Documents relating to the acquisition of the Codex Sinaiticus by Russia

(The Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire, AVPRI; the Russian State History Archives, RGIA)

Agreement between Archbishop Cyril and Mt Sinai Community,
dated 18 March /Old style/ 1871

[fol. 10r] Σήμερον δεκάτην ὀγδόην Μαρτίου τοῦ χιλιοστοῦ ὀκτακοσιοστοῦ ἑβδομηκοστοῦ πρώτου ἔτους, οἱ ὑποφαινόμενοι, ὅ τε Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος πρώην Σιναίου Κύριλλος καὶ οἱ ἀντιπρόσωποι τῆς Ἱερᾶς μονῆς τοῦ Σινᾶ, Ἀρχιμανδρίται Παρθένιος καὶ Κορνήλιος, ἐπιθυμοῦντες νά θέσωμεν ἕν ὁριστικὸν πέρας εἰς τὰς μεταξὺ τῆς Ἱερᾶς μονῆς τοῦ Σινᾶ καὶ τοῦ Ἀρχιεπισκόπου Κυρίλλου διενέξεις, ἀνατεθείσης τῆς περί τούτου ἐντολῆς τοῖς ὑποφαινομένοις ἀντιπροσώποις τοῦ Σινᾶ, τῇ ὑψηλῇ μεσολαβήσει καὶ τῆς Α.Ε. τοῦ Πρέσβεως τῆς Ρωσσίας, ἐπεραιώσαμεν ὁριστικῶς καὶ τελειωτικως τὸν ἑξης συμβιβασμόν· Παρεδόθη τῷ Ἀρχιεπισκόπῳ Κυρίλλῳ τό ποσόν χιλίων πεντακοσίων ἀρ. 1500 ὀθωμανικῶν λιρῶν, εἰς μετρητὰ, αἵτινες ἐστάλησαν ἐπί τούτῳ παρὰ τῆς Ἱερᾶς μονῆς τοῦ Σινᾶ πρός τήν αὐτοκρατορικὴν πρεσβείαν διὰ τοῦ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ Ῥωσσικοῦ Γ. Προξενείου τῇ 22 Δεκεμβρίου 1870. Παρεδόθη ἐπίσης τῷ Ἀρχιεπισκόπῳ Κυρίλλῳ ἓν ὁμόλογον τῆς Ἱερᾶς μονῆς ὑπό ἡμερομηνίαν 8 Νοεμβρίου 1870, ἐκ λιρῶν ὀθωμ. χιλίων πεντακοσίων, ἀρ. 1500, πληρωτέων ἀτόκως μετὰ ἓν ἔτος ἀπό τῆς ἐκδόσεως αὐτοῦ. Παρεδόθησαν τοῖς ἀντιπροσώποις τῆς Ἱερᾶς μονῆς παρά τοῦ Ἀρχιεπισκόπου Κυρίλλου τὰ Ἱερὰ ἄμφια καί ἄλλα πράγματα ἀνήκοντα τῇ μονῇ καί εὑρισκόμενα εἰς χεῖρας τοῦ Ἀρχιεπισκόπου Κυρίλλου, κατὰ τὸν ἐνταῦθα ἐπισυναπτόμενον κατάλογον, συνταχθέντα μὲν ὑπό τῆς μονῆς, τροποποιηθέντα δέ [fol. 10v] μετὰ ἀμοιβαίαν ἀμφοτέρων συνεννόησιν, συνεπείᾳ παρατηρησεών τινων, τὰς ὁποίας ἐπέφερεν ὁ Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Κύριλλος, στηριζομένων ἐπί ἐγγράφων καὶ ἐπισήμων ἀποδείξεων τοῦ Oἰκουμενικοῦ Πατριαρχείου. Ὁ Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Κύριλλος καταβιβάζει ἐκ τοῦ ὁμολόγου τό ποσὸν λιρ. 558,77 ½, ἀπέναντι τοῦ ποσοῦ 1085 καισαροβασιλικῶν φλωρίων, ἅπερ ἔλαβεν ἐκ τῶν εἰσοδημάτων τῶν ἐν Βεσσαραβίᾳ κτημάτων Βαλτζινέτζι καὶ Βινατόρι διὰ τὸ ἐτήσιον ἀπό τῆς 23 Ἀπριλίου 1870 μέχρι τῆς 23 Ἀπριλίου 1871. Ἐπίσης καὶ οἱ ὑποφαινόμενοι ἀντιπρόσωποι τοῦ Σινᾶ, ἀναγνωρίζοντες τὴν ὑποχρέωσιν τῆς μονῆς τοῦ νά προβλέψῃ εἰς τὴν διατήρησιν τοῦ Ἀρχιεπισκόπου Κυρίλλου ἀπὸ τοῦ μηνός Ἀπριλίου τοῦ 1870, καταβιβάζομεν ἐκ τοῦ ποσοῦ τῶν 558,77 ½ ὀθ. λιρῶν, λίρας