Orthodox Monasteries Research Articles

Labor and Work in the Ethics of Contemporary Orthodoxy: Restoring a Peasant House, Monastery and Holy Russia

Drawing on the case of the repair of a peasant house by residents of a dilapidated (and also being restored) Orthodox monastery in the Russian North, the article raises the question of the relationship between theology and economics of economic ethics. The ethnographic analysis of this article focuses on the categories of “labor” and “work” in the practice of restoration and on the example of the hegumen of the monastery and his wards. My argument is that the spiritualization of “labor” and the theological understanding of the “laborer” in the context of the restoration of the Church is opposed to the economic (secular) strategies of “work” and “worker”. The hegumen inscribes the reconstruction of the destroyed peasant house into the general concept of the restoration of the church, which is carried out in the conditions of modernity and its challenges. The restoration of the Church seems to the hegumen and his wards not so much a “work” to repair cultural monuments, but a “labor” to return to the pre-revolutionary way of life, which is the prototype of a utopian paradise, Holy Russia. “Labor” and “work” are different by their temporalities: work is aimed at the result in the future while labor as spiritual practice is grounding for the return to the past. The article examines how the methodology of the ideal types of connection between Protestant ethics and capitalism (Weber) can be applied in the context of Orthodox economic ethics (Zabaev) through Weber's “understanding” methodology. The purpose of the article is to point out the inconsistency of binary oppositions used to interpret labor and work practices in an Orthodox monastery, and the need to consider them in the context of the historical continuity of practices and their meanings.

Orthodox Monasteries and Churches as centers of Regional Identity Formation (on the example of the Penza Diocese)

Orthodox Monasteries and Churches as centers of Regional Identity Formation (on the example of the Penza Diocese)

Effects of Religious Fasting on Markers of Oxidative Status in Vitamin D-Deficient and Overweight Orthodox Nuns versus Implementation of Time-Restricted Eating in Lay Women from Central and Northern Greece

Background/Objectives: The Mediterranean diet has been widely suggested to exert significant beneficial effects on endothelial oxidative status and cardiometabolic health. Greek Orthodox monasteries, due to their specific nutritional and sartorial habits, comprise a population thatstrictly adheres to nutritional patterns with restricted eating and a plant-based subset of the Mediterranean diet, often accompanied by profound hypovitaminosis D. Time-restricted eating (TRE) is also adopted bya large part of the general lay Greek population for health-promoting reasons, without restrictions on animal product consumption, as imposed by Orthodox religious fasting. However, the comparative effects of these nutritional patterns on oxidative stress markers remain scarce. Methods: The present study attempted to evaluate the effects of Christian Orthodox fasting (COF) in a group of vitamin D-deficient and overweight Orthodox nuns from Central and Northern Greece compared to the implementation of TRE, a 16:8 dietary regimen (16 h of food abstinence and 8 h of feeding) in a cohort of adult women from the general population from the same region with regard to markers of endothelial oxidative status. A group of 50 women from two Orthodox monasteries in Northern Greece and one group of 50 healthy lay women were included. During the enrollment, a detailed recording of their dietary habits was performed, along with a scientific registry of their demographic and anthropometric characteristics (via bioimpedance). The Orthodox nuns followed a typical Orthodox fasting regimen [daily feeding window (8 a.m.–4 p.m.)], whereas the lay women followed a TRE 16:8 regimen with the same feeding time-window with a recommendation to follow a low-fat diet, without characteristics of the Mediterranean diet. We included a complete biochemical analysis, as well as calciotropic profiles [calcium—Ca, albumin, parathyroid hormone—PTH, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D—25(OH)D] and markers of TAC (total antioxidant capacity), GSH (glutathione),and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARSs) concentrations as markers of oxidative status. Results: All the groups were compared at the baseline regarding their calcium, PTH, and 25(OH)D concentrations, with no statistically significant differences between the groups apart from higher PTH levels in the nuns due to lower 25(OH)D levels. The Orthodox nuns manifested a lower median GSH compared to the controls (6.0 vs. 7.2, p 0.04) and a higher median TAC (0.92 vs. 0.77, p < 0.001). The TBARS comparisons showed no significant difference between the two groups. No significant associations of oxidative status with 25(OH)D, PTH, and the markers of glucose homeostasis were evident. Conclusions: The results of this small pilot study indicate that both dietary regimens have advantages over the oxidative markers compared to each other, with increased TAC in the group of Orthodox nuns after a 16-week period of COF compared to a 16:8 TRE and increased GSH concentrations in the lay women group. Future randomized trials are required to investigate the superiority or non-inferiority between these dietary patterns in the daily clinical setting.

