Study on the activities of the Society of Jesus in East Slavic region in the last third of the xvi - first half of xvii centuries carried out by Russian Empire researchers

Abstract

The article analyzes the subjects of the research, carried out by Russian Empire scholars on the activities of the Society of Jesus in East Slavic region in the last third of the XVI - first half of the XVII centuries. Unlike the works by Western secular and ecclesiastical, Jesuit and Polish scholars, the works by Russian historians of XIX - early XX centuries were not much analyzed by modern scientists.The present research reveals that Russian scholars showed a keen interest in this problem. Researchers collected and published the factual material in the collections of documents. They embarked on a study of some aspects of Jesuit practices in the system of education, religious and social activities. They analyzed the principles and the ways of further study as well as began assessing the Society, its value and the impact of its activities.The topics of the research, however, were not versatile. Revisions, made by scholars, mainly concerned religious and educational activities of the Society of Jesus in the region. The researchers examined the educational institutions of the Society, the system of education, the ways of dissemination of Catholicism, Jesuits' participation in the preparation and creation of the Union of Brest, the Uniate Church, The Order of Saint Basil the Great, Antonio Possevino's mission to Moscow, Jesuits' participation in the events of the Time of Troubles in Muscovy, the activities of individual members of the Society (A. Possevino and Piotr Skarga particularly). The author of the present article argues that the scholars of the Empire did not take into account all the aspects of the above-mentioned topics and not all the houses of the Society in the region.However, the great interest showed by XIX century historians in the activities of the Society has not led to a comprehensive study of the problem. Certain areas of Jesuits' activities were not studied at all or studied inappropriately. The issues of the economic activity of the Society, financial security and staffing of the Society, the cultural achievements of the Jesuits, the cooperation of the Society of Jesus with public figures and its impact on the military, political, economic and cultural life in the region were not brought to light.Yet we cannot underestimate the achievements of Russian scholars. For XIX - early XX centuries these achievements were considered to be groundbreaking and some works and topics remained significant even for the early XXI century.