Ivan Fedorov is rightfully considered the founder of Russian book printing. However, not many people know that he had a faithful assistant, Peter Mstislavets. Moreover, it was thanks to his efforts that the great master was able to complete his work on a new printing house.
So it would be fair to talk about who Peter Mstislavets was? What success has he been able to achieve? And what historical information has been preserved about him?
Birth of a great genius
It's hard to say which estate Pyotr Mstislavets belonged to. The biography of this person due to a number of circumstances is poorly preserved. It is only known for certain that he was born at the beginning of the 16th century in the vicinity of Mstislav. Today this city is located on the territory of Belarus, and in the old days it was the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
If you believe the chronicles, Francysk Skaryna himself became the teacher of young Peter. He was a famous scientist and philosopher, who became the author of many scientific works. Even today, many Belarusians remember him as a great genius who was way ahead of his time. It was the master who taught his apprentice the artseal that changed his fate forever.
An unexpected meeting
Historians still cannot agree on why Pyotr Mstislavets went to live in Moscow. But it was here that he met Ivan Fedorov, a famous Moscow deacon and scribe. At that time, Fedorov already had his own Printing House, but he needed urgent modernization.
Peter agreed to help a new acquaintance, as this work was to his liking. Therefore, at the beginning of 1563, they began to develop a new printing mechanism. This process dragged on for a whole year, but at the same time it fully paid off all the efforts expended.
First Moscow Printing House
Their first work was the Orthodox book "Apostle", published on March 1, 1564. It was a copy of a well-known spiritual publication, used in those days for teaching clergy. Such a choice was quite obvious, since Pyotr Mstislavets and Ivan Fedorov were truly religious people.
In 1565, the masters released another Orthodox book called The Clockworker. Their publication quickly spread throughout the districts, which greatly angered local book scribes. The new printing house threatened their "business", and they decided to get rid of the unfortunate writers.
Departure from Moscow and establishment of own printing house
The bribed authorities accused Fedorov and Mstislavets of heresy and mysticism, because of which they had to leave their hometown. The benefit of the inventors was gladly accepted by the Lithuanian hetman G. A. Khadkevich. Here, the craftsmen built a new printing house and even printed one joint book called "The Teaching Gospel" (published in 1569).
Alas, history is silent about why old friends parted ways. However, it is reliably known that Peter Mstislavets himself left the printing house in Zabludovo and moved to live in Vilna. It should be noted that Peter did not waste time in vain and soon opened his own workshop. The brothers Ivan and Zinovia Zaretsky helped him in this, as well as the merchants Kuzma and Luka Mamonichi.
Together they publish three books: The Gospel (1575), The Ps alter (1576) and The Clockworker (approximately 1576). The books were written in a new font designed by Pyotr Mstislavets himself. By the way, in the future, his creation will become a model for many evangelical fonts and glorify him among the clergy.
End of story
Sadly, the new alliance's friendship did not last long enough. In March 1576, a trial was held at which the right to own a printing house was considered. By the decision of the judge, the Mamonichi brothers took all the printed books for themselves, and Petr Mstislavets was left with the equipment and the right to print. After this incident, traces of the great master are lost in history.
And yet, even today, there are those who remember who Peter Mstislavets was. Photos of his books often appear on the titles of the website of the National Library of Belarus, since it is in it that several copies of his works are stored. And thanks to them, the glory of the book master shines as brightly as in the old days, giving inspirationyoung inventors.
