Porphyrius (Uspensky)

Bishop Porphyrius (Russian: Епископ Порфирий, secular name Konstantin Aleksandrovich Uspenski, Russian: Константин Александрович Успенский; 1804–1885) was a Russian traveller in the Christian Orient who specialized in the field of Early Christian History. He held several important positions in the Russian Orthodox Church, including that of Bishop of Chigirin.

Life

Uspensky was born in Kostroma and was educated in a local seminary. In 1829 he finished studies at Saint Petersburg Theological Academy, became a monk, and received the name of Porphyrius.

In 1834 he became an archimandrite. In 1842 he established the first permanent Russian mission in Jerusalem. In 1845 he travelled to the Athos and Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai, and he saw the Codex Sinaiticus (one year after Tischendorf's first visit). After a visit in the monastery of Mar Saba he took the codex, which was later named after him — Uspenski Gospels, Codex Porphyrianus, and he brought it together with others manuscripts to Russia. Four pre-Iconoclast encaustic icons brought by Uspensky from Sinai are still preserved in Kiev.

Porphirius Uspensky died and was buried in the Novospassky Monastery in Moscow. In 1869 he received a doctor degree of Greek Philosophy.

Litography of Monastery of St. Catherine based on sketches made by archimandrite Porphiryj Uspienski 1857)

Works

• Путешествие по Египту и в монастыри Святого Антония Великого и Преподобного Павла Фивейского, в 1850 году. Petersburg, 1856.
• Путешествие по Египту и в монастыри Святого Антония Великого и Преподобного Павла Фивейского, в 1850 году. СПб., 1856.
• 'Christian East: Egypt and Sinai' (Восток христианский: Египет и Синай), Petersburg, 1857.
• Мнение о синайской Библии (полемика с Тишендорфом, 1862). (About Codex Sinaiticus, polemic with Tischendorf).
• "Восток христианский. Абиссиния", in: "Труды Киевской Академии", 1866.
• 'History of Athos' (История Афона), Two volumes, 1871.
• Второе путешествие в афонские монастыри, (Москва, 1880).
• Дионисий Ареопагит и его творения, в: "Чтения Московского Общества Любителей Духовного Просвещения", 1885.

External links

• Открытая Православная Энциклопедия (Russian)
• Biography of Uspiensky (Russian)
• Bogoslov (Russian)
• http://www.rulex.ru/01160490.htm (Russian)

Bibliography

• Порфирий Успенский, Первое путешествие в Синайский монастырь в 1845 году, Petersburg 1856.
• А. Дмитриевский, Еп. Порфирий Успенский, как инициатор и организатор первой рус. дух. миссии в Иерусалиме, Petersburg, 1906.
• А. Дмитриевский, Порфирий (Успенский) по поводу 100-летия со дня его рождения, Petersburg, 1906.
• П. Сырку, Описание бумаг еп. Порфирия (Успенского), пожертвованных имп. акад. наук по завещанию, Petersburg, 1891.