Neofit Rilski

Neophyte Rilski ( Bulgarian Неофит Рилски ), born Nikola Poppetrow Benin ( Bulg Никола Поппетров Бенин; * 1793 in Bansko, then Ottoman Empire, † January 4, 1881 in the Rila Monastery, Bulgaria) was a Bulgarian priest, reconnaissance of the Bulgarian National Revival and activists in the fight for an independent Bulgarian church. In the Slavic Rilski is known by the first Bulgarian grammar of Modern Times ( 1835).

Rilski had enjoyed a theological education, as the majority of the Bulgarian intelligentsia at the time, which combined their duties with the teaching practice and determining role in the dissemination of the Bulgarian education system. They were the ones who cared intensely about the influx of books from abroad. They also supported local authors and translators, and helped in the establishment of secular schools. So could play an important social and political role during the Ottoman rule, the Bulgarian Church.

Today several educational institutions and places bear his name in Bulgaria, including the South - West University in Blagoevgrad.

• 2.1 Introduction of the Lancaster - school method

Biography

Family and Childhood

Nikola Benin was born in the Macedonian town of Bansko, one of the centers of the Bulgarian Revival in the Ottoman Empire. His father, Petar Benin was a priest (Pope ) and teachers in the city. In the Bulgarian school was one (see Cells school). The father name of Nikola Petrov was Benin, after the name of his father. His father, however, Pope was the father's name to Poppetrow ( Pop Petrov ) was.

Some etymologists Bulgarian bring the name of the town of Bansko and thus the family name Banow (plural: Banowi ), Benin (plural: Benini ) with the medieval Bulgarian noble title " Ban " in conjunction. So the family members of the Benin family may be descended from a noble family. There is evidence that it at the royal court, two representatives of the Benin family gave after the restoration of the Serbian Principality (1804 ): Marko Teodorovic and Mikhail German, later an ambassador of Serbia in the Ottoman Empire. Marko Teodorovic his part was a merchant in Vienna and published in 1792 as " Bulgarian from the Razlog region" ( Bulg " бугара, родом из Разлога " ) a primer, known as the " Primer of Marko Teodorovic " ( bugl. " Буквар на Марко Теодорович "). The mother of Nicholas, Ekaterina, also came from a wealthy family, the cotton trade of Drama and Serres operation, which was sold to Serbia and Austria.

Life as a monk

1808 came into Nikola Benin Rila Monastery to the founder of the art school of Bansko Toma Wischanow - Molera ( Moler, by the German painter ), who had studied in Vienna to learn the painting. In 1811 Nikola Benin but from Jerotej, Igumen ( abbot ) of the monastery, was ordained a priest and took the name of Neophyte. As a priest of the Rila Monastery, where he spent much of his life, he became known as Rilski (from the Bugl. Рилски to German " Rila " ), that is Neophyte of Rila Monastery.

During this time the Church Slavonic language learned Neophyte. In 1818 he was ordained in Pirot from the Greek Metropolitan of Sofia priest monk. On his way home he met a young teacher - a Greek from Thessaloniki, who also dominated Church Slavonic. He took the young Greeks in the Rila Monastery and made him secretary of the monastery. As secretary, he helped out correspondence with the Greek Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople Opel and with the surrounding Greek bishops. The young teacher taught at the convent school Greek. He left the monastery in 1821 to participate in the Greek uprising. To deepen his Greek studies, Neophyte Rilski went to Melnik, a stronghold of Hellenism, in the then known Hellenistic school teacher Adam from Mezowo. There remained Neophyte 1822-1826 and was, as he noted later in his autobiography, a good Hellenist.

As a teacher on the move

After the completion of the Hellenic school Neophyte returned to the Rila monastery, where he was invited by Ignatius, Bishop of Samokov to teach at the local convent school as a teacher. Samokov was at that time a place of famous icons and fresco painter (see Art School of Samokov ) Neophyte and offered a theological environment. In his educational work Neophyte Rilski was how Neophyte Bozweli, advocates of radical departure from the Greeks and the Greek language; a claim that with the establishment of the Bulgarian Exarchate in 1870 was a temporary conclusion. So there taught Neophyte next to New and Ancient Greek nor Old Bulgarian ( Altkirchenkslawisch ). In Samokov taught Neophyte 1827-1831, where he, as was assassinated after the peace of Adrian Opel Ingnatij the bishop in 1829, left the city shortly.