Digital Surveying for Revitalization of Finiq Municipality in Albania: Utilizing 3D Technologies for Heritage Preservation and Development

The Finiq Municipality in Albania is a rural region that is faced with a number of pressing challenges, including a declining population, isolation, and a lack of identity. These is- sues are prevalent in many rural areas of Albania and other countries and can have a substantial impact on the preservation of heritage structures and the overall development of the municipality. However, the territory possesses several potential advantages, such as its proximity to Saranda and the Albanian Riviera, the archaeological site of old Phoeniciae, and the 13th-century Orthodox monastery dedicated to St. Nicholas of Myra, as well as the qual- ity agribusiness production. Proper implementation of policies at the national, regional, and local levels could lead to a tourism-based revitalization of the area. In this framework, data plays a crucial role in project development as it forms the basis for informed decision-making and efficient planning. One of the key benefits of data is its ability to reveal patterns and trends, which can be leveraged for decision-making and improvement opportunities. In addition to demographic and sociological data, information describing the territory and human artifacts in their physical form is also essential. GIS tools are already in use and provide useful cartographic data, which effectively represents the complexity of the territory and the relationships between its various components. This data forms the founda- tion for creating advanced information systems, such as territorial digital twins, to deepen the knowledge of the territory. Integrated digital surveys, utilizing three-dimensional acquisi- tion technologies such as lase scanning and photogrammetry, can serve as a reliable source of input data for creating these knowledge tools. Point clouds offer valuable morphometric databases that are often critical for documenting not only architectural and cultural heritage but also infrastructure, modern artifacts, and larger portions of the territory. Different multis- calar approaches can be adopted to cater to the specific needs and requirements, for instance providing a detailed understanding of archaeological and monumental heritage, or the contextualization of settlements in the surrounding area. By integrating these data with GIS platforms and BIM models to create a comprehensive understanding of the municipality's territory, they can be utilized for preservation and conservation efforts, urban planning and development, and identifying potential structural issues. Additionally, the data collected through 3D survey technologies can be utilized to monitor the condition of the buildings and infrastructure, promoting better maintenance and planning, even considering the risks posed by the area, such as seismic risk. The digital data can also be used to create virtual tours and interactive models, promoting the municipality's cultural heritage and economic development. While the use of these procedures in a marginal area may initially seem disproportionate, it is not so much in relation to the subject of the survey, given the universally recognized historical and artistic value of some areas. The financial effort required to undertake such campaigns may seem substantial, but the project can be implemented in phases, integrated, and completed over time.

Historical Narratives and Spatial Strategies of Reappropriation in Three Romanian Orthodox Monasteries

Contrary to the abundance of shared religious places throughout south-eastern Europe, multi-religious interaction is not a regular feature in Romania. Pilgrimages and visits to the popular Orthodox monasteries of Prislop and Nicula in Transylvania and Dervent in Dobruja are an exception to this trend. Unsurprisingly, these two regions are historically characterized by a remarkable ethnic and religious diversity. The two Transylvanian monasteries attract practitioners of different Christian denominations (Orthodox, Greek-Catholic, Roman-Catholic and Evangelical), while Dervent is a devotional site for Christians and Muslims (Tatars, Turks and Roma) alike. Common to all three monasteries is the presence of allegedly miracle-working objects, artefacts and bodies: a stone cross at Dervent, the Virgin Mary icon at Nicula, and the tomb of the charismatic monk Arsenie Boca at Prislop, respectively. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the three monasteries during both important feasts and everyday monastic life, this article is a multidisciplinary exploration of the workings of inter-religious competition, sharing and interaction. It combines the methods typical of ethnographic research with observations on how the religious space is navigated and socialized through the support of cartography and archival satellite images. The article casts light on how the historical narratives and spatial strategies enacted by the Romanian Orthodox Church overlap in the attempt to reclaim legitimate ownership and exclusive primacy over three popular devotional sites with a composite ethnic and religious past.

