This article investigates the role of Sophia Palaeologina in the cultural transmission between Renaissance Europe and Russia. Challenging the historiographical consensus established by N. M. Karamzin and P. Pierling, which characterizes her influence as decisive, the study argues that her actual impact on the reception of Renaissance culture was limited. Drawing on an extensive corpus of primary sources—including chronicles, administrative acts, and hagiographies—the author examines specific evidence regarding Sophia’s education, property, and the hagiographical narrative of St. Sergius. Additionally, the article assesses the activities of the Greek entourage that accompanied the Grand Duchess. The findings suggest that while these Greek intermediaries were more instrumental than Sophia in disseminating humanist knowledge, their overall contribution has also been exaggerated, as their engagement with the humanistic tradition was often tenuous.
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation - ORCID: 0000-0002-9433-5068
Chapter Title
Софья Палеолог и проблема ренессансного влияния в русской культуре в конце XV-начале XVI в.
Authors
Tatiana Matasova
Language
Russian
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-0893-2.05
Peer Reviewed
Publication Year
2025
Copyright Information
© 2025 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Book Title
In dialogo con l'Occidente: Rinascimento e renovatio nella Russia del Cinquecento / В диалоге с Западом: возрождение и религиозное обновление в России XVI века
Editors
Marcello Garzaniti, Ovanes Akopyan, Iris Karafillidis, Francesca Romoli
Peer Reviewed
Number of Pages
240
Publication Year
2025
Copyright Information
© 2025 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Publisher Name
Firenze University Press
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-0893-2
ISBN Print
979-12-215-0916-8
eISBN (pdf)
979-12-215-0893-2
eISBN (xml)
979-12-215-0894-9
Series Title
Europe in between. Histories, cultures and languages from Central Europe to the Eurasian Steppes
Series ISSN
2975-0318
Series E-ISSN
2975-0326