The Russian Orthodox Church has more than a thousand-year history. According to legend, the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called with the preaching of the Gospel stopped on the Kiev mountains and blessed the future city of Kiev. The spread of Christianity in Russia was facilitated by its proximity to the mighty Christian state - the Byzantine Empire. The South of Russia was consecrated by the activities of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, the apostles and enlighteners of the Slavs. In 954, Princess Olga of Kiev was baptized. All this prepared the greatest events in the history of the Russian people - the baptism of Prince Vladimir in 987 and the Baptism of Rus in 988.
Church in the pre-Mongol period
The Russian Church in the pre-Mongol period of its history was one of the metropolises of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Metropolitan who headed the Church was appointed by the Patriarch of Constantinople from among the Greeks, but in 1051 the Russian Metropolitan Hilarion, the most educated man of his time, a remarkable church writer, was first placed on the throne.
Majestic temples have been built since the 10th century. Monasteries began to develop in Russia from the 11th century. In 1051, the Monk Anthony of the Caves brought to Russia the traditions of Athonite monasticism, founding the famous Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, which became the center of the religious life of Ancient Russia.
In the 12th century, during the period of feudal fragmentation, the Russian Church remained the only bearer of the idea of the unity of the Russian people, which opposed the centrifugal aspirations and civil strife of the princes.
Church and the unification of Russia
The Tatar-Mongol invasion that befell Russia in the 13th century did not break the Russian Church. She survived as a real force and was the comforter of the people in this difficult test.
The unification of the scattered Russian principalities around Moscow began in the 14th century. And the Russian Church continued to play an important role in the restoration of united Russia. Outstanding Russian saints were the spiritual leaders and assistants of the Moscow princes. Saint Metropolitan Alexy (1354-1378) educated the holy noble Prince Dmitry Donskoy. The great ascetic of the Russian Church, St. Sergius of Radonezh, blessed Dmitry Donskoy for the greatest feat of arms - the Battle of Kulikovo, which served as the beginning of the liberation of Russia from the Mongol yoke.
First Russian Patriarch
In 1448, shortly before the fall of the Byzantine Empire, the Russian Church became independent from the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Metropolitan Jonah, appointed by the Council of Russian Bishops in 1448, received the title of Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia. Subsequently, the growing power of the Russian state also contributed to the growth of the authority of the Autocephalous Russian Church. In 1589, Metropolitan Job of Moscow became the first Russian Patriarch. The Eastern Patriarchs recognized the fifth place in honor of the Russian Patriarch.
The 17th century began hard for Russia. From the west, the Polish-Swedish invaders invaded the Russian Land. During this time of Troubles, the Russian Church fulfilled its patriotic duty to the people. An ardent patriot, Patriarch Hermogenes (1606-1612), tortured by the interventionists, was the spiritual leader of the militia of Minin and Pozharsky. In the period following the expulsion of the invaders from Russia, the Russian Church was engaged in one of its very important internal problems - the correction of liturgical books and rituals. Much credit for this belonged to Patriarch Nikon.
Church under Peter I
The beginning of the eighteenth century was marked for Russia by the radical reforms of Peter I. The reform also affected the Russian Church: after the death of Patriarch Adrian in 1700, Peter I delayed the election of a new Primate of the Church, and in 1721 established a collegial higher church administration in the person of the Holy Governing Synod, which remained the supreme church organ for almost two hundred years.
During the Synodal period of its history (1721-1917), the Russian Church paid special attention to the development of spiritual enlightenment and missionary work on the outskirts of the country. Restoration of old and construction of new churches was carried out.
19th century
The nineteenth century gave great examples of Russian holiness: the outstanding hierarchs of the metropolitans of Moscow Philaret and Innokenty, the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, the elders of Optina and Glinsk Hermitage.
XX century (beginning until 1917)
At the beginning of the twentieth century, preparations began for the convocation of the All-Russian Church Council. The Council was convened only after the February Revolution - in 1917. His greatest deed was the restoration of the Patriarchal administration of the Russian Church. Metropolitan Tikhon of Moscow was elected Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (1917-1925) at this Council.
Film about Patriarch Kirill
(FLV file. Duration 3 min. Size 23.2 Mb)
Exhibits of the exhibition
Last year, my old dream came true: on the banks of the Dnieper, I performed the rite of consecration of water according to the old rite - this was how it was performed in Russia from the very beginning. This is very symbolic, since 2013 was a jubilee year - the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus.
When you compare how Christianity spread across the face of the Russian Land with how it was in other countries, you note very significant differences. Latin missionaries often converted pagan peoples to Christianity with the Bible in one hand and a sword in the other. In our country, this process took place quite peacefully. The successful adoption of Christianity was facilitated by the fact that the service was performed in the Church Slavonic language that was generally understood. Of course, the patronage of the princely government favored: protests against the Church were regarded as protests against secular authorities. Examples of converting princes to Christianity had a positive effect on their subjects. Affected by the fact that Christianity was already familiar through wars, dynastic marriages, trade. Our pagan ancestors were greatly impressed by miracles. For example, the miraculous insight of Prince Vladimir after he was baptized. Undoubtedly, for a considerable time in Russia dual faith persisted (our contemporary G. Shimanov did not agree with this). People called themselves Christians and at the same time were afraid of brownies, goblin, mermaids, etc. Various kinds of omens, conspiracies, beliefs entangled all my life. Often the formal, superficial acceptance of Christianity was combined with the preservation of many pagan remnants in everyday life. It should be noted that paganism in Russia was not formalized in the form of a complete system, moreover, we did not have a priesthood.
