Rhetorical figures in Feofan Prokopovich’s sermon “Revelation of the Great Antichrist Who Was Prophesied Before in the Words of God and Came into This World Long Ago”

This study underscores the importance of a comprehensive study of Feofan Prokopovich’s literary legacy, including texts that have not previously been subjected to linguistic or rhetorical analysis. The text of the sermon “Revelation of the Great Antichrist Who Was Prophesied Before in the Words of God and Came into This World Long Ago” (“Revelation”), composed between 1735 and 1736, is an example of such a neglected text. As one of the fi nal works written by Prokopovich, it refl ects the widespread schismatic belief that the Antichrist had manifested among the sovereigns suppressing the schism. The primary aim of this research is to describe the rhetorical techniques employed in the text, focusing on their organizational features and functional roles. Research methods include review-analytical, lexico-stylistic, descriptive, and contextual analysis. The fi ndings reveal that the depiction of the Antichrist’s features (“characteristics”) is achieved through a diverse array of rhetorical devices. The most frequently used are the fi gures of “teaching” (epithet-based hypotyposis, repetition, and rationalization) and fi gures that evoke “enjoyment” (metaphors, antitheses, allegories, and hyperbaton). The use of these rhetorical tools is characterized by moderation, with a notable absence of ornate verbal embellishments, which, according to researchers, is consistent with Prokopovich’s stylistic tendencies. Importantly, the rhetorical devices in this sermon serve not only an aesthetic purpose but also function as integral elements within the text’s evidentiary system.