Simeon of Polotsk

(in the world - Samuel Yemelianovich Petrovsky-Sitnianovich) (1629-1680) - Belarus and the Russian public figure, writer. Polemics with the leaders of the church schism. A mentor children of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Theodore and Sophia. He taught at the school at the monastery Zaikonospassky. Co-author of the project to create a Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy. One of the pioneers of Russian poetry and drama. In his philosophical views Polotsky questioned the legality and even the 'justice' exploitation of simple people, but called for to mitigate the oppression, based on the need to ensure social peace and welfare. There was a strong supporter of royal authority, advocated the education of high business and moral qualities of the monarch from childhood. In this respect he was like the founder of the ideas of enlightened absolutism. First proposed in Russia bases syllabic versification, published two major collections of his poems - 'Rifmologion' and 'Vertograd color', which enjoyed great success.