Attempts by Roman Catholicism to establish themselves in Russia were noticed even before Prince Vladimir. Under Princess Olga, the Latin bishop Adalbert, sent by the German emperor, came to Russia. The Greek bishops warned Prince Vladimir not to enter into relations with the Latins. Vladimir told them: "Our fathers did not accept your faith, and we will not." The second metropolitan in Russia Leonty wrote an essay on unleavened bread, in which he denounced the practice of using them in the West. In the 70s of the XI century, Prince Izyaslav, expelled by the Kievites, turned to the Pope for help. The famous Pope Gregory VII sent his ambassadors to Izyaslav with a message. Izyaslav, however, himself regained the princely throne, after which the connection was interrupted. Pope Clement III, Innocent III, Honorius III sent their messages to Russia, but all to no avail. Of the 27 metropolitans, only two were Russian (Hilarion and Clement Smolyatich). Initially, the Russian Church was under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. It was too early to think about church independence. Moreover, at that internecine period it was useful to have a metropolitan dependent on the Patriarch of Constantinople. Otherwise, each appanage prince would nominate a candidate that suits him, which would carry the danger of dividing the Russian metropolis into several parts. There have been many examples of this in Greek church history. Although the Kiev Metropolitanate was 62nd in the list of the Patriarchs of Constantinople, it was in their special account, which, in particular, was expressed in the fact that the Metropolitan who headed it had a special seal. Basically, the dependence was expressed in the fact that the Patriarchs participated (and even then not always) in the election and consecration of candidates for the Russian Metropolitanate. After that, the Metropolitan ruled independently and only on extremely important issues he turned to the Patriarch and participated in Church Councils in Constantinople. This was facilitated by the geographical remoteness and independence of the Russian state from Byzantium. The patriarch had the right to try the metropolitan, and Russian bishops could appeal to Constantinople. 15 dioceses were established - initially there were few of them in Russia. Bishops had the right to judge the clergy under their jurisdiction in both civil and criminal matters. Monasteries began to develop in Russia from the 11th century. In 1051, the Monk Anthony of the Caves brought to Russia the traditions of Athonite monasticism, founding the famous Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, which became the center of the religious life of Ancient Russia. The monastery played a significant role in the development of literature, painting, graphics, architecture, applied arts, printing. Famous chroniclers, writers, scientists, artists, doctors, book publishers lived and worked in the Lavra. It was here, around 1113, that the chronicler Nestor, who is called the father of Russian history, compiled the "Tale of Bygone Years" - the main source of our knowledge about Kievan Rus.
A lot of churches were built - our ancestors were distinguished by their special diligence in visiting them, which was noted by foreigners. Some researchers believe that the Russian Church was initially dependent on the Bulgarian Church, but the documents do not confirm this. The Russian Metropolitanate was unusually extensive, surpassed the 5 Patriarchates historically formed in the East. The patriarchs treated our metropolis in a special way also because it was very rich. Of course, the Greek metropolitans often did not know Russian well and did not know enough about the situation. The church had a beneficial effect on the state. The Metropolitan was the first adviser to the Grand Duke, at meetings they sat side by side, without the Metropolitan, the Grand Duke did not undertake any major events. The hierarchs did not pretend to dominate the state power, the state itself aspired under the tutelage of the Church. Already Prince Vladimir consulted with the bishops, for example, on the issue of the death penalty. With regard to the election of bishops, we see that by the 12th century, almost everywhere the people and princes were electing bishops for themselves. There were cases when the princes did not accept bishops sent by the metropolitan, since it was not agreed with them. So, the Rostov prince Vsevolod did not receive Bishop Nicholas. In Veliky Novgorod, along with the prince and the clergy, a popular veche also participated in the election of bishops. In case of disagreement, lots were drawn from the edge of the throne. The lot was taken by a blind man or a baby. The veche could expel both an objectionable prince and an objectionable bishop. So, in 1228, Bishop Arseny was expelled. Reason: I did not pray well, as it was raining for a long time. The bishops were the first advisers to the appanage princes. They were peacemakers. They made landings on the princely throne.
It is especially necessary to say about spiritual enlightenment in Russia during this period. Literature appears in our country only after the adoption of Christianity, culture too. Before that, there was the darkness of ignorance and the rudeness of manners. The chronicles note that Yaroslav the Wise was very keen on reading books - he did this day and night. He is the founder of the first library in Russia (it was located at the St. Sophia Cathedral). The chronicles note: "Vladimir plowed and softened our hearts, enlightening them with holy baptism, and Yaroslav the Wise sowed them with bookish words, and now we are reaping the fruits by accepting the bookish teachings." Yaroslav the Wise, like Vladimir, opened schools, he knew 8 languages. All literature was religious in content. The books were mostly translated from Greek or directly brought to Russia from Bulgaria. Speaking about specific literary monuments, it is necessary to mention, first of all, "The Lay of Law and Grace" by the first Russian Metropolitan Hilarion. "The Word" is a true masterpiece of oratory, it is distinguished by a high theological level. It was pronounced in Kiev in front of Yaroslav the Wise and all the people. Words, prayers and messages of St. Cyril Turovsky, "Walking in Holy Places" by Abbot Daniel, lives of Sts. Passion-bearers Boris and Gleb and St. Feodosia are just a few specific examples of the literary heritage of this time. Temples were not only places of prayer, but also the focus of public life. In Russia they were very serious about those preparing for baptism. The announcement for the Russians lasted 8 days, and for the foreigners 40.
It should be noted that in the 12th century, during the period of feudal fragmentation, the Russian Church remained the only bearer of the idea of the unity of the Russian people, which opposed the feudal strife of the princes.
Baptism of Russia
Beginning in the IX century. the spread of Christianity in Russia was facilitated by its proximity to the mighty Christian state - the Byzantine Empire. The South of Russia was consecrated by the activities of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, the enlighteners of the Slavs. In 954, Princess Olga of Kiev was baptized. All this prepared the greatest events in the history of the Russian people - the baptism of Prince Vladimir and the Baptism of Rus in 988.
The Russian Church in the pre-Mongol period of its history was one of the metropolises of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Metropolitan who headed the Church was appointed by the Patriarch of Constantinople from among the Greeks, but in 1051 the Russian Metropolitan Hilarion, the most educated man of his time, a remarkable church writer, was first placed on the throne.
Majestic temples have been built since the 10th century. Monasteries began to develop in Russia from the 11th century. In 1051, the Monk Anthony of the Caves brought to Russia the traditions of Athonite monasticism, founding the famous Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, which became the center of the religious life of Ancient Russia. The role of monasteries in Russia was enormous. And their main service to the Russian people - not to mention their purely spiritual role - is that they were the largest centers of education. In the monasteries, in particular, chronicles were kept, which brought information to this day about all the significant events in the history of the Russian people. Iconography and the art of book writing flourished in the monasteries, translations of theological, historical and literary works into Russian were carried out. The extensive charitable activities of the monastic monasteries contributed to the education of the people in the spirit of mercy and compassion.
