FEATURES OF THE STORY OF IOV, THE FIRST PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA

Abstract

The article examines the genre and structural specificity of the Story of Iov, the First Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, which deals with the ecclesiastical and political history of the Time of Troubles. The author analyzes the principal hagiographic forms and elements of the historical narrative, provides a detailed study of the text, and compares the text with other writings about the Time of Troubles. The biography of Patriarch Iov is constructed according to hagiographic models, as evident in depiction of virtues, posthumous miracles, and the lamentation. At the same time, it follows the logic of a historical narrative that records the political conflicts and social upheavals of the period. The documentary presentation of events is accompanied by an interpretation that emphasizes their sacrality. Particular attention is paid to the composition of the text, which places the figure of Iov at its semantic center. Intense historical episodes and slower passages devoted to the saint’s spiritual feat alternate in the text. The author defines the Story as a hagiographic-historical narrative that is characterized by a pronounced genre synthesis, which was a typical feature of 17th-century literature.