Russian Orthodox Research Articles

The origin and activity of Yelets autocephaly in Orel diocese in the early 1920s: a history of resistance to the Renovationist Schism in the Russian Orthodox Church

The origin and activity of Yelets autocephaly in Orel diocese in the early 1920s: a history of resistance to the Renovationist Schism in the Russian Orthodox Church

The Russian Orthodox Mission in Beijing (XVIII–XX Centuries): Historiography, Missionary Role, and Contemporary Assessment

This historiographical study examines the Russian Orthodox Mission in Beijing from 1715 to 1956, revealing its historical impact on Christianity in China and Sino–Russian cultural exchanges. The research explores how the Mission functioned not only as a religious entity but also influenced diplomatic ties and scholarly pursuits, as documented in both Chinese and Russian historiographies. This study utilizes contemporary sources, exploring Chinese narratives to re-evaluate historical perspectives, and portrays the Mission as a critical mediator in Sino–Russian relations. An examination of the historical context shows that the Mission has undergone a transformation over time. It has evolved from an influential ecclesiastical presence to a cultural and diplomatic agency unobtrusively entered into Chinese society. From the mid-18th to the early 20th century, the Mission adapted to the local environment by combining the transmission of religious doctrine with engagement in China’s political and cultural contexts. The article proposes a holistic interpretation of the Mission’s function, encompassing not only evangelism but also diplomatic engagements, and adding to the multifaceted discourse within Chinese cultural heritage. In summary, the article recommends exploring the enduring impact and historical complexities of the Russian Orthodox Mission as it is grounded in a broader framework of global movements. The research suggests that it may be beneficial to broaden the scope of historiographic narratives to encompass a diverse range of interdisciplinary studies that reflect the complexity of the Mission’s enduring impact and its role in shaping a shared global history.

Behavior of Nizhny Novgorod Diocese Clergy during First Russian Revolution

This study examines the behavior of the clergy of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese regarding the revolutionary events at the beginning of the 20th century. It identifies instances of oppositional behavior and its consequences for the priests of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese during the period of 1905-1907. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that, for the first time in this article, based on materials from the Nizhny Novgorod Spiritual Consistory, attention is drawn to the anti-government sentiments and actions of representatives of parish clergy of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese during the first revolution. It is shown that oppositional behavior was not widespread but rather isolated. The author concludes that it manifested as a protest against social injustice, military field courts, in defense of peasants’ rights to land against landlords, urging peasants to disobey authority, non-payment of taxes, church fees, association with politically unreliable individuals, liberal interpretation of the Manifesto of October 17, 1905, and so on. The author believes that the accused priests did not align themselves with a specific political party, except for Father I.I. Vladimirovsky, an archpriest from Arzamas and a deputy of the Second State Duma from the Constitutional Democrats party. It was found that 2 out of 4 cases against priests were dropped. Meanwhile, 3 out of 4 priests were punished by the diocesan authorities with a ban on serving or transfer to other parishes. The findings of this research can be utilized in courses studying the history of the Russian Orthodox Church.

“This did not happen even during the Cold War”: religion and international sanctions in the Russo-Ukrainian War

The Russian Orthodox Church has emerged as a significant contributor to the intellectual framework that underpins Russia’s full-scale invasion and war against Ukraine. The Church’s endorsement and subsequent support of the war have compelled a number of secular governments and organisations to address this political involvement, resulting in the inclusion of church leaders and church-related entities on sanctions lists related to the conflict. This article aims to analyse the presence of religious figures on sanctions lists related to the war and the challenges associated with the implementation of such sanctions, particularly in the context of the ongoing debate concerning restrictions on freedom of religion and beliefs.

Духовна просвіта та імперські наративи: українська минувшина у дзеркалі єпархіальних журналів другої половини ХІХ ст.

