Consecrator Danylo Tuptalo Remembered

This December will mark 350 years since the birth of Ukraine’ s renowned enlightener Danylo Tuptalo, who went down in history as the Consecrator Dymytriy Rostovsky (of Rostov). A historian, polemicist, writer, scholar, as well as a monk, priest, and pastor, he was indeed unique. A man of kind heart, spiritual perfection, and a unique concept of life, Dymytriy Rostovsky left over twenty extensive works. His Zhytiya sviatykh (Lives of the Saints and Chetyi Mineyi, which he began writing as a deeply religious person, rank highest in his legacy. Unfortunately, posterity failed to appreciate the versatile talent of the Consecrator. The conference of a cultural and informative character held in his native village of Makarovo in Kyiv oblast was called The Role of Dymytriy Rostovsky’s Teachings in Molding the Spiritual Culture of Posterity. It aimed to give wider publicity to the works of the Consecrator and to bring his ideals closer to the present-day society. The religion experts, scholars, historians, and priests present at the conference touched on various aspects of his life and work. In part, Iryna Zhylenko, candidate in theology, expounded on the significance of his hagiography, an eternal masterpiece of Ukrainian culture. Iryna Morholina, candidate in history and a fellow of Sofia Kyivska National Preserve, made an interesting report entitled “Dymytriy Rostovsky in the History of the Kyryliv Monastery.” Most conference participants touched on the elevated spirituality of St. Dymytriy, who was not only a scholar or writer, but primarily a religious person. This, researchers maintain, was at the root of his prolific work. Bishop Dymytriy of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky, Theological Academy and Seminary Rector and archimandrite of St. Michael’s Zlatohlavy (Gold- Domed) Monastery, stressed in his report that the life and work of Danylo Tuptalo should serve an example for today’s humanity to follow on its way to spiritual perfection.