Kiryła Turaŭski

(ca. 1130 - ca.1184),

Kiryła Turaŭski was born approximately in 1130 in Turau, where he also got his education. At that time Turau was an important cultural centre with a number of scriptoria (monastery schools), where students were studying languages, reading books and learning rhetoric. Having reached his full age, Kiryła Turaŭski became a priest. He was writing prayers and religious books about monks. When in 1148 his ideological opponent Klim Smaliatsich was made Metropolitan of Kiev, Turauski secluded himself in a monastery stoup (tower). During such a seclusion (staupnitstva) Turauski was absorbed in thinking and writing.