Szymon Okolski (1580–1653), also known as Simon Okolski, was a well-known
Polish–Lithuanian historian, theologian, and specialist in
heraldry.[1] His own clan and coat of arms were that of
Rawicz. He was born in
Kamieniec Podolski, died in
Lviv. He headed chairs of theology in Lviv and
Bologna. A member of the
Dominican Order, in 1641 he became a superior of the Dominican monastery in Kamieniec Podolski. In 1648 Okolski accepted the post of the prowincjał (province leader) of the Dominican Order in the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth-controlled
Ruś territories.[1] The center of the province was located in Lwow.
In 1637-38 Okolski accompanied Crown
hetmanMikołaj Potocki during his neutralization of rebellious
Cossacks driven by
Jakub Ostrzanin and
Dmytro Hunia. Being a witness and a direct participant of those developments, Okolski gave a detailed description of them in his field diaries. The latter were published immediately and became a valuable source of information for historians and writers: for instance,
Nikolai Gogol must have used these materials for his "Taras Bulba" - a novel devoted to the Cossack rebellions 1637–38. Okolski was an author of historical and heraldic books among which an armorial
encyclopedia of the
Polish nobilityOrbis Polonus (1641–43) in three volumes is the most famous. Languages of his works are Polish and Latin.
Published works
Orbis Polonus splendoribus coeli, triumphis mundi, pulchritudine animantium condecoratus, in quo antiqua Sarmatorum gentiliata pervetusta nobilitatis insignia etc. specificantur et relucent (in English: Polish Encyclopedia of the ancient Sarmatian families, the history of the coats of arms of the nobles of Poland old and new, their origin as awards for honorable deeds and the arms themselves specifically described and emblazoned) (Vol. 1, 2 and
3, Kraków, 1641–43) - armorial encyclopedia of the Polish nobility;
Kontynuacya dyaryusza wojennego etc. (Kraków, 1639) - continuation of Okolski's field notes of the Cossacks neutralization. In 1738 both diaries were translated to Russian by Stephan Lukomski, a historian;
Russia Florida etc. (Lwów, 1646; 7th edition - Leipzig, 1759) – history of the Dominican Order in Russia, with general data on population, regions, Russian monasteries, etc.;
Kioviensium et Czernichoviensium episcoporum etc. ordo et numeris descriptus (Lwów, 1646 ; Polish translation by ks. Serwatowski, Kraków, 1853);
Żywoty niektórych św. zakonnic dominikanek (cz. I, Kraków 1638; cz. II Niebo ziemskie Anjolów w ciele palma i lilija ozdobione etc. (Lwow 1644).
There are also some Okolski's unpublished manuscripts («Miscellanea») kept in the Dominican monastery in Lviv.
Literature
Pauli, Ignacy Żegota (1840).
"XVII". Starożytności galicyjskie [Galician Antiquities] (in Polish). Lviv: Nakładem Autora. pp. 36–40.
References
^
abcPauli, Ignacy Żegota (1840).
"XVII". Starożytności galicyjskie [Galician Antiquities] (in Polish). Lviv: Nakładem Autora. pp. 36–40.
Ossoliński, Wiadomości historyczno-krytyczne (т. I);
Pauli, Starożytnosci galicyjskie
Baracz, Rys dziejów zakonu kaznodziejskiego (т. II).
St.Krzyczanowski, De Simonis Okolscii vita et scriptis historicis (1870)
Дневник Симеона Окольского // Мемуари, относяшиеся к исторни Южной Руси. Киев, 1896, Вып.2.