The collapse of the synodal system (the end of the nineteenth – the beginning of the twentieth century): concepts of modern Orthodox historiography

Keywords: Church, historiography, late synodal period, revolution, clergy

Abstract

Purpose of the study. To analyze the works of modern historians, reflecting the intra-church vision of the situation of the Orthodox Church in the Russian Empire from the end of the nineteenth century to 1917. Attention is focused on assessments of the late synodal system, the need to Church renew, Church freedom in the state, the clergy perception of the February Revolution and the new government. The concept of «modern Church / Orthodox historiography» is used in a broad and conditional sense. Itʼs represented by authors of various ideological and canonical directions of the twentieth early twenty-first century.

The research methodology is based on a comparative study of the historiographic concepts mainly of the second half of the 20th century – the beginning of the 21st century. We study the most influential generalizing texts representing the position of various groups in the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as the works of Orthodox historians of emigration, the diaspora, Church dissidents. They have mostly liberal views and assessments of the Church process.

The scientific novelty. The novelty of the study is determined by the weakness of the internal Church critical reflection, since the Church history functions within the framework of the apologetic and descriptive paradigm. Modern Church historiography is a specific phenomenon of historical science. Itʼs trying to combine two difficult tasks: religious apologetics and academic research. The article showed the negative aspects of this approach.

Findings. The main lack of modern Church historiography is the indifference to non-political aspects of Church history. The potential of historical anthropology, intellectual history, the social history of ideas, and the history of mentality is ignored.  As a result, many promising stories fall out of Сhurch historiography. These subjects are successfully investigated by secular historians. Common problem of the Orthodox historiography is thematic limitations, the tendency of the phenomenological «encapsulation» of the Church in the historical process, the conceptual dependence on Orthodox journalism at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. Also, the weak representativeness of the sources as a result of inattention to local documentary sources.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Гайда Ф. Русская Церковь и политическая ситуация после Февральской революции 1917 г. Западная Русь: веб-сайт. URL: http://zapadrus.su/rusmir/rlg/217--1917-html.

Грюнберг П. О положении епископата Русской Православной Церкви при Временном Правительстве (по новооткрытым источникам). Материалы по истории русской иерархии. Статьи и документы. Москва, 2002. С. 69–92.

Евфимий (Логвинов), иером. О спорных вопросах послереволюционного периода Русской Церкви и их освещении историками. История РПЦ в ХХ веке (1917–1933). М., 2002. С. 221–232.

Зеньковский В. Пять месяцев у власти. Воспоминания. Библиотека Якова Кротова : веб-сайт. URL: http://krotov.info/library/08_z/en/zenkov_1.htm.

История Русской Православной Церкви. От восстановления патриаршества до наших дней. Том 1 / Ред. М. Д. Данилушкин. СПб., 1997. 1020 с.

Карташев А. Временное правительство и Русская Церковь. Электронная библиотека Одинцовского благочиния: веб-сайт. URL: http://www.odinblago.ru/vrem_p_i_cerkov

Карташев А. Церковь. История. Россия. Статьи и выступления. М., 1996. 301 с.

Левитин А., Шавров В. Очерки по истории русской церковной смуты. М., 1996. 676 с.

Митрофанов Г., прот. История Русской Православной Церкви 1900–1927. Библиотека Якова Кротова: веб-сайт. URL: http://krotov.info/history/20/1900/mitrofanov.htm.

Обзор Деяний Священного Собора Православной Российской Церкви 1917–1918 гг. Азбука веры: веб-сайт. URL: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Istorija_Tserkvi/obzor-dejanij-svjashhennogo-sobora-pravoslavnoj-rossijskoj-tserkvi-1917-1918-gg/.

Победоносцев К. П. Великая ложь нашего времени. М., 1993. 640 с.

Поспеловский Д. Русская Православная Церковь в ХХ веке. М., 1995. 511 с.

Регельсон Л. Трагедия Русской Церкви. 1917–1953 гг. М., 2017. 677 с.

Рогозный П. Г. Церковная революция 1917 года. СПб., 2008. 224 с.

Русская Православная Церковь. XX век. М., 2008. 800 с.

Смолич И. История Русской Церкви. 1700–1917. Библиотека Якова Кротова: веб-сайт. URL: http://krotov.info/history/18/general/smolich_0.htm.

Ульяновський В. Церква в Українській державі 1917–1920 рр. (доба Української Центральної Ради). К., 1997. 200 с.

