La descrizione dei manoscritti slavi della Biblioteca Sinodale di Mosca e la censura ecclesiastica

The article reconstructs the complex history surrounding the cataloging, description, and study of the extensive collection of Slavic manuscripts held by the Moscow Synodal Library, events that took place in the mid-19th century. It covers the early, ill-fated attempts by philologists such as K.F. Kalaidovich and V.M. Undolsky, which were obstructed by ecclesiastical authorities, and continues with the ambitious project led by Metropolitan Filaret (Drozdov). Together with the esteemed philologist and archaeographer A.V. Gorsky and theologian K.I. Nevostruev, he succeeded – despite considerable challenges – in publishing, between 1855 and 1869, a seminal resource on ancient Slavic and Russian culture, which remains a key reference for scholars today (Description of Slavic Manuscripts of the Moscow Synodal Library, Moscow, 1-3, 1855-1869.). Even so, ecclesiastical censorship persistently sought to impede the project, due to its innovative methodology and groundbreaking findings.