Монастирі та чернецтво Київської єпархії синодального періоду: регламентація діяльності в системі російського церковного законодавства

The article aims to specify the status of Orthodox monasteries and monasticism in the Kyiv eparchy between the 19th and early 20th centuries within the framework of the then-existing Russian church legislation. Research methodology is grounded in the principles of historicism and scientific objectivity, using critical, systematic and comparative analysis of sources. These methods and principles have enabled a comprehensive study of various phenomena in their dynamics and totality, taking into account all conflicting factors. By employing these diverse methods, the study has traced the impact of Russian church legislation on events and processes regulating the activities of monasteries and monasticism in the Kyiv eparchy during the synodal period. Conclusions. The 18th-century reforms in the Russian Empire’s ecclesiastical sphere designated the Holy Governing Synod as the legislative authority over the Orthodox Church, fully subordinating it to the Russian imperial government. During this century, church legislation was established, which, with minor modifications and additions, remained in effect throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries and applied to Ukrainian Orthodox eparchies. The 18th century marked a period of profound and comprehensive transformations in the history of monasteries and monasticism, characterized by strict regulation of monastic life, daily routines and the rights of the inhabitants. The primary feature of church-state relations in the 19th and early 20th centuries was the state’s total control over the Church’s affairs. The Holy Synod controlled matters such as the establishment of new monasteries, granting them status, accepting individuals into monasticism and determining the number of monastics. The monasteries of the Kyiv eparchy during this period were managed by the eparchial bishop and were entitled to elect an abbot, who was then approved by the Holy Synod through its decree. Monasteries, both male and female, were classified into three categories, either communal or non-communal, with a clearly defined monastic staff determined by the Synod.

Orthodox Monasteries as Centers of Christian Civilization on the Eastern Borders of the Russian State

The study is devoted to the history and activities of monastic monasteries in Siberia, their importance in the context of the integration of Siberian territories into the Russian statehood, due to the duration of the processes of Christianization: from the creation of a church administrative unit in Siberia (1620) and completion at the beginning of the twentieth century. The research involved complex and communicative approaches, axiological aspects and methodology of local history, involving the reconstruction of a regional historical narrative. It is noted that the establishment of monastic monasteries has become an important factor in the spread of Russian statehood. The ways of creating monasteries related to both monastic and public initiatives, as well as by decision of the diocesan authorities, are considered. We pay attention to the scientific discourse of modern historical science on the issues of dating the establishment of monastic monasteries and an individual research approach. The contribution of monasteries to the economic development of territories is determined, the main directions of social and educational activities of monastics are indicated. We consider the role of the women’s Orthodox communities of Siberia in the second half of the XIX century, contributing to the strengthening of the ideological basis of the empire, influencing the formation of moral and value attitudes and improving the educational level of local ethnic groups. The special role of monasteries in the history of the region is justified, due to the territorial and climatic conditions, the multi-confessional and multilingual nature of Siberia, when a few monks performed various functions, engaged in missionary, socio-educational and educational activities. We draw a conclusion that Orthodox monasteries in Siberia were outposts of the spread and establishment of Christian civilization, monasteries provided communication with the non-ethnic population, involving them in the Orthodox mentality, forming a vector of the socio-cultural topos of the peoples of Siberia.

