|
Political unification of Russian lands,
under the grand dukes of Moscow, facilitated the establishment of close
economic connections between former independent principalities, and made
possible the formation of all of Russian literature and art. Hundreds of
builders, craftsmen, and artists from all parts of the country came to Moscow
to participate in the construction and embellishment of the new capital. Many
foreigners came too, some invited, the others on their own. Increased contacts
with the western worked and the Slavic peoples considerably influenced the new
all-Russian cultural trend. Their literature, which consisted largely of
translations, depended in the beginning on texts received from the South Slavs.
The number of Russian educated men with some knowledge of western culture kept
increasing, and the people as a whole, realizing that they spoke one language,
began thinking of themselves as one nation. A new Russian culture started to
appear. It continued to have its roots and to draw its sources from Kiev,
Novgorod, Vladimir-Suzdal but, for the first time, it was conceived of on an
all-Russian scale. The new unifying trend manifested itself even earlier, when
the first Moscow Chronicle was written. It was initiated by Metropolitan
Kiprian, who gathered most of the material for it. Under his direction the
existing ancient chronicles and documents were compiled into a unified work
which, could be considered the first written history of the entire Russian
nation. It was completed in the first decade of the 15th century, already after
the death of the Metropolitan. It became known also as Kiprian's Chronicle. Out
of this intensive cultural activity came new literature and the Moscow School
of Arts, the first to represent the entire Russian nation. All this could
hardly have been possible if not for the interest and support given by the
Moscow Grand Duke Ivan III. He liked power and splendor, and realized that by
turning Moscow from an oversized wooden Russian village into an interesting
town, and the Kremlin into a magnificent fortified city, he could enhance his
prestige both at home and abroad. To become an absolute ruler of a great
country was his aim, and he knew the value of power to achieve its. He was
severe with his own brothers and merciless with all others, particularly with
the boyars. The encounter with the Tatars came soon after he became Moscow
Grand Duke ...
. |
|