METROPOLITAN ANDREY SHEPTYTSKY: CONFIRMING MORAL VIRTUES

Abstract

B a c k g r o u n d . It is devoted to understanding the figure of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, whose activity is the embodiment of moral virtues and the role of the church in times of war and the post-war state as one of the factors of the unity of the nation. The ideological, civic, artistic and patronage factors of the formation of the personality of Andrey Sheptytsky are considered. It is illustrated how the metropolitan combined church service with such areas of activity as educational, social, cultural, socio-political, support for women, humanistic, because the basis of all areas of the metropolitan's activity is service to God and people, with his example and deeds he inspired people to be better, to be morally mature citizens.

M e t h o d s . To study this problem, classical methods of both historical and philosophical analysis and the humanities were used. Together with the method of biographical analysis of the biography of Andrey Sheptytsky, we used the basic principles of scientific knowledge: objectivity and consistency, analysis, generalization, explanation.

R e s u l t s . The features of the biography of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky (Roman-Maria-Alexander) are revealed, his origin from an ancient boyar family, which had an influence on the formation of his worldview. The activities of Andrey Sheptytsky on the metropolitan throne (which he ascended on January 12, 1901) are meaningfully revealed, which go beyond religious service and encompass the national life of the community and the people. The directions of the metropolitan's activities that contributed to the national and cultural revival are revealed. One of the factors in the formation of his civic identity and state ideology is noted (acquaintance with the leader of the Kyiv community, professor of history at Kyiv University Volodymyr Antonovych). The prerequisites that contributed to his fascination with art, which led to his further teaching of the course of the history of church art at the Theological Academy, are meaningfully revealed. The figure of Andrey Sheptytsky as a patron of Ukrainian art (his invitation to Lviv and support for the artist Oleksa Novakivskyi) and the role of the metropolitan as the founder of the National Museum in Lviv are investigated.

C o n c l u s i o n s . It is proven that in the person of Andrey Sheptytsky, the Bolshevik occupiers saw a threat to the rule of their regime and eventually resorted to persecution of the metropolitan both during his lifetime (arrest (1914), exile (1914-1917)) and after, falsifying the historical truth about his activities. It is substantiated that Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky created the appropriate conditions for the upbringing and training of a new galaxy of clergymen who acquired fundamental knowledge, in particular in philosophy, history and culture. Thus, through education, he supported intergenerational ties and national consciousness. The Metropolitan managed to implement a strategy that united the factors of intellectual, spiritual, educational, cultural and artistic principles, which in the future contributed to the formation of a galaxy of followers and leaders, thanks to whom we partially survived as a nation in the darkest times. It is proven that Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky is a reformer in his views, he managed to introduce the Ukrainian language into worship, reform theological education. Understanding the need to form and educate a new generation of clergy, he in every way supported schools, theological seminaries, cultural and educational societies, internships of theological students abroad, and the publication of religious and educational magazines.