The Participation of Women’s Monasteries in Missionary Activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Second Half of the XIX – Early XX Centuries

The study of the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in the life of Russian society is an urgent task for Russian historical science. The solution of this problem requires a comprehensive objective study of the missionary activities of Orthodox monasteries in the second half of the XIX – early XX centuries. The contradiction between the insufficient knowledge of the missionary activity of women’s monasteries and the need to study it in order to obtain a holistic view and an objective assessment of this activity has become a research problem. The purpose of the article is to analyze the participation of women’s monasteries in the missionary activities of the church among groups of the Russian population of different confessions in the second half of the XIX – early XX centuries. The novelty of the article lies in the fact that the evolution of the establishment of nunneries is investigated; the main directions and forms of their work are characterized; factors that influenced the work of monasteries in the church mission are identified; the results of their missionary activities are analyzed. For the first time, summary statistics on women’s missionary monasteries are presented. The study was conducted on the basis of a systematic approach using the principles of objectivity and historicism, historical-genetic and historical-comparative methods. The author concludes to the conclusion that the activities of women’s monasteries contributed to the expansion of the church mission through the use of various forms of work with the population. Social and charitable activities were of great importance. The advantage of nunneries is the use of forms of work that are attractive to the population. This not only contributed to the solution of missionary tasks but also ensured the cultural and civilizational development of the population, influenced its religious and moral state. The results of the research can be used in the content of the academic disciplines “History of Russia”, “History of traditional religions of Russia”, in studies on the church mission, the history of Russian Orthodox female monasticism. The prospects of the research are to study the missionary activities of “non-native” nunneries, co-religionist nunneries, and women’s missionary communities

Благочинные монастырей в системе церковного управления Российской империи в конце XVIII–начале XX века

The paper deals with the study of the role of deans of monasteries in the system of Church administration and their influence on the activities of Orthodox monastic monasteries in the Russian Empire of the late XVIII – early XX centuries. Based on legislative acts and archival records, the author analyzes the scope of activity of deans in the structure of church authorities of the Synodal period. It is concluded that the deans, in accordance with the instructions, as well as the instructions of the bishop and the consistory, exercised direct control over Orthodox monasteries: the composition of the brethren, economic, financial and charitable activities.

ABBOTS OF ORTHODOX MONASTERIES ON THE TERRITORY OF BELARUS IN THE SECOND THIRD OF THE XIX – EARLY XX CENTURY: STATUS AND ROLE IN THE ORGANIZATION OF MONASTIC LIFE

The article presents information about the abbots and abbesses of Orthodox monasteries in Belarus in the second third of the XIX – early XX century. The role and their importance in the organization of the spiritual and economic life of the monastery are determined. The article presents the process of election to abbess positions in unsociable and cenobitic monasteries of the Belarusian dioceses. Examples of appointments, transfers to abbess vacancies in male and female monasteries are considered. The trends that led to instability and problems of monastery management have been identified. The factors and circumstances affecting these processes have been identified.

The Reports of the Ober-Procurators of the Holy Ruling Synod as a Source for the Study of the Situation in the Kyiv Eparchy and Its Monasteries in the Second Half of the 19th and Early 20th Centuries

The purpose of the article is to cast light upon the problem of researching published sources on the history of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, as well as to supplement the achievements of previous researchers and to propose a detailed analysis of the situation and activities of the Kyiv diocese and its monasteries, presented in the published reports of the ober-procurators of the Holy Ruling Synod between 1884 and 1914. The scientific novelty of the material presented in this article lies in the fact that, for the first time in the national historiography, “All-Public Reports of the Ober-Procurators of the Holy Synod” between 1884–1914, which were published and open to the general scientific community, were subjected to a detailed analysis. The authors also clarify the level and significance of information about the situation in the Kyiv Eparchy, its clergy, its numbers, its composition, as well as the cultural, educational and charitable activities of its monasteries. The article argues that the essence of the reports by the ober-procurators of the Holy Ruling Synod on the situation in the Kyiv Eparchy and its monasteries is practically undeveloped in the scientific literature. Such reports were addressed to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church – the Russian Emperor. They are an important and extremely informative source for modern researchers, familiarity with which will permit them to assess the general condition of the main confession in the empire. More specifically, these reports reveal the state of the Kyiv Eparchy for each calendar year. Every report had a relatively standard structure and was published as a separate book. An analysis of these sources makes it possible to establish the role and place of the hierarchs of the Kyiv Eparchy in the overall structure of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as their personnel and activities. Furthermore, additional information, provided in the reports on the number of Orthodox monasteries in the Kyiv Eparchy and the number of monks, is of particular interest, which allows the authors to trace the dynamics in changes in these numbers over thirty years. The study of the reports reveals new information on the life in the Orthodox monasteries in the Kyiv region, in relation to their charitable, cultural and educational activities.