After his time in Samokov to Neophyte Rilski moved again back to the Rila Monastery, where he taught at the local convent school. He witnessed that the fire that almost completely destroyed the monastery on January 13, 1833. Then Neophyte traveled with other monks on behalf of the monastery after Constantine Opel, where he successfully requested the Ecumenical Patriarch with a request for approval of a new building. Thus, the Ecumenical Patriarch Constantine I began in March 1833 a foundation action is the convent and sat down at the Sultan for the new one. In July of the same year then the planning application by a Sultanferman ( decree ) was approved. So wearing Neophyte Rilski in the epoch of the Bulgarian Enlightenment significantly to the reconstruction of the monastery at what an effort of national importance was such that the monastery is today honored as a national shrine.

After his return from Constantinople Opel to Rila Monastery Neophyte ( a small monastery, which is subordinate to another monastery) was sent from Kazanlak Monastery of the line as a priest, teacher to Metoch. In Kazanlak he met Makariopolski Hilarion, who later became Bishop of Tarnovo, which brought him into contact with Wasil Aprilov. 1834 took Neophyte at the request of the originating from Gabrovo and living in Odessa merchants Aprilov and Nikolaj Pasalusow to teach at an after Bell Lancasterschen school system newly built school. This type of school envisaged that more experienced students should teach younger and so gradually grew into auxiliary teachers. The school was to be opened in Gabrovo, the hometown of the merchants, and based on the experience of the Russian school system. For pulled Neophyte to Bucharest, where he studied the Lancaster method on a known Greek school.

The opening of the school in the market town of Gabrovo on January 2, 1835 Neophyte ask remains a major problem: the lack of teaching materials in the Bulgarian language. While it was already 1824 by Petar Beron published the first primer in the neubulgarischer language, but it was more an encyclopedia than a textbook. So wrote Neophyte 1835, the textbooks themselves, including the first Bulgarian grammar. These textbooks ( panels for mutual learning; fibula, extract from the boards for mutual learning; Bulgarian grammar) were printed with the help of Mikhail German in the Serbian town of Kragujevac. They include not only the fibula from Petar Beron of the first textbooks of early Bulgarian language.

(-: Gabrowoer mutual school literally Bulg Габровско взаимно училище ) both the transition from simple theologically influenced education a secular as well as the shift away from the dominant in everyday Greek language So the monk took Neophyte with the opening of " Gabrovo total primary school". This system renewal became the model of the Bulgarian schools in the Ottoman Empire, and so to 1845 a total of 17 new schools were opened this type. Also that already exist convent schools introduced gradually the new school type and then see some scientists in the introduction of the early Bulgarian language in the " public schools " the primary impetus for the Bulgarian liberation movement. In 1836 he made ​​the first globe with Bulgarian designate the geographical locations.

Only in the 1850s, as a result of the Tanzimat reforms of Midhat Pasha, tried to take through a state-led school reform influence on the formation of the Bulgarians, but this failed the Ottoman Empire. At this time, introduced by Neophyte Rilski of school had already enforced in the Bulgarian population.

In Gabrovo translated Neophyte Rilski the New Testament into Bulgarian. He remained there only two years, until he retired in early 1837 in the Athos monasteries to further studies. In September of the same year he replied to a request of the merchants of Kopriwtschiza gradually became head of the newly established local Bulgarian school. Kopriwtschiza was like Gabrovo an affluent city whose merchants traveled to Western Europe and there maintained their economic relations. It is surrounded by the Sredna Gora Mountains and should play an important role during the April Uprising (1876 ) with their desire for freedom. Under the direction of Neophyte Rilski school in Kopriwtschiza could reach the level of the already known " Gabrovo total primary school". She soon became a center of the Bulgarian liberation movement: there learned later Bulgarian intelligence to read and write in their native language, which was not self-evident at this time. Among them were the writers and scholars Najden Gerow, Christo Pulekow, Zahari Kjaneski, Dimcho Debeljanow, Petko Karavelov, and revolutionaries such as Luben Karavelov and Georgi Benkowski.

1837 published Neophyte Rilski the instructions for penmanship, before he returned in 1839 to the Rila Monastery. He became secretary of the monastery and oversaw addition to his teaching work at the coloring and design of the interiors of the new monastery church. During this time, his portrait of Zachary Zograph (see above right), the most famous Bulgarian icons and fresco painter was born. Under the direction of Neophyte of the expansion of the Ossuary of Saint Luke in Rila Monastery was built. In addition to the supervision and teaching, he wrote in this period an extensive Greek - Bulgarian dictionary, textbooks and teaching materials that Vitas of St. Ivan Rilski, the Saints Cyril and Methodius and of Photius. 1840 his translation of the New Testament in Smyrna (now Izmir in Turkey) printed. The pressure took over the printing of the Greek Damiani, as they one of the few printers in the Ottoman Empire was since the 1830s, which had Cyrillic print sets.

