Episcopal Schools of Novgorod Diocese under Feofan Prokopovich

Abstract

The paper is devoted to two schools under the jurisdiction of Feofan Prokopovich, Archbishop of Novgorod in 1725–1736: a school in Novgorod founded in 1706, and a school in Saint Petersburg in the compound of archbishop on the Karpovka River, founded in 1721. The set of sources which represent the history of these schools needs to be updated. The scholarship still has referred to the perception formed in the 19th century. The paper introduces new sources, which reveal that the school in Novgorod did not cease to exist when Prokopovich became Archbishop of Novgorod. There is evidence to suggest that the school functioned in 1729 and perhaps in 1730. It underwent downsizing was resumed its activities in 1732. At the same time, the school on the Karpovka River did not undergo such considerable changes. “Spritual Regulation” (1721) did not affect the curriculum of the school in Novgorod, which included only the study of languages in the 1730s (Church Slavonic, Greek and Latin), although Prokopovich was the author of this document. The curriculum of the Karpovka seminary followed the guidelines of “Spritual Regulation” only partly. Here, besides languages (Church Slavonic and Latin), Music and Arts were significant subjects. Even those who didn’t study Latin studied these subjects. The choir of the archbishop was comprised of students, and while Prokopovich lived in Moscow (1729–1731), he took his students with him. The study of Arts enabled the alumni to pursue artistic careers. Both Novgorod schools can be compared to the school in Alexander-Nevsky monastery and the gymnasium of the Academy as schools providing liberal education.