Russian Orthodox Church

The Russian Orthodox Church (also known as the Orthodox Catholic Church of Russia) (??????? ???????????? ???????) is that body of Christians who are united under the Patriarch of Moscow, who in turn is in communion with the other patriarchs and primates of the Eastern Orthodox Church. In this way Russian Orthodox believers are in communion with all other Eastern Orthodox believers.

History

The Russian Orthodox Church traces its roots to the Baptism of Kiev in 988, when Prince Vladimir I officially adopted the religion of the Byzantine Empire as the state religion of the Rus' state. Thus, in 1988, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated its millennial anniversary. It therefore traces its apostolic succession through the Patriarch of Constantinople.

Related Topics:
Baptism of Kiev - 988 - Vladimir I - Byzantine Empire - 1988 - Apostolic succession - Patriarch of Constantinople

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The Church was originally a subsidiary of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Byzantine patriarch appointed the metropolitan who governed the Church of Rus'. The Metropolitan moved from the Rus' capital of Kiev to Suzdal, then to Vladimir, then to Moscow in 1326 following Kiev's devastation by the Mongols. The 14th century was the time when the Russian church was pivotal for the national survival. Such holy figures as Sergey of Radonezh and Metropolitan Alexis helped the country to withstand the years of Tatar oppression and to expand both economically and spiritually.

Related Topics:
Byzantine patriarch - Kiev - Suzdal - Moscow - 1326 - Mongol - Sergey of Radonezh - Metropolitan Alexis

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In 1439 at the Council of Florence, a meeting of the Catholic and Orthodox Church leaders agreed upon terms of reunification of the two branches of Christianity. The Russian people, however, rejected the concessions to the Catholics and Metropolitan Isidore was expelled from his position.

Related Topics:
1439 - Council of Florence - Metropolitan Isidore

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In 1448, the Russian Church became independent from the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Metropolitan Jonas, installed by the Council of Russian bishops in 1448, was given the title of Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus'. This was just five years before the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Thereupon the Russian Church not only remained independent from the Vatican, but elaborated the doctrine of Moscow as the Third Rome.

Related Topics:
1448 - Metropolitan Jonas - Metropolitan of Moscow - Fall of Constantinople - 1453 - Vatican - Moscow - Third Rome

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The reign of Ivan III and his successor was plagued by numerous heresies and controversies. One party, led by Nil Sorsky and Vassian Kosoy, called for secularisation of monastic properties. They were oppugned by the influential Joseph of Volotsk, who defended ecclesiastical ownership of land properties. The sovereign's position fluctuated, until he threw his support to Joseph.

Related Topics:
Ivan III - Nil Sorsky - Vassian Kosoy - Joseph of Volotsk

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Thereupon begins the unprecedented period of monastic landlordism. By the mid-16th century, Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra and Joseph Volokolamsk Monastery were the richest landowners in Central Russia, whereas the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery and the Solovki boasted even greater possessions in the north. The metropolitans who came from such monasteries and enjoyed their support felt strong enough to challenge the tsar's policies, as was the case of Metropolitan Philip.

Related Topics:
Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra - Joseph Volokolamsk Monastery - Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery - Solovki - Metropolitan Philip

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In 1551, the Hundred Chapter Synod unified church ceremonies and duties in the whole territory of Russia. At the demand of the church hierarchy the government cancelled the tsar's jurisdiction over ecclesiastics.

Related Topics:
1551 - Hundred Chapter Synod

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In 1589, Metropolitan Job of Moscow became the first Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'; making the Russian Church autocephalous. The other Eastern patriarchs have recognized the Moscow patriarchate as fifth in honor and precedence. During the next half a century, when the tsardom was weak, the Patriarchs (notably Germogen and Philaret) rose to become national leaders, religious and temporal alike. This pattern led to direct attempt at subordinating the state to the church, which was undertaken by Patriarch Nikon.

Related Topics:
1589 - Metropolitan Job - Autocephalous - Germogen - Philaret - Patriarch Nikon

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In 1652, Nikon resolved to centralize power that had been distributed locally while conforming Russian Orthodox rites and rituals to those of the Greek Orthodox Church. For instance he insisted that Russians cross themselves with three fingers, rather than the traditional two. This aroused great antipathy among a large section of the population who saw the changed rites both as heresy and as a pretext for Nikon's usurpation of power. This group became known as the Old Believers and they reject the teachings of the new Patriarch. Tsar Aleksey (who was simultaneously centralizing political power) upheld Nikon's changes, however, and the Old Believers were persecuted in various forms until 1905. Avvakum Petrovich and many other dissidents were burned at the stake, either forcibly or voluntarily.