Temples and Monasteries of the Ardatov Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 17th – 18th centuries

Introduction. The preservation of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values, culture and historical memory today is a strategic national priority of multinational and multi-confessional Russia. Results and Discussion. In 1555, the Kazan diocese was formed, which launched an active work on the Christianization of the peoples of the Volga region. In 1672, the territory of the Alatyrsky district became part of the newly formed Nizhny Novgorod and Alatyrsky diocese. This event was closely connected with the strengthening of the Old Believers in the Volga region and the task of baptizing the non-Russian population of the Volga region. Orthodox monasteries became centers for the spread of Christianity in the Mordovian region. Along with the church-state Christianization of the Mordovian people, there was also its folk form, realized on the basis of voluntary economic and cultural communication with the Russian population. A significant role in the Orthodox life of the region in the 17th – 18 th centuries. Spaso-Preobrazhenskaya Startseuglovskaya Hermitage and Kazanskaya Klyuchevskaya Hermitage played. Conclusion. In general, the baptism of the Mordovians, the foundation of monasteries and the desert, the opening of churches became an important step in strengthening Orthodoxy in the region, played a positive role in the spiritual and moral education of the people, and left a noticeable mark on the development of education and culture. There have been changes in daily life, traditions and rituals.

К вопросу об исследовании социально-психологических особенностей современных монашествующих

Monasticism as a socio-psychological phenomenon has passed a long evolutionary path. For several centuries, certain elements of monastic life and the organizational structure have undergone changes, but the basic essence of monastic service has remained unchanged. The study of the socio-psychological portrait of modern Orthodox monasticism in the context of radical changes in socio-political, cultural and spiritual life in our country is relevant in the context of the social and pedagogical ministry of Orthodox monasteries in Russia, the dynamics of their development in accordance with the ongoing changes in the life of society, its social needs. Currently, there are several works devoted to modern monasticism as a historical, cultural and socio-cultural phenomenon, but none of the researchers focused on the socio-psychological features of the perception of monastic ministry by the monastics themselves. In this regard, the purpose of the article is to highlight the results of the study of modern Orthodox monasticism in the light of socio-psychological processes and public relations to monastic asceticism. Psychodiagnostic methods, biographical method and included observation were used as research methods. The results obtained allow us to judge the motivational features of monastic tonsure, some personal characteristics of representatives of modern monasticism, gender differences in the evaluation of their ministry among those who ascribe in male and female monasteries.

To the Issue of the Charitable Activities of Orthodox Monasteries in the Initial Period of the First World War

To the Issue of the Charitable Activities of Orthodox Monasteries in the Initial Period of the First World War

“They Must be Brought to the Right Path”: Monastic Incarceration of Old Calendarist Believers in Interwar Romania*

Abstract This study concerns the issue of monastic incarceration of members of the Old Calendarist Orthodox Church in interwar Romania. The practice of incarcerating individuals in Orthodox monasteries was common across Orthodox Eastern Europe, especially in Imperial Russia. Even though this constitutes a neglected aspect of Romanian history, monastic incarceration seems to have been a practice that affected the Old Calendarist communities during the interwar period. When the Old Calendarists were seen as a threat to the Romanian state and the Orthodox Church, the Holy Synod decided, in October 1936, that the fate of the Old Calendarist nuns and monks was to be arrested and sent to detention at isolated sketes. There they were put to work and forced to accept the new style calendar. The archives of the secret police, as well as the National Archives of Romania, preserve various documents in the form of letters, postcards, declarations, and Gendarmerie reports which prove that monastic incarceration of Old Calendarist believers was a phenomenon that extended during a longer period of time and involved at least four Orthodox Monasteries in the country.