The theological and linguistic benefits of Neophyte Rilski have also been recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople Opel. Thus he became in 1847 director of the Department of Slavic Languages ​​of the most prestigious high school priest in the Ottoman Empire, the Seminary of Halki in Constantinople Opel. 1852 Rilski translated Aesop's fables into Bulgarian. In Halki remained Neophyte until September 1852 to once again retire to the Rila Monastery. In the following years he was repeatedly invited as a teacher and headmaster of different places and facilities, but he refused again and again.

Last years

1852 returned Neophyte Rilski back to the Rila monastery and continued his educational activities. So he published the same year the " Христоматия славянского язика " ( " Christomatija slawjanskowo Jasika "; Engl. "Textbook of Slavonic language "). From 1860 to 1864 was Neophyte Rilski abbot of Rila monastery, where he oversaw the construction of the monastery. In 1875 he published " Словар на българския език, изтълкуван от църковно - славянски и гръцки език " ( Engl. about " Dictionary of the Bulgarian language, interpreted from the Church Slavonic and Greek language ").

He died there on January 4, 1881. His grave is located on the outer wall of the monastery church and is the only grave there. His birthplace in Bansko in 1981 converted into a museum and is listed in the list of the 100 national tourist objects in Bulgaria, which was created by the Bulgarian Tourist Office.

Neophyte Rilski and the Bulgarian school system

In the monastic schools, especially religious books were initially used as textbooks. The training in these schools was carried out in several stages. After learning of writing, students learned large parts of the book of hours, and from the book of Psalms and the prayers " Heavenly King " ( Bulg " Царю небесен "), " Our Father " ( Bulg " Отче наш " ) and "Come to us to bow " ( bulg " Елате да се поклоним "). Particular emphasis was placed in the classroom on the first prayer, as it was considered important in the fight against the heretics. Higher levels of education in the monastic schools included reading, explanation and interpretation of biblical texts, memorizing the other prayers and the acquisition of knowledge and skills to transcribe religious texts and hymnals.

Main purpose of the monastic schools was the education of young people for the clergy. But also specifically told the children of artisans and merchants, a layer special emphasis on education, visited the monastery schools. As a teacher acted the more educated monks who otherwise dealt with the copy of books. Here subjects were trained as they prepared for their duties as monks, but also children from the neighboring villages, the village priests and teachers should be.

End of the 19th century, the simple convent school was the only Bulgarian education in the Ottoman Empire. The number of Bulgarian schools was in 1750 at 21-2 urban and 19 rural schools; In 1800 it was 48-6 in 42 cities and in villages. 31 years later, a year before the opening of the Garbower comprehensive school, the number of Bulgarian schools rose to 189, of which only 30 in cities and the remaining 156 were built in villages. The majority of them were in private ownership.

So the simple Bulgarian (monastery) could train with the secular Greek schools which were supported as part of the Megali Idea of the Phanariots and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, not compete. For this reason, many young Bulgarians went through a training in the famous Greek schools in Constantinople Opel, Ohrid, Kastoria and Ioannina. Also, in some Bulgarian cities secular Greek schools were opened - Kotel, Plovdiv, Samokov, Melnik, Veliko Tarnovo, Sliven. As then formed with the onset of reforms in the Ottoman Empire an emerging merchant class among the Bulgarians began a Hellenisierungsprozess.

Introduction of the Lancaster - school method

Neophyte Rilski was not the first attempt with the Bell Lancasterschen method to modernize the Bulgarian school system. The first major reform in the Bulgarian schools were the scholar Petar Beron, who studied in Heidelberg and Munich, with his textbook, the fibula with different teachings (known as the Fish Primer, 1824). In it, the author was not only to be taught when teaching material methodologically before, but he also gave instructions on how this is best achieved. Beron sat down with his fibula against the theological and religious instruction and for secular education. Education should be close to life and the emerging class of merchants supported ( Esnafi ). For this reason, the theological teaching with learning the Church Slavonic language by learning from real knowledge, reading and writing in the vernacular, arithmetic, introduction to the geography and natural science, ethics and morality, etc., should be replaced.

