Hieromonk Smaragd (Troitsky) and his Sermon: the Fate of the “Muravyovite without Muravyov”

Abstract

Hieromonk Smaragd (Troitsky, 1836–1886) was a prominent fi gure of the Orthodox Church in Lithuania and a supporter of the political course of Count M.N. Muravyov. His sermon, delivered in 1868, was a challenge to the «conciliatory» policy of the governor-general A.L. Potapov, who revised the course of M.N. Muravyov. This contributed to the actual expulsion of Smaragd to St. Petersburg at the command of Alexander II, who ordered not to return the hieromonk to Vilna. Only after 17 years Smaragd was actually rehabilitated and appointed vicar bishop in the Vilna diocese. But by that time he was seriously ill and soon died. Smaragd’s fate demonstrated the vulnerability to administrative arbitrariness not only of opponents of the monarchy, but also of its staunch supporters who publicly defended their views. However, the sanctions against them were considerably less severe than against revolutionaries, as the story of Smaragd showed. But because of their sincere loyalty to the state, the persecutions were perceived quite emotionally, as clear injustice