Facsimiles of Ivan Fedorov's 1574 Primer to be placed in every Kyiv school
Kyiv city authorities say facsimile copies of Ivan Fedorov's "Bukvar", printed in Lviv in 1574, will go to all the capital's schools, reproducing even the wooden binding and handwritten notes of the original.
Schoolchildren in Kyiv will soon be able to look closely at one of the oldest printed primers in the Slavic world. The Kyiv City State Administration (KMDA) said on 13 October that facsimile copies of Ivan Fedorov's "Bukvar" (Primer) will be placed in all of the city's schools, according to a post by Suspilne Culture, the culture service of Ukraine's public broadcaster.
The original book was printed in Lviv in 1574 and is more than 450 years old. It is held at Harvard University in the United States.
A copy that reproduces the details
According to the KMDA, the facsimile recreates the old edition in almost every detail. That includes the wooden binding and the handwritten notes left in the book over the centuries. The administration said this will allow pupils to examine the volume closely, much as they would the original.
A facsimile is a high-quality exact reproduction of a historical book or document, made so that people can study and handle it without risk to the original.
Who was Ivan Fedorov
Ivan Fedorov (also spelled Fedorovych) is regarded as a pioneering printer in the East Slavic lands. His 1574 Lviv "Bukvar" is considered one of the earliest Slavic primers, a textbook used to teach reading.
The KMDA statement, as relayed by Suspilne Culture, did not say how many schools or copies are involved, or when the facsimiles will be delivered. RealUA has not found further details in the source material.