Рецепция устава святителя Василия Великого в Восточной и Западной Церквах

The article presents a brief history of the main forms of monastic life. It is shown how, under the influence of various social and spiritual reasons, coenobia or community living became the prevailing way of organizing asceticism. The principles of the existence of kinovia were first formulated by St. Pachomius and developed by St. Basil the Great. The rules of St. Basil were laid at the foundation of the statutes of cenobitic OrthodoX monasteries and had a significant impact on the formation of Western monasticism.

IDIORRHYTHMIC INQUEST: SYLVESTER, PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA, JEREMIAH II, PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE, AND THE MISSION TO RESTORE COMMUNAL MONASTICISM ON MOUNT ATHOS IN THE 1570s

Over the second half of the sixteenth century, a new form of monasticism, idiorrhythmia (“living according to one’s own devices”), seemed to be spreading across the Orthodox monasteries of the Eastern Mediterranean. The communal regime practiced for centuries in the venerable monasteries of the East was gradually collapsing: first at St. Catherine’s on Sinai around 1557, then at the monasteries of Palestine, including the Monastery of the Cross in Jerusalem. When the patriarchs of Alexandria (Sylvester [1569-1590]) and Constantinople (Jeremiah II [1572-1579; 1580-1584; 1587-1595]) came together to celebrate Christmas at Thessaloniki in 1573, Sylvester was tasked with travelling to Mount Athos to investigate the state of the monastic life there. His inquest revealed a shocking state of affairs: monks moving without hindrance to and from Athos and engaging in the sale of goods to the outside world, including spirits which they drank themselves. Beardless youths and laypersons lived in monasteries; livestock were allowed to pasture on the Holy Mountain. This contribution will examine Patriarch Sylvester’s inquest and the subsequent effort to restore communal life at the major monasteries on Athos.

The History Pages of Everyday Life of Saint George Monastery: on the Basis of its Contemporary’s Ego-documents

The purpose of the article is the systematization of discovered entries about the Monastery of Saint George near Uman in «Diaries», written by a lawyer, a famous public figure, an activist of the cooperative movement in Uman region Petro Fedorovych Kurinnyi (1852–1931). They contain information about the daily life of monks and only everyday life focuses attention on the study of such issues as economic life of monks, the place of monastery in a religious and cultural life of the region, relations with authorities and the condition of connections between the state and the church. Research methodology is based on the combination of general scientific (analysis, synthesis, generalization) and special historical (descriptive, typological, system-forming) methods with principles of: historicism, systematicity, scientificity. Scientific novelty. Fragments of everyday life of inhabitants illustrating liturgical practice and economic activity of monks supplement an official history of the Monastery of Saint George near Uman. We characterized the attitude of state authorities to the monastery, which had been manifested in robberies, the abuse of monks and, in the end, in its liquidation. A death date of the Vicar of the Kyiv diocese, bishop Platon (Petrov) of Uman and Zvenyhorod was clarified. The history of monastery is filled with names of its inhabitants. Conclusions. Petro Fedorovych Kurinnyiʼs ego-documents are an important part of the source base of the history of monastery because they contain information, not found in other sources. Its systematization forms the idea about monksʼ daily life, filled with liturgical practice and economic activity. Diary entries testify that the service in the monastery attracted a large number of believers, but the monks’ economic activities provided the self-sufficient existence of the Orthodox monastery. From recorded monksʼ words the evolution of their attitude towards the Bolshevik government may be traced: from expectations of the closeness of views on joint economy management to non-acceptance due to brutality and the Bolsheviks’ desire to profit at other peopleʼs expense. The Bolsheviks looted the monastery four times in 1919. The ego-documents gave the opportunity to name all the abbots of the monastery and hieromonks.

