Polonica in the Library of Berdychiv Friary of Barefoot Carmelites (according to the manuscript catalogue 1781)

Abstract

The Holy Virgin’s Conception Berdychiv Friary of Barefoot Carmelites was situated within the Kyiv, later Lucko-Zhytomyr diocese, the Holy Spirit Polish Province of the Barefoot Carmelites. The monastery was founded by Kyiv voievoda Janusz Tyszkiewicz in 1630, as a votive offering for rescuing from the Tatar bondage. The Berdychiv Friary was the centre of religious ideology and culture, and its activities were aimed at the dissemination of Roman Catholicism in ethnic Ukrainian territories. It was abolished by Russian authorities in 1866, and books were transferred to the Library of S. Volodymyr University in Kyiv. In 1927-1928 Berdychiv’s book collection was transferred to the V.I. Vernadski National Library of Ukraine from the Library of S. Volodymyr University in Kyiv. Nowadays the Berdychiv Friary Library is the largest book collection of the Roman-Catholic monasteries’ libraries in Ukraine. The manuscript catalogue of this Library titled „Index librorum Bibliothecae Carmelitarum Discalc[eatorum] Conventus Berdicoviensis” and dated 1781 is an important source for historical and book studies. It’s preserved in the Institution of Manuscript of V. Vernadski National Library of Ukraine. The catalogue consists of 3467 bibliographical descriptions of 7264 volumes and divided into 20 subject sections. Correlation of statistical and subject data on Polish printings from this library was offered as a result of book analysis of the catalogue content. The book production of the printing-houses from 22 cities on the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and from nine cities of Western Europe are represented in manuscript catalogue.