some time between 1576

The Bible to Old Church Slavonic (later published as the Ostrog Bible),[5] with time it grew to become a permanent institution of secondary education
.

A large part of the funding came from Princess Halszka Ostrogska's testament of 1579, in which she donated "six times sixty thousand" (360,000) Lithuanian grosz to local school, hospital and Holy Spas' (i.e. Savior's) monastery near Łuck (Lutsk).[6]

The school, officially styled Academy, was modelled after Western European education of the epoch. It taught the

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.[4]

The first rector of the academy was

Pochayiv.[7]

While the school failed to attract as many students as the founder had envisioned,

Jesuit College
.

Notable dates

  • June 18, 1578 – Ivan Fyodorov with help of teachers printed first book in Ukraine - Bukvar (Alphabet book) and “Greek-Rus' Church Slavonic Reader”, which mentions about establishment of the Ostroh Academy.
  • March 9, 1579 – niece of duke Konstanty Ostrogski – princess Halszka Ostrogska 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 Fyodorov printed first in Ukraine printed “Book of New Testament”, Tymophy Mykhailovych's “Книжка събраніе вещей нужнеѣйших вкъратцѣ скораго ради обрѣтенія в Книзе Новаго Завѣта” and first edition of science literature.
  • May 5, 1581 – was printed first religious poetic calendar “Которого ся мѣсяца што за старых вѣков дѣло коротко е описаніе”, known in modern science literature as Andrew Rymshi's “Chronology”.
  • July 12, 1581 – was printed "
    Eastern Orthodox's Old Testament
    .

Notable alumni

Closure of Ostroh Academy

The closure of the Academy was connected with the Catholicization of the descendants Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski and the activities of the Jesuits. The Academy was liquidated by the old prince's granddaughter, Nadia's daughter and Oleksander Ostrogski — Anna Alojza Ostrogska (married Chodkiewicz). She materially limited the activity of the Academy, trying to reduce it to the level of a parochial school, and created and materially provided for the College of Jesuits (Ostrog) [uk] in Ostroh (1624)

On the Easter night of 1636, Hanni-Aloise managed to finally liquidate the remnants of the Academy, introduce a union in Ostrog and other estates, provoking a demonstration by the inmates. Thus, 1636 is considered the last year of the Ostroh Academy's existence.

See also

  • National University Ostroh Academy

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-83-7441-644-3
    .
  2. ^ (in Polish) Piotr Skarga (1577). O jedności Kościoła Bożego pod jednym Pasterzem i o greckim od tej jedności odstąpieniu, Wilno
  3. ^ Ostroh Academy National University (corporate author). "Ostroh Academy National University". oa.edu.ua. Retrieved 2011-05-10. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  4. ^
    ISBN 83-89031-78-7
    .
  5. OCLC 52037778
    .
  6. ISBN 83-902928-5-8
    .
  7. ^
    ISBN 83-89031-39-6
    .
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