The best way to achieve and implement this saw Petar Beron in the Bell - Lancaster school method, which he explained in his fibula. This type of school envisaged that more experienced students should teach younger and so gradually grew into auxiliary teachers. His ideas were too modern for his contemporaries and were discarded. His textbook was used only as a primer and not as a guide for better teaching methods.

In 1828, four years after the publication of the Fish Primer, Konstantin Fotinow opened in Smyrna, a Hellenistic- Bulgarian school and although he retained the theology as a subject, he moved away from the theological- religious teaching and expanded the subject areas to foreign languages ​​, mathematics and geography. This was the first Bulgarian school that taught by the Lancaster - school form. However, the private school in Smyrna was also unable to enforce, which was also the lack of unified textbooks.

Success in reforming the Bulgarian education system could only Neophyte Rilski have. Unlike Beron and Fotinow the mission of Rilski was financially supported by the merchants Wasil Aprilov and Nikolaj Pasalusow, and the merchants of Gabrovo. Also, the problem of the lack of unified textbooks Rilski recognized quite early and wrote in 1835 the necessary teaching materials themselves, including the first Bulgarian grammar. In his textbooks Rilski as Beron was methodologically from light prior to the heavy teaching materials. So he left the classroom first learn the Bulgarian language and then a foreign language. A novelty among them were the 66 tables for mutual teaching.

In class Neophyte Rilski sat on learning the Bulgarian language, reading, writing and arithmetic. The curriculum, however, was set up so that in addition to the basic subjects still teaching material from other disciplines, such as history and natural history, could be taught. The theological and religious education was reduced to basic skills. So the monk Neophyte Rilski established the first secular Bulgarian school and a role model for their distribution in the Bulgarian lands. His greatest contribution was that he by his grammar, the first standards for learning the Bulgarian language set. This Rilski created the first basis for the codification of the early Bulgarian language.

Bulgarian grammar

1835 published Rilski in Kragujevac, Serbia several textbooks, including the "Bulgarian grammar " ( Bulg Болгарска Грамматiка / Bolgarska grammaticality ). Rilski was convinced that only a grammatical theory that is taught in the primary schools, the revival of the Bulgarian language could succeed. In his foreword he wrote on page 3:

This grammar is written based on the Old Bulgarian language. He held your principles firmly on pages 1 to 72. Further, the textbook also included a dictionary of 216 Turkish and Greek words and their translation into Bulgarian or Russian language.

The Христоматия славянского язика ( / Christomatija slawjanskowo Jasika; Engl. textbook of Slavic Language, 1852) appeared in Constantinople Opel and served the students of the Faculty of Slavic languages ​​of the priests of the high school seminary of Halki as a textbook. So the pages were written to 357 in Russian. All words have been explained with the Greek equivalent and examples of their use at the end of the book.

Writings

Used in his earlier works and encyclopedias Neophyte Rilski, such as Konstantin Fotinow and Miladinowi brothers from Struga, West Bulgarian dialects, in contrast to Petar Beron and Najden Gerow and the ostbulgarischen dialects they use. In his major works Rilski looked at the Old Church Slavonic language as synonymous with the Old Bulgarian and tried to unite the Eastern and Western Bulgarian dialects in the formation of the early Bulgarian language.

• Стiхи надгробнiи с красноречiем обясняющим имя и епархiю обiеннаго архiерея ( Engl. grave poems with sonorous declarations of the name and of the Diocese of the slain bishop, 1829)
• Взаимоучителни таблици ( Engl. tables for the mutual teaching, 1835)
• Буквар, извлечен от взаимоучителните таблици (1835 )
• Свещенний краткий катехизис (Holy Engl. Short Catechism, 1835)
• Кратко и ясное изложение ( Engl. short and detailed exposition, 1835)
• Болгарска граматика ( Engl. Bulgarian grammar, 1835)
• Краснописание ( Engl. instructions for penmanship, 1837)
• Аритметика ( Engl. arithmetic, 1851)
• The Fables of Aesop ( translation from Greek 1852)
• Христоматия славянского язика ( Engl. textbook of Slavic Language, 1852)
• Словар на българския език, изтълкуван от църковно - славянски и гръцки език ( Dictionary of the Bulgarian language, interpreted from the Church Slavonic and Greek language, 1875)
• Описание болгарскаго священнаго монастира Рилскаго ( Engl. description of the holy Rila Monastery Bulgaria, 1879)