Федоров В. А. Русская Православная Церковь и государство. Синодальный период. 1700–1917. М., 2003. 480 с.

Фирсов С. Русская Церковь накануне перемен (конец 1890-х – 1918 гг.). Б. м.: 2008. 623 с.

Фирсов С. Власть и огонь. Церковь и советское государство 1918 – начало 1940-х. М., 2014. 474 с.

Фирсов С. Церковь в Империи. Очерки из церковной истории эпохи Императора Николая II. СПб., 2007. 460 с.

Ципын Вл., прот. Константин Петрович Победоносцев. Православие.ru : веб-сайт. URL: http://www.pravoslavie.ru/764.html.

Цыпин Вл., прот. История Русской Православной Церкви. Синодальный и новейший периоды. М., 2010. 816 с.

Цыпин Вл., прот. История Русской Церкви. Синодальный период. Учебное пособие. Сергиев Посад, 2004. 214 с.

Цыпин Вл., прот. История Русской Церкви. ХХ век. Учебное пособие для студентов 4 класса. Сергиев Посад, 2006. 199 с.

Цыпин Вл., прот. Канун катастрофы. О событиях, предшествовавших Февралю 1917 года. Православие.ru: веб-сайт. URL: http://www.pravoslavie.ru/99584.html.

Цыпин Вл., прот. Начало конца Российской империи. Православие.ru : веб-сайт. URL: http://www.pravoslavie.ru/101513.html.

Шкаровский М. Русская Православная Церковь в ХХ веке. М., 2010. 480 с.

Gajda F. Russkaya Cerkov i politicheskaya situaciya posle Fevralskoj revolyucii 1917 g. [Russian Church and political situation after Febrary Revolution 1917] (In Russian).URL: http://zapadrus.su/rusmir/rlg/217-1917-html.

Gryunberg P. O polozhenii episkopata Russkoj Pravoslavnoj Cerkvi pri Vremennom Pravitelstve (po novootkrytym istochnikam) [On the situation of the episcopate of the Russian Orthodox Church under the Provisional Government (according to newly discovered sources). Materials on the history of the Russian hierarchy] (In Russian). Materialy po istorii russkoj ierarhii. Stati i dokumenty. Moskva, 2002. S. 69–92.

Evfimij (Logvinov), ierom. O spornyh voprosah poslerevolyucionnogo perioda Russkoj Cerkvi i ih osveshenii istorikami [On the controversial issues of the post-revolutionary period of the Russian Church and their coverage by historians] (In Russian). Istoriya RPC v ХХ veke (1917–1933). M., 2002. S. 221–232.

Zenkovskij V. Pyat mesyacev u vlasti. Vospominaniya [Five months in power. Memories] (In Russian). URL: http://krotov.info/library/08_z/en/zenkov_1.htm.

Istoriya Russkoj Pravoslavnoj Cerkvi. Ot vosstanovleniya patriarshestva do nashih dnej [The history of the Russian Orthodox Church. From the restoration of the patriarchate to the present day] (In Russian). Tom 1 /Red. M. D. Danilushkin. SPb., 1997. 1020 s.

Kartashev A. Vremennoe pravitelstvo i Russkaya Cerkov [Provisional Government and the Russian Church]. (In Russian). URL: http://www.odinblago.ru/vrem_p_i_cerkov .

Kartashev A. Cerkov. Istoriya. Rossiya. Stati i vystupleniya [Church. Story. Russia. Articles and speeches] (In Russian). Moskva, 1996. 301 s.

Levitin A., Shavrov V. Ocherki po istorii russkoj cerkovnoj smuty [Essays on the history of Russian church distemper] (In Russian). Moskva, 1996. 676 s.

Mitrofanov G., prot. Istoriya Russkoj Pravoslavnoj Cerkvi 1900–1927 [History of the Russian Orthodox Church 1900–1927] (In Russian). URL: http://krotov.info/history/20/1900/mitrofanov.htm.

Obzor Deyanij Svyashennogo Sobora Pravoslavnoj Rossijskoj Cerkvi 1917–1918 gg. [Review of the Acts of the Holy Council of the Orthodox Russian Church 1917–1918] (In Russian). URL: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Istorija_Tserkvi/obzor-dejanij-svjashhennogo-sobora-pravoslavnoj-rossijskoj-tserkvi-1917-1918-gg/.