The purpose of the article is to analyze the role of Orthodox spiritual journals of the second half of the 19th century in the spread of imperial narratives about the history of Ukraine. The research is aimed at determining the mutual influence of the publications of ecclesiastical diocesan publications with the state ideology, as well as analyzing the connection of these publications with the modern propaganda of the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church against Ukraine. The methodological principles. Based on the analysis of historical literature and the source base, the article’s author used the methods of historical analysis and synthesis to examine the imperial narratives in the Orthodox spiritual journals of the period under study. The research also uses the comparative method and the method of systematic analysis to study the topics of publications of magazines of individual dioceses, as well as to determine the influence of the views of pre-revolutionary Orthodox publicists on the modern narratives of the Russian Orthodox Church regarding Ukraine. The scientific novelty of this topic is based on an attempt to analyze the variability of the thematic spectrum of historical publications issued in various diocesan journals and on revealing views on interfaith relations in the historical retrospective of Orthodox authors and determining the influence of these views on the beliefs of the hierarchs of the modern Russian Orthodox Church. Conclusions. The authors analyzed the topics of historical publications issued in the unofficial part of diocesan journals in the territory of the Russian Ukraine and the Cholm-Warsaw diocese. Interrelationships and regional differences of imperial narratives in Orthodox diocesan journals were traced. The role of diocesan information in relaying these narratives, as well as their reflection in modern Kremlin propaganda against Ukraine, is highlighted. It is asserted that the diocesan Orthodox publishing houses of the second half of the 19th century played an important role in forming the Russian imperial vision of the past of Ukrainian lands. The study revealed their role in the spread of numerous regional variants of imperial propaganda. The indirect influence of these narratives on Ukrainian national historiography is noted, and the need to distance themselves from them for a better study of the past and opposition to Russian propaganda is specified.

Сравнительный стилистический и жанровый анализ посланий Патриарха Московского Кирилла и архиепископа Кентерберийского Джастина Уэлби

<p>This article presents a comparative stylistic and genre analysis of the messages delivered by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury. The study examines the unique stylistic elements and genre conventions employed in their respective messages, aiming to reveal the underlying rhetorical strategies, thematic emphases, and communicative techniques. Employing qualitative analysis methods, the paper explores how these religious leaders use language and genre to articulate their theological perspectives and address contemporary issues. The analysis underscores the differences and similarities in their approaches, reflecting their distinct cultural, theological, and institutional contexts. By comparing the messages of these prominent figures in the Russian Orthodox Church and the Anglican Communion, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of contemporary religious communication and its impact on global and local religious communities.</p>

Martyrological in Form, Military-Patriotic in Content

That Putin’s regime has been able to put the memory of the Great Patriotic War (GPW) to political use is hardly news to any observer of Russia. What is often overlooked, however, is that the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) has contributed to the instrumentalization of this memory by the Kremlin. In this article, I aim to bridge this gap. Drawing on an analysis of the ROC’s commemorative activities, I reconstruct the specific, martyrological, interpretation of the GPW that it is forging. With sin, atonement, and glory as its central concepts, this interpretation invests the suffering and losses of the GPW with patriotic sense. Thus, it turns the politically problematic traumatic memory of the GPW into a politically useful one. Simultaneously, it is consistent with the triumphant cult of the GPW advanced by the Kremlin. It also perfectly suits the statist historical narrative focused on the continuity of Russia’s past, which is crucial for the ideology of Putin’s regime. Furthermore, this interpretation does not contradict the Soviet memory of the GPW that the regime relies on. Finally, in combining Orthodox Christianity with militarism, the martyrological interpretation of the GPW is highly suitable for the regime’s political business of the day, which is waging its war against Ukraine.

ОПЫТ МИССИОНЕРОВ РПЦ В ЗАРОЖДЕНИИ ХРИСТИАНСКОГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ У ОСЕТИН (1742–1793)

В публикации представлен анализ деятельности миссионеров РПЦ в зарождении христианского образования у осетин за период с 1742 по 1793 гг. Цель работы заключается в воссоздании целостной картины генезиса христианского образования миссионерами, выявлении их вклада в дело просвещения осетинского народа. На основе открытия новых архивных и документальных материалов в статье пересматривается позиция некоторых аспектов кавказоведческой науки, нивелирующей значение грузинских деятелей в культурном сближении русско-осетинских обществ. The publication presents an analysis of the activities of the missionaries of the Russian Orthodox Church in the origin of education among Ossetians for the period from 1742 to 1793. The aim of the work is to recreate a holistic picture of the genesis of Christian education by missionaries, to identify their contribution to the school architecture of the Ossetian people. Based on the discovery of new archival and documentary materials, the article reviews the position of some aspects of Caucasian studies, leveling the importance of Georgian figures in the cultural rapprochement of Russian-Ossetian societies.