In the 12th century, during the period of feudal fragmentation, the Russian Church remained the only bearer of the idea of the unity of the Russian people, opposing the centrifugal aspirations and civil strife of the princes. The Tatar-Mongol invasion - the greatest disaster that befell Russia in the 13th century - did not break the Russian Church. She survived as a real force and was the comforter of the people in this difficult test. Spiritually, materially and morally, she contributed to the restoration of the political unity of Russia - a guarantee of a future victory over the oppressors.
The unification of the scattered Russian principalities around Moscow began in the 14th century. And the Russian Church continued to play an important role in the restoration of united Russia. Outstanding Russian saints were the spiritual leaders and assistants of the Moscow princes. Saint Metropolitan Alexy (1354-1378) educated the holy noble Prince Demetrius of the Donskoy. He, like Saint Metropolitan Jonah of Moscow (1448-1471) later, by the power of his authority helped the Moscow prince to put an end to feudal troubles and preserve state unity. The great ascetic of the Russian Church, the Monk Sergius of Radonezh, blessed Demetrius Donskoy for the greatest feat of arms - the Battle of Kulikovo, which served as the beginning of the liberation of Russia from the Mongol yoke.
Monasteries contributed a lot to the preservation of the national identity and culture of the Russian people in the difficult years of the Tatar-Mongol yoke and Western influences. The beginning of the Pochaev Lavra was laid in the 13th century. This monastery and its abbot, the Monk Job, did a lot for the establishment of Orthodoxy in the Western Russian lands. In total, from the 14th to the half of the 15th century, up to 180 new monastic cloisters were founded in Russia. The largest event in the history of Old Russian monasticism was the founding of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery by the Monk Sergius of Radonezh (about 1334). Here, in this later glorified monastery, the wondrous talent of the icon painter, the Monk Andrei Rublev, flourished.
Autocephaly of the Russian Church
Freeing itself from the invaders, the Russian state was gaining strength, and with it the strength of the Russian Orthodox Church grew. In 1448, shortly before the fall of the Byzantine Empire, the Russian Church became independent from the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Metropolitan Jonah, appointed by the Council of Russian Bishops in 1448, received the title of Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia.
Subsequently, the growing power of the Russian state also contributed to the growth of the authority of the Autocephalous Russian Church. In 1589, Metropolitan Job of Moscow became the first Russian Patriarch. The Eastern Patriarchs recognized the fifth place in honor of the Russian Patriarch.
The 17th century began hard for Russia. From the west, the Polish-Swedish invaders invaded the Russian Land. During this time of Troubles, the Russian Church, as before, honorably fulfilled its patriotic duty to the people. An ardent patriot, Patriarch Ermogen (1606-1612), tortured by the interventionists, was the spiritual leader of the militia of Minin and Pozharsky. The heroic defense of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra against the Swedes and Poles in 1608-1610 is forever inscribed in the annals of the history of the Russian state and the Russian Church.
In the period following the expulsion of the invaders from Russia, the Russian Church was engaged in one of its very important internal problems - the correction of liturgical books and rituals. Much credit for this belonged to Patriarch Nikon. At the same time, shortcomings in the preparation of the reform and its violent implantation inflicted a grave wound on the Russian Church, the consequences of which have not been overcome to this day - the schism of the Old Believers.
Synodal period
The beginning of the 18th century was marked for Russia by the radical reforms of Peter I. The reform also affected the Russian Church: after the death of Patriarch Adrian in 1700, Peter I delayed the election of a new Primate of the Church, and in 1721 established a collegial higher church administration in the person of the Holy Governing Synod, which remained the supreme church organ for almost two hundred years. Members of the Holy Synod were appointed by the emperor, the Synod was ruled by secular government officials - chief prosecutors. The transformation into a state institution and the deprivation of independence had a most disastrous effect on the state of the Russian Church.
During the Synodal period of its history (1721-1917), the Russian Church paid special attention to the development of spiritual enlightenment and missionary work on the outskirts of the country.
The 19th century gave great examples of Russian holiness: the outstanding hierarchs of the metropolitans of Moscow Philaret and Innokenty, the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, the elders of Optina and the Glinsk Hermitage.
Restoration of the Patriarchate. Soviet persecution
At the beginning of the 20th century, preparations began for the convocation of the All-Russian Church Council. The Council was convened only after the February Revolution - in 1917. His greatest deed was the restoration of the Patriarchal administration of the Russian Church. Metropolitan Tikhon of Moscow was elected Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (1917-1925) at this Council.
Saint Tikhon made every effort to calm the destructive passions inflated by the revolution. The Epistle of the Holy Council of November 11, 1917 said: "Instead of the new social structure promised by the false teachers, there is a bloody strife among the builders, instead of peace and brotherhood of nations, there is a confusion of languages and fierce hatred of brothers. People who have forgotten God, like hungry wolves rushing at each other ... Leave the insane and wicked dream of false teachers who call for the realization of world brotherhood through world civil strife! Return to the path of Christ! "
For the Bolsheviks who came to power in 1917, the Russian Orthodox Church was a priori an ideological enemy. That is why many bishops, thousands of priests, monks, nuns and laity were subjected to repressions, including executions and murders that were stunning in their cruelty.
When in 1921-22 the Soviet government demanded the issuance of valuable sacred items, it came to a fatal conflict between the Church and the new government, which decided to use the situation for the complete and final destruction of the Church.
In May 1922, Patriarch Tikhon (Belavin) was arrested and under the control of the authorities arose the so-called. "Renovationist split", proclaiming complete solidarity with the goals of the revolution. A significant part of the clergy went into a split, but he did not receive mass support among the people. In June 1924 the Patriarch was released and the Renovationist movement began to decline.
Even before his arrest, Patriarch Tikhon subjugated all Russian parishes abroad to Metropolitan Eulogius (Georgievsky) and declared invalid the decisions of the so-called. "Charles Cathedral", which created its own Church Administration. Failure to recognize this decree of the Patriarch laid the foundation for an independent "Russian Orthodox Church Abroad" (ROCOR).