ОРГАНІЗАЦІЯ УПРАВЛІННЯ ПРАВОСЛАВНИМИ МОНАСТИРЯМИ РПЦ У XVIII – НА ПОЧАТКУ ХХ СТ.

The article analyzes the organization of administrative management of Orthodox monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church during the synodal period. The information was systematized and the components of the multi-stage management system of the Orthodox monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 18th - early 20th centuries were established. In the 18th century the main legislative body of power in relation to the church became the Holy Synod, headed by a secular person - the arch-procurator. It was found out that Orthodox monasteries were an integral part of the system of institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church. The interaction of monasteries with state institutions on issues of state support is shown. The description of the methods of control of the diocesan authority over the monastery is given. It has been found that the management system of the Russian Orthodox Church in the synodal period was built on the principles of a combination of secular and ecclesiastical power. The spiritual consistory under the leadership of the ruling bishop became the central dominant in the regulation and settlement of the main range of problems arising in monastic life. All Orthodox monasteries of this period were not of the same type. They differed by many classification features - gender, states, status, classes, location. Monasteries in the dioceses were divided into three classes with the establishment of the norm of states of monks and nuns, who were in different status. The internal routine of monastic life was strictly regulated. It included the implementation of the monastery's charter and orders of the abbot.

HESYCHASTIC TRADITION AS A SOURCE OF UKRAINIAN CORDOCENTRISM

The statement of basic materials. The history of the adoption of Christianity by Kyivan Rus from the very beginning shows close ties with the monastic republic on Mount Athos. Researchers testify that Mount Athos was already the center of enlightenment and culture of Kyivan Rus. Only in this way does it become clear that Antony Pecherskyi was not a historical accident that suddenly fell from the sky like a star. Not only in Kyiv, but also in other cultural and political centers, monasteries appear in the context of the Athos heritage. XV century became catastrophic for the Byzantine Empire. But Athos retained relative autonomy. In the 16th century it is Volyn that becomes the spiritual and educational center of connection between the Ukrainian land and Mount Athos. The decline of Byzantium also affected the history of Ukrainian lands. The gradual strengthening of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth led to the beginning of projects to absorb Orthodox culture. The Union of Brest in 1596 provoked a movement of Orthodox spiritual and cultural resistance. And Athos, with the tradition of the Hesychasts, fulfilled his spiritual mission. The Athos influence on the literary works of Ukrainian figures was direct. S. Shumylo claims that Elder Ioann Vyshenskyi was the brightest personality of the Orthodox movement in Ukraine in the 17th century. His spiritual and literary work is a century ahead of the forerunners of the “philokalic revival” in Orthodoxy of the 18th-19th centuries. The works of I. Vyshenskyi are deeply imbued with ascetic and hesychastic motifs. But he was not only an experienced practitioner of the incessant Jesus prayer, but also tried to instill the hesychastic tradition in his homeland. It was from this that he wanted to build a spiritual and educational system in Orthodox monasteries according to Athos customs. The Ukrainian hesychastic revival had not only a religious and cultural-political influence. He was a statesman. The direct influence on the formation of Ukrainian statehood is confirmed by the blessing and, in fact, the legitimization of the “holy war” for the defense of Orthodoxy by the well-known Aphonite Patriarch of Constantinople Athanasius, who twice met with Bohdan Khmelnitsky and who ended his life in the Cossack Mgar monastery. The participation of Aphonites not only in the spiritual, but also in the political life of Ukraine was systematic and widespread. The 17th - 18th centuries also had a significant influence of the hesychastic tradition on all levels of Ukrainian society, from the spiritual and political elite to the masses. This is what can explain the phenomenon of H. Skovoroda.