THE ROMANIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH CHORAL CREATION OF CLASSICAL-ROMANTIC INFLUENCE

The liturgical singing of the Romanian Orthodox Church is monodic, of the Byzantine tradition. From the 19th century, under the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church, multiple voices choral singing penetrates the Romanian worship establishments. The beginnings were timid, isolated, from private initiatives and sometimes encountering the hostility of conservative ecclesiastical traditionalism. After 1959, the introduction of choral singing in the United Romanian Principalities was to be facilitated by state legislation. Choral singing would be used predominantly for the office of the Holy Liturgy. In finding a choral style suitable for the orthodox liturgical ceremonial, three main stylistic directions were outlined, among which the classical-romantic influence created a generous and varied repertoire.

Церковное пение Марийского края в годы Советской власти (1917-1941)

This article studies the history of church singing in Mari Region (1917‒1941). This study allows us to solve a number of important problems in the history of Mari region. These include the church singing culture, the position of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Soviet period, the activities of the Mari intelligentsia, &c. The art of church singing in Mari region was of great importance; it infl uenced not only the processes of christianisation and education of the indigenous Mari population, but also the culture, mentality and the very quality of life of local residents. The end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries were fruitful in this regard. At that time, a foundation was formed, which, during the years of Soviet persecution of the Church, revealed new martyrs and confessors of the Orthodox faith among local clergy, monks, laypeople, as well as choir masters, sextons, and choir members. The study of the mentioned topic allows us to state that the church-singing culture of the Mari land, as well as of other regions of the country, was in a very diffi cult situation. The traditions of church singing, laid down in the pre-revolution period, were virtually interrupted during these years. Many people had to go through hardship associated with the antireligious persecution. Very few were able to endure all the trials and remain to work in the “field of Christ” or at least remain in the Church. Nevertheless, the culture of church singing, ousted from the Church, continued in many secular choirs. Masters of church-singing art now worked in various choirs. In such diffi cult conditions, church singing in many churches remained for more than a dozen years, almost until the end of the 20th century.

Государственно-церковные отношения в СССР в период «оттепели» в 1954–1964 годах (на примере Горьковской области)

The article examines the peculiarities of relations between state bodies and public organizations and the Gorky Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church in the period 1954–1964, the so-called “thaw”. The article is based on normative legal acts of local authorities, memoirs of Orthodox clergy and publications in the regional periodical press. In the article, the author concludes that during this period the struggle against the Russian Orthodox Church in the USSR was carried out by a variety of administrative and propaganda means and methods that were sanctioned by the party-Soviet bodies.

Ecclesiastical populism in contemporary Russia? ‘the people’ in the political discourse of the orthodox church

ABSTRACT The image of ‘the people’ has occupied a central place in the discourse of the contemporary Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) for many years. However, the ROC’s ecclesiastical ‘populism’ has not been systematically analyzed. The study at hand aims to fill this gap by examining the representations of ‘the people’ articulated at the Bishops’ Council of the ROC in the last three decades. Following and modifying Ernesto Laclau and his followers’ approach to studying populism, the analysis of the Council’s documents shows that the official Church plays a dual language game, simultaneously constructing a hegemonic order in Russia and its alleged ‘civilizational space’ and promoting a seemingly counter-hegemonic project in global politics. However, the role of ‘the people’ in this setting is far from Laclau’s conception of radical popular agency. Instead, the Bishops’ Council calls for the preservation of traditional identities and local hierarchies in order to ensure Russia’s continuity and greatness. Thus, the official Church has been contributing to the elitist, statist, and great-power nationalist hegemony in Russia.