After the death of Patriarch Tikhon, a complex, government-directed struggle for the hierarchical leadership of the Church unfolded. Ultimately, Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) became the head of the church administration. Obligations to the authorities, which he was forced to accept at the same time, provoked protests from some of the clergy and people who left for the so-called. "right-wing schism" and created the "catacomb church".
By the beginning of World War II, the church structure throughout the country was almost completely eliminated. Only a few bishops remained at large who could fulfill their duties. In the entire Soviet Union, only a few hundred churches were open for worship. Most of the clergy were in camps, where many were killed or went missing.
The catastrophic course of hostilities for the country at the beginning of World War II forced Stalin to mobilize all national reserves for defense, including the Russian Orthodox Church as a people's moral force. Temples were opened for divine services. The clergy, including bishops, were released from the camps. The Russian Church did not confine itself only to spiritual support for the protection of the endangered Fatherland - it also provided material assistance, up to uniforms for the army, financing of a tank column named after Dimitry Donskoy and a squadron named after Alexander Nevsky.
The culmination of this process, which can be characterized as a rapprochement between the state and the Church in "patriotic unity", was the reception by Stalin on September 4, 1943, of the Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) and Metropolitans Alexy (Simansky) and Nikolai (Yarushevich).
At the Council of Bishops in 1943, Met. Sergius was elected Patriarch, and at the Local Council of 1945 - Metropolitan Alexy. After that, most of the so-called. "catacomb church" at the call of bishop. Afanasy (Sakharov), whom many Catacombniks considered their spiritual leader, was reunited with the Moscow Patriarchate.
From this historical moment, a short period of "warming" began in relations between the Church and the state, but the Church was incessantly under state control, and any attempts to expand its activities outside the walls of the temple met with adamant opposition, including administrative sanctions.
In 1948, a large-scale Pan-Orthodox conference was convened in Moscow, after which the Russian Church was drawn to active participation in the international movement "the struggle for peace and disarmament" launched at Stalin's initiative.
The position of the Russian Orthodox Church at the end of the so-called "Khrushchev thaw" became difficult, when thousands of churches were closed throughout the Soviet Union in favor of ideological guidelines. During the "Brezhnev" period, active persecution of the Church stopped, but there was no improvement in relations with the state either. The church remained tightly controlled by the authorities and believers were viewed as "second-class citizens."
Modern history
The celebration of the Millennium of the Baptism of Rus in 1988 marked the decline of the state-atheistic system, gave a positive impetus to church-state relations, forced those in power to start a dialogue with the Church and build relationships with it on the principles of recognizing its enormous historical role in the fate of the Fatherland and its contribution to the formation of moral foundations of the nation.
However, the consequences of the persecution turned out to be very, very serious. It was necessary not only to restore from the ruins thousands of churches and hundreds of monasteries, but also to revive the traditions of educational, enlightening, charitable, missionary, church and public service.
Metropolitan Alexy of Leningrad and Novgorod, who was elected by the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church to become a widow after the death of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen, was destined to lead the church revival in these difficult conditions. On June 10, 1990, the enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia took place.
Literature
A. V. Kartashev Essays on the history of the Russian Church in 2 vols.
Tsypin V., prot. History of the Russian Orthodox Church 1917 - 1990
L. Regelson. Church in the history of Russia
L. Regelson. Dates and documents. Chronology of church events 1917-1953.
L. Regelson. Tragedy of the Russian Church. 1917-1953.
Used materials
Official website of the Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Church was organized in the form of a special metropolitanate of the Patriarch of Constantinople. Its first metropolitan was Metropolitan, who came with Vladimir from Korsun. Michael (+992) (his hierarchy should be attributed to the time of the Fotiev baptism of Russia - [Petrushko]). All the time of his bishopric was spent in the spread of Christianity, in travels, and his chair was "in the boat." The correct structure was given to the metropolis by his successor Leonty(+1008) which in 992 BC divided it into dioceses and appointed bishops. The metropolitan's chair was in Pereyaslav, and only under Yaroslav, when the St. Sophia Cathedral with the metropolitan house was built, the metropolitans moved to Kiev itself.
Russian metropolitans were elected and consecrated in Greece by the patriarch, with the consent of the emperors and, of course, from the Greeks or from national minorities inhabiting Byzantium.
Vladimir decided to rely in his apostolic endeavor on the experience of Bulgaria, which adopted Christianity more than a century earlier than Russia. For a whole century that has passed after the baptism of Bulgaria under the same saint Photius, a full-fledged Slavic Christian culture has already formed here. It was created by the disciples of Saints Equal to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius, the Slovenian Teachers. From Bulgaria, Russia could draw ready-made translations of liturgical books and patristic works. It was possible to find Slavic clergymen, At first who spoke the same Slavic language, which was perfectly understood in Russia, and Secondly far from Hellenic disdain for "barbarians" and more suitable for missionary work. Priselkov and Kartashev believed that Vladimir, shortly after the baptism of Rus, removed the Russian Church from the jurisdiction of Constantinople and reassigned it to the autocephalous Bulgarian Archdiocese of Ohrid. It is possible that the Ohrid bishop was only formally considered the Primate of the Russian Church, which under St. Vladimir was essentially independent of anyone.
Russian and Byzantine sources, however, are silent about this. Amazingly, the Greek authors do not even mention such an epochal event as the baptism of Russia under St. Vladimir. However, the Greeks had a reason: the diocese "Russia" was formally opened a century earlier. It is believed that already in those years when the jurisdiction of Constantinople over the Russian Church was restored under Yaroslav the Wise, information about this period was also erased from our chronicles. A strange picture: to pass over in silence the personality and activities of St. Vladimir was impossible in Russia, but for all the praises to the holy prince in the "Primary Chronicle" there is very little factual material about the Russian Church of his time.
In 1014-1019. a fierce war took place between the Bulgarians and the Greeks. Its result was the complete defeat of the state of the Bulgarian Tsar Samuel by the emperor of the Romans, Vasily II, for which he was nicknamed "The Bulgar-Slayer". After the victory of the Greeks, Bulgaria became a province of the empire, and the Bulgarian archbishops of Ohrid, hitherto completely autocephalous, actually lose their independence and submit to the Patriarch of Constantinople.