ὀθωμ. 165, ὡς νόμιμον τόκον διὰ 11 μῆνας μέχρι τῆς σήμερον ἀπό τῆς 23 Ἀπριλίου 1870 τῶν 1500 λιρῶν, ὥστε ἐκπιπτομένων τούτων ἀπό τοῦ ποσοῦ τῶν πεντακοσίων πεντήκοντα ὀκτὼ λιρῶν καί ἑβδομήκοντα καί ἡμίσεως ἑκατοστῶν, μένουσι λίραι ὀθωμ. τριακόσιαι εννενήκοντα τρεῖς καὶ εἰκοσιδύο καὶ ἥμισυ ἑκατοστά, ἀρ. 393.22 ½ λιρ. ὀθ. τάς ὁποίας ὁ Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Κύριλλος ανεγνώρισε καὶ ἐξέπεσεν ὄπισθεν τοῦ ὁμολόγου. Ἐπειδὴ ἐκ τοῦ ῥηθέντος ποσοῦ τῶν 1085 καισαροβασιλικῶν ἓν ποσὸν ἐκ πεντακοσίων καὶ ἐπέκεινα καισαροβασιλικῶν, τό ἑξάμηνον τῆς 23 Ἀπριλίου 1870, εἶχε κατατεθεῖ εἰς τό ἐν Κισνοβίῳ δικαστήριον παρὰ τοῦ ἐνοικιαστοῦ τοῦ κτήματος Βαλτζινέτζι καὶ Βινατόρι, ἐὰν τὸ ποσὸν τοῦτο εἶναι εἰσέτι κατατεθειμένον αὐτόθι, τοῦτο ἀνήκει φυσικῶς εἰς τὸν Ἀρχιεπίσκοπον Κύριλλον, ὅστις δύναται νά τό ἀποσύρῃ· εἄν δὲ τὸ ἔλαβεν ὁ ἀντιπρόσωπος τῆς μονῆς, ὀφείλει νά τό ἐπιστρέψῃ τῷ Ἀρχ. Κυρίλλῳ. [fol. 11r] Ὁ Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Κύριλλος παραιτεῖται πάσης ἀξιώσεως ἐπί τῶν εἰσοδημάτων τῶν ἐν Βεσσαραβίᾳ κτημάτων τῆς μονῆς. Ἑπομένως πᾶσα ἀπόδειξις παρουσιασθησομένη ὑπὸ τῶν ἐνοικιαστῶν περὶ προπληρωμῆς ἐτησίων πρὸς τὸν Ἀρχιεπίσκοπον Κύριλλον ἀπό σήμερον, θεωρεῖται ἄκυρος καί ἄνευ σημασίας· καὶ ὅσας τοιαύτας ἀποδείξεις ἐξέδωκεν ὁ πρώην Σιναίου Κύριλλος εὑρισκομένας εἰς χεῖρας τῶν ἐνοικιαστῶν, ὀφείλει νὰ τὰς παραδώσῃ εἰς τὴν Αὐτοκρ. Πρεσβείαν διὰ νὰ παραδοθῶσι τῇ μονῇ· οἱ δέ ἐνοικιασταὶ ὀφείλουσι νὰ πληρώνωσιν εἰς τό ἑξῆς τὰ ἐτήσια εἰς τόν ἐν Βεσσαραβίᾳ ἀντιπρόσωπον τῆς μονῆς, κατά τοὺς ὅρους τῶν ὑπαρχόντων συμφώνων, τὰ ὁποῖα θέλουσι διατηρηθεῖ ἐν ἐνεργείᾳ ἐν ὅσῳ οἱ ἐνοικιασταὶ ἐκπληροῦσι τὰς ἐν αὐτοῖς ὑποχρεώσεις. Ὁ Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Κύριλλος παραιτεῖται ἐπίσης πάσης ἄλλης ἀπαιτήσεως κατὰ τῆς Ἱερᾶς μονῆς τοῦ Σινᾶ, ὡς καὶ τῶν ἐν Βεσσαραβίᾳ κτημάτων, καὶ τοῦ λοιποῦ πάυει μεταξὺ αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς μονῆς πᾶσα διένεξις περὶ παντὸς ἀντικειμένου· Ἡ ἱερὰ μονὴ τίθεσι πέρας ὡσαύτως εἰς πᾶσαν διένεξιν καὶ ἀπαίτησιν κατὰ τοῦ Ἀρχιεπισκόπου Κυρίλλου, οὔτε ἔχει εἰς τό ἐξῆς ν᾽ἀπαιτήσῃ τί παρ᾽αὐτοῦ· καὶ πᾶν ἔγγραφον τὸ ὁποῖον ἤθελεν εὑρεθεῖ ὀψέποτε περί προηγουμένης ληψοδοσίας μεταξὺ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν μερῶν θεωρεῖται ἐξωφλημένον καὶ ἄκυρον. Ἐπί τούτῳ συνετάχθη τὸ παρὸν πρακτικὸν, καὶ ὑπεγράφη παρ᾽ἀμφοτέρων τῶν μερῶν.   Ὁ πρ. Σιναίου Κύριλλος ἀρχιμ. Παρθένιος Σιναΐτης ἀρχιμ. Κορνήλιος Κοσμίδης Σιναΐτης

