Russian Bible (RUSSRUK)

Overview

This is the Russian Synodal Bible, the standard Russian translation first published in 1876 by the Most Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church [1]. The translation project began in 1813 after the establishment of the Russian Bible Society under Czar Alexander I, with the New Testament published in 1820 [1]. Work was suspended from 1826 to 1858 after the disbandment of the Russian Bible Society under the more conservative Nicholas I [1]. The translation was completed under the direction of four Orthodox theological academies in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan, and Kiev, with final editorship by Filaret, Metropolitan of Moscow [1]. The Old Testament was translated primarily from the Hebrew Masoretic Text, while the New Testament was based on Greek printed editions of the period [1]. The Synodal Bible remains the most widely used Russian Bible translation and has had a lasting influence on Russian literary and religious culture [2].

Translation History

The path to the Russian Synodal Bible spanned over sixty years. The Russian Bible Society was founded in 1813 and received permission from Czar Alexander I to undertake a Russian-language translation [1]. The complete New Testament appeared in 1820, and the Old Testament translation had progressed through the book of Ruth before the project was halted in 1825 [1]. The Russian Bible Society was disbanded in 1826 under Nicholas I due to suspicion of seditious influence [1]. Translation work resumed in 1858, and the complete Bible was finally published in 1876 [1]. The resulting text retains significant vocabulary and stylistic influence from the earlier Church Slavonic translation tradition [2].

References