Archbishop John of Ohrid after the fall of the Bulgarian kingdom, it loses its independence. At the same time, the transition of the Russian Church to the jurisdiction of Constantinople turned out to be inevitable.
The aforementioned Archbishop John I is often called the second (after Mikhail or Leon) or the first metropolitan of the Russian Church in studies of the church history of Russia. But it is possible that John was in fact the Archbishop of Ohrid, and for the Russian Church its nominal leader. The time of the reign of John I between 1018 and the middle of the 1030s. From the time of John I, a seal with a Greek inscription containing his name and title: "Metropolitan of Russia" has survived.
John of Ohrid died before 1037, and after his death, the Archdiocese of Ohrid is already completely subordinate to the authority of the Patriarch of Constantinople, who unanimously supplies this, formally still autocephalous, see his candidates from among the Greeks, and not the Bulgarians. Since that time, the subordination of the Russian Church to the Ohrid jurisdiction loses all meaning. Who ruled Russia at this time Yaroslav Vladimirovich faced a difficult choice. It was possible either, like Bulgaria, to proclaim the autocephaly of the Russian Church, or to accept the jurisdiction of Constantinople. The first was practically impossible for the reason: Russia is weakly church-going, that there could be no question of any independent existence of the newly established Russian Church. Therefore, the prince decided to transfer the Russian Church into the direct jurisdiction of Constantinople. The Greek Metropolitan Theopemptus was sent to Kiev from here in 1037, the first whose name was brought to us by the chronicle of St. Nestor. At the same time, the construction of the temple of St. Sophia begins in the capital of Russia. Even its very dedication, which is the same name as the main church of Constantinople, as well as the deprivation of the Tithe Church of the significance of the main temple of the Russian Church, testify to significant changes in the church dispensation under Yaroslav.
With the assertion of the power of the Greek metropolitans over the Russian Church, as one might think, a strict editing was carried out of all the chronicle sources available at that time about the period when the Russians, who had accepted Orthodoxy from them, refused to enter the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Beginning with the appearance of Metropolitan Theopemptus in Kiev, the Russian Church throughout the pre-Mongol period was headed almost exclusively by Greeks who were supplied to the Kiev See by the Patriarchs of Constantinople. Neither Russian bishops nor princes could influence the choice of the metropolitan, which was carried out by the patriarch and emperor. To a certain extent, the metropolitans of Russia were more independent than their Patriarchs of Constantinople, who were easily removed by the emperors in the event of a conflict between secular and spiritual authorities. In Russia, the metropolitan was a figure practically independent of the princes. This position was appreciated by the hierarchs of the Russian Church. Therefore, they did not strive for complete autocephaly until the time when, by the 15th century, it became clear that Russia was becoming a hostage to the policy of the dying Byzantium due to its church dependence on it.
The structure of the Russian Church almost from the very beginning of its existence had the peculiarity that, in contrast to the Constantinople and other Eastern Orthodox Local Churches, the dioceses of the Kiev Metropolitanate were extremely few in number and extended over the territory. Naturally, the ancient canonical norm was initially unacceptable for Russia: in one city there is one bishop. Compared to Byzantium, there were not so many cities in Russia. Moreover, they were often very small in size and population. Not all of their population immediately converted to Christianity. Therefore, after the baptism of Rus under St. Vladimir, only a few dioceses arose throughout the vast expanse of Kievan Rus. Among them are the ones already mentioned: Novgorod and Belgorod. It is believed that under Vladimir the departments of Vladimir-Volynskaya, Polotsk, Chernigov, Pereyaslavskaya, Turovskaya and Rostovskaya could also have been established. Until the 12th century, when Russia lost its Azov lands, the department in Tmutorokan, founded long before the baptism of Russia, existed. During the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, the diocese of Yuryev was also added - on the Kiev land, a kind of vicariate under the Kiev metropolis, like Belgorod.
by 1170 the Russian Metropolitanate was in 62nd place and consisted of 11 dioceses. Russian dioceses had rank of bishops, since the archbishops in the Greek tradition were bishops, subordinate not to the metropolitans, but directly to the patriarch. Bishops ruled their huge dioceses with the help of special bodies - choirs ... They retained the characteristics of a college of presbyters. Members of the choir kliroshan were not only cathedral clergymen, but also the highest hierarchical officials. In addition to the kliroshans, there are also known bishop governors, whose importance was very great given the gigantic size of the Russian dioceses. The viceroys of the bishops were usually located in the large cities of the diocese, where there were independent princes or princely governors. They acted locally, almost completely replacing the bishop, possessing judicial power and not having only the right to perform ordinations. If the clerics and governors were, as a rule, elders, then tithes (or "decals") were secular officials under the bishop, whose function was to collect church taxes - tithes.
The position of the parish clergy. The first own Russian cadres of clergy were trained in the same way that they took boyar children to teach the sciences - forcibly . However, already in the XI century. the spiritual estate begins to form: the priesthood becomes hereditary. As early as 1030, the chronicle reports that in Novgorod, Yaroslav gathered about 300 "priest's children" for book education. The ranks of the clergy were replenished by representatives of other strata of society, including even slaves. This was probably beneficial to the boyars, who acquired house churches.
V XI century. at the prep. Feodosia in the Kiev-Pechersky Monastery is introduced Studio charter. From here it spreads throughout Russia. And it is very significant that it was perceived everywhere, including in the world, although it was created exclusively for monastic use.
Features of worship in the pre-Mongol period. Done the sacrament of baptism. It was customary to keep pagan names along with the Christian name, which was named at baptism. This custom existed for a very long time in Russia, right up to the 16th-17th centuries. The baptism itself was not necessarily performed on infants. Metropolitan John II in his "Church Rule in Brief" recommends waiting 3 years or even more, and only then proceed to baptism. At the same time, Metropolitan John refers to the authority of the holy fathers. For example, St. Gregory the Theologian (4th century) writes: "I give advice to wait 3 years." But at the same time, babies of eight days were baptized. This, most likely, depended on the circumstances, on the level of church consciousness of the parents and successors. With the deepening of the Christianization of Russia, this custom was gradually lost. As a common feature of the pre-Mongol worship, such an unusual order can be noted: when the prokimns and alleluaries were performed, the bishops and priests had the right to sit. Of the laity, only princes had such a right. At the liturgy there were no current entrance prayers, they were replaced by a complex of prayers of the priest for himself, for all those gathered, for the living and the dead. When performing a proskomedia at that time, the number of prosphora was not of fundamental importance: the officials did not indicate their number at all. It was even allowed to serve on one prosphora, if there was nowhere to purchase more. Usually they served on three prosphora. The current proskomedian rank was finally formed only in the XIV-XV centuries. There was one more feature - in the pre-Mongol period, deacons were still allowed to perform proskomedia.