Related Topics:
1652 - Greek Orthodox Church - Old Believers - Tsar Aleksey - 1905 - Avvakum Petrovich

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In the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, the Russian Orthodox Church experienced phenomenal growth. In the 1686, the Metropolia of Kiev passed from Constantinople's control to that of Moscow bringing millions more faithful and a half dozen dioceses under the general control of the Russian Orthodox Patriarch. In the following two centuries, missionary efforts stretched out across Siberia into Alaska, then into the United States at California. Eminent people on that missionary effort included Innocent of Irkutsk, Herman of Alaska, Innocent of Siberia and Alaska. They learned local languages and translated the gospels and the hymns. Sometimes those translations required the invention of a new system of transcription.

Related Topics:
Seventeenth - Eighteenth - 1686 - Metropolia of Kiev - Irkutsk - Herman of Alaska

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In 1700 following Patriarch Adrian's death, Peter the Great prevented a successor from being named, and in 1721, after the advise of Feofan Prokopovich, he established the Holy and Supreme Synod to govern the church instead of a single primate. This was the situation until shortly after the Russian Revolution in 1917, at which time the bishops elected a new patriarch, Patriarch Tikhon. The 19th century saw the rise of starchestvo under Paisiy Velichkovsky and his disciples at the Optina Monastery.

Related Topics:
1700 - Patriarch Adrian - 1721 - Feofan Prokopovich - Holy and Supreme Synod - The church instead of a single primate - Russian Revolution - 1917 - Tikhon - 19th century - Starchestvo - Paisiy Velichkovsky - Optina Monastery

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In 1914 there were in Russia 55 173 Russian Orthodox churches and 29 593 chapels, 112 629 priests and deacons, 550 monasteries and 475 nunneries with a total of 95 259 inmates.

Related Topics:
1914 - Churches - Chapels - Priests - Deacons - Monasteries - Nunneries

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During most of the 20th century, the Russian Orthodox Church had to coexist with deeply atheist government of Soviet Union. Although freedom of religious expression was formally declared by one of the first decrees of revolutionary government in January 1918, both the Church and its followers were deeply disadvantaged and sometimes persecuted. Prior to the Russian Revolution, there were some 54 000 functioning parishes and over 150 bishops. Many religious hierarchs fled the country during the revolution and the civil war that followed, and eventually formed their own organisation that became known as Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. During the 1920-30s, most churches were razed or converted into secular buildings; over 50 thousand priests were either executed or sent to labor camps ( many of these suffered as part of the Great Purge of 1936-37 ). By 1939, there were less than 100 functioning parishes and only four bishops.

Related Topics:
Atheist - Russian Revolution - Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia - Great Purge - 1939

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During World War II, the religious persecution in Soviet Union became less pronounced, in part due to cooperation of the Church with the state on national defense issues. Years 1944-45 saw the reopening of several seminaries that were closed in 1918. After the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953, relations between the Church and the state started to deteriorate again. Until Perestroika, public expression of religious beliefs - christian or otherwise - was frowned upon; known churchgoers would be unlikely to become members of the Communist Party, which, in turn, severely limited their career opportunities. All Soviet university students were required to take courses in "Scientific Atheism". Finally, well into 1970-80's many priests of Russian Orthodox Church, as well as other churches in Soviet Union, were secretly employed by the KGB. At the same time, large number of people remained overtly or covertly religious. In 1987 in Russian Federation between 40% and 50% of newborn babies (depending on the region) were baptized and over 60% of all deceased received Christian funeral services.

Related Topics:
World War II - Joseph Stalin - Perestroika - KGB

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A pivotal point in the history of Russian Orthodox Church came in 1988 - the millennial anniversary of Baptism of Kievan Rus'. It appears now that the government had realized fruitlessness of its efforts in war against religion and, instead of that, tried to use religion to gain support of people. Throughout the summer of 1988, major government-supported celebrations took place in Moscow and other cities; many churches and some monasteries were reopened. An implicit ban of religious propaganda on state TV ( or, indeed, of any portrayal of religion that wouldn't be critical or mocking ) was finally lifted. For the first time in the history of Soviet Union, people could use their TVs to see live transmissions of services from central churches.

Related Topics:
1988 - Baptism of Kievan Rus'

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