Spiritual ties between Mount Athos and the choral art of Kiev and Moscow Rus’ (eleventh–sixteenth centuries)

Abstract

The author explores how traditions of church singing of Athos monasteries (the Russian Panteleimon, Serbian Hilendar and Bulgarian Zograf) were refl ected in the culture of Russia and the Russian hymnal tradition. The article reveals a continuity of Mount Athos traditions in the veneration of the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, the veneration of monks and South Slavic saints. The role of Bulgarian and Serbian artists, who leaved Mount Athos for Russia, in the choral art is examined. In connection with a change of the Charter of the Church, brought from Mount Athos, the reform of the church music of the fi fteenth century and a new edition of the Znamenny chant are considered. The new Znamenny chant combined Byzantine canons and Russian national origins. The infl uence of the Athonite singing on the formation of the performance standards of professional choral singing in Russia is observed in the article.