In Russia mastered the Byzantine hymnographic tradition, the name of St. Gregory of Pechersky, the creator of the canons, who lived at the end of the 11th century.
Probably, initially in Russia it was established Bulgarian tradition of church singing. Around 1051, three Greek singers moved to Russia, who laid the foundation for the Byzantine tradition of singing in the Russian Church. From these singers in Russia began singing according to Octoich in eight voices and singing with the addition of upper and lower tones, or in three voices. Domestic then called the choir directors, of which are known in 1074. Domestic Stefan in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, and in 1134 - Domestic Kirik in the Novgorod Yuryev monastery. One of the Greek domestics - Manuel- in 1136 he was even made bishop of the Smolensk See. It is known that in the Russian divine services of the 11th-12th centuries, along with the Slavic and Greek texts, were partially used.
This period is also called Kiev. The most important sources for this period are "History of the Russian Church" by Metropolitan Macarius (Bulgakov) and "Guide to the history of the Russian Church" by Professor Znamensky. The first work is notable for the richness of documents, and the second for the liveliness of presentation.
I recall with gratitude the seminar lectures of Fr. Vadima Smirnova (now Abbot Nikon, rector of the Athonite metochion in Moscow) on the history of the Russian Church in the 1st grade and Archimandrite Innokenty (Prosvirnin) in the 4th grade. O. Vadim never "stuck" to the notes, he spoke in detail, vividly - a whole picture formed in his head. O. Innokenty is a scholar, researcher of archives. He was very worried whether he would have successors along this difficult and necessary path. He also taught at the academy - the latest period in the history of the Russian Church. Also here taught Fr. Nikolai Smirnov (2015) and Archimandrite (now Bishop) Theophilact (Moiseev).
The Apostle Andrew the First-Called visited the site of today's Kiev, as stated in the Tale of Bygone Years, therefore our Church is rightfully called the Apostolic Church. The Apostle Andrew prophetically predicted: “The grace of God will shine here, the city will be great and God will erect many churches.” ap. Andrew on the territory of "Great Russia" was preached by the apostles Bartholomew, Matthew, Thaddeus and Simon the Canonite. Even before the Baptism of Rus at the end of the 10th century (so late because of the invasion of the barbarians), we had whole dioceses - for example, the Scythian at the mouth of the Danube and the Surozh in the Crimea.
As you know, in the Caucasus, St. John Chrysostom. Blessed Theodorite testified: "St. John Chrysostom erected altars in the Caucasus and those who did not get off their horses began to kneel and who were not touched by tears, began to shed tears of repentance." John in Abkhazia and venerate the lid of his tomb in the Cathedral in Sukhumi.
It also happened in the Crimea to venerate the relics of the Holy Martyr Clement of Rome. He was exiled to Crimea in 94 and, by the way, found about two thousand Christians here. In the 9th century, the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, in addition to Bulgaria, Moravia and Panonia, also preached in the Crimea. They invented the Slavic alphabet and translated the Holy Scriptures and liturgical books into the Slavic language. In the same century, the Kiev princes Askold and Dir made a campaign against Constantinople. The besieged carried out a procession to the bank of the Boshoravo, headed by Patriarch Photius and Emperor Michael. The Robe of the Virgin was immersed in the waters of the strait, a storm arose that scattered the ships of the besiegers, and they retreated. The princes were baptized and invited the bishop to Kiev with them. There he preached on the miracles of the Old and New Testaments. A miracle made a special impression on the people of Kiev when the Holy Gospel did not burn in the fire. On the grave of Askold, a church was built in the name of St. Nicholas (in honor of this saint he was named in baptism). Unfortunately, the Uniates currently own this temple. In 944, Prince Igor of Kiev made a successful campaign against Constantinople. As a result, an agreement was concluded, the loyalty to which those warriors of the prince, who were pagans, confirmed by an oath at the idol of Perun, and who was a Christian - they swore an oath in the church of St. the prophet Elijah. This temple is called cathedral, i.e. the main thing means there were other temples. The next year, Igor, as a result of the reprisals of the Drevlyans, died tragically.
Olga, who became the ruler of his wife, severely took revenge on her husband's murderers. With the aim of adopting Christianity, she takes a trip to Constantinople. On the way it was announced by the priest Gregory, who was in the retinue. In 957 Olga was baptized in the Church of St. Sophia with the name Helena Patriarch. The receiver was the emperor himself. Many who accompanied Olga were also baptized. The princess tried to persuade her son Svyatoslav to be baptized, but to no avail. He was afraid of the ridicule of the squad, however, Svyatoslav did not interfere with those who wanted to be baptized. He was constantly busy with military campaigns (he died returning from another campaign). Returning home, Olga was actively engaged in the preaching of Christianity. She died in 965. In the annals she is called "the wisest of all people, the dawn of the morning, preceding the sun."
I remember the bright lecture of Fr. John Belevtsev about Princess Olga within the walls of the then Leningrad Theological Academy. Fr. John gave different versions of the origin of the princess and the dating of her baptism and death. The children of Svyatopolk, Yaropolk and Oleg, were supportive of Christianity, but did not have time to accept it. They died in civil strife (Yaroslav the Wise baptized their bones). As an eight-year-old boy, Vladimir was taken to Novgorod, where he was brought up by his uncle, a zealous pagan Dobrynya. Together they strove to elevate paganism - for this purpose they erect idols in Novgorod, and then in Kiev. The chronicle notes that there has never been such a heinous idolatry as at that time. In 983, after a successful campaign, it was decided to bring a human sacrifice to the gods. The lot fell on the young man John, the son of the Christian Varangian Theodore, who denounced the pagan madness. Theodore and John became the first martyrs in Russia. Their firmness in the face of death made a great impression on Vladimir - he became disillusioned with paganism.