Sacred Council of the Russian Orthodox Church 1917–1918. on the right of women to enter the altar

Sacred Council of the Russian Orthodox Church 1917–1918. on the right of women to enter the altar

Muslim mosques of the Yenisei province in the legal framework of the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th — early 20th century

In this article, the functioning of Muslim parishes in the Elysee province in the second half of the 19th — early 20th centuries is being examined. The paper has been prepared using archival materials of the State Archive of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Central State Historical Archive of the Republic of Bashkortostan, many of which are being introduced into scientific discourse for the first time. The archival materials are presented by petitions from Muslims of the Yenisei Province, and the associated correspondence from provincial departments and the Orenburg Mohammedan Spiritual Assembly. Based on the analysis of the source base, it has been established that the active construction of religious buildings on the territory of the Yenisei Province by Muslims only started in the beginning of the 20th century. Mosques performed not only a religious function for Muslims, but also a public institution uniting representatives of the Islamic tradition. Despite the fact that the community was obliged to cover all construction and maintenance costs itself, the process of obtaining such permissions was quite lengthy. For example, in the city of Yeniseisk, it took several years for the Muslim community to obtain the permission and build a mosque. The first petition for the permission to build a mosque in Yeniseisk was sent to the Orenburg Mohammedan Spiritual Assembly in 1865, and the mosque itself was built only in 1906. To obtain the permission to build a religious building, the Muslim community had to prove its worth, both before provincial authorities and the Orenburg Mohammedan Spiritual Assembly. A separate decision on the possibility of building a mosque in the region was given by the diocesan authorities in order to establish the fact that a religious building built by Muslims would not infringe on the interests of the Orthodox population, as well as attract the newly baptized people. At the beginning of the 20th century, with the increase in the number of immigrants in the region, there was a discernible trend towards the larger number of Muslim communities in the Yenisei Province, and at the same time of the construction of mosques. Furthermore, during this period, there were certain relaxations in the requirements for religious construction for Mus-lims. However, all these changes, as well as active position of the Muslim population in the region still required lengthy corre-spondence with government officials, as well as spiritual departments, both of the Muslims themselves and the Russian Ortho-dox Church. One of the main problems, which remained intractable even in the beginning of the 20th century, was concerned with the compliance with norms of the Construction Charter regarding the size of the parish. The Yenisei Province remained being a multi-confessional region, where the Muslim community was not always dense.

THE PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING CANONICAL STRUCTURES IN THE ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH IN RUSSIA AND THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN ARMENIA (1991-2023)

The paper analyzes how over the past thirty years the canonical structures (dioceses) of the Armenian Apostolic Church were established in the Russian Federation, on the one hand, and how the corresponding structures of the Russian Orthodox Church were established in the Republic of Armenia, on the other. Methodologically, the paper is based on the systematization, classification and analysis of documents, historiographic sources on the topic under consideration, and materials of news stories. The paper offers a new approach where the author considers the process as one of the directions in the context of the recent history of Russian-Armenian inter-church interaction.

Guiding a Russian region’s development under the moral paradigm: A case of the Republic of Crimea

Methodological and practical aspects of guiding the socio-economic development of Russia’s new regions are being actively conceptualized. The study attempts to identify the strategic avenue for governing one of Russia’s regions, namely the Republic of Crimea, in the context of moral imperatives. Methodologically, the work relies on a set of scientific concepts, such as state (regional) governance and new public management, as well as the provisions of humanistic, evolutionary, institutional and economic theories. The research methods are systematization, content analysis, analogical reasoning, and comparativeanalytical approach. The empirical evidence covers regulations and governmental programmes by the RF Government, executive authorities of the Republic of Crimea, and materials of the Simferopol and Crimea Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church for 2005–2023. The paper presents a scientific explication of the moral paradigm in the context of state (regional) governance. We have substantiated a strategic direction of Crimea’s socio-economic development based on moral principles, including: dominance of the recreation sector generating a multiplier effect for related industries in the region; transformation of the functions and structure of the Crimean economy due to the special military operation in Ukraine and the rise in the moral component; the growing importance of healthcare and tourism industries in Crimea’s economic space. The findings of the research contribute to the development of theoretical and methodological provisions of state and municipal governance.