This 18 March 1871, the undersigned, Cyril former Archbishop of Sinai and delegates of the Holy Community of Mt Sinai - Archimandrites Parthenius and Cornelius, desiring to determine conflicts between Mt Sinai Community and Archbishop Cyril, discharging the mission of the abovementioned delegates have been charged with, and through the high mediation of His Excellency Russian Ambassador, finalize this agreement: Archbishop Cyril shall have the sum of one thousand five hundred (1500) Turkish pounds in cash, forwarded for the purpose by Mt Sinai Community to Imperial Embassy via Russian Consulate General in Egypt on 22 December 1870. Additionally, Archbishop Cyril shall have Mt Sinai Community's obligatory bill of 8 November 1870 for one thousand five hundred (1500) Turkish pounds to be paid at even one year after the signing date. Archbishop Cyril shall give Community delegates the sacred vestments and other Communal belongings held by Archbishop Cyril, on the attached schedule compiled by the brethren and corrected on joint dicussion by both parties in line with some comments made by Archbishop Cyril and justified by records and official evidence of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Archbishop Cyril shall deduce from the obligatory bill the sum of 558,77 ½ Turkish pounds for the total 1085 tchervonets rent received from Valtsinetsi and Vinatori estates in Bessarabia between 23 April 1870 and 23 April 1871. Likewise, the abovementioned delegates of Mt Sinai Community, recognizing the Community's obligation to support Archbishop Cyril after April 1870, shall deduce, from the sum of 558,77 ½ Turkish pounds, 165 Turkish pounds as interest payable on the sum of 1500 Turkish pounds for 11 months since April 1870 so that, on deduction of the sum from five hundred and fifty eight Turkish pounds and seventy [seven] and a half cents, Archbishop Cyril shall discount and thus exclude from the obligatory bill the amount of three hundred and ninety three Turkish pounds and twenty two and a half cents (393,22 ½). Since a portion of the said sum of 1085 tchervonets amounting to more than five hundred tchervonets, six-month rent since 23 April 1870, has been deposited in Kishinev Court by the tenant of Valtsinetsi and Vinatori estates, then, if the sum is still there, it is certainly payable to Archbishop Cyril who can request it; if, on the other hand, it was received by Community agent, it should be repaid to Archbishop Cyril. Archbishop Cyril shall abandon any claims on receipts from Communal estates in Bessarabia. Consequently, any receipts for annual rent issued by Archbishop Cyril to the tenants starting from today, shall be deemed null and void. All such receipts issues by former Archbishop Cyril and held by the tenants, must be delivered by Archbishop Cyril to the Imperial Embassy for subsequent transfer to the Community. The tenants shall henceforth pay the annual rent to the Community agent in Bessarabia, in compliance with existing agreements remaining in force as long as the tenants continue to carry out their obligations. Archbishop Cyril shall also abandon any other claims against Mt Sinai Community, including receipts from landed estates in Bessarabia, so that any conflicts between him and Mt Sinai community are henceforth brought to a stop. Mt Sinai Community shall on their part discontinue any conflict and litigation against Archbishop Cyril, and shall put in no claims against him. Any records of past litigations discovered henceforth shall be considered exhausted and invalid. Made thereof and signed for both parties Cyril former Archbishop of Sinai Archim. Parthenius of Sinai Archim. Cornelius Cosmidis of Sinai.

Return to the article of A. Zahkarova
Main page

back to top