Then the famous "test of faith" takes place. Mohammedans came to the prince from the Volga Bulgaria. The sensual nature of their idea of paradise was to the liking of Vladimir (as we know, he had five wives and eight hundred concubines). They resisted, however, the bans on wine and pork. When they mentioned circumcision, the prince cut off the story of the arrivals altogether. He said to the Latins: "Our fathers did not accept your faith - I will not accept it either." The Jews from Khazaria laughed at their predecessors - they say, they believe in the One Whom we crucified. "Where is your country?" - asked the Khazar prince. - “Jerusalem. God, however, became angry and scattered us. " - "Do you want God to scatter us too?" - reacted the prince.
The Greek philosopher presented the biblical story in a condensed form. At the end of his story, pointing to the icon of the Last Judgment, he said: “It is good to be with those who are at the right hand. If you want to be with them, then be baptized. " Vladimir made up his mind, but, on the advice of his inner circle, decided to wait. The advisers said: “No one will scold their faith. It is necessary to send ambassadors so that they can be convinced on the spot whose faith is better. " The ambassadors (there were 10 of them) were present at the patriarchal service in the church of St. Sofia. The ambassadors were amazed by the spiritual beauty and splendor of Orthodox worship. They told the prince: “We do not know where we were, in heaven or on earth! Truly God lives with them. If the Greek law was bad, Princess Olga would not have accepted it, and she was wiser than all people. "
Vladimir, however, again postpones baptism. He undertakes a military campaign against Korsun - besieges it, saying: "If I take the city, I will be baptized." The city was taken. Vladimir demands from the emperors to marry their sister Anna, otherwise threatening to undertake a campaign against Constantinople. They persuaded and she reluctantly agreed.
At this time, Vladimir loses his sight. Anna advises him: be baptized and heal. The Korsun bishop baptized the prince, having previously announced him. When leaving the font, Vladimir regained his sight, after which he exclaimed: "Only now I have seen the true God." Of course, it was primarily a spiritual enlightenment. Korsun (this is the outskirts of Sevastopol) was returned to the Greeks. Vladimir returned to Kiev, accompanied by clergymen with the relics of the holy martyr Clement and his disciple Thebes. He ordered the extermination of idols.
The next day, upon arrival, he commanded everyone to be baptized. His twelve sons were also baptized. Vladimir personally preached on the streets of Kiev. Many were baptized with joy. There were many who hesitated and did not even want to listen. The stubborn fled into the woods. Baptism revolutionized the soul of Vladimir: he began to avoid feasts, parted with his wives and concubines. He helped the poor a lot - those of them who did not have the opportunity to come themselves, the help was brought home.
After the mass baptism of the Kievites, the "triumphal procession" of Christianity began throughout the entire face of the Russian Land. It is known that Prince Vladimir himself visited Volyn with a sermon. His children are also. In 990, Metropolitan Michael with six bishops and Dobrynya baptized the people in Novgorod. The idol of Perun was cast down to Volkhov. As for the "baptism by fire" - apparently, there were armed clashes that had, first of all, a social motive. Residents of Rostov, Murom, Smolensk, Lutsk were baptized first of all.
Not everything went smoothly everywhere. So, in Rostov, the people expelled the first bishops Theodore and Hilarion. Then Bishop Leonty was expelled. He, however, settled near the city and continued to preach. He also took up teaching children. They decided to kill him. He went out to meet the crowd in robes, accompanied by the clergy. The crowd was deeply impressed by his word of instruction. Many asked to be baptized. After this incident, his activities were more successful.
About 1070 the saint received a martyr's death. Isaiah was the successor of Leontius. Elected from the monks of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, he continued his activities. Monk Abraham settled near Lake Nero. St. John the Evangelist with a rod to destroy the idol of Volos. The Epiphany Monastery was founded on this site.
In Murom, Prince Constantine preached with his children Mikhail and Theodore. The angry pagans killed Michael. They also tried to kill the prince for continuing the sermon. The prince boldly went out with the icon to meet the crowd - as a result, many believed and were baptized in the Oka River. Vyatichi was baptized by St. Kuksha. Subsequently, he accepted a martyr's death.
In the south, some Polovtsian princes were baptized. Russian captives contributed to the baptism of the steppe inhabitants. So, for example, St. Nikon Sukhoi, who was held captive by the Polovtsian princes for three years, miraculously freed himself, despite the fact that his veins were cut off. When the prince met him in Kiev, amazed, he asked to baptize him. Another monk of the Pechersk St. Eustratius was sold to Crimean Jews along with 50 other captives. They all died starved to death. Eustratius himself was crucified on the cross. According to his prophecy, the torturers were punished by the Greeks, after which many were baptized.
In the north, the Slavic influence on foreigners was stronger than in the south. Already under Prince Vladimir, Izhora and Karelian were baptized. The Vologda region was enlightened by the works of St. Gerasim. In the East, in particular, by the labors of Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky, many Bulgars and Jews were baptized. One Bulgar merchant - Abraham became a martyr. In the West, Orthodoxy spread to Pskov. Polotsk and Smolensk. In Lithuania, 4 princes were baptized by preachers from Russia.
In recent decades, the adherents of paganism who have raised their heads have argued that the process of Christianization of Russia (until the end of the 12th century) was a violent path. These statements are not true. It is more characteristic of the West, where really German missionaries held the Bible in one hand and a sword in the other. The spread of Christianity in our country was favored by the fact that the word of God and liturgical texts were in the Church Slavonic language. Further, the patronage of the princely power. Speeches against the Church could be regarded as a crime against state power. Also influenced by the cases of conversion to the faith of the princes themselves. The acquaintance of the Slavs with Christianity gradually grew as a result of wars, mercenaries, dynastic marriages and trade. The low level of development of paganism in Russia - for example, there was no institution of priesthood in it. Miracles, finally. For a long time, there was such a phenomenon as dual faith, when already baptized people equally and even more venerated the pagan gods and magi. This suggests that they have assimilated Christianity superficially, and not deeply internally. The princes built and decorated temples and at the same time made devastating raids on their neighbors. Destroyed the temples and monasteries of the opponents.
Let's say a little about the attempts of Roman Catholicism to establish itself in Russia. The Greek patriarchs warned that the Russians should not communicate with "evil Latins." The Pope, however, already in 991 sent his message calling for unity. When Vladimir's son Svyatopolk married the daughter of the Polish king Borislav, Bishop Rayburn arrived in Russia with the bride. A conspiracy was drawn up against Vladimir with the ultimate goal of imposing Catholicism. This attempt ended sadly - Rayburn died in prison. A number of famous popes sent their messages to Russia - Gregory VII, Innocent III, and others.
Our second Metropolitan Leonty wrote an essay on unleavened bread, denouncing their use for the Eucharist by Catholics. In 1230, the Dominicans were expelled from Kiev, who were engaged in secret propaganda. The aforementioned Innocent III offered the crown to Prince Roman of Galicia, subject to the recognition of the power of the pope. In Galicia, from the end of the 12th century, Hungarians actively opposed the spread of Orthodoxy. The threat of Catholicization was borne by the Swedish and German knights - they were defeated by the noble prince Alexander Nevsky.
All the metropolitans in Russia except two - Hilarion and Clement Smolyatich - were Greeks. Out of 25, only 5-6 people were outstanding. Almost none of them knew the Russian language and customs. They, as a rule, were engaged only in church affairs and did not interfere in political affairs. Interestingly, Clement Smolyatich was expelled from the throne by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky and the Greek again became the new metropolitan.
It must be said that the dependence of the Kiev metropolitans on the Patriarchs of Constantinople at that time was a positive phenomenon. There was a time of civil strife, which carried the threat of the princes establishing their independent bishops. This threatened the division of the Russian Metropolis into several parts. In the list of Metropolitanates of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Russian Metropolitanate was in 62nd place. At the same time, she had a special seal and enjoyed the special attention of the Patriarchs, since was very rich. All dependence on Constantinople was expressed only in the election and consecration of metropolitans, after which they ruled independently. Only on extremely important issues did they turn to the Patriarchs of Constantinople and participated in Councils in Constantinople (4 such cases are known). This order of things was facilitated by the geographical remoteness of Russia from Byzantium and its independence.
It must be said that the Church had a beneficial effect on the state. The metropolitans were the first advisers of the great princes, they sat next to them, without their blessing, they did not take any serious decisions. The hierarchs did not claim to dominate the supranational power - it itself rushed under the tutelage of the Church. Prince Vladimir consulted with bishops on the use of the death penalty. Vladimir was inclined towards a softer option, but the position of bishops who favored the execution of the robbers prevailed. Bishops sent letters of exhortation calling for an end to bloodshed and civil strife, were mediators in negotiations and at the head of embassies. During this period, there were about 15 dioceses in Russia, the borders of which coincided with the borders of the appanage principalities. Interestingly, by the end of the 12th century, bishops were universally elected by the people and princes. There were cases when the princes did not accept bishops sent from the metropolitan without their consent. In Novgorod, the bishop was elected at a veche, in which the prince and the clergy also took part. If insurmountable disagreements arose, then a lot was placed on the edge of the throne, which was then taken out by a blind man or a baby. There were cases when the veche expelled not only an objectionable prince, but also a bishop. So, in 1228, Bishop Arseny was expelled. The reason: he prayed badly - it rained all the time from the Assumption to Nikola.
Metropolitans had the right to convene Councils. According to the rules, they should take place twice a year, but due to the vastness of our territory, this was unrealistic.
Interestingly, some historians believe that the Russian Church was initially dependent on the Bulgarian Church, however, there is no solid documentary evidence to support this. Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky made an attempt to establish a new metropolitan see in Vladimir, but this was rejected by the Patriarch of Constantinople.
Spiritual enlightenment in Russia is entirely due to Christianity. Literature appears in our country only after the adoption of Christianity - before that there was a darkness of ignorance and rude morals. Prince Vladimir opened schools in Kiev, which recruited the children of eminent citizens. The teachers were clergy. The first books came from Bulgaria, where Christianity was established 100 years before the Baptism of Rus. The chronicle tells that Yaroslav the Wise read books day and night. He also opened schools, knew 8 languages, was the founder of the first library in Russia (it was at the St. Sophia Cathedral). By the way, this library, like the library of Ivan the Terrible, has not yet been found. The book was very expensive, the parchments were made from animal skins.
In the monasteries, they were engaged in rewriting books. Schools were founded in other cities as well, for example, in Kursk (St. Feodosia of the Caves studied here). All the literature of the pre-Mongol period was religious in content. Even the teachings of Vladimir Monomakh and the chronicles were largely religious in nature. The books were mostly translated from the Greek language. Of the Russian church writers, it is important to mention the Novgorod Bishop Luka Zhidyatu, Metropolitan Hilarion with his "Word of Law and Grace." This word was spoken before the Grand Duke Yaroslav the Wise and all the people. It is a true masterpiece of public speaking. Venerable Theodosius of the Caves addressed with teachings to the monks and the people (to the first - 5, to the second - 2); Abbot Daniel in his "Walking in Holy Places" in a simple accessible form describes the 16 months spent in the Holy Land. He examined all the shrines, remembered all the known, saw the descent of the Holy Fire, lit a candle on behalf of the entire Russian Church over the Holy Sepulcher. St. Cyril Turovsky is called the Russian Chrysostom.
It is known that before accepting the bishopric, he was a pillar. An interesting monument is "Questioning Kirik the Novgorodian". Many mock the pettiness and literalism of the questions, however, one cannot help but be surprised at the author's scrupulousness.
Temples in Russia were also centers of social life. Government decrees were announced near their walls, monetary collections were held, and general meals were held on patronal days. It is interesting that during baptism, which was preceded by the announcement (for Russians, 8 days, and for foreigners, 40), along with new Christian names, Slavic names were preserved.
Speaking about the Kiev period, of course, one should note such a grandiose event as the founding of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, a true hotbed of piety, and the martyrdom of the holy passion-bearers Boris and Gleb.
Hegumen Kirill (Sakharov)