The evolution of the latinization of the Uniate Church and its causes

The object of the study is the Uniate church, founded by the Brest Union in 1596. Then the Orthodox bishops of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth decided to unite with the Pope, provided that Eastern traditions were preserved. However, after the Brest Union, the practice of the Latin Church quickly began to blur the Eastern traditions of the Uniate Church, and the phenomenon of latinization appeared. The subject of the study is the processes and causes of latinization and Delatinization of the Uniate Church. The founding and development of the Uniate Church had strong political factors, since the article also considered its latinization from both religious and political aspects. The author pays special attention to the motives of the delatinization of the Uniate Church over the past 100 years, associated with the spread of the Catholic faith among Orthodox peoples. At the methodological level, the author combines the historical and political background to analyze the materials related to the research topic. The main conclusion of the study is that due to the contradiction between Roman Catholic teaching and Eastern traditions, the union with Rome is doomed to lead to the latinizaition of the Uniate Church. In addition, the latinization of the Uniate Church has a strong political influence. The author's special research contribution to the topic is that he noticed a contradiction in the Uniate Church. Russian Uniate Church is a tool used by the West to spread Catholicism in the Russian land and separate the people from the Russian Orthodox tradition. Latinization lead to the fact that the Uniate church lose its appeal to Orthodox people and affected its spread. However, without latinization, the Uniate Church would not be able to separate its believers from Orthodoxy and the Russian tradition, and would not be able to perform its political functions.

Rosyjska dezinformacja jako element budowania wpływów w Europie: analiza i perspektywy

Zbrojna napaść Rosji na Ukrainę spotkała się ze zdecydowaną reakcją Zachodu. Jednak w przypadku kilku państw była ona spóźniona, co mogło świadczyć o istnieniu w nich rosyjskich wpływów. Celem badań była analiza możliwości oddziaływania przez Rosję na procesy decyzyjne w państwach zachodnich oraz wpływu takich oddziaływań na bezpieczeństwo Zachodu. Wyniki pokazały, że Rosja dysponuje wieloma narzędziami wpływu politycznego, do których można zaliczyć dyplomację, komunikację polityczną, rosyjską diasporę, Rosyjską Cerkiew Prawosławną oraz sympatyzujące z Rosją organizacje i ugrupowania społeczne i polityczne. Zostało również ukazane, że w celu wywierania wpływu Rosja wykorzystuje cały aparat państwowy, co stanowi zagrożenie dla szeroko rozumianego bezpieczeństwa państw Europy Zachodniej. Wnioski płynące z badań wskazują też na to, że Zachód może stać się ofiarą własnej tolerancji i poprawności politycznej, zwłaszcza w przypadkach kryzysów celowo wywoływanych przez Rosję.

Некоторые особенности культуры миссионерской полемики начала ХХ века

The article is devoted to a topical issue at the beginning of the twentieth century – the culture of conducting missionary polemics. The Manifesto of April 17, 1905 allowed Orthodox Christians to convert to other denominations. It opened up a number of problems for the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian government and forced them to look for ways and new methods of missionary activity to retain adherents of Orthodoxy in their ranks and attract new followers.

«Необходимо действовать крайне осторожно, чтобы оградить Советскую власть от всяких нареканий во вмешательстве в духовные дела». Неизвестный документ руководства ГПУ НКВД РСФСР о насаждении раскола в Русской Православной Церкви

The article introduces a new document of the GPU Secret Department on the instigating the Renovationist split in the Russian Orthodox Church. This is the postal telegram No. 24968s of May 29, 1922, signed by the Head of the Secret Operative Directorate of the GPU V. R. Menzhinsky, and by the Head of the Secret Department of the GPU T. P. Samsonov. This telegram is part of a set of directives issued by the GPU, which initiated and regulated the church schism in 1922. Earlier, the researchers at Orthodox Svyato-Tikhonovsky University of Humanities published two directives of the GPU Secret Department, sent out from Moscow in the summer and fall of 1922. The documents describes the specific role that the GPU played in the beginning of the campaign to instigate split in spring-summer of 1922. In particular, the telegram deals with the actions of the GPU at the very beginning of the campaign. The document shows that by this time, the leadership of the GPU had already developed two main strategies, which they then adhered to steadily during the campaign: complete secrecy and strict control over the actions of the renewed clergy. The publication also describes specific measures taken by the GPU in Siberia immediately after receiving the Circular of May 29, 1922: the establishment of the renovationist Siberian church department ("Sibtserkov’") and the trials of the Tomsk Vicar and Barnaul Archbishop Victor (Bogoyavlensky) and the Irkutsk and Verkholensk Archbishop Anatoly (Kamensky).