Pobedonoscev K. P. Velikaya lozh nashego vremeni [The great lies of our time] (In Russian). M., 1993. 640 s.

Pospelovskij D. Russkaya Pravoslavnaya Cerkov v ХХ veke [Russian Orthodox Church in the twentieth century] (In Russian). M., 1995. 511 s.

Regelson L. Tragediya Russkoj Cerkvi. 1917–1953 gg. [The tragedy of the Russian Church. 1917–1953] (In Russian). M., 2017. 677 s.

Rogoznyj P. G. Cerkovnaya revolyuciya 1917 goda [The Church Revolution of 1917] (In Russian). SPb., 2008. 224 s.

Russkaya Pravoslavnaya Cerkov. XX vek [Russian Orthodox Church. XX century] (In Russian). M., 2008. 800 s.

Smolich I. Istoriya Russkoj Cerkvi. 1700–1917 [History of the Russian Church. 1700–1917] (In Russian). URL: http://krotov.info/history/18/general/smolich_0.htm.

Ulyanovskij V. Czerkva v Ukrayinskij derzhavi 1917–1920 rr. (doba Ukrayinskoyi Czentralnoyi Radi) [Church in the Ukrainian State 1917–1920 pp. (ext. Ukrainian Central Radi)] (In Ukrainian). K., 1997. 200 s.

Fedorov V. A. Russkaya Pravoslavnaya Cerkov i gosudarstvo. Sinodalnyj period. 1700–1917 [Russian Orthodox Church and the state. Sino-distant period. 1700–1917] (In Russian). M., 2003. 480 s.

Firsov S. Russkaya Cerkov nakanune peremen (konec 1890-h – 1918 gg.) [The Russian Church on the eve of change (late 1890s – 1918)] (In Russian). B. m., 2008. 623 s.

Firsov S. Vlast i ogon. Cerkov i sovetskoe gosudarstvo 1918 – nachalo 1940-h. [Power and fire. The church and the Soviet state of 1918 – early 1940 s.] (In Russian). M., 2014. 474 s.

Firsov S. Cerkov v Imperii. Ocherki iz cerkovnoj istorii epohi Imperatora Nikolaya II [Church in the Empire. Essays from the church history of the era of Emperor Nicholas II] (In Russian). SPb., 2007. 460 s.

Cipyn Vl., prot. Konstantin Petrovich Pobedonoscev [Konstantin Petrovich Pobedonostsev] (In Russian). URL: http://www.pravoslavie.ru/764.html.

Cypin Vl., prot., Istoriya Russkoj Pravoslavnoj Cerkvi. Sinodalnyj i novejshij periody [History of the Russian Orthodox Church. Synodal and newest periods] (In Russian). M., 2010. 816 s.

Cypin Vl., prot. Istoriya Russkoj Cerkvi. Sinodalnyj period. Uchebnoe posobie [History of the Russian Church. The synodal period. Textbook] (In Russian). Sergiev Posad, 2004. 214 s.

Cypin Vl., prot. Istoriya Russkoj Cerkvi. ХХ vek. Uchebnoe posobie dlya studentov 4 klassa [History of the Russian Church. XX century. Textbook for students of grade 4] (In Russian). Sergiev Posad, 2006.199 s.

Cypin Vl., prot. Kanun katastrofy. O sobytiyah, predshestvovavshih Fevralyu 1917 goda [Disaster eve. About the events preceding February 1917] (In Russian). URL: http://www.pravoslavie.ru/99584.html.

Cypin Vl., prot. Nachalo konca Rossijskoj imperii [The beginning of the end of the Russian Empire] (In Russian). URL: http://www.pravoslavie.ru/101513.html.

Shkarovskij M. Russkaya pravoslavnaya cerkov v XX veke [Russian orthodox church in the twentieth century] (in Russian). M., 2010. 480 S.
Published
2020-09-15
How to Cite
Савченко, С. (2020). The collapse of the synodal system (the end of the nineteenth – the beginning of the twentieth century): concepts of modern Orthodox historiography. V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University Bulletin ‘History of Ukraine. Ukrainian Studies: Historical and Philosophical Sciences’, 30, 72-84. https://doi.org/10.26565/2227-6505-2020-30-06
Section
ІСТОРІОГРАФІЯ ТА ІНТЕЛЕКТУАЛЬНА ІСТОРІЯ