Yuriy Drohobych - Publications

Publications

His teaching at Bologna did not interfere with his experiments in astronomy. In a letter which he sent in early 1478 to his friend Mykola Chepel in Poznan, Drohobych mentioned his calculations of planetary positions during a year. According to his observations and calculations, he estimated the exact time for two lunar eclipses; he also included a chart of the phases of the Moon for a year. In the letter, Drohobych described how he had calculated the geographic locations of major cities in what is now Poland and Ukraine. He also gave predictions concerning political events that had been taking place in Europe, Egypt, Turkey, Arabia, and India. Mykola Chepel shared these notes with his colleagues at Poznan University. The news about Drohobych's findings quickly spread among many learned people in Europe. One of the first German Humanists and book collector, Hartmann Schedel, copied these letters. In part thanks to his efforts, they were preserved for posterity.

Drohobych wrote a treatise about the solar eclipse that took place on July 29, 1478. He suggested that cosmic events of this nature may or may not have favorable effects on events on Earth but they certainly would not cause catastrophes. In the early 1480s, Italy was at the forefront of book printing. Initially all publications were of a religious nature, however books about astronomy, botany, and geography had been growing in popularity, too. In 1483 Drohobych published in Rome his first book in Latin "Prognostic Estimation of the year 1483" (Iudicium Pronosticon Anni MCCCCLXXXIII Currentis). It was a nineteen-page publication of astrological (zodiac) calendars, which were popular at that time, that helped its readers to make predictions about events on Earth depending on the planets' positions. This publication had several noteworthy elements: Drohobych gave accurate predictions for two lunar eclipses; he provided accurate calculations of the phases of the Moon; and he also touched upon the subject of planetary movement. Furthermore, he indicated that the geographic coordinates were an important factor in determining the sun's and planets' positions. Depending on the geographic location of the observer, the positions of cosmic objects would vary. His longitude calculations were not error-free, however. He deserves credit for being the first Eastern European scholar who in a printed publication indicated the exact geographic coordinates of several Ukrainian, Polish, and Lithuanian cities.

Weather forecasting was another aspect of Drohobych's publication. He suggested that by observing atmospheric phenomena, one can predict the weather. He also argued that climatic conditions depended on the latitude of a geographic location. One of the most important aspects of this treatise was the author's vision that the world is not an abstract notion and that humans are capable of learning its patterns and laws. In the foreword to the treatise, Drohobych wrote that even though our eyes cannot see the end of the boundless skies, our mind can. That we learn from the effect about the cause and from the latter we truly learn.

In 1491 Drohobych, published one of the first books in Church Slavonic language "Осьмогласник", ("Octoechos "or "Antiphonal") and the first books in Ukrainian "Часословець" ("Horologion" or "Book of Hour"), "Тріодь пісна" and " Тріодь цвітна" (Triodion). All these publications built the foundation for the further development of the Ukrainian cultural identity.

Yuriy Drohobych died on February 4, 1494 in Krakow. However he left behind a rich legacy. During his tenure on the faculty of Krakow University, humanistic ideas began to gain popularity among professors and students. Drohobych was the first Ukrainian scholar who began to advance these ideas in Ukraine. As time went on, he found many followers among Ukrainian scholars and students who studied in Italy and Poland and who disseminated these ideas upon their return to their homeland. In the mid-1400s, due to the lack of internal and external stimuli, Ukraine's education system slipped into decay. Drohobych and his followers created a niche that helped to preserve, sustain, and develop socio-cultural and philosophical ideas that lay the foundation for Ukraine's revival by the 17th and 18th centuries, which played an important role in preserving the national identity at a time when Ukrainian